Soon to be a 90-hole neighbourhood
A proposed $30 million Queenstown golf course will be the fifth in the neighbourhood.
The family of NZSki owner Sir John Davies wants to build the 18-hole championship golf course with 96 dwellings on a 158ha farm property at Hogans Gully, near Arrowtown.
A resource consent application has been lodged with the Queenstown Lakes District Council and is open for public submissions until September 20. If it proceeds, the golf course would be the fifth within a 5km radius.
Designer and former golf professional Greg Turner said there was plenty of demand for it.
‘‘Queenstown has really developed as a golf destination in the last decade. We’re getting a far higher percentage of golf travellers, rather than resort visitors who play golf. They are golf nuts.’’
In the immediate vicinity of the proposed course are the private Hills course, Arrowtown Golf Club and Millbrook, where Turner is involved in completing a second 18-hole championship course.
Despite their proximity and the others in the region, there was a lot of variety, he said.
‘‘Jacks Point is quite different to Millbrook, which is quite different to The Hills.’’ The Hogans Gully Farm course would be ‘‘quite dramatic’’, using the steep valley, bluffs and exposed rock of the landscape. ‘‘There’s some really strong, rugged features within the course which will lend it to a more rustic aesthetic, as distinct to Millbrook and The Hills, which are a bit more manicured.’’ The local market had to develop to keep attracting international visitors, he said.
‘‘Golfers are different to skiers. If they are here for a week, they want to play four or five different courses.
‘‘We don’t need more courses to serve the local market...This is the visiting golf demand that comes into the area.’’
It would be a perfect addition to the NZ Open in the future also, he said.
The application says the property is located west of McDonnell Road and south of Hogans Gully Road, near Arrowtown.
It is currently undeveloped, other than some farm buildings, fences, and unsealed farm roads.
The proposal includes architectural designs for a large golf club house, gym and driving range facilities. The residential and visitor accommodation buildings would be subject to strict design controls.
The developers wanted to have the course recognised as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, an international programme that ‘‘helps people enhance the valuable natural areas and wildlife habitats that golf courses provide, improve efficiency, and minimise potentially harmful impacts of golf course operations’’.
The only golf course in New Zealand to achieve this certification is Cape Kidnappers, located in Hawke’s Bay.