A golf course which has repeatedly faced financial turbulence on Canberra's north-west fringe has sold to a community club, which believes it can increase the site's profit.
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The Burns Club has bought the Belconnen Magpies Golf Club in Holt for an undisclosed price.
The club will take ownership of the 18-hole course and clubhouse on April 3.
Burns Club president Athol Chalmers said the board had been attracted to the golf club because it bordered on the Ginninderry developments, one of Canberra's fastest growing areas.
"This growth is in stark contrast to our current home in Kambah which is predicted to have virtually no population growth in the next two to three decades," Mr Chalmers said.
The club intended to build the Belconnen site into a destination for the growing population centre in Canberra's north-west and increase profitability, he said.
Mr Chalmers said the club's board believed it could achieve significant growth by changing the business model, while saving money by running two venues under one management and staffing regime.
"Whilst we have no experience in running golf courses, as part of the purchase we will retain the expertise of the current golfing staff who have been operating and maintaining the course for many years," he said.
"This is critical to ensuring that we maintain the quality of the course as well as helping grow golf membership over the coming years."
Mr Chalmers told The Canberra Times he was unable to disclose the price the club had paid for the golf course due to contractual obligations.
Burns Club members will automatically become a member of the licensed club at Belconnen once the transfer is complete, while existing Magpies Golf Club members will have access to the Burns Club at Kambah.
Mr Chalmers said the Magpies Football Club would continue to hose after-match functions at the golf club.
"We are delighted about this arrangement and the opportunity it provides for the Burns Club and Magpies to continue to build a relationship which benefits both organisations," he said.
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The Burns Club was established in Canberra in 1924, established a permanent club site in Forrest in 1957 and moved to a new site in Kambah in 1991.
The golf club in 2020 warned its members faced closure after being issued with large increases to the cost of treated water it used for irrigation.
Belconnen Magpies Golf Club general manager Paul Netting said at the time the treated effluent bill had grown by more than 2600 per cent in 14 years.
The club had 540 members at the time, who were told the water charge posed a dire financial problem to the club's viability.
The Canberra Times understands the Magpies club had previously decided not to renew their lease at the golf course, which was due to expire this year.
The Belconnen Magpies Sports Club board, which has controlled the Magpies golf club, closed holes 19 to 27 in 2003.
The land was later sold for housing.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
