What to do with the former golf course turned large dog park?
"The former Oreti Sands Golf Course as a brilliant place to walk my dogs. I would be out most weekdays walking my two dogs."
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The Invercargill City Council is reducing maintenance of the former Oreti Sands Golf Course in an attempt to keep rate rises to an acceptable level.
It has prompted concerns from some users.
The Southland Golf Club ended its lease for the Oreti Sands Golf Links Course in 2018 after it struggled for members.
There was interest from the Southern Institute of Technology to take over for turf maintenance educational purposes. During that time the council’s parks and recreation division agreed to continue mowing the grass at a reduced standard, as a temporary solution until SIT could made a decision.
The SIT did not proceed with that idea.
In the meantime, the vacant golf course has turned into a popular spot for dog walkers, morphing into a massive unofficial dog park.
Other recreational users have also used the former 18-hole course land.
The council’s parks and recreation team has continued to mow the fairways, however, it has now reduced the levels of mowing.
It is now mowing a 2m strip around the former course to allow for a walking track while the other parts of the old fairways are now not being mowed.
The council had tried bailage but the grass quality was poor.
Parks and Recreation manager Caroline Rain said: “The Parks and Recreation team have continued to look for the most efficient way to manage this area within current staff and budget.
“During recent discussions around reviewing service levels to manage the Invercargill City Council rates increase to an acceptable level, a low and reduced mowing frequency was introduced with the Oreti Sands Golf Links Course one location where reduced maintenance is occurring, providing a walking track across the disused fairways.”
Brian Rowe is one of the many users of the area who has raised concerns with the council as to a “lack of maintenance” of the popular area and “the encroachment of lupins”.
“In August 2018 I returned from 25 years in Australia. I soon found the former Oreti Sands Golf Course as a brilliant place to walk my dogs. Except for Covid I would be out most weekdays walking my two dogs. I stopped going during the weekends as sometimes it was impossible to find a park. Even early morning and evening the place is really busy.”
“For the first couple of years the course, except for hole 3, was kept to a reasonable standard.”
Rowe said he would be prepared to volunteer to do some mowing and was aware of others who would do the same to keep the grass cut.
Rain, the council’s recreation and parks manager, understood the area was frequently used, predominantly by dog walkers, multisport events, disc golf and the Astronomical Society.
“We do not hold data on how many people are currently using this area, however, Council is planning to install a track counter prior to the Master Plan process to give us an idea of how many people use the area,” Rain said.
“This maintenance meets the standards for the majority of users at the site, as there are walking tracks and mowed fire breaks. This standard is an intent to leave grassed areas to grow longer to create a greater variety of habitat for wildlife, reduced fuel emissions and reduce mowing time.”
In terms of a pest weeds perspective?
“Council staff undertake pest weed control at Sandy Point as a whole, following best practice from the Southland Pest Management Plan 2019-2029. Although lupins are not present within this plan, treatment for the eradication of lupins is best undertaken in conjunction with a revegetation plan over the course of many years.”
The council is in the process of preparing a Sandy Point Master Plan that looks at planning for the next 50 years of the whole area.
“Revegetation is something that can be considered as part of this process, along with a range of other potential uses,” Rain said.
In late 2022, public consultation took place to inform the draft Master Plan.
The draft is expected to be available for public comment in late 2023. The Master Plan will inform a new Sandy Point Management Plan, replacing the last one dated 2013, and will outline an operational intent for the next 10 years.
From the Archives
In July last year - for Stuff - I outlined how just the ghosts of its golfing past remain at the Oreti Sands Course, just a matter of years after a leading professional golfer once rated it alongside links courses used for British Open tournaments. Read that full article here.