By Ryan Byers
GOLF GETAWAY
The New Zealand of Opportunity is Auckland
Right: Tara Iti, on the New Zealand coast near Mangawhai, about 90 minutes north of Auckland, is New Zealand’s first American-style private golf club
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DESTINATIONS
New Zealand is topping travelers’ bucket lists with increasing frequency. The small country, equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom, has a population of just over 4.5 million. It is made up of two main islands, North (Te Ikaa-Māui in Maori) and South (Te Waipounamu), and more than 60 smaller surrounding islands. New Zealand may be a relatively young country, but its white sand beaches, rainforests, mountains, lakes, glaciers, and volcanoes took shape over millions of years. Factor in exceptional cuisine, viticulture, boating, fishing, nightlife, and growing recognition as one of the world’s top golf destinations, and it’s no wonder “Middle Earth” is rising to the top as a destination given the global attention garnered by director Peter Jackson’s epic movie series. With other advantages—including a favorable exchange rate for the U.S dollar, a climate similar to California, and locals who treat their visitors like family—choosing New Zealand as a vacation destination is easy. Picking where to stay and play, on the other hand, will prove more challenging.
Destinations Going Global
A Golfer’s Paradise With almost 400 golf courses, New Zealand ranks second in the world for most courses per capita, inspiring pros and enthusiasts from around the globe to experience some of golf ’s finest courses. The LPGA takes full advantage of the country’s bounty this September when it hosts its first tournament in New Zealand, the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open, at the spectacular Windross Farm Golf Club just 35 minutes south of Auckland. Designed by Brett Thomson of Robert Trent Jones Design in collaboration with course consultant Phil Tataurangi, Windross Farm Golf Club opened for play in 2011. The par 72 course features four large lakes that come into play on several holes with large undulated fairways and greens. Meanwhile, one of New Zealand’s greatest hidden gems, Gulf Harbour Country Club, lies a brief 40-minute drive north of Auckland. This Robert Trent Jones Jr.–designed course on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula sits
atop breathtaking bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The beautifully arranged par 72 layout features challenging par 4s on the front nine, offering severe elevation changes, and a large lake that comes into play on three holes. Gulf Harbour, which may remind well-travelled golfers of Pebble Beach, also sports some of the best views of any course in the world. The wise golfer may desire to have a camera as well as a club in hand when approaching the signature par 4 16th hole. The 445-yard par 4 weaves along the ocean and demands a long drive to afford one a chance at reaching the green in regulation. In 1998, Gulf Harbour Country Club played host to the 44th World Cup of Golf, in which the English team of David Carter and Nick Faldo won by two strokes over the Italian team of Massimo Florioli and Constantino Rocca. While this club is private, like most of New Zealand’s private country clubs it welcomes visitors to the course for a fee. The Institute of Golf, located in Auckland and founded by CEO Craig Dixon, offers access to highly qualified PGA Professionals who use state-of-the-art technology to personalize a game plan to vastly improve one’s golf game and maximize one’s potential. It’s interesting to note that rising star Lydia Ko, a Korean-born, New Zealand golfer who became the Number 1 ranked woman professional golfer in February 2015 at 17 (making her the youngest player of either gender to achieve this distinction in professional golf ), did much of her golf training at the Institute of Golf. Golfers of all skill levels are welcome to receive their first lesson gratis. instituteofgolf.nz Pure Golf at Tara Iti When talking about the world’s greatest golf courses, Old Course at St. Andrews, Muirfield, Bethpage Black, and Pebble Beach are some of the marquee courses to come to golf enthusiasts’ minds. However, Tara Iti, 90 minutes north of Auckland on the coast of Mangawhai, is rapidly rising to recognition on the world’s greatest golf course lists. This ultra-exclusive country club, founded by Los Angeles–based Ric Kayne,
Photos: Courtesy of ATEED
Auckland, New Zealand – a twelve hour flight from sister city Los Angeles – is home to world class golf, wine, tech, and an influx of foreign investment