Members and invited guests only for exclusive golf course

 

Guests of the Tara Iti Golf Club being developed at Te Arai will need to be invited by members or management, pay for their golf and will likely be required to stay in guest accommodation and dine at the clubhouse restaurant. Invited guests were important to the club, so that ‘introductions’ could be made.

This guest policy was contained in evidence given before a December 2014 Auckland District Licensing Committee hearing in support of Tara Iti’s application for an “on-licence” liquor licence for the Tara Iti Golf Club. All liquor licensing hearings are open to the public.

Tara Iti Golf Club Human Resources and Communications Manager, Siobhan Durcan, along with a Director of Tara Iti Holdings NZ, Greg Kenward, presented written evidence before the Licensing Committee, giving some insights into the philosophy and the future operation of the Tara Iti Club.

Mr Kenward said that the Tom Doak-designed golf course was now complete with nine holes in play. The second nine holes were being “grown-in” and it was expected the course would be open to members and their guests in April this year.

Tara Iti Holdings NZ was granted an on-licence to sell liquor in Tara Iti’s clubhouse, and throughout the entire golf course.

The Licensing Committee hearing was held as a result of objections lodged by the NZ Fairy Tern Charitable Trust and the Te Arai Beach Preservation Society. As a result of objections, Tara Iti Holdings reduced its hours prior to the hearing to provide liquor only between 9am to 12 midnight. It had earlier applied for hours after midnight “but in order to be a good neighbour” had reduced its hours of operation.

Evidence by Ms. Durcan and Mr Kenward revealed the following about the Club’s operation:

* Tara Iti would be a private membership club, and access to the property and the Tara Iti Clubhouse would be restricted to members only, with a small amount of invited guests. Membership would be by invitation only, and it was anticipated there would be approximately 250 members.

* While it had not been finally determined, it was highly likely that Tara Iti would have a “stay to play” policy. Under this policy, any invited non-member would be required to stay in the guest accommodation and dine at the restaurant.

* The club would allow a “small amount of guests” but these would be limited to personal guests of members, guests of Tara Iti, or potential members. All guests would be hosted and accompanied by either a member and/or a staff member whilst on the property. There would be staff members available at all times to assist with their needs, as well as monitoring them to ensure they were following Tara Iti’s rules and “behaving appropriately” whilst on the property.

* There would be a strict procedure in place to ensure Tara Iti personnel were aware of and prepared for any guest coming to Tara Iti prior to their arrival. In that respect, even guests would be “treated as members” for the time they were at Tara Iti, and would be subject to the same rules, policies and procedures that applied to the entire golf course, including ecological and conservation protection and management.

* Tara Iti members would play a “significant membership fee.” Members would not pay for golf rounds as use of the course was included in the fee. Guests of members would pay for golf. Food and alcohol were not included in the membership fee.

* All guests to the property would be “hosted” and accompanied by either a member and/or a staff member whilst on the property. Only members or invited guests would be able to dine onsite in the evenings.

* The Golf Club would operate on a co-operative basis. Membership would be “limited and exclusive”. Those who shared the owners’ investment philosophy would contribute to substantial development costs and, upon invitation, become members of the golf club.

* Some members of the Tara Iti Golf Club may never actually play golf; some of the exclusive club’s members will use the facility for business networking and may prefer to spend time on the beach or go fishing.

* Golf membership would confer the rights to enjoy and to play the course, use the clubhouse and host guests on the property. The property would not generally be accessible to the public, and visitors needed to have an invitation from the Tara Iti board or senior management or as an accompanied guest of a member. It was important that members be able to invite guests to the golf club. “It is important that this can occur so that introductions can be made,” said Mr Kenward.

He continued: “While golf is a key part of the Tara Iti experience, it is much more than a golf course. It is a lifestyle club with exceptionally high standards of service and behavior. It is a place for like-minded individuals to meet. It will serve both a recreation and business function for its members.”

* Tara Iti was a commercial venture and a return on investment was expected. It would be operated “for gain.” Golf was a catalyst for a variety of recreation and business opportunities.

* Tara Iti aimed to provide a “premier dining experience”. Ms. Durcan said she anticipated that on average each person who played a round of golf would have two meals at the Clubhouse Dining Room. This meant there would be more dining covers than rounds of golf.

* As a “small private membership lifestyle club”, Tara Iti’s long-term business plan was based on a small, intimate membership and a low volume of golf play. Long term Ms. Durcan anticipated the club would have no more than 5,000 rounds of golf per year (on average 13.7 rounds per day).

* The maximum capacity of the clubhouse would be 72 persons. The Dining Room was a restaurant, not a bar and would be used primarily by members and guests who were staying on site. Ms. Durcan said that due to the small size and open plan, in the evenings, the restaurant would only accommodate diners and would not be able to be used as a “bar.”

* The Tara Iti golf course would be a “walking-only course”. Players would not be able to take golf carts on the course. Any player who was unable to walk around the course would be required to provide a medical certificate to that effect to qualify for the use of a golf cart. It had been decided that Tara Iti would be a walking course only as a result of a desire that the course should return to the traditions of the game, using compulsory caddies as opposed to carts, “as well as the sensitive nature of the local environment.”

* Golf tournaments and events would be held on the course, and the club may occasionally supply alcohol during the events from a specially designed caravan. This caravan and an “Airstream” caravan would provide food and drink to golfers. The caravans would not “follow golfers around the course.” The revenue from tournaments, including those to raise funds for shorebird protection, would help fund the business. It was anticipated that Tara Iti members would also wish to occasionally fund corporate events or weddings.

Ms. Durcan said that Tara Iti currently employed 10 operational staff and 18 golf maintenance staff but had not yet opened for business.

“When we are open for business we expect to initially employ 20 operational staff. In order to provide exceptional service we will have a high staff to guest ratio,” she said.

Captions
EXCLUSIVE: Course owners anticipate there will be around 250 invitation-only memberships to the picturesque Tara Iti Golf Club. – PHOTO/ssdm.co.nz

DINING: The intimate clubhouse will cater mainly to members and guests.

By Peter Nicholas

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