Pauatahanui golf course gets $4 million facelift
Pauatahanui Golf Club versus Transmission Gully shapes as a mismatch any day of the week, but the smaller of the two is changing its layout for the sake of progress.
By this time next year, the rural nine- hole, 10- green golf course will look much different, following $4 million worth of alterations.
That’s what it will cost to buy land next to the course, the fees of a course designer, pay for consents, fell trees and carry out the reconfiguration.
Earthmovers are on site now, and irrigation work is being carried out, so there could be disruption for the club throughout summer.
Club president Warren Hoy said changes had been on the cards for more than a decade.
Discussions with NZ Transport Agency had occurred on and off in that time.
‘‘We’ve known for a long time that we would be losing land in the northern part of the course,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s dragged on, but now we can give some certainty to our members and green fee players about what’s happening.’’
About 2.5 hectares of the course will be taken for Transmission Gully, so the golf club will lose the two holes furthest from the clubhouse.
There would still be nine holes and the changes meant the course would be flatter, Hoy said.
New bridges and sand-based greens would add a more modern feel.
He said the transport agency had been great to deal with, but the club membership had dropped to about 100.
The next 12 months was projected to be tough on the club’s coffers, he said. Green fees are down to $ 15 to attract more players.
‘‘ There is uncertainty, especially for green fees players, who hear about the work going on and think, ‘We can’t play there’,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not the case.
‘‘ The members are ticklish about all this and at the end of the day we didn’t want a motorway through the course. But we’re here now and there’s optimism about the new design.’’
The transport agency’s acting state highways manager, Selwyn Blackmore, said the need for part of the golf course was identified as far back as 1996. At that time it was thought only one fairway might be affected, he said.
‘‘We do appreciate the members’ patience and tolerance during the disruption,’’ he said.
Blackmore said having contractors on the course while it was open was challenging.
But it was an important part of both parties’ desire to have the course being used throughout.
Handover is expected on November 1, 2015.