New Business Venture with Golf

Golf is venturing to new horizons in Vanua Levu with the first- ever golf driving range to be opened in September. This was revealed to SUNsports yesterday by Vuo Supermarket Pte Limited managing director and developer Jitendra Chand. He said the project would provide an opportunity to people to learn how to play golf.

The driving range is located at Vunika, outside Labasa, on a five-acre land.

The project is in its development phase with a good share of landscaping already completed.

Chand said the next phase would involve the levelling of the golf course surface.

“I will need to get a planner and on this course landscape, make it as smooth and levelled as possible,” he said.

Following this, the drive course will be opened for those wanting to learn how to play golf.

“For now interested golfers can come and have a hit on the surface,” Chand said.

He said the official launch of the golf driving range in September would go together with the opening of an uptown bar and restaurant at the range.

Chand said the cost of the whole project is $400,000.

He indicated the idea behind the setting up of the restaurant is to give golfers a chance to relax and recover.

Ownership

“I thank the Tui Labasa for helping us acquire the land for this dream project,” Chand added.

They acquired a 99-year land lease while $100,000 will be devoted to the landscaping of the golf range.

“The project is a 50-50 partnership with the Tui Labasa Ratu Jone Qomate’s company.”

To match up with prominent sports like football and rugby, Chand says, golf is played and closely followed by a good portion of our population.

Maintenance of the golf driving range, Chand says, will require three workers.

“Right now we’ve one full-time worker,” he added.

Denarau influence

Chand said a visit to the Port Denarau golf course inspired him to start the project.

“I had a friend who took me around Denarau, that’s where I realised that I should have gone into this development earlier on, but, the expensive capital to invest, was a hindrance,” he said.

Chand took up golf in his late 30s at Port Denarau when he was still working in Nadi.

And finally, when he had enough capital to invest, he started to propose this idea further.

“I don’t want Northerners to be disadvantaged with the view that we have insufficient resources.”

Chand indicated his plan to join the Labasa Golf Club as an active member, but this would depend on his busy schedule.

Chand said once the driving range is opened, students would be allowed to visit and play in the range through excursion visits for free.

While for adults, a reasonable fee would be charged, with visitors staying at their newly-built villas, be given a chance to play as well.

He asked Northerners to keep a close watch on the progress of the project and build that confidence to participate at the driving range.

Feedback: sampras.anand@fijisun.com.fj

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