The world's Women's Golf Croquet Championships are to be played at the Mount Greens next November.

Mount Greens Croquet Club President Robin Ayres confirmed the first international event to be booked at the new facility, following the council handover of the project on Friday.

They are expecting at least 56 entries, with a large Egyptian contingent.

'Golf croquet is very strong in Egypt,” says Robin.

'It's really quite a coup for us.”

The croquet club is going to be the first to move in to the new premises.

The bowling clubs expect to move in between Christmas and new year.

The handover of the $8.8 million project was marked by a karakia at a small ceremony on Friday morning.

Ratana church minister Reg Tahau says he remembers the site used to be part of the ‘Ho Chi Minh Trail' from the Mount Wharf to the Cossie Club, where they would buy a crate and use that as their seat while the contents were consumed.

Also present was Eddie Ngatai representing the Ngati Kuku hapu of the Ngai Te Rangi Iwi.

The adjacent former school site was gifted by their ancestor for educational purposes.

'It has been a long process,” says Ross.

'We've worked with five different councils in the period of the project. Each time we got that council's approval and went through the public consultation process, and each time we managed to get it through.”

A lot of the project's critics didn't know the facts, says Ross.

The council contributed $4.7 million, the Cosmopolitan Club $3.8 million, and $0.3 million from the clubs, says Ross.

'We are very proud of it and I think it is going to be a huge asset to the community.”