Dining with Mr. Roberston in the wine cellar of the Cape Kidnappers lodge will be one meal I will never forget. Julian, as he prefers to be called, sat at the head of the long oak table surrounded by six of his finest caddies and three golf professionals. The five course meal lived up to the incredible setting of our dining room as we were served by five different attendants who never let our wine glasses even approach half empty. I should also mention that we were all dressed in our best clothes and were donning our finest dinner jackets (provided by the lodge). The setting was quite formal but the conversation was not. Julian likes to crack jokes and ask about our social lives while living in Napier. He is highly opinionated and open to a good argument, although no one really took on the challenge, myself included (this took all of my restraint).
My big question of the evening asked how each of the architects for Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers were chosen. I asked how he came to each decision and what he learned from his first project at Kauri Cliffs. Apparently Julian was very impressed with David Harmon's work at Orange County National, outside of Orlando, FL. Harmon served as architect and contractor, this was highly appealing as a business proposition. I have played both of Harmon's courses in Orlando and enjoyed my golf there.
As for Cape Kidnappers, Tom Doak was selected almost by chance. Scheduled to play his first 36 holes at the Bandon Dunes golf course in 2000, Julians plans were altered as he was denied his wish to play 36 at Bandon. The newly successul resort offered to let him first play the brand new Pacific Dunes golf course, designed by Tom Doak. It was love at first sight, Julian recalled. Perhaps if he had played Bandon Dunes first, Cape Kidnappers might be a David Kidd design....
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