Teeing off on global golf mecca

IT is a typical Hobart autumn Saturday, sun shining, but cool. Clouds high above the River Derwent scud downriver on a gentle breeze.

At the Arm End jetty, the hourly water ferry/taxi is disembarking 20-50 people.

The hourly ferry service began at 7am, first transporting locals from South Arm and Opossum Bay to Hobart and Bellerive to Salamanca Market.

The ferry also began at 6.30am from the Mona Brooke St ferry terminal, as golf tourists staying at Henry Jones Art Hotel, Grand Chancellor, Salamanca Inn and other Hobart hotels slept.

The fully automated sprinkler system has completed the 6am watering of greens and fairways — as the usual starter for the day on any world-class golf course. On course, two of the 20 greenkeeping staff are returning from finalising pin placements before the first tee-off at 7am.

Native vegetation now dominates close to 80 per cent of this once weed-infested site. Birdlife is flourishing.

The final ferry returns at 5.30pm and last travellers heading back to the lights of Hobart and their hotels as the light dims. As visitors explore and golfers enjoy the course, they quickly realise that the site is spectacular. It is a place to remember, to talk about, a Tasmanian experience.

The low-impact, strong sustainable environmental themes and considerations in the designs of built structures by Tasmanian architects complement the design by national golf-course architects and site master planners.

We, being the group of Tasmanian investors granted a 50-year lease by the Parks and Wildlife Service, believe Arm End will be the southern bookend to what has been created by the establishment of Barnbougle Dunes/Lost Farm in Northern Tasmania.

The next decade looks extremely strong for Tasmanian golf tourism, with several courses near completion, in construction or finalising planning.

Tasmania has become a “go-to” golf destination, with the new courses on King Island and the continued success of Barnbougle and Lost Farm in the North.

However, Arm End will also stand out on the world stage. We are capital city based. At present, Hobart is the only Australian capital city that does not have a public 18-hole golf course.

We have worked extremely hard to include the local community, the overwhelming and vast majority of whom want the project under way. The community assisted in the new development application, passed by Clarence City Council 9-1 and confirmed by Resource Management Planning Appeal Tribunal.

We will continue to provide information and gain feedback from locals as the project progresses through to opening, planned for 18-20 months from site construction start. We are committed to delivering a world-class asset to the local, Tasmanian and Australian communities, as well as delivering a stunning environmental outcome.

The 10-year rehabilitation program will return the 116-hectare site to a native, coastal habitat for plants and animals.

Arm End is something that we, and I hope the rest of Tasmania, will be extremely proud of when it opens in 2018.

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