[Jim Nugent]

Woods is in New Zealand for his caddy's wedding, and to take part in an auto race.  Would be interesting to see him play Cape Kidnappers.

Some questions.  How would he do there from the tips?  Can the course handle championship play?  If so, do any of you foresee pro tournaments ever getting held there?  e.g., travel aside, could something like the Presidents Cup work out there?

How cool it would be to see that event at that venue on High Definition TV.

[Andrew Thomson]

I've played CK from the tips and it's not something Tiger would have any trouble with as I found it ok from back there and I'm a 7 marker who should be on 15.

I don't think the course really sets up for tournament play, there would be some serious safety issues on some of the holes!  

[Jonathan Cummings]

Ahhh Andrew, did you play CK in any kind of wind?  I played it with the new pro at Sebanok, one of the top amateurs in NZ and a run of the mill +1.  All four of us X-ed #14.  There were some other holes that weren't pretty either.  At 25mph when we played it, the wind was more breeze.  If it really kicks up as it often does, this would be plenty of golf course for even the best of them.

JC

[Scott Coan]

Tiger goes for 2 bungy jumps in Queenstown/Nevis.  Good for Tiger - this is a seriously scary jump.  You take a cable car out to a glass-bottomed enclosure that is strung between 2 cliffs over this river 440 feet below.  8.5 second free-fall.
 
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10378692

As for Tiger and CK, it's completely dependant on the wind and the pin placements.  On a calm day with receptive pins I reckon he could easily score 6-7 under with his A-game.

Make the pins more difficult and that becomes 2-4 under.  Add in a 40k gale and he does not touch par and it's absolute carnage for any other mortal on the course.

The course could certainly handle championship play but would really suit match play over stroke.  If a gale came through (as they do about once every couple weeks in NZ) in a stroke play competition there would be a lot of blood spilt.

Getting spectators up to the course would be a major obstacle as it's basically a 1-lane road, but that's really just a logistical problem that can be overcome with a bit of planning.

Here's hoping that the 2011 President's Cup gets played here instead of Japan.  It would truly be a spectacle.

[Jim Nugent]

Scott -- is there room on the course for spectators?  

[Paul_Daley]

Jim:

Tiger would do well from the tips at Cape Kidnappers - most of the time - but even he, on ocassion, would struggle when the full elements are full bottle. Given CKs' height above
sea-level, allied to an exposed property, any tournament would require careful scheduling to avert embarrassing scores. But then again, an argument could be made that the more golf DID NOT "follow the sun", the better. All depends on what outcome you seek. One thing is certain, sponsors don't like great players posting big numbers.

[Scott Coan]

Jim,

Once up on the property there would be plenty of room for spectators as it is quite expansive.  There would be problems with movement at certain locations but nothing that could not be managed.  Off the top of my head I can only really think of one hole that could not fit many spectators and that would be the Pirate's Plank 15th.  Plenty of room to watch the tee shot and perhaps the first couple hundred meters on the right side of the fairway but really no room for the last 250 meters as nothing but fall-off either side.

[Paul_Daley]

Scott:
Yes, other than Pirate's Plank, there is oodles of space at Cape Kidnappers for spectators.

[Jim Nugent]

All depends on what outcome you seek. One thing is certain, sponsors don't like great players posting big numbers.

In match play, such as the Presidents Cup, that would not be a problem, would it?

[Paul_Daley]

Jimbo: Matchplay at Kidnappers - bring it on big daddy!

[Andrew Thomson]

Ahhh Andrew, did you play CK in any kind of wind?

It certainly wasn't stonrg, but I'd argue that any course is tough in the wind.

In fact, I have played two courses of renowned bluster in relative calm - the other was National Old and I'd suggest National Old is a more difficult course to score on than CK in calm conditions.  My recent 95 at National versus my 80 at CK certainly would suggest this!

There is plenty of room on the course for spectators, just not on some of the more exciting holes.  Kind of like playing at Augusta and not having any room for spectators on Amen corner.

[Tom_Doak]

There aren't that many people to "spectate" in New Zealand so it really doesn't matter much anyway, but Cape Kidnappers would be a huge hit as a professional match-play venue.  Mr. Robertson would still like to see the New Zealand Open there someday, but the owners of the event are more interested in selling corporate tents in Auckland.

[Andrew Thomson]

There aren't that many people to "spectate" in New Zealand so it really doesn't matter much anyway

A very valid point!

I can see te reasoning on the corporate tents, one of the worst things the Aussie Open did was move away from a Capital city to Moonah Links Open.  Not just because it's a crap course.

[Jim Nugent]

How many spectators does the Presidents Cup need, to make it doable?

[Anthony Butler]

There aren't that many people to "spectate" in New Zealand so it really doesn't matter much anyway, but Cape Kidnappers would be a huge hit as a professional match-play venue.  Mr. Robertson would still like to see the New Zealand Open there someday, but the owners of the event are more interested in selling corporate tents in Auckland.

For some reason, as more Australians and some New Zealanders (Michael Campbell) gain prominence on the world stage, the sponsorship and support for professional golf tournaments is dropping off. Even though a tournament at CK would represent a great TV spectacle, the answer doesn't lie in locating the remaining tournaments away from what population there is in these countries.

I'm hopeful the creation of the Fedex Cup with the concentration of tournaments in the months between April and September will encourage the staging of large purse tournaments in the southern hemisphere over the Northern Winter.

[Paul_Daley]

Anth:

Hopefully what you suggest is just an odd coincidence. Either that, or we're just "Plain Jane's" and scare the sponsorship money away.

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