CHRISTCHURCH council is considering the future of the golf course at Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre.

After scrutinising the way the leisure centre currently operates, councillors have recommended officers look into the prospect of converting the course into a leisure park.

The recommendation was made at a recent audit and scrutiny committee.

Members asked the corporate team to examine the proposed closure of the 18-hole golf course, as the committee was unable to see how this could become a profitable facility as “an open-ended subsidy cannot at this time of economic difficulty be justified”.

Officers were asked to consider a full feasibility study to look at turning the course into a park with picnic, aquatic recreational and pitch-and-putt facilities.

A report from the task and finish group, chaired by Cllr Trevor Watts, revealed that the largest outgoing at the leisure centre is the staffing cost due to the long opening hours.

They also said the golf area and its usage constitute an area where money could be saved and revenue could be increased.

Over the last two years, the revenue from golf has fallen from £17,579 in 2009/10 to £14,841 in 2010/11.

And in 2010 the council had to pay for an entirely new irrigation system for the golf course, which cost £6,350.

The report from the group also stated there was an opportunity to increase the number of people using the facility, which in turn could have a knock-on effect for the whole complex, acting as a “honey pot” site.

Matti Raudsepp, head of leisure and open spaces at the Christchurch and East Dorset Partnership, said: “The Scrutiny Committee who considered the group’s report has asked the Partnership’s Corporate Team to look at options for improving the use of the site, including potential alternative facilities.

“However, no decision will be taken until all options have been carefully considered, any recommendations discussed further at committee and, if necessary, a public consultation undertaken.”

what regular players have to say

• ROD Pearce said: “We come down here every Wednesday morning and have been for about six months. If they ran it properly like a business there wouldn’t be a problem.”

• NEIL Ward said: “There seems to be little point in making it a park. If they could market and advertise it right, there’d be more people here. It would be a shame to lose it.”

• FELLOW golfer Bob Baker added: “It’s winter, so of course there won’t be a lot of people using it. Often we do have it to ourselves but in the summer there will be more.”