Golf course developments revitalise King Island as tourists visit to enjoy a round

Remote King Island, plonked half way between the north-west tip of Tasmania and mainland Australia, is undergoing a transformation.

Within 12 months, two world-class golf courses will have opened on the island, bringing with them a renewed energy for residents.

Year-round resident numbers are dipping below 1,500, and tourist numbers have plateaued over the past few years.

And the closure of the King Island abattoir in 2012 means beef producers pay almost triple the freight costs to get live cattle off the island to mainland Tasmania.

King Island Tourism president Jim Benn said the golf courses were proving they could turn things around.

“A couple of years ago King Island was in the doldrums because we lost our abattoir. People were feeling pretty glum,” Mr Benn said.

“A couple of golfers came over and said they were going to develop a couple of courses and we said, ‘This is wonderful, but we’ll believe it when we see it’.”

The Cape Wickham Links golf course, opened late last year, ranks 24th in the world and third in Australia.

Its counterpart, the Ocean Dunes course, opens fully in September, with 15 holes already playable.

Click here to read full story