Best of GOLF IN NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is popular for its stunning landscapes, outdoor adventure and thrills like bungee jumping, but its virtues as a golf destination have been something of a secret until recently.
This little country (about the same size as Colorado) was awarded Undiscovered Golf Destination of 2002 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators. By 2009 the world was catching on and New Zealand was named winner of Best Golf Destination in Asia/Australasia, reflecting high investment in world class resort courses set into stunning natural landscapes.
Despite New Zealand’s strong reputation as a rugby playing nation, golf is in fact the highest participation sport in the country. There is a long history with the game here, with Scottish immigrants introducing the game in the 19th century and many of those links-style courses still thrive today.
This is a golfer’s paradise and there are few destinations that can rival the ratio of one golf course per 10,000 people. There is a great range of courses, from the world class resort courses like Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers to country courses that ask a donation in the honesty box for your green fees. Visitors can play at almost every course and are relatively uncrowded during the weekdays, although it does pay to book your tee time ahead at the more popular courses and resorts.
The Best of Golf New Zealand is a collection of the top golf courses and specialist golf travel arrangers offering world class facilities and the best possible golfing holiday to visitors.
This marketing network has partnered with Qualmark, Tourism New Zealand’s quality assurance program to become the first country to establish golf tourism underwritten by a government-backed quality assurance program. To receive Qualmark endorsement golf courses have to meet stringent requirements that cover every detail from the condition of the course and facilities to customer service standards.
Part of the magic of playing golf in New Zealand is the variety and interest of the natural terrain that provides breathtaking scenic backdrops for your game. Expect to see snow capped mountains, lakes, forests and sweeping cliff top ocean views.
A good day out on the golf course in New Zealand is relatively inexpensive and green fees range from as little as $15 per round on a country course, $30 on public courses, to an average of around $125 for the championship and resort courses. There are a couple of courses that will set you back a few hundred dollars and many find it is worth it for the experience of playing courses that are in the World Top 50. All the Best of Golf New Zealand resort courses will have executive clubs, shoes and carts for hire. Championship courses and some country courses also have hire equipment available.
If you would like to play with a local or engage a caddy, we suggest you make contact with the course ahead of time and this is usually possible.
Golf courses are typically 5,600-6,600 meters in length with the men’s par at 71 or 72 strokes and women’s at 73 or 74.
Dress standards vary and tend to be more formal on the resort courses, with more casual attire acceptable in the country areas.
When planning your holiday, you can engage a local New Zealand golf travel specialist or one closer to home. Visit www.bestofgolfnewzealand.com for a list of golf travel arrangers who are knowledgeable about golf in New Zealand and can direct you to the best courses, arrange your tee times, accommodations and other activities along the way at reasonable rates. If you have only one week to play, think of the North and South Islands of New Zealand as separate tours. Play one now and then come back another time for the other. We have outlined our suggestions moving from North to South.
Tour One - North Island
Carrington Resort, in the far north of the country opened in 2002 and was then significantly remodeled by Matt Dye in 2003. The new layout is interesting and challenging, but a very fair test for golfers of all levels. The resort has an extensive range of other activities. Try diving for crayfish (lobster), a game of tennis, skeet shooting, bird watching, exploring the restored wetlands area, or wandering the bush trails to the beach to gather shells. In the evening you can sample wine from the resort vineyard and dine on Angus steaks from the property’s pedigree herd.
Kauri Cliffs, World Top 50 ranked course is situated in Northland’s (North Island?) Matauri Bay a little further south from Carrington. The course opened in 2000 and has rapidly gained world wide recognition. Players are told not to be surprised if they forget their score at Kauri Cliffs, because it is such an exceptional experience that winning or losing may not matter much. Just being there is what’s important.
From the front veranda you can enjoy 180 degree views of the Cavalli Islands and a recently added luxury spa provides a relaxing wind down at the end of the day. The gourmet a’ la carte restaurant serves only the finest New Zealand lamb, beef and seafood and gentlemen are required to wear a jacket for cocktails and dinner.
Gulf Harbour, an easy 40 minute drive north of Auckland city was the location for the World Cup of Golf in 1998 and has hosted several NZ Open Tournaments, the last in 2006. This is the only course in New Zealand designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr and offers some great cliff-edge ocean views from the back nine. The 11th hole, with its extraordinary view of the city, kicks off one of the finest collections of golf holes anywhere. The par 3 15th plays directly toward the ocean, the par 4 16th is a dogleg right and one of the most spectacular golf holes in the world.
Wairakei International Golf Course is the original New Zealand golf resort and dates back to 1970. Now under private ownership the course consistently rates as one of the best in the country and has been rated by Golf Digest as one of the top 20 outside the US.
The famed 14th hole is a 548 meter par 5 which is probably the longest and most challenging golf hole in the country. It is a serious test with a monstrous pine tree in the middle of the fairway, forcing you to play either left or right with your second shot. Your third shot (if you are doing well) is to an elevated kidney shaped green protected by sand traps. It will come as no surprise to you that this hole is aptly named The Rogue and it will be memorable.
Wairakei offers golf school packages that are good value if you want to improve your game and we recommend you save some budget to stay at least one night in the world acclaimed Huka Lodge, just five minutes down the road.
Kinloch is nearby and is worth a visit. This is the only Jack Nicklaus designed course in the country. Many years ago this region captured the Golden Bear’s heart for the trout fishing, so it made sense that he would want to put one of his finest golf creations here. Many say there are no weak holes at Kinloch and there are a number that remain memorable. The par 3 17th is a tough one as it calls for a long shot to a green with bunkers on either side and steep drop-offs all around. The 512 meter 8th is flanked by sand on both sides and then the fairway splits to offer choices of high or low avenues to the green.
Cape Kidnappers is the other ‘must play’ golf course in the North Island. It is located on the east coast about half way down the island and whilst it takes a little more effort to get there, it is worth it. Cape Kidnappers is another World Top 50 course and like Kauri Cliffs it plays above the ocean atop dramatic cliff tops. This course is built on a ridge and valley landscape that runs to and from the edge of the cliffs with spectacular sea views.
Designer Tom Doak said, “If Cape Kidnappers were a book, it would be described as an epic… Enjoy your game and enjoy the setting. You will never play golf somewhere like this again.”
Two other golf options in Hawkes Bay are Bridge Pa and the Napier Golf Club. A further three hours drive south with get you to Paraparaumu, New Zealand’s best links course.
Tour Two - South Island
Where the North Island is characterized by rolling green hills and gentle landscapes reminiscent of Great Britain with a semi tropical climate, the South Island will have you gazing in awe at dramatic landscapes that will make you think of Scandinavia and The Lord of the Rings.
If you fly into Christchurch, your first stop (perhaps after the Antarctic Centre) will be Clearwater Golf Course near the airport. This course is home to the New Zealand PGA Championship and is a U.S. PGA Tour stop. The golf course opened in 2002 and was designed by local firm Darby Partners in consultation with New Zealand’s famous left hand golfer, Sir Bob Charles.
The golf course is built around a series of man-made lakes, bringing water into play on 14 holes. There are a number of great holes at Clearwater, but the par 4 18th is one of the best finishing holes in the country. It plays from an elevated tee to a green that juts out into a lake, facing water short, left and at the back. If you have a little extra time at Clearwater, arrange to spend some time with Jonathan Pasly, the resident fishing guide who can take you fly fishing for rainbow trout.
Terrace Downs is a very pleasant 75 minutes drive directly west of Christchurch to the foothills of New Zealand’s great mountain range, the Southern Alps. The approach to the resort is breathtaking with the Mount Hutt range so close you can almost touch it.
The golf course at Terrace Downs was designed by Puddicombe Associates and is built on the edge of the Rakaia Gorge. The par 3 16th hole is possibly the most memorable on this course, not for the length but the altitude. The tee box sits on the edge of the gorge 200 meters above the Rakaia River.
Depending on the season (usually June to October), you can play golf and ski here in the same day. There are heaps of other activities at this mountain resort. Try the New Zealand invented sport of blokarting. These mini land yachts are easy to master and great fun. From Terrace Downs you can also go jet boating, salmon fishing, horse trekking or just chill out and relax in the new Asian style spa.
The next three courses we will recommend are set in the Southern Lakes region of New Zealand. Here the terrain is one of the most diverse and physically beautiful on earth with rugged mountains prone to avalanche, crystal clear lakes and fiords and golden hill country.
Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand and is also famous for its fine pinot noir. If you are a The Lord of the Rings fan you will recognize the Misty Mountains, Isengard, the Ford of Bruinen, Lothlorien and the Pillars of Argonath in this area.
Millbrook is one of our favorite courses in the South Island. It is a 20 minutes ride from Queenstown in historic Arrowtown. The course was designed by Sir Bob Charles, in consultation with John Darby and is crafted into gently undulating land set in a natural alpine amphitheater surrounded by mountain landscapes.
Millbrook has some memorable holes and water is a major factor on the closing holes, with the par 5 18th emerging as one of the course’s signature holes. Former Kiwi Tour player turned designer Greg Turner has redesigned this hole to create a semi island green at the edge of a pond.
The newest development at Millbrook is a new nine holes, designed by Turner and known as the Coronet Nine. The new nine is part of a new residential development, and will integrate with the existing course to offer three interchangeable nine-hole courses.
Virtually across the road from Millbrook is The Hills, private golf course of jeweler Michael Hill and home of the New Zealand Open for the past two years. The course opened in 2007 and is set over 101 hectares (250 acres) of former deer farm. The mill winds its way through the property and feeds the ten lakes and various ponds and waterways on the golf course. Whilst this is a private course, it is possible for visitors to play on a pre-arranged basis.
The clubhouse at The Hills is worth a visit. Cleverly designed by Patterson Associates it has been rated as a building of architectural significance and has received awards for its design. It appears as a sophisticated bunker with less than a quarter of it above ground and integrates with the landscape almost seamlessly. The roof is topped with native tussock and huge floor to ceiling windows offer a grandstand view of the finishing hole.
Jacks Point is a huge residential and resort development yet to be completed. The golf course is the newest in New Zealand and is quickly gaining international recognition as a ‘must play.’ The setting is spectacular, laid out between The Remarkables Ranges and the cliffs above Lake Wakatipu. Another creation of John Darby, the layout is shared with sheep paddocks and hand made rock walls that are reminiscent of the traditional links courses of Scotland and Ireland.
The par 5 8th has become a signature hole for Jacks Point. It is a 487 meter fairway that rises uphill to a huge green nestled beside the edge of a cliff. The views from the final approach across the lake to Queenstown and the mountain backdrop are truly sensational.
Whatever you decide, New Zealand will spoil you for choice with some stunning courses that will test your skill in an unspoiled environment. So why not plan to visit New Zealand sometime soon and explore the fairways and highways of this beautiful country?
Visit www.bestofgolfnewzealand.com for more information and touring options.
