front ,” said Director of Golf Ray Geffre . “ We expanded our range and built brand new putting and chipping greens . We also embarked on some strategic tree clearing , and we ’ re determined to keep that going . This is an incredibly diverse and lush eco-system , and I doubt there ’ s another resort on earth that takes environmental protections more seriously than we do . But we need to protect our vistas , too , and preserve the original design here . For a while there , we had manuka creeping into the bunker and blocking the view of 4 green . The kanuka and manuku we trimmed back all along the right side of 15 : Those are meant to be plants — they
56 PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE were head high !”
“ There is nothing quite like it in golf ; Cape Kidnappers just sits so high above the water ,” Doak explains . “ This is a course fairly ranked among the top 50 in the world , but I ’ ve found people have difficulty classifying Cape Kidnappers in their own minds — because it ’ s so different and distinct from anything else .”
The course benefits from one of the most remarkable sites for a layout in the world , situated for many of its holes high above the Pacific Ocean , a drop of 460 feet down into Hawkes Bay , offering dramatic views that make it difficult for a golfer to keep their eye on the ball .