"That will not only support a better golf offering for locals, it will also encourage greater golf tourism given RGC's proposals to redesign parts of the course layout to take better advantage of the unique geothermal features of the land."
He said this was important as part of a greater Covid recovery plan across the city.
The MOU also meant they, as the landowners, could be part of the course redevelopment project, which would include representing their cultural foundation over the whenua.
The trust and club also agreed to explore employment opportunities for Ngati Whakaue, which may include greenkeeping and course apprenticeship roles.
"We are also looking to develop a Ngāti Whakaue golf scholarship programme which we will support.
"The transfer of the Arikikapakapa golf course land is a further step towards us satisfying one of our key strategic goals, namely the return of our traditional whenua."
Rotorua Golf Club consultant Brett Marvelly said the transferal was "excellent" for the community, club members and for the future.
"For the future, Rotorua really does need an international course," he said.
"This gives us the opportunity of providing that so it will become a visitor attraction as much as anything which really puts Rotorua back on the map again as somewhere that has international facilities.
"For golf players and young ones coming through, it offers them a great course where they can learn the intricacies of golf."
Club chairman Leith Comer said he fully supported the transfer, with Pukeroa as "the rightful owners of this land".
"It made no sense for the Crown through the Department of Conservation to continue to own this land."
The club had a good relationship with the trust and already agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding that provided mutual benefits which he said could never be achieved with DoC when it was the landowner.
"Among other things, this will allow us to plan for our future developments with much more certainty."
Department of Conservation director of planning permissions and land, Natasha Ryburn, said the Arikikapakapa Recreation Reserve was held by the Crown from 1908 and managed by the Department of Conservation on the Crown's behalf.
The Department of Conservation supported the land being returned to its original owners and has worked through the process to make that happen over a number of years.
DoC was confident the area's natural values can be appropriately protected through the reserve designation which continues.
A previous statement from the department said it was not in the business of managing golf courses. It has clarified this to highlight that while there are other golf courses on DoC-managed land, Arikikapakapa is a unique situation.
