New Zealand Golf

New Zealand boasts more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the world

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - Every country has its own way to say hello. The Hawaiians place a wreath of leis around your neck; the French kiss you on the cheek; the Germans like to shake hands. New Zealanders, on the other hand, want to know your handicap.

For the country is a golfer’s paradise, a Birdie in a world of par golf, having more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the world - one for every 7,728 people. And many are unattended and have honor boxes for payment.

It’s also, without doubt, the most affordable place in the world in which to play a round with prices ranging from $1NZ for a pasture course, to $50NZ for a championship resort course.

Yet, it’s one of the best kept sporting secrets in the international travel community. Other destinations - as good as they may be - cannot match the variety, the cost, or the beauty and unusual settings of New Zealand.

Besides, the real adventure in golfing New Zealand is telling your friends back home where you were. With courses named Muriwai, Huapai, Titirangi, Pukekohe, and Arikikapakapa you almost need elocution lessons. Off-shore golfers asking directions are a constant source of amusement for locals. There isn’t a golf course, private or public, that’s off-limits to visitors. The most exclusive clubs allow visitors - providing there are available times. And New Zealanders - being New Zealanders - do like playing with outsiders.

Just put your bags into a rental car and start driving. You won’t go more than 10 km without seeing a golf club sign. Start north of Auckland at Waitangi and then work your way down to Christchurch on the South Island. Each night check the map and pick out the courses you want. Unless it’s a Sunday or a designated club tournament, chances are good you’ll get on. If not, try the one that’s always down the road.

A few things are different in New Zealand. Courses are all marked off in meters so you must know the yardage equivalents. And men generally tee off from the blues, women from the whites, and seniors from the reds, though there doesn’t seem to be any hard rule. And don’t expect the same kind of club house service you get at private clubs in North America with their varied menus and bar service.

Courses range in style and quality from the pasture course at Norsewood near Napier, where hazards include wandering sheep and cattle (and their leftovers), to the country’s number-one-rated links course at Paraparaumu Beach near Wellington with its massive dunes, howling winds, and blind shots.

New courses are still being built, especially near Auckland, where Robert rent Jones recently built the spectacular Gulf Harbour Country Club complex. On the South Island, the Bob Charles designed 6,400 meter (7,000 yard) Millbrook Country Club golf resort near Queenstown is a pearl of a course, now six years old.

Going into some clubs - such as the Arikikapakapa (known locally as the Whaka) in Rotorua, or the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, near Wellington, is the New Zealand equal to being at Augusta or St. Andrews, but without the stuffiness and cob-webbed atmosphere.

And you’ll find character galore. For, no matter where you play, you’re always near a unique cultural experience. For example, the 5416 meter (5923 yards) Whaka course is dotted with extinct mud pools and unpredictable steam vents. Whaka is also near the Maori Institute, one of the most visited places in New Zealand - a living museum in which visitors can experience traditional Maori life well removed from the Maori war-canoe past. It’s as much a part of the golfing experience in New Zealand, as attending Clint Eastwood’s Hog’s Breath Inn in downtown Carmel is part of the Pebble Beach experience in California.

And, when you play the 5987 metre (6548 yards) Napier Golf Club at Hawkes Bay wine country in the central region of the north Island, you have access from nearby vineyards to some of the finest Chardonnays produced anywhere in the world, brands and varieties that are not available in Canada.

At the 5869 meter (6418 yards) Waitangi course, north of Auckland, you wander along the ocean, overlooking the spectacular Bay of Islands. The 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes demand concentration as you shoot towards the mesmerizing shore line and the lush greens set along the water.

Nearby, is the site of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi where, a century and-a-half ago, Maori Chiefs signed over the right for the British to settle the islands in exchange for protection.

My own favorite remains the 5936 meter (6492 yards) Paraparaumu course that locals call Paraparam, near Wellington, that often hosts the New Zealand Open. Built near the shore, the links course has few trees along the undulating fairways and well grassed sand hills. The major hazard can be the wind. On the par 3, 138 meter 14th hole, club choice can range from a seven iron, to a four iron on successive days. It’s a challenge in course management, shot making, and in keeping emotions under control.

Still, the most unforgettable experiences in New Zealand may not come from the big and the best courses, but from the little places - villages and towns that have their own nine and 18-hole courses and are proud of every one.

Author: Ray and Toshi Chatelin