Introduction
No country on earth has more golf courses per capita than New
Zealand. The game is the highest participation sport in the nation,
seeing nearly 500,000 adults play each year. With 400 established
courses and still more under development, we’d heard visitors can
enjoy a game without the overcrowding experienced in many other
parts of the world. So, when Geoff, my best pal and golfing partner
popped the question, I was pretty darned pleased.
“A golfing trip to New Zealand? When do we leave?”
And it was even more exciting when two tubes looking like
rocket launchers arrived on the doorstep at our home in the Pacific
Northwest. Far from threatening, these travel cases for half sets of
clubs would double on the course as golf bags. Geoff had thought
of everything.
But how different would the courses be compared to our little
9-holes in a country setting? Perhaps we’d play on atop a dizzying
escarpment overlooking a billowy sea. Or perhaps, surrounded by
views of majestic mountains, we’d meander among bucolic meadowlands. In geothermal hot spots, we might play alongside fumarole vents where smelly steam rises from deep within the earth’s
core. And on a charming rural course, perhaps we’d golf among
sheep, New Zealand’s ubiquitous fairway mowers. With so many
varied and challenging courses to suit everyone from the scratch
golfer to the high handicapper, we’d have a wide range of places
to play. Well under an hour’s drive between courses, New Zealand
seemed a golfers’ paradise.
One proviso, though: the country sits right in the path of westerly winds off the Tasman Sea that bring more than ample precipitation to the islands’ West Coast. But we’re well-seasoned, determined golfers with waterproof golf shoes and light rain jackets, so
only a carefully aimed bolt of lightning would stop us. Or so we
thought.
A nation of islands in the Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand
is more than 1,600 kilometres southeast of Australia. The waters of
the Cook Strait separate the two main islands, the North and the
South, and although it’s smaller, most New Zealanders live on the
North Island. Temperatures are milder and there’s more level land,
but many say the landscape of the South Island is more dramatic
because of the spectacular Southern Alps.
Down under, summer stretches from December through February, but it’s vacation time and accommodation reservations are
recommended. Autumn runs March through May, and from June
through August winter weather brings rain and snow in the high
country. Hearty ones can ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. We arrived in Auckland on the North Island at a particularly beautiful time for although October was still a bit chilly, the
warm spring sun and rain refreshed the countryside, coaxed buds
into bloom and renewed life in the forests. Someone once said of
New Zealand greenery, “If a plant is bare, it is either not native, or
dead.”
For those who prefer other pastimes when their partner plays
a round of golf, there are many activities to while away a few hours.
Some may fancy a city tour with shopping excursions, a visit to
botanical gardens and their great gift shops, a tramp (walk or hike)
along the many well marked paths in the city or countryside, or
just enjoy a lazy day at the beach. A personal favourite is a luxurious soak in an outdoor thermal spa -- one of New Zealand’s great
treats.
More than one hundred golf courses are described in the book,
including the par, length from the championship or back tees, and
whether it’s a 9-hole or 18-hole course. There’s little likelihood
that I’d ever play from the back tees, but there’s usually a choice
of two to five other tees so for those who like to see those, and
access contact details, I recommend two very good websites: www.nzgolf.org.nz which also includes information on women’s golfing
activities throughout the country; and www.golfguide.co.nz, the
annually updated New Zealand Golf Guide. It’s a handy pocket-sized booklet which lists all of the country’s courses, and names
those who give green fee reductions and Pro Shop discounts. As
well, lower accommodation rates are available from those associated with this helpful Guide. . . . . .
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