The Rotorua Golf Club is billed for a multi-million-dollar investment if funds can be located, Tourism New Zealand golf tourism specialist Ryan Brandeburg says.
Tourism New Zealand is promoting the Rotorua club as a premiere golf destination to the international golf market. Mr Brandeburg says the club, which is on land Ngati Whakaue gifted to the Crown and administered by the Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust, is the world's only indigenous geothermal golf course.
"There is a lot of talk right now about Rotorua Golf Club receiving some heavy investment, multi-million-dollar investment, to bring it up to that international tourism level." He said it was unclear where the money would be sourced.
"We have been working with Grow Rotorua and the council trying to figure out how we can make this work. Iwi has been involved as well in trying to say what could be done to turn Rotorua Golf Club into a destination asset. And it seems like the plan is in place, it's just a matter of funding being appropriate."
Trust chairman Malcolm Short said the course would be brought up to an international tourism standard.