A Day With Renaissance Golf - Cape Kidnappers

[Tom Doak]

John: We've had a wet winter and a mild summer since we started building down there, but I think there would be at least 9-10 months of good golf weather at the Cape.  I suspect they will keep the resort open year round as they do at Kauri Cliffs.

[Mike_Duffy]

Yes, Mark, I have played Miramar Golf links.

I first caddied there in 1950 for my uncle. It was a lovely course, true links, near the sea, undulating sandy fairways, in fact the whole gamut that constitutes a links course.

Then sometime in the late 1950s, the government compulsorily acquired a parcel of land to expand the adjacent Wellington Airport.

The course suffered terribly as a consequence of that government vandalism, however, it still remained one of NZ's most delightful courses.

The last time I played Miramar was in the winter of 1967. I had been in Wellington to watch a rugby Test match between Australia and  NZ and on the Sunday morning four of us played Miramar. The course was not in very good condition owing to the deluge that had descended upon it in the preceding months.

Every time I fly into Wellington, I look out of the window of the aircraft to have a Bo Peep at that course. I just wish that it hadn't been vandalised all those years ago.

By the way my uncle is still alive, aged around 90 and plays golf once a week at Waikanae, not far from you.

[Mark_Huxford]

Small world Mike. That's great.

As for Miramar, if you thought it had been vandalised before.... well, you better not see it today  

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Picture: Warren Buckland

Cape golf course stuns Michael Campbell

22.01.2003 - Hawkes Bay Today

New Zealand's top golfer Michael Campbell was yesterday "blown away" by the international-standard golf course being built by American billionaire Julian Robertson on Cape Kidnappers Station at Clifton. Campbell is pictured admiring the course with Robertson.

Ranked 22 in the world, Campbell hit the green on the Cape course's proposed 18th with two booming woods. He described the course layout as fantastic and the scenery stunning.

"I'm imagining what it would look like on television if a major tournament was played here. It's going to be one of the courses of the world," he said.

Campbell was helicoptered in especially for the course inspection and to discuss aspects of its design with course architect American Tom Doak.

The multi-million-dollar development, which will include a lodge and accommodation for 50, will be opened on January 1 next year.

The 7100-metre, par-71 course is being built on a plateau with holes on outcrops of land pointing toward the sea.

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7,100 metres?? Technology is ruining the damn game!  
 

[Tom Doak]

It's 7,100 yards, not 7,100 metres.  I'm the one who told the reporter the number, but I forgot they're not used to dealing in yards down there, so it got scrambled.

Campbell actually hit a driver and 3-iron into 18.  The grass on that fairway is hard as a rock, so he got a bit of roll -- the hole is 480 yards, and it was into the wind that afternoon.  (On the 15th, playing downwind, fairway hard as a rock, his best drive went about 365 yards.)

We also had Phil Taturangi and Darrell Kestner (from Deepdale) out the week after the NZ Open.  They were both shocked when they looked over the scorecard ... but I think they can handle it.

Mr. Robertson would like to host the New Zealand Open there, but it's always been in Auckland or Wellington because that's where the sponsors are.  (They say it's because of galleries, but they only get 15,000 a day anyway.)  It would undoubtedly do more for tourism in NZ to have the tournament televised from Cape Kidnappers than from a parkland course in Auckland, but neither the NZGA nor IMG have a stake in tourism, so some of our back tees may go unused for a few years.

[A_Clay_Man]

Tom Doak-Could you please elaborate on what Mr. campbell could've or did help you with? I assume yardages ain't it. Or, was it more of a photo op for the Kiwi's MJ? Happy holiday's mate!

Also, Could you tell us how long the golf season is expected to be at Barndouggle?

[Mark_Huxford]

I think Julian could easily work his way around the sponsorship issues by finding his own suitable sponsors. It's not like the NZGA have sponsors beating down their door.

IMG would be concerned about low gate-takings outside the two major centres, so Julian may have to buy them out for a year like FR did for the Tiger open.

I don't see any major hurdles with either. The bay area public would probably love to have the Open in town and being such a tourist centre in January, people from all over the North Island would be there anyway. If it became a super slick event with a few top overseas names I think a lot of people would travel especially for it.

Or he could have his own Australasian PGA / Buy.com co-sanctioned event like they do at Kooyonga and Clearwater.

[Tom Doak]

Adam,

Michael Campbell represents Kauri Cliffs on Tour and was there as a friend of Julian's, to give him some feedback on how we were doing.

Mr. Robertson's main concern from the beginning has been making the course "long enough."  He's a member of Shinnecock and sees what they're doing to it for the Open, and he's seen what they're doing to Augusta, and though he understands Cape Kidnappers is primarily a resort he doesn't want it to be outdated before it opens.  Basically, we've agreed to build some back tees beyond what we would normally build if he promises not to use them very much, as a preventative step so he won't be inclined to add tees after we're finished.  (He's done that at Kauri Cliffs.)

In addition to commenting on course features in general, Michael Campbell hit drives from three or four of our back tees.  We did find out the back tee on 7 was too long -- in an adverse wind, Michael couldn't get his drive to the crest of the hill in five tries -- so we moved that one forward 15-20 yards.  Otherwise, everything played about like we thought it would.

It wasn't bad for publicity purposes either.  There's been little talk around the country about what we're doing, but there's more now that Michael and Phil were there.

As for the New Zealand Open, Mr. Robertson may have to decide whether he wants to find sponsors for it or whether he would prefer to sink the same money into a Shell's match or something like that (where they are more guaranteed to suck up to the course).  Here's an idea:  me and Michael Campbell vs. Jack Nicklaus and Jackie, alternate shots!