Cape Wickham on King Island

[Jim Tang]

Does anyone know when the Cape Wickham project on King Island, Australia, will be ready for play?  Their home page says it will be open in 2015.  Does anyone know roughly when in 2015 it might be ready for play?  I believe they have just finished grassing the last few holes.

The property looks amazing.

[Daryl David]

Possible opening in March 2015 is what I have heard.

[David_Elvins]

Official openning late in the year.

Soft openning possible earlier - maybe April.

[Mike_DeVries]

There is no official opening date at this time.  The entire golf course has been seeded but the last couple of holes will be behind and only the winter weather will determine their playability in the coming months.  Much of the golf course is playable now but the entire course may take a bit longer.  Also, the clubhouse and lodging facilities are not complete - building on an island, even though it is only a 40 minute flight from Melbourne, is difficult and time-consuming.

It is a special place and one you will all want to include on a tour Down Under.

Cheers,
Mike

[Niall Hay]

There is no official opening date at this time.  The entire golf course has been seeded but the last couple of holes will be behind and only the winter weather will determine their playability in the coming months.  Much of the golf course is playable now but the entire course may take a bit longer.  Also, the clubhouse and lodging facilities are not complete - building on an island, even though it is only a 40 minute flight from Melbourne, is difficult and time-consuming.

It is a special place and one you will all want to include on a tour Down Under.

Cheers,
Mike

Can't wait Mike!

[Jim Jackson]

Great website chronicling the pre, during, and post-construction views of the course.  Looks awesome.

 http://capewickham.com.au/construction-news/

[Greg Tallman]

Great website chronicling the pre, during, and post-construction views of the course.  Looks awesome.

 http://capewickham.com.au/construction-news/

Wow, place looks absolutely stunning. The experience might actually struggle to live up to the photos.

Once again, wow.

[Jim Tang]

Mike-

Thanks so much for the information.  I have been keeping my eye on this project for some time.  Everything about the place looks unbelievable.  I ask because I am considering a trip down to New Zealand and or/Australia in 2015 and want to make sure if I go that far that I see Cape Wickham.

[Buck Wolter]

What year is the DeVries Cup going  there? I'm in

[George Freeman]

Mike -

Cape Wickam looks amazing. I'm very excited for you and your opportunity with this site! Looking forward to the finished product.

Question for you: based on the before/after photos, it appears that all or most of the cool looking gorse-like bushes have been removed (holes 2 & 3 are good examples). Why is that? I thought those bushes gave the site a very unique look - almost a fairy tale/Lord of the Rings look. I was bummed to see them removed.

[Jim Nugent]

Incredible photos.  Looks like a helluvan opening tee shot. 

[Adam Clayman]

Those construction pics are really good. I recommend them for anyone who isn't quite sure what tie-in means.

http://capewickham.com.au/construction-news/hole-by-hole-progress/

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,

The below, in inverted commas, is swiped straight off the web:

"Compared to the rest of Australia, Cape Wickham experiences exceptionally high wind speed and numbers of cloudy days along with far below average daytime temperatures. Rainfall and humidity levels are above average. Numbers of clear days are below average. Overnight temperatures are average.
Summer in Cape Wickham is between December and February and maximum daily temperatues average between 19.8 and 21.5°C with overnight minimums averaging between 12 and 13.8°C. Summer days are moderate but can be moderately cool if windy, averaging around 21.5 °C in the hottest months. Hat recommended.
Winter is between June and August and maximum daily temperatues average between 12.9 and 13.8°C with overnight minimums averaging between 7.4 and 8.4°C. Winter days in Cape Wickham are moderately cold but can be chilly if windy, dropping to around 12.9 °C. Pack your jumper and warm headwear."

Now for a Queenslander this might seem a touch cool but for one of Scottish extraction it smacks of perfect golfing weather. So for this year the average wind strength is 14mph with a maximum of 67mph!! As I write it is blowing at 24mph and gusting to 35mph. If there's nae wind there's nae gowf!!!

What we need is a Downunder "Sean Arble" entrepreneur and logician to organise "Golfing Trips and Gastronomical Treats" to Tasmania via King Island!!

Looking forward to it all,

Cheers Colin

[RJ_Daley]

What is King Island gastronomy?  Would Mutton two ways fit the bill?  Bird and on the hoof?   

[Jud_T]

What year is the DeVries Cup going  there? I'm in

Buck,

This could be the Mother of home-and-aways. 

[Daryl David]

What is King Island gastronomy?  Would Mutton two ways fit the bill?  Bird and on the hoof?   

The island is famous for cheese and crayfish.

[Tim_Weiman]

Mike DeVries:

I always thought there were only two serious candidates for the best photographic documentation of a golf course:

Ken Bakst's black and white pictures of Friars Head
The black and white pictures of Cypress Point in Geoff Shackelford's book

But, your pictures here - specifically the inclusion of pre, during and post construction pictures - are fantastic. It sets the standard for documentation of exciting, new, great projects.

Thanks for thinking of us golf architecture junkies! Hope I can make it to Cape Wickham.

[Jud_T]

Here you go.  Crawfish Mac and Chee!  Now all we need is a world class microbrewery and we have heaven on earth...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html

[RJ_Daley]

What year is the DeVries Cup going  there? I'm in

Buck,

This could be the Mother of home-and-aways. 
[/quote

I would do my damn level best to make that tour of the DeVries Cup in Oz, with the obvious stops back to Sand Belt, and Tazzie. 

[RJ_Daley]

Mike DeVries:

I always thought there were only two serious candidates for the best photographic documentation of a golf course:

Ken Bakst's black and white pictures of Friars Head
The black and white pictures of Cypress Point in Geoff Shackelford's book

But, your pictures here - specifically the inclusion of pre, during and post construction pictures - are fantastic. It sets the standard for documentation of exciting, new, great projects.

Thanks for thinking of us golf architecture junkies! Hope I can make it to Cape Wickham.

Tim, I'd also think that as soon as the grow-in looks well established, Mark Pavy of iviewgolf.com would consider doing a comprehensive 3-D tour.  I really think that technology is the way of the future for the next best thing to being there in order that the merits of golf course architecture at a significant projects might be examined from a distance with a better idea of what quality of work has been done.

[Mark_F]

Here you go.  Crawfish Mac and Chee!  Now all we need is a world class microbrewery and we have heaven on earth...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html

Do Americans even have the faintest idea of what constitutes edible food?

[Tim_Weiman]

Here you go.  Crawfish Mac and Chee!  Now all we need is a world class microbrewery and we have heaven on earth...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-mac-and-cheese-recipe.html

Do Americans even have the faintest idea of what constitutes edible food?

Mark,

No. The United States of America banned food from other countries about 200 years ago as part of the agriculture support program. That's why you can't find restaurants with different types of food than American cuisine.

[Jud_T]

Last I checked 7 of the 50 best restaurants in the world were in the US.  The number Down Under?  Zero....the top 100 is 16-1...

[Colin Macqueen]

RJD,

"What is King Island gastronomy?  Would Mutton two ways fit the bill?  Bird and on the hoof?"

Given that you have such a cavalier attitude towards Australia's fine fare and victuals rather than a Dickensian "weal and ham" or "pigeon pie" I will, on your next visit to The Antipodes, endeavour to rustle up a mutton-bird pie!! That'll grease yer chops!!

Cheers Colin

[Matt Day]

Last I checked 7 of the 50 best restaurants in the world were in the US.  The number Down Under?  Zero....the top 100 is 16-1...

the US has 13.5 times the population of Australia so the 16-1 ratio is not far off the mark