Golf Industry Central Autumn 2013 Part Deux | Page 24

Golf Course

SAVED
from Developer

By David Newbery
He bought it in 2003 for $1.3
million, sold it three years later for
$3.5m and last month bought it
back for $800,000.
Businessman Brett Lawton
recently purchased Karana
Downs Country Club in southeast
Queensland following a threeyear battle between the residentrun Karana Downs Community
Lifestyle Protection Group
(KDCLPG) and developer Karana
Waters, which lost an appeal to
turn the 38ha site into a housing
estate.

“

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His biggest challenge
will be trying to
convince members to
return to the fold.

In February, when Lawton, who
also owns Sandy Gallop Golf
Club, acquired the property from
the receivers it was in a state of
disrepair with one-metre high
weeds and grass covering the
greens and fairways and the
clubhouse was derelict.

Lawton will inject more than $1m
into clubhouse renovations and
golf course improvements.

“We have gutted the clubhouse
and are repainting, carpeting,
adding new furniture and
modernising the whole place,” he
said.
“We will have a 200-seat
restaurant, public bar, swimmingpool and tennis courts.
“Everything will come up like it’s
brand-new.”
Superintendent Trevor Weinert has
had his work cut out trying to get
the course into a playable state.
Still, he believes the golf course,
weather permitting, will open for
play in early June.
“The course will be a decent
standard,” Lawton said. “The
course has been around for 30
years and we just had to clean it
up again.”
His biggest challenge will be trying
to convince members to return to
the fold.
When the club closed its doors
almost two years’ ago, a number
of members drifted to nearby
Sandy Gallop Golf Club and to
persuade them to return won’t be
easy.
“Attracting members will be

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difficult, but I imagine the locals
will return,” he said.
“I know the members that left
here settled in well at Sandy
Gallop.
“We had 100 join Sandy Gallop
from here and I anticipate 50 will
stay and 50 will come back to
Karana Downs.”
New members will pay $480 per
annum, which will give them
access to both Karana Downs and
Sandy Gallop golf courses.
“It’s a win-win f