Questions (& answers)

North Shore Golf Club is proposing a once-in-a-generation refurbishment program to improve and future-proof the course. This is a vision supported by the board. To fund this refurbishment program, three parcels of land have been identified to be sold. Members will be asked to vote on a resolution to progress this sale. The development will result in North Shore Golf Club remaining a 27-hole course. The proposed refurbishment would take place 9 holes at a time, leaving 18 holes in play for members at all times whilst the development is taking place.

This is a significant opportunity, one with long-term generational benefits. The re-modelling programme will upgrade the course both functionally with new drainage and irrigation, and also aesthetically with a new look to its tees, green and bunkers. The intention is to give the North Shore Golf Club its own ‘look’ and a point of difference – and an elevated experience for members. Most importantly it will provide a holistic solution to drainage and irrigation issues that have long plagued the club – and will continue to. This solution will ensure the course can recover from weather events increasing playability throughout the year. Piecemeal, short-term fixes are not sustainable longer term.

All of this upgrade work would be the responsibility of the developer, not the club, and would be at their cost. This is included in the agreement that is currently being negotiated.
This new main driveway will increase in width, with a footpath and fencing along the club boundary. While it is constructed there will be a temporary driveway created for continuous member access throughout the project.

New gates to the club will be located at the clubhouse end of the new driveway. The driveway will be a shared private road with the development.

The driveway accessing site 3 would also be upgraded by the developer and fenced. The greenkeeper’s access will peel off this driveway and run between the 12th and 13th holes to a sand bay area and onto the new greenkeeper’s complex.

Golf course difficulty is not just a measure of length. Tee placement, pin position, fairway width, rough height, grass variety, fairway dryness and green speed can all potentially add to the ‘degree of difficulty’, as and when it is required. ‘Par’ is another mechanism to add to the degree of difficulty and ability to score. For example, Pinehurst is normally a Par 72 , but for a US Open it becomes a Par 70.

One of the things that struck Brett at NSGC was the number of ‘walk-backs’ to tee positions. That, to him, is an indicator that certain holes have been shoe-horned into the land to create a certain par. The most notable is the walk from the 23rd green to the 24th tee, which is approximately 75m. Walk-backs affect pace of play and time per round, both of which need consideration as no one likes slow play.

We are aiming to create a fun, yet challenging golf course for members of all abilities and ages. We are aiming for a Black course around 5800m. The White tees we are targeting 5500m, with Yellow around 5000m and Red at 4500m.

The board wants to give members the time to assess the merits of any deal with the potential developer. Whilst we are very close to being able to present this information, we are not, however, quite there yet and felt it best to postpone to allow the required time.

We are going to hold one final member’s session called ‘Crunching the Numbers’ that will provide all of the information that is needed to fully understand the offer, the project scheduling and the costs, this will be held on Wednesday 16th October at 7pm online.

The SGM on Monday 21st October at 7pm, will be held at Kristin School who can accommodate up to 1000 people in their Theatre Complex.

There was consideration as to whether this was a possibility, however, advice we were given said that an in-person vote following processes laid down in the existing constitution provided absolute clarity that fair process had been followed.

Unfortunately, our constitution does not have a provision for proxy voting.

The current Course Development budget has $1.35 million allocated for Cart Paths, which would allow the club to construct around 4.5km to 5km of paths across the 27 holes (approximately 1.5km per 9 holes). To put cart paths across the entire 27-hole course requires around 10km of paths. The idea is that carts will be able to be used across the 27 holes throughout the year with a mixture of fairway and path.

Current plans are to facilitate carts around the entire course on a year-round basis, and as much as possible and practical, this will be via the sand-carpeted fairways. We have visited both Wainui and Royal Auckland recently, both of which have sand carpeting, and both of which have carts on their fairways at this time of year. When carts are not allowed, it is generally for reasons that we are trying to address within our plans.

What we have noticed and are trying to address are the problem areas: transition zones between paths and fairways, high-use areas around greens where paths end, steep slopes, and areas where carts are turning. In some of these areas, additional drainage and sand carpeting will provide more dry space and options for the greens staff to control and move the cart transitions from fairway back to path (allowing for recovery). In other areas, this can be better managed with a concrete path.

Our intention is to use paths from greens to the next tee’s, on the Par 3 holes, and other pinch point and high traffic areas, but rest assured that these will and are all being carefully considered to provide the best possible outcome. We are looking, learning, and tweaking the details as required.

With a new course, there are several immediate savings because everything is new. These include reduced irrigation maintenance, reduced drainage management costs, and reseeding programs etc. But we also anticipate savings from the change in grass species.

Couch fairways require fewer nutrients, water, and fungicide management inputs. The forecasted maintenance budget is less than our existing one, and we gain 13 hectares of extra fairways. We will be operating between $70k to $100k less per year than our existing operating budget.

We don’t necessarily see this reducing the budget that we have spent on the course; rather, it allows us to do more to meet the members’ expectations (which we believe will increase with the new course).

That said, we are also aware of the need to maintain our new course and facilities and see the range as an important new income stream that will allow for ongoing future investment in our course.

In terms of membership fees moving forward, we need to strike a balance that creates a sustainable model for the future. We see the addition of the more commercial driving range, which generates significant additional income for the club to reinvest in the facilities and their maintenance, as a way to mitigate the need to ask members for more money or to sell any further land in the future to fund additional projects.

One of our concerns at present if the development doesn’t proceed, is how we fund the historic underinvestment in the infrastructure and facilities that the land sale/development plan is looking to address. With no land sale, this would need to come through membership income or course development/maintenance levies.

We don’t envisage this being the case. Historically, the membership fees have not been set significantly higher due to the fact we have 27 holes, and just because we revert to 18 holes, our costs do not drop by a third.

On average the majority of our members play 1-2 rounds per week; some play more, and others less. If we are able to accommodate the same levels of play for the members by removing some external bookings/events (this comes at a cost to the club) and making other tweaks to tee sheets, we believe that we are providing value for money given the course and facilities available to the members.

You are indeed correct; there have been a number of changes that are reflected in the newly updated master plan but not in the hole-by-hole diagrams. The Master plan Map is correct.

The 14th and 15th holes were impacted due to a change in the land area onsite three, which has resulted in a slight change in the location of the 14th green.

If the project is approved in September, there are a number of steps that the developer and the club will need to go through before the redevelopment can proceed.

The trickiest of these steps is the developer securing a plan change to allow them to develop the land in question. Advice from planners is that this should be supported by the council, and our preferred developer has an excellent track record in this regard; however, how long this takes is hard to determine.
Our advice indicates it could take 12 to 18 months.

Realistically, we believe that we would be commencing work on the first nine holes in October 2026. We will be doing some preparation work this summer to start removing some trees and other enabling work. This may lead to short-term closures while this work is undertaken, but we are still a while away from losing 9 holes for a prolonged period.

The best case would be a quick plan change allowing work to commence in October 2025 rather than 2026. There is an earthworks season, and ideally, we need to start work at the beginning of this season to get all work completed in one summer (weather permitting). When the work commences properly, we are looking at 6 years from start to finish (2 years per 9 holes), weather permitting.

Initial advice indicated that our constitution doesn’t allow for proxy voting, meaning that voting would need to be in person at the SGM.

The Board recently considered obtaining an independent valuation of the land; however, in the end, it decided against spending a significant amount on this as an exercise.

We went through a robust process when we took the sections to the market and had interest from a large number of parties. This interest was narrowed down to two parties who put forward their proposals and indicative offers. Since then, we have been working with one party to work through the details and agree on the final terms.

This extensive process has led to a significant offer that we understand to be excellent in the current market, and we believe it gives the club the funds required to deliver on the project as outlined.

While indeed many of the large trees you mention are beautiful, a large number of trees on the course are near the end of their life. Regardless of the course development many of these trees will require removal over the next 5 years for health and safety reasons.

Most of the large trees are classified as exotic like pine trees and not native to NZ. At present we have a tree consultancy company surveying and reviewing all our trees at NSGC, this has not been done before.

Following this assessment, we will know exactly what trees can stay, need to be removed due to course change and/or removed as they are at the end of their life.

We also have an official Auckland Council tree replanting plan that will bring the course back to a native tree setting indicative of the natural native surroundings we reside in and around Lucas Creek. We don’t want a bare, treeless course either, just something more in tune with native New Zealand. Ultimately there will be more trees planted than removed.

There is no other way to fund the refurbishment. Members have told us they want a top-class club golf course. Replacing worn-out capital items (irrigation systems, greenkeepers complex etc) and fixing long-term issues the club faces like poor drainage mean we need many millions of dollars and land sales provide this level of funding.

Over the years a number of piecemeal solutions have been implemented to try and improve course conditions but never a holistic approach that will rectify problems once and for all. We are adopting a ‘bottom-up approach’, where the geology and hydrology will guide design decisions as it relates to earthworks and drainage. We will apply a scientific and engineering-based approach. By fully understanding the hydrology and water flow across the course, we can better manage the flow throughout the entire property.

This project is tasked to rectify many of the problems which have plagued the club, namely:

• Lack of strategic long-term planning
• No holistic approach to drainage
• Poor decisions as it relates to golf course design
• The impact that drainage, or lack of drainage, has had on the ability to produce consistent playing surfaces and the conditioning of those surfaces

It will also produce a way to introduce practice facilities to the Club and an improved, modern range.

The Board is supportive of this project. The vision of the Board is to deliver a fully drained golf course playable throughout the year while retaining our 27 holes at a Par 36 for each nine holes. Our course will be designed with the members in mind, creating a challenging yet rewarding playing experience with more memorable holes. The Board sees this as an opportunity to future-proof the course and enhance the experience for existing members. Both playability and accessibility will be increased.

We also want to retain a full-length driving range – our vision is to create a modern driving range that has the latest technology and generates income for future club sustainability.

The Board has adopted a member-centric approach. Putting the desires and needs of our members at the center of our decision-making. We want our members to be proud of their club, to want to bring friends and family, colleagues, and neighbours. Off the course, we want to create an environment where members can hang out, socialise, eat, and drink – and enjoy our beautiful North Shore Golf Club.

We are approaching this as a once-in-a-generation, “done once, done well” project. We believe that the cost of not doing this project in such a holistic fashion now – will result in significant issues and financial impacts for the club in the future. Historic tinkering with the course on a hole-by-hole basis has seen the club sell land and improve areas of the course without addressing the fundamental drainage and hydrology issues.

By taking this more ambitious approach, we will tackle issues from the ground up, ensuring we have the right infrastructure in place to deliver a high-quality golfing experience year-round.

Having the benefits of 27 holes will ensure that members have access to an 18-hole golf course throughout this process.

The club has, in the past, tried to address issues in a piecemeal way with no overarching strategy. This has led the club to its current position, where significant work is required across the course to fundamentally address the drainage and irrigation issues. This is a special opportunity to address the issues facing the club whilst realising the potential of the North Shore Golf Club as it approaches its 100-year milestone.

The drainage work that we have undertaken over the last summer has helped in some ways; however, the poor subsoil means that lateral flow to these drains is limited, and spacing needs to be close together to be effective. To do this across the entire course would be extremely expensive and a short-term fix. Drains will block, and we are not improving the subsurface.

Sand-capping will allow water to drain through the sand/pumice that sits below the grass and to the clay beneath. The water will then run laterally to the drain lines under the surface. By fully understanding the hydrology and water flow across the course, we can better manage the flow throughout the entire property and provide a holistic and catchall solution.

This is a real opportunity to make significant improvements to the course and seize opportunities (including the creation of a modern driving range and relating revenue streams) – future-proofing the club and leaving a legacy we can be proud of.

When re-zoning and sub-division processes are factored into the project, and the fact that the club can’t progress with its own development until the deal is effectively unconditional and has the funds to proceed, we don’t see the project proper commencing until the summer of 2026/27 (September 2026).

We will be looking to complete some enabling works such as the creation of new greens, tee boxes, tree removal and access road construction, however this will only result in temporary closures across the course.

Around September 2026 will be when the work on our Red Course will effectively start and we will become an 18-hole course until the project completion.

Yes, access to Lot 1 will still be via Appleby Road.

The existing main driveway into the club is intended to be a private road (from the existing entry at Appleby Road) and will continue to be owned by the Club. An easement would be granted to the owners of the residential housing and a body corporate entity created to be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of this road which would be shared between the club and the property owners.

The Developer will pay for the upgrade of this road. Security measures will be included to prevent unauthorised access to the golf course from this road. The road is not being vested because that would require that we encroach further into the golf course land to provide for a pedestrian footpath etc on both sides and would change the look and feel of the entry to the club.

By locating the tee boxes over behind the 14th Green and shortening the hole, we believe we reduce the risk of balls entering the Kristin property, and this was one of our goals when looking at this hole.

The new angle off the tee means that golfers will be aiming away from the boundary rather than towards it (as is currently the case), and the netting is closer to the tee box removing the current issue that balls hit from the current tee boxes have the time and space to gain sufficient height to clear the netting.

The recent addition of the netting running parallel to the powerlines will capture any balls sliced off the tee before they reach the height to scale the netting and leave the property (protecting the Kristin Sports Fields). With a wider more generous fairway we think that we have found a solution that works from both a golfing and health and safety perspective.

The club is not able to share the financial terms of the deal being put together at this stage, because the terms of the Heads of Terms that will be presented to the members are still under negotiation with the preferred developer.

Once these details are agreed upon, we will be able to share these details in confidence with our membership. If negotiations were to take longer than is expected, and timeframes are too tight to give members the time needed to study the details of any proposed deal, the board has no issue with delaying the date of the SGM to provide the time required, however; both parties and their representatives are working hard to meet the current deadlines because this is in the best interests of both parties.

For the Board to feel confident in recommending a course of action and proposal to the members, this proposal will have been tested at various stages along the way by experts in their respective fields. We have a project management company providing independent advice on the scheduling and timing of the project to ensure that the timelines are both workable and to ensure that the club has access to the finances it needs when it needs them. We also have someone looking at the financial side of the project and commenting separately. We will pass this information on as soon as it becomes available, negotiations are still ongoing.

One of the first things I heard when I started on the Board, was that there was a certain expectation from members the Board would drive the strategy. Given we set our intentions out very clearly when we got elected, and we have communicated and consulted with members thoroughly and consistently, we feel that we will offer the members a solution to the problems that we think the Club faces, and they will decide themselves by supporting the Resolution we put forward or not. We think we all have skin in the game and that the members are the best and only ones to make this decision.

The overall maintenance of sand profile sports surfaces is significantly less when matched with an appropriate grass species on top. Our choice of lightweight pumice sand is very free-draining and not suitable to our present grasses of Rye, Brown-top Bent and Poa Annua. These ‘Cool Season’ grasses require high levels of nutrient, water, and fungicide inputs to survive in our warm, humid Auckland summers and mild winter environment.

We will be using Couch Grass on our Fairways which thrives in free-draining sand profiles and requires significantly less nutrient, water and fungicide inputs. Overall, our yearly materials budget is less than the existing budget with double the Fairway areas proposed for the finished development.

Benefits of sand over soil are as follows:

• Free-draining sand profile, that only requires scarifying (deep vertical cutting) and sand top dressing. Apposed to scarifying, coring or surface stripping, sanding into soil that has limited results, is time consuming and needs to be done frequently.
• Couch with sand requires less to no wetting agent products required for water retention and flow assistance needed in soil/cool season profiles ($30k less/year)
• Couch, although not as actively growing in winter, provides a dry free-draining surface year-round
• Couch has high disease resistance properties and requires significantly less fungicide inputs ($21k less /year)
• Couch can survive droughts, even when supply is cut completely, it will brown off, go dormant but not die and maintain a playable surface. Once water returns the Couch will come out of dormancy, which differs to cool season grasses which requires reseeding of Fairways yearly ($16k to $20k less/year).

These are just some of the maintenance advantages offered with sand profile Couch-covered playing surfaces. We are currently working through comparative budgets for old and new courses and will share these when available.

Whilst it is hoped that the extreme weather conditions of 12 months ago are a once-in-a-decade occurrence, we cannot deny the way weather conditions are changing on a global scale. We are seeing more extreme conditions on a more regular basis; however, our plans are not a reaction to a one-off occurrence.

The expectation of our members is that they should be able to access their course and play in relatively good conditions on a year-round basis, and recovery from adverse conditions should be quick. Our drainage systems are compromised, and we need to address the playing surfaces across the course. This plan (amongst other things) addresses these issues.

Not only are we looking to address the drainage issues, our plans see us moving to Couch as our Grass Type for the Fairways. This warm season grass is more resilient to drought and should cope better in the summer with lower water inputs, that said we have more fairway area to maintain. Our plans include the fixing of the Dam wall which leaks, and increasing the capacity of the pond to allow us to store more water. This will provide more resilience in times of drought.

The Club is a break-even operation with fixed costs, and relatively few mechanisms to generate additional income to fund projects and investment in facilities and machinery. If the members decide not to proceed at this stage with the land sale, we will need to look at other mechanisms to generate income for some of the project work.

The largest change is the sand capping of the course which will require a complete overhaul of the course and a redesign of the course and holes. Some of the proposed changes are very radical. Others are as simple as remodelling the tees and greens. Each hole design is available to view on this website with audio explanation. As a by-product we were able to provide the Club with a brand new driving range and practice facility, one with the potential to be the best in Auckland. That was a very exciting discovery.

As a by-product we were able to provide the Club with a brand new driving range and practice facility, one with the potential to be the best in Auckland and cater to both the commercial market and members. We are looking at a number of range design options which we will be sharing – to offer a market-leading facility. The creation of a commercial/members driving range operation that will assist the club in generating a new income stream, potentially reaching a seven-figure income for ongoing investment into the clubs facilities moving forward.

This is planned for phase one of the development plan, so that members can benefit from it as soon as possible.

Our new range facility will offer several benefits to our members. We are creating a two-tier range that will provide opportunities for member practice, tuition, and commercial range activities.

Members wishing to hit a bucket of balls before play will be able to do so from the upper tier. Members will also be able to book timed practice sessions in the covered downstairs range area at member rates.

For any golfer looking to improve their game (who isn’t?), the technology available will allow members to track and log every ball they hit. Upstairs, this will be done through an app on your own personal device. Downstairs, we will have screens where you can book a slot, log in, and get started.

We also believe that our members will want to use the range socially. We can set up group play and competitions such as Winter Twilight, Leagues, and Closest to the Pin. The range will become a social hub for members looking to hit balls, socialise, and enjoy a new hospitality experience.

Selling roughly 5% of the club’s land, while retaining and enhancing all existing amenities, will allow the Board to deliver the much-needed drainage and course playability improvements that the club so desperately needs.

NSGC has fallen behind other clubs in the region that have been able to make fast-track improvements to their courses and facilities. NSGC wants to regain its reputation as a premium club in the region, address historic underinvestment, and create a facility that generates an additional income stream to ensure long-term investment continues in the years to come.

We keep in mind the mission of our club which is articulated as being “dedicated to providing our members with an exceptional golfing experience in a beautiful and serene setting. We are committed to maintaining our reputation as one of the best golf clubs in the region while continuously improving our facilities, services, and programs

The main purpose of RBT’s initial design project has been to identify what land we need and what is not part of our future planning. We are confident that the land identified for sale (three lots) will provide least impact to the club and course, generate the revenue needed and result in complementary development alongside.

The three land parcels on the eastern edges of our property are clearly identified in the master plan image and will be talked through at members events in September

Our preferred developer is proposing a bespoke, high-end development of residential property that will complement the unique course-front location. This development will take place along the current fringes of the course, areas already bordered by residential properties. The design will aim to make the most of the unique outlook provided by the golf course, and as an organization, the developer will work in partnership with NSGC to deliver great outcomes for both parties, and there is positive open dialogue on working through the complexities of such a project.

By releasing land on the eastern edges of our property and making better use of the land at the western edge along Lucas Creek, the club’s feeling of seclusion will be maintained. The development of holes along the water’s edge will enhance the connection with the natural environment, and the areas of native restoration will create new habitats for birdlife on the course.

We initially circulated a Course Development Plan and sought Expressions of Interest from parties interested in purchasing the lots of land identified as potentially up for sale, the club has been working in two areas to understand what the outcome could be for our club members:

• We have worked through the offer in terms of schedule and financial aspects, to determine what would be done, when, in terms of the club’s project, the land sale project, and when money would be received to enable this to happen.
• We have spent significant time understanding the details of Brett Thomson’s design, refining it based on feedback and project land requirements, and understanding additional upgrade costs such as tree removal, water storage, cart paths, car park, range, and greenkeepers’ shed.

The club has been very open and transparent in its approach to the development. Members were consulted early in the process and asked to provide feedback. We have provided members with regular updates on the progress made throughout the journey towards a Special General Meeting.

We have waited to ensure the Board is satisfied that we have a compelling case to put to members based on what they would like and the right commercial partner to work with. We are confident we now have the right value proposition for members and hence bringing this opportunity forward.

We are embarking on a focused period of engagement in the month leading up to the SGM to ensure that members have all of the information they need – are aware of the project and have the opportunity to ask questions and mitigate any concerns.

There have been multiple examples of clubs undertaking large-scale course redevelopment projects over the past 10 years.

In putting together our plans, we have consulted extensively with people involved in these projects to understand the learnings, both good and bad. They have been generous in the sharing of their experiences – this has influenced many aspects of our proposal including our extensive level of oversight and control of the development and the selection of our master planner (who was involved in both Windross Farm and Tieke Developments – both very successful courses). More learnings will be shared at member events over the next month.

Our promise to the members throughout this process is to maintain 18 holes of golf throughout the project, and this is our intention despite the challenges that this will present.

For the most part, this will mean that one of our traditional 9-hole courses will be closed for an extended period to undertake significant work and to allow time for the surfaces to grow in.

However, at times, there may be a requirement to allow access to other areas for enabling works or where there is overlap. This may necessitate the shortening of certain holes or the relocation of tee boxes to allow for access. We may also need to create 18 holes that are a combination of holes from the three courses for certain periods.

We will maintain access to our car parks (either old or new) throughout the project. The old car park will not be released for development until we are ready to do so (i.e., once the new car park is constructed).

While the Developers are building on site one and replacing the driveway with a more substantial shared access road, a temporary driveway will be created alongside the current one to allow continuous access for our members.

We are very focused on our member experience throughout this development and will be doing all we can to ensure a positive experience – and a wonderful outcome.

During the development, with careful planning and by freeing up tee times that are currently used by non-member groups, we believe we can provide just as much access to the course as when we had 27 holes.

We may need to limit the number of live bookings an individual player can hold at any one time to provide others with the opportunity to play; however, this will not restrict those wanting to play every day from doing so; they will just have to be more flexible about the time they play.

We will also look to encourage those who are able to play at off-peak times to consider doing so to free up key slots for those with less flexibility.

Post-development, we anticipate that there will be more opportunities for our members to play on the days and times they want. We view this development as a chance to review our golfing structures to ensure that we have fit-for-purpose events and competitions in place for the new course. We want competitions that are accessible and engaging, supported by sponsors, and that bring our club together to play and socialise.

The current development plans do not include upgrading the existing clubhouse. Our designs do envisage relocating the Pro Shop to improve the flow from the new car park for golf check-in. We are currently exploring the option of incorporating the Pro Shop at the end of the new driving range.

Relocating the Pro Shop would, in time, allow for the expansion of the Sprig Bar into a fit-for-purpose members’ lounge area with full catering facilities.

The older buildings at the end of the existing main clubhouse will be removed. This will include the PGA Office, Trundler Storage Shed, and Coaching Shed. These facilities will be incorporated into the existing clubhouse and driving range facilities.

With the car park being sold, the new plans include the construction of a 277-space car park, with additional parking for 48 cars in hard-standing overflow areas. This totals 325 car parks (current car park capacity: 220).

Car parks will be 2.5 meters in width, which is the same as the current car park spaces.

Chipping and putting facilities will be significantly enhanced as a result of the development. We are creating a large chipping and putting area in front of the clubhouse and this will be completed in Phase 1 of the Project.

Members will need to approve the plan by voting on a Resolution proposed at a Special General Meeting proposed for Thursday 26th September 2024.

A Special General Meeting has been announced for September 26th, 2024.