18 September, 2025
Golf-and-more plan mooted for AF Thomas Park
Sports central… Golf Warehouse’s plan for AF Thomas Park shows a covered pickleball facility next to a mini-golf course across Northcote Rd from Netball North Harbour at the right of this image. Beside these is a floodlit driving range, with adjacent clubhouse. The par-three course is closest to the motorway, while a full-sized nine-hole course runs up to the Eventfinda Stadium at left. Wetland occupies the park’s north-eastern corner.
An ambitious Golf Warehouse plan for a nine-hole course on AF Thomas Park in Takapuna, combined with other new sports facilities has raised the ante in the battle for use of council land not required for floodwater detention.
The sports scheme, into which Golf Warehouse says it will put $20 million, includes a driving range and room for a new, expanded and raised Eventfinda Stadium, busy home of North Harbour Basketball and North Harbour Gymnastics.
Golf Warehouse founder and chair Eric Faesenkloet is a North Shore resident.His company’s vision, revealed last week, drew positive comments from Mayor Wayne Brown.
Operators of the existing 18-hole Takapuna golf course are keen to stay on site, reconfiguring the existing course, but their commercial lease has expired.
Golf is in competition with other recreational possibilities for the future use of remaining public park land. But Golf Warehouse says its scheme provides for both, adding 12 covered pickleball courts and mini golf alongside two nine-hole courses – one full size, the other a short course of par-three holes.
Kaipatiki Local Board chair John Gillon, whose board will determine what is done with around two-thirds of the park that council’s Healthy Waters does not want for a wetland, says public feedback will guide decision-making.
This will be sought in October and November, when people will be asked what they want to see done with the land.
“We have been acutely careful, as the body that will hear expressions of interest [EOIs], in not picking favourites,” Gillon said.
Once feedback was considered and board decisions made, EOIs would likely be considered in March or April next year.
Gillon said he was somewhat surprised to see how well advanced the Golf Warehouse plan was, although he had heard a proposal was expected.
He understood the company had presented to Brown and Planning Committee chair and North Shore ward councillor Richard Hills.
Both Gillon and his board deputy Danielle Grant, who are each seeking one of the two North Shore ward seats on Auckland Council, have acknowledged strong public support for golf having a future at the park.
Grant went further last week, describing the Golf Warehouse scheme as “exciting” in an online post.
“We should be a bit neutral,” Gillon cautioned in talking to the Observer.
Neither golf operator had formally presented various recent schemes to the board, he said. But Gillon said the board had granted a request from the existing course operators to speak at a board meeting this week. This was on the proviso that comments were limited to what it would like to see in the upcoming public consultation. It would not be able to present or lobby on its plans. “I will stop them if they try to sway us either way,” he said.
Healthy Waters has indicated a nine-hole option could fit with its plans.
Both council and Waka Kotahi have ruled out the existing course operators’ “Shoal Bay Solution” to drain water to the sea near Esmonde Rd as a way to allow retention of an 18-hole course.
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