Golf Challenge with creature comforts
Coffee, kai, jobs and another Ball Blaster is coming to Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge.
An artist’s impression of what the redeveloped Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge will look like when it’s finished.
By Bronson Perich
The redevelopment of the iconic attraction is now underway.
The renovations will add a shelter, safety net, toilets, a coffee and kai kiosk, a viewing deck and another Ball Blaster.
Taupō Moana Group Holdings Managing Director Hayden Porter says the additions will solve a problem the Hole-in-One has had for the last 32 years.
"Whenever it's wet, we literally have to close, or we'll have people waiting in the rain.”
Keeping players dry while they bombard the lake and raft with golf balls aren't the only reason for expanding the site. Providing food, drink, and a comfortable waiting area is an opportunity to grow the business.
"We've improved the safety and also created a better flow for our customers when they come through and keeping them out of harm's way of swinging golf clubs and things like that," Hayden says.
More room means there will now be two Ball Blasters attached to the platform. The Ball Blaster is a recent addition to the Hole-in-One, and already it's become well known across the world.
Porter explains why the business decided to expand into non-lethal artillery.
"We observed there was a lot of people that were coming along and watching other people swing a golf club, but they weren't confident to do it themselves. And in particular kids, we had nothing really for kids to do on the site."
Age didn't stop Elijah Ellis, who at 11-years-old is the youngest person to ever win the Hole-in-One Challenge when he won the $10,000 prize last year.
When asked about the risks of expanding in unceetain economic conditions, Hayden says they have actually been seeing growth year on year.
“Last year we were ahead of pre-covid numbers, and our forecasting suggests that we'll be well ahead of that again in the next 12 months."
The new sheltered platform will be ready in late October and the coffee and kai kiosk will be operational in December.
It's estimated the additions will add five jobs to the organisation, as they'll need a dedicated crew to keep the kai coming and the coffee brewing.
Background
Established in 1993, the Hole-in-One quickly became a drawcard to tourists and locals alike, all seeking to win big at the lake's edge.
In 2017, the attraction was acquired by Taupō Moana Group Holdings, the tourism subsidiary of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board.