Hapu unveils world-class golf course near Auckland

Concept drawing of golf course showing views from the 17th tee.

Media release
Embargoed until midday, 16 October 2012

Hapu unveils world-class golf course near Auckland

Northland hapu Te Uri o Hau has successfully negotiated for a world-class golf course to be built at the northern end of their 616 hectare forest adjoining Te Arai beach, 90 minutes drive north of Auckland between Pakiri and Mangawhai.

Currently a commercial pine plantation, trees have already been felled to enable earthworks for a links course designed by Tom Doak, one of the world’s most respected golf course architects. Doak designed the spectacular Cape Kidnappers course in Hawkes Bay, rated among the world’s top 100 courses. The aim is to develop a course at Te Arai with a similar rating.

Te Uri o Hau negotiated for around 230 hectares of the forest, which the hapu acquired as a commercial asset as part of its Treaty settlement in 2002, to be bought by Los Angeles financier and golf enthusiast Ric Kayne and his wife Suzanne.

The Kaynes will finance the construction of a championship standard private links course and associated facilities. The purchase of up to 230 hectares of land has Overseas Investment Office approval, subject to a number of conditions. These include extensive replanting of the area and establishment of a trust to help fund increased surveillance and protection for nesting shorebirds in the adjoining dunes and beach area.

The project will bring increased spending and jobs to the area. Developing the course initially is estimated to add some $5.9 million into the local economy and subsequently contribute about $3.5 million per year, partly through increasing tourism to the area as golfers are drawn to the new Tom Doak course. The project is expected to support over 30 jobs, which will include employment for members of Te Uri o Hau.

Ric Kayne, a frequent visitor to New Zealand, says it was difficult to find land close to Auckland that was ideally suited to an ocean-links style golf course.

“With its existing natural shape, free draining sand base, and glorious vistas over the ocean and islands, this land has all of the required attributes to create a truly world renowned course and significantly enhance New Zealand’s already growing reputation as a great international golf destination.

“We intend to treat it with great respect, and regard it as a privilege to have this opportunity to work with Te Uri o Hau and the local community."

ENHANCED PROTECTION FOR SHOREBIRDS

Te Uri o Hau chief executive Deborah Harding said that not only will the agreement with the Kaynes create a world-class golf course near to Auckland, but is also paving the way for the establishment of a conservation trust which will significantly boost resources for the protection of endangered shorebirds.

“Ric Kayne has committed to establishing a trust, and the golf course will host an annual charity event to raise additional ongoing funds for the trust.

“This is significant for the environment at Te Arai. To the north of the forest is the Mangawhai Wildlife Reserve, which is home to threatened shorebird species such as the fairy tern and the New Zealand dotterel.

“An extensive habitat restoration program for threatened foreshore birds is a key component of the project. The existing over-mature pines on fore-dunes are being replaced with endemic native species typical of the more open habitat favoured by endangered foreshore birds, such as the fairy tern and New Zealand dotterel. There will also be an active programme to reduce predator numbers.

“One million dollars is to be spent on revegetation using appropriate indigenous plant species. Initial funding for the conservation trust will come from a $100,000 donation from Ric Kayne. Ongoing funding will be sought from various sources, and will include proceeds from a special golf tournament held each year specifically to raise funds for seabird protection at Te Arai."

Chair of the Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust Mihi Watene said that protecting cultural heritage has also been pivotal to the golf course’s design.

“The discovery of two midden sites has been inspected by archaeologists and local kaumatua. It will be included as a place of natural character and site of significance for Te Uri o Hau. In addition, significant measures will be introduced to protect and enhance the environment at Te Arai, including substantial restoration of the dunes and a wetland area.

“We remain on course for developing recreation facilities and 45 one to two hectare residential lots in the remaining 390 hectares of forest under existing rights confirmed by the Environment Court. There is also the possibility of exchanging or selling part of the remaining land as a conservation reserve.

“Today’s announcement is momentous for the hapu and the local community. We are proceeding with a development which will benefit the local and regional economy, providing employment opportunities, creates a world-class golf course near to Auckland, and also includes considerable investment in the environment."

--

Media release
Embargoed until midday, 16 October 2012

Passion for NZ drives investment in world-class golf course

Ric and Suzanne Kayne‘s decision to create a world class golf course overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Te Arai is driven by a 20 year love affair with the country, beginning with golf, reinforced by cruising the coasts of New Zealand with their family and culminating in a desire to invest, create an outstanding golf course, and spend more of their lives here.

They were impressed by what American Julian Roberston had achieved with his outstanding resort golf courses at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, by starting with the right piece of land and making a commitment to absolute excellence, while preserving and enhancing the environment.

“Both those ocean-front courses rate in the top 100 in the world - a spectacular achievement for a small country - and they attract wealthy golf tourists to New Zealand with many flow-on benefits to the country,” says Ric Kayne.

“We also became good friends with the developer of the Britomart urban waterfront precinct, Peter Cooper, who has painstakingly created the superb Mountain Landing waterfront development in the Bay of Islands where he has planted hundreds of thousands of native trees and restored wetlands as key elements of the project. We intend to take a similar approach at Te Arai, where pines are being logged at the moment, to ready the land for some gentle landscaping and extensive planting to restore the most appropriate native species on various parts of the property.

“Through a trust which we will establish and fund, we will be working with the Department of Conservation on the monitoring and control of predators that endanger nesting shorebirds on the adjoining dune and beach areas, and we will be contributing labour and finance to ensure that programme creates a far safer environment for fairy terns and dotterels in particular.

“Not only is this in accord with our approach to this land, but international golf tourists want to discover a beautifully maintained course which not only provides challenging and enjoyable golf, but is set in a pristine natural area that showcases the best a country has to offer. They most certainly do not want to spend their leisure time somewhere that has been despoiled to build a golf course."

Mr Kayne said it had been difficult to find such an opportunity existing so close to a major city and airport, a site he found after years of searching.

“I am fortunate that I do not have to be concerned whether the course makes money – as an ardent golfer, simply the opportunity to work with Tom Doak and create a truly outstanding course in a beautiful environment will be reward enough."

Doak, designer of the Cape Kidnappers golf course, has already completed the design for the Te Arai course, and has been delighted to find that the natural land contours are such that landscaping requirements will be minimal, and that while many parts of the course will have magnificent ocean views, much of the course will not be visible from the beach below, nor will any of the associated buildings.

As well as preserving natural contours to the maximum possible extent, the focus will be on using natural materials, such as local sand, stone and timber, and replacing the native species that would have existed before the pine plantation was planted.

Ric Kayne has long since lost count of the number of times he and Suzanne have flown to New Zealand as tourists and golfers. “The time zones make it a particularly easy trip from the West Coast of the United States, because you can board a plane in the evening and be in Auckland in the morning.

“However, we have also spent a good deal of time around the beautiful coasts of New Zealand aboard large vessels which we have owned successively over the years, and have had major refit work done on them at Whangarei. Our current vessel, Suri, is in the professional management of an Auckland company."

The Kaynes are well known in the charity field in Los Angeles, where Ric is chairman of Kayne Anderson Capital Partners, which specialises in international finance for clients in the energy field.

Both the firm and the Kayne family are substantial backers of projects in education, health and mental health and the arts.

ENDS

Full release with maps and images: Information_Pack__Hapu_unveils_wordclass_golf_course_near_Auckland.pdf

© Scoop Media