Written by: Will Bowden
2021
Developed on a site of commercially harvested Radiata pine, Tara Iti was designed to fit the surrounding coastal/dune-land landscape as naturally as possible. Course architect Tom Doak wanted its legacy to be one of sustainability with a playing style similar to the original links layouts of the past. In order to achieve this Doak specified fine fescue turf varieties across the entire site, with creeping red fescues, slender fescue and chewings fescue (all of which cultivated in New Zealand) being utilised.
During the grow-in period, the nutrient and pesticide requirements of the course were judicious but relatively high, as expected. However, since establishment, the turf receives only approx 50 Kg per hectare of nitrogen per year (comparable to the minimal input old links courses) and has an exclusively organic-based fertility programme on the fairways. Since 2016 fungicides have been not been applied to the turf.
