NZ’s greatest hits
The golf writers have done the hard yards to bring you this country’s top 10 courses, writes Phil Hamilton.
New Zealand has among the most golf courses per capita in the world but until recently the quality of those courses, apart from a couple of notable exceptions, was pretty ropey.
However, over the past generation that has changed thanks to the investment of a couple of exceedingly wealthy Americans and the work of some talented architects, including a few home-grown designers.
With summer here and the days getting longer we evaluate the best of the bunch, although our rankings are done with a couple of differences.
Most magazine rankings use resistance to scoring as one of their main criteria but we prefer to concentrate on fun. Any mug can make a hard course (just lengthen and sprinkle liberally with water and sand), the real skill is to make a course that is challenging and enjoyable for both average and good golfers.
Superior conditioning is always nice but tends to be over-emphasised, resulting in rankings being dominated by bland resort courses.
Instead we focus on the quality of the design and the most important factor – how keen are you to get back out there again? Unlucky to miss out: Oreti Sands, Wairakei International.
Disclaimer: The author was so impressed by Titirangi that he joined the club. Tara Iti It is strange that New Zealand, a country with such a long coastline, has such a shortage of good links courses. Thankfully, we now have one that ranks with the world’s best.
The par threes are fantastic, with the 15th the best of the bunch, and there are two superb short par fours – the devilish seventh and uphill 13th. Both entice golfers to throw caution to the wind by grabbing driver when a lay-up is the better play.
There are also some burly twoshotters with the sixth a standout, with its rumpled fairway of waves marching towards the tee. The eighth is a strategic delight, asking you to hit over a bunker to earn a better angle into the sloped green.
The third has a unique punchbowl green while the 14th asks you to drive down the left to hit a speed slot and receive a far superior angle into the green.
The course concludes with a par five across another gloriously rumpled fairway to a green with a treacherous false front.
The quality of the golf outdoes even the views in this beautiful spot. Arrowtown Often under-rated because of it’s lack of length, Arrowtown is a unique course and certainly among the most fun in the country. The neighbouring courses may get all the publicity but they can’t match the charm of this gem.
The front nine is a delight, with one stand-out hole after another through schist-lined fairways, where driver is usually not the best option. The second presents you with a narrow path through rocks though it plays wider due to a valley fairway.
The fourth asks you to drive as close to a gully to get a view of the small green, if you shy away from the trouble you are left with a blind shot. The fifth again demands a brave tee shot to get the best angle, as does the ninth which has been greatly improved thanks to the work of local Greg Turner. The seventh and eighth are also quality par fours while the sixth is a lovely short hole.
The back nine is not as good as the front, although it does have some highlights, particularly the parthree 14th and 16th holes, and the 18th is a fitting finish.
01 Paraparaumu 06 Jack’s Point