KEY POINTS:
The Auckland region may soon be blessed with another championship course, close to the Northern Motorway and with a ready-made membership.
The Peninsula Golf Club, which owns its course on freehold land zoned "future urban" at Whangaparaoa, has been approached by housing developers.
The golf club has been offered a brand-new, championship-standard layout on the western side of the new motorway on Wainui Road at Silverdale, plus cash. Best of all, the club can play their current course up till the day the new one is ready less than 10 minutes' drive away.
For a club with a healthy membership of just over 800 but with only 44ha of land, the offer is too good to be true.
But there is considerable opposition, although not so much from club members. Neighbours are worried about losing their green belt, which sounds like an argument they should be having with the Rodney District Council rather than the golf club.
Peninsula GC, as an incorporated society, may dispose of freehold assets as members see fit as long as the proceeds go to a similar activity. The new course meets that requirement.
This is an unprecedented opportunity in the Auckland region. The two so-called championship courses at Gulf Harbour and Formosa have limitations as they are difficult to access and neither is well designed. Formosa has terrible drainage and heaven knows what Gulf Harbour's future is under Mark Bryers' ownership.
Here's a chance to get some serious design input from professional players, such as Peninsula's own resident pro Stuart Reese, in conjunction with a proven course architect and around 80ha of land to work with.
The layout, while primarily a club course, should be of a standard to host the New Zealand Open and come complete with practice facilities.
If this comes off it will be a first for New Zealand.
Club officials say a majority of Peninsula's membership is in favour. This is quite a young club. The average age is 51 and more than a third live south of Albany. Relatively easy motorway access and the lure of a high-quality course should mean this will be a sought-after place to be a member.
Golf clubs have to constantly reassess their futures. A hundred years ago, the Auckland Golf Club was playing at One Tree Hill before they found the more spacious site at Middlemore, where they moved in 1910.
The Wellington Golf Club started life at Miramar before going to Heretaunga in the early years of the 20th century. There are countless other examples. If this deal is as good as it sounds then Peninsula should embrace it enthusiastically.