Xero co-founder Hamish Edwards plans to build links golf course in Horowhenua
A slice of rural Horowhenua is set to become one of New Zealand’s most impressive links golf courses, with the backing of Xero co-founder Hamish Edwards.
The district’s mayor says the proposal shows confidence in the long-term future of the area while attracting a new kind of tourist.
Edwards, through his company Grenadier Ltd, has applied for various resource consents to develop a chunk of land at Ōhau into an 18-hole course.
Douglas Links Golf Course
Named on the consent documents as Douglas Links Golf Course, talk in golfing circles suggests the course will approach the standard of nearby Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club.
Paraparaumu is considered one of the best links courses in the southern hemisphere, having hosted the New Zealand Open 12 times, including when Tiger Woods visited in 2002.
Edwards made his fortune through co-founding cloud accounting software company Xero, with NBR estimating his wealth to be $265 million in 2021.
He is a golfer, having spoken to media in the past about playing up to 56 rounds in a year and seen on the course with double Olympic champion rower Eric Murray at The Hills during the 2019 New Zealand Open.
Documents filed with Horizons Regional Council show Douglas Links will include 10 on-site accommodation units, a separate owner’s cottage and stables, a driving range and clubhouse.
While Edwards wants to comment once consents have been granted, Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden said the proposed course was extremely exciting for the area.
Such an idea would have been out of the realm of possibility 10 years ago, but was now an example of Horowhenua’s potential and growth.
Population growth
The area is expanding massively, with population growth outpacing the rest of the country, developers building scores of new houses and large investment projects, including the Ōtaki to north of Levin highway, on the horizon.
Horowhenua lacked high-end attractions, but Douglas Links would help to fill that hole.
It would attract international golfing tourists, as well as people throughout the lower North Island looking for a day trip, Wanden said.
“The golfing tourism market is very strong in New Zealand. A lot of people travel just to have golfing weekends.”
The course was also an opportunity for established businesses in the area, giving them a new customer base, he said.
“When we are back to a bit of normality of being able to travel as far as we want, I think [the course] will be a major attraction.”
Documents filed with Horizons show the course will be framed by the Tasman Sea to the west and the Ōhau River to the south.
Ecological reports prepared as part of the consent say much of the area is dry coastal pasture with various grass types, with sand dunes along the entire western side of the property.
The one wetland on the property was perfectly circular due to it perhaps once being a stock pond.
The ecological importance of much of the site was considered low, but a large stand of kānuka, the dunes and a saltmarsh were considered high value ecological sites.
Plans for the course have already pointed out those high-value areas as no-go sites during construction of the course.
Source: Stuff
