Golf New Zealand Issue 4 by PaR nz Golfing Holidays

GOLF

NEW ZEALAND

ISSUE 4 • WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND • TOURISM UPDATE

• NZ COURSE TOP PICKS

WITH COMPLIMENTS

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PaR nz Corporate Events Limited trading as PaR nz Golfing Holidays, Established August 2000. Office located in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand . Postal address PO Box 331395, North Shore 0740 Phone +64 (9) 486 1077. Directors Denise Langdon & Kim Buckley Contact denise@parnz.co.nz and kim@parnz.co.nz Photos care of Tourism New Zealand and its contributors, and PaR nz’s image collection

GOLF NEW ZEALAND

ISSUE 4

Contents

MARCH 2019

New Zealand Course Overviews

Jack’s Point, Central Otago

2019 New Zealand Course Rankings

Cape Kidnappers, Hawke’s Bay

Welcome to New Zealand

Kauri Cliffs, Northland

New Zealand Golf Holiday Packages

Shotover Jet, Queenstown

Visit our website: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077, Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575

COURSE OVERVIEWS

We regularly put our heads together to come up with a list of what we regard as New Zealand’s top golf courses for travellers. Each nominated course has something special to offer – some are worth it just for the beautiful surrounds, others are memorable for the way they challenge your game. Last year, PaR nz Golfing Holidays’ Denise Langdon was one of a panel of diverse golf industry insiders who were invited by New Zealand Golf Digest to contribute 12 suggestions toward a list of 40 top courses for its 2019 New Zealand Golf Rankings. Here we explore a selection of those courses – the top 20 plus four of our own favourites – which have a special blend of risk and reward, playability, layout, design, scenic values, conditioning and ambience. To make it easy to find your way between courses on a map, we start in the South Island and move through to the North.

South Island The Hills at Arrowtown is a big course – set over 200 hectares in a glacial valley – with a big reputation for championship golf – and art. The private members club is owned by wealthy jeweller and arts patron Sir Michael Hill, and its sculpture park has been an intrinsic part of the course from the beginning. New Zealand’s John Darby designed the course, which this year was ranked 6th by the New Zealand Golf Digest panel and was nominated for New Zealand’s best at the 2018 World Golf Awards. The course hosted the New Zealand Open in 2007, just months after it opened. In 2019, the 100th NZ Open was jointly held at The Hills and Millbrook Resort from February 28 to March 3, 2019. Another big stunner, Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown was designed by Sir Bob Charles for its opening in 1992, and renovated by Greg Turner in late 2010. It’s right up there with the NZ Golf Digest favourites, ranking 9th this year, in keeping with its nomination for best NZ golf course at the World Golf Awards. Priding itself on always being immaculately groomed, the 27-holed championship course over 200 hectares is an enticing alpine links course with tussocks, streams, buildings and trees presenting natural hazards. The 2019 Millbrook Masters, based here and at Jack’s Point, is on our tournament schedule for October 27 – November 2.

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Jack’s Point, Central Otago.

The astonishing Jack’s Point near Queenstown tied for 7th place (with Paraparaumu Beach Golf Course) on the New Zealand Golf Digest’s list this year. Designed by John Darby, we always highly recommend this course to visitors for its exhilarating golf challenges, dramatic setting and distinctive native vegetation right to the edge of Lake Wakatipu. It is 76th on Golf Digest’s latest top 100 of the best golf courses in the world (outside North America), and won the International Association of Golf Tour Operators 2019 Sustainability Award for Nature Protection. Sustainability initiatives led to it becoming Golf Environment Organization (GEO) Certified in April last year. Along with other high-profile courses in the Queenstown area, Jack’s Point has a reputation for superb conditioning. This care and attention pays off; the club hosted the NZ Open Challenge on Saturday, March 2 this year as part of the NZ Open golf week of events for amateurs and professionals. Arrowtown Golf Club is widely recognised as being one of the most affordable top-15 courses to play. Stretching out below the Remarkables and Coronet Peak, and just 20 minutes north of Queenstown, it was ranked 10th by NZ Golf Digest in its latest list, up from 13th in 2016. The club’s original six-hole course was established in 1911 at a different location. Today’s course is the result of decades of voluntary labour bringing to life design layouts by club secretary Reg Romans and 1933 NZ Amateur Champion B.V. ‘Pip’ Wright. The club still retains an authentic charm consistent with its location in one of the country’s most historic and scenic regions. Popular with players in our annual Central Otago Autumn Classic, the course has no bunkers and rocky outcrops guard its fairways. We reckon it’s a little gem.

Above: Arrowtown Golf Club. Right: Millbrook Resort (top) and Jack’s Point (bottom).

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The friendly golf clubs of Wanaka, Queenstown, Cromwell and Alexandra are very much well worth a visit on any tour in the Central Otago area. These four, along with Arrowtown offer the Central Otago Autumn Golf Classic that is held every April – 2019 will be the 11th anniversary. Players from around the Pacific meet for a week long Otago golf challenge. Wanaka is a treat with two distinctive nines over two opposing pieces of land. The first nine takes you on an undulating trail with many views over Lake Wanaka – stunning on any early morning round! And the back nine, although somewhat flatter doesn’t disappoint with a stretch of inland holes. Queenstown just made the 2019 top 40 list and is an ol’ favourite with many visitors to Lake Wakatipu and the Queenstown basin. Sitting opposite the town of the same name, Queenstown is known for its magnificent scenery across many aspects of the lake – you can even book a round and travel by water taxi! Views around the Remarkables Range make this a scenic beauty – that has received worldwide accolades in the past. Don’t miss it! Cromwell and Alexandra are more inland links style courses – both easy walking with tussock lined fairways and minimal penalty areas. One of Cromwell’s hazard areas was in fact an old mine shaft. Dating back to 1903 an impressive $1million improvement programme was completed in 2009. Cromwell was host to the 2019 New Zealand Women’s Senior Championships and the final qualifying course for the 2019 New Zealand Open. Alexandra should not be overlooked on any southern visit. The course features a flat but undulating desert type terrain with fully irrigated

Below: Wanaka Golf Club. Right, top to bottom: Queenstown Golf Club; Alexandra Golf Club; Cromwell Golf Club.

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fairways from tee to green. Narrow fairways mean accuracy is of prime importance if you are to avoid the desert remnants in the rough and the many trees lining the fairways. Of interest, and one reason why golfers find their round at Alexandra appears to go so quickly, is the lack of continuous holes of same par value! Only twice in the 18 holes do you play consecutive holes of equal par! With the high ranges viewable from most parts of the course golfers find this is a most scenic as well as challenging course. If you have time and find yourself in Dunedin look up Otago Golf Course, the oldest course in New Zealand, dating back to 1871. The picturesque 18-hole layout is renowned as one of the top golf courses in the South Island. Greats that have played and are represented on the many clubhouse walls include Gene Sarazen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke, along with New Zealand’s Sir Bob Charles, Michael Campbell, Frank Nobilo, Phil Tataurangi and Greg Turner. Clearwater Golf Resort on the outskirts of Christchurch has been voted best New Zealand golf course at the World Golf Awards for the past four years and Oceania’s top course in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Designed by New Zealand’s Sir Bob Charles and John Darby, the course features sparkling spring-fed lakes and waterways and is surrounded by large conservation and recreation areas. Clearwater, which sits at a respectable 20th on the 2019 NZ Golf Digest rankings, has hosted many international professional tournaments since it opened in 2002. One of the most remarkable was in 2013, when Lydia Ko became the first Kiwi to win the New Zealand Women’s Open, a European Tour sanctioned event. Two years later Ko posted a course and career record low score of 61 at Clearwater in the second round of the 2015 NZ Women’s Open. However, we are not all blessed with Ko’s talent, and one of the joys of Clearwater is that it is so user-friendly to players of diverse abilities – offering six tee choices.

Below: Otago Golf Club, Dunedin. Right: Clearwater Golf Resort, Christchurch

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North Island The first New Zealand golf club to be awarded royal status, in 2004, Royal Wellington recently hosted the first-annual ANNIKA Invitational Australasia tournament for the region’s most promising young women players. It was also home to the 2017 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. One of the country’s oldest private members’ parklands courses, Royal Wellington was established at Heretaunga near Upper Hutt in 1906. Championship greens were rebuilt to Sir Bob Charles and John Darby designs in 1992-93, and a new course built to a masterplan redesign by Greg Turner and Scott Macpherson was officially opened in 2014. Sustainability initiatives led to it becoming Golf Environment Organization (GEO) Certified in September, 2017. NZ Golf Digest ranks Royal Wellington at 11th this year. Six New Zealand Opens have been held at the club since 1912, including the 1954 event won by 18 yearold Bob Charles, the youngest player and first left-hander to win the championship. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club on the Kapiti Coast nor th of Wellington is an inviting, undulating traditional links course formed on natural sand dunes a stone’s throw from the Tasman Sea. The NZ Golf Digest panel couldn’t separate it from Jack’s Point, and ranked it equal 7th among New Zealand’s best this year. It was also nominated for best New Zealand golf course at the 2018 World Golf Awards, and occupies the 77th spot on Golf Digest’s top 100 in the world. The present course was built in 1949, interestingly by the head greenkeeper Jack Hunt, to plans drawn up by golf architect and former Australian Open champion, Alex Russell. It went on to host many of the country’s leading golf tournaments, including a record 12 New Zealand Opens, and frequently makes world top 100 rankings. Golf architect and critic Tom Doak, in his Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, described Paraparaumu as ‘probably the best links course in the southern hemisphere’. PaR nz Golfing Holidays will host the 2019 New Zealand Women’s Autumn Foursomes at Paraparaumu – the field of 128 ladies from around the country due to take on the links challenge in April.

Below: Royal Wellington Golf Club. Right: Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, Kapati Coast.

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Part of the Palmerston North community, Manawatu Golf Club is set at Hokowhitu on the banks of the Manawatu River and the city’s Centennial Lagoon. More than 50 white-sand bunkers set the challenge throughout this tree-lined, parklike course with manicured fairways and fast-rolling greens. It secured the 17th spot on this year’s NZ Golf Digest rankings. Manawatu has hosted many of New Zealand’s top professional and amateur events. These included the 2017 and 2018 NZPGA Championships, five NZ Open Championships, and eight NZ Amateur Championships. A for mer Environmental Leaders in Golf Award-winner, Cape Kidnappers at Hawke’s Bay was placed in 4th spot in the latest NZ Golf Digest rankings, and was nominated for New Zealand’s best golf course at the 2018 World Golf Awards. Kauri Cliffs’ southern sibling, it ranks 17th on Golf Digest’s current world’s top 100 list where it was described ‘not a links, more like a stratospheric Pebble Beach’. The layout created by architect Tom Doak invites players to negotiate cliff-edge fairways, deep chasms and clifftop bunkers 140 metres above the sea. This quality course with spectacular marine views from every hole has caused a lot of jaws to drop since it opened in 2004. Over in the Hawke’s Bay region on the east side of the North Island, Hastings Golf Club is impressing at 16th in the NZ Golf Digest rankings, shooting up from 29th in 2016. Another heritage club, Hastings is the region’s quintessential, must-play championship course – and extremely popular during our annual Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay 4 Course Golf & Wine Classic in November. Hospitality must be its middle name, as the club has hosted every major New Zealand championship since the present course at Bridge Pa opened in 1912. It has come a long way from the days when it was a ‘howling wilderness of sand and pumice’. Today its impeccable championship course conditions mean it consistently rates as one of the country’s top club courses. Golfers can experience two other Hawke’s Bay member courses in the annual Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Golf & Wine Classic. Along with Hastings, Napier and Maraenui have partnered up with PaR nz Golfing Holidays to stage this annual four course classic, 2019 will be the 3rd. Napier enjoys the green’s stewardship of one of New Zealand’s few female green keepers. Maraenui will be also hosting the 2019 New Zealand Mixed Foursomes Championship in October. A round on either of these two courses will not disappoint – it’s just the competition is so tough!

Right: Cape Kidnappers, Hawke’s Bay.

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The Mount Maunganui Golf Club in the Bay of Plenty region has maintained the same general course layout for the past 60 years thanks to an army of members and volunteers. The club itself began in 1935 with the view of developing modest golf links next to the pristine sand dunes. Today, the club has a permanent welcome mat for visitors and a busy tournament programme. A firm national favourite, and ranked 19th on NZ Golf Digest’s list. Littered with signature holes and with beautiful, sweeping views of Lake Taupo, The Kinloch Club is the only Jack Nicklaus signature course in New Zealand. With a perfect balance of risk and reward typical of ‘The Bear’, in our opinion it presents one of the country’s greatest golfing challenges. The NZ Golf Digest panel concurs, with a second-place ranking this year – and adding to the international accolades, including Travel and Leisure’s 2007 award for top new course outside North America. Freedraining pumice soil is a unusual characteristic of this course, and one of the reasons behind its outstanding year-round condition. Wairakei Golf Club north of Taupo in the Bay of Plenty region was the most popular golf course overall in the NZ Golf Digest survey, included in all 21 panellists’ lists and noted for its blend of science and ambience. Wairakei was recently awarded the GEO Certified ecolabel because of its extensive efforts to operate environmentally as a harmonious sanctuary and golf course in collaboration with the wider community. It was nominated for New Zealand’s best at the 2018 World Golf Awards, and our team certainly believes it’s one of the country’s most beautiful parkland courses. It is impeccably maintained and home to more than 25,000 native trees and a host of wildlife. Officially opened in 1970, it was one of our first courses to gain international fame and it consistently makes lists of top New Zealand courses. The architecture is attributed to English designers Commander John Harris and Michael Wolveridge along with Peter Thomson, a five-time British Open winner. Our advice: watch out for the 548-metre 14th hole. It’s called The Rogue for good reason.

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Far left: Wairakei Golf Club. Left and above: The Kinloch Club.

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Top New Zealand golf courses Windross Farm, Whitford Park, Muriwai Golf Links, Titirangi, Formosa and Gulf Harbour feel miles away from the bustle of downtown life, though they are all within Auckland City. Titirangi Golf Club is one of four courses in the southern hemisphere designed by the acclaimed British golf course architect Alister MacKenzie, along with Royal Adelaide, Royal Melbourne and the Jockey Club in Argentina. MacKenzie is most noted for his design of Augusta National in the United States. The club opened 1909 on a former Auckland Golf Club site, and the MacKenzie-designed course opened at today’s New Lynn site in 1928. Chris Pitman, a leading course architect and disciple of MacKenzie’s principles such as minimising blind shots, drew up a masterplan for the club in the late 1990s, helping to return the course to its halcyon days. Prominent golf architect and critic Tom Doak, in his Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, describes Titirangi as ‘a tight parkland layout over severely undulating terrain showing certain touches of the MacKenzie genius’. NZ Golf Digest ranks it 14th, and it was a nominee for New Zealand’s best golf course at the 2018 World Golf Awards. Muriwai Golf Links is a championship course north-west of central Auckland built on rolling black iron sand dunes along the rugged Tasman Sea coastline. The club opened for play in 1960 and was redeveloped between 1999 and 2003. The course ranks number 12 on the NZ Golf Digest chart, and is clearly winning hearts for its quality challenges and setting. Though howling winds often challenge players at Muriwai, competitors in the 2017 World Masters Games were treated to benign playing conditions and the sight of beautiful surf rolling onto the neighbouring beach. The club participates in the GEO Foundation’s OnCourse programme, indicating a commitment to continually improving environmental sustainability. Windross Farm Golf Course in Auckland was thrust into the international spotlight during the LPGA Tour 2017 McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open only a year after opening. Designed by Brett Thomson in consultation with former PGA Tour player Phil Tataurangi, the course is one we’d recommend highly to Auckland visitors. Both nines are of similar length but varying design elements and the influence of wind direction mean they play differently. The wetlands and four large lakes interlaced provide loads of character and interest. The course debuted at 21st on the NZ Golf Digest rankings. It has special meaning for our PaR nz Golfing Holidays team, as we hosted our annual Motor Neuron Disease Charity Day there in December 2018. Whitford Park Golf Club’s 50th anniversary celebrations got off to a good start this year with placement (29) in New Zealand’s top 40 golf courses. Set in a pretty valley, the course is superbly maintained with fairways set among indigenous trees and streams. It was one of the early adopters of the US-style country club. Designed by Sir Bob Charles, the Formosa Golf Resort golf course was modelled on the Augusta National, home of the US Masters. With panoramic views of Waiheke and Rangitoto from its clifftop and coastal fairways, it has a special place in New Zealand golfers’ hearts, and is ranked 18th on NZ Golf Digest’s 2019 list. A past NZ Open venue and host of the 1998 World Cup of Golf, Gulf Harbour Country Club is Lydia Ko’s home club. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the course is frequently ranked among New Zealand’s best. It sits at 15th in NZ Golf Digest’s rankings, and was nominated for New Zealand’s best golf course in the 2018 World Golf Awards. Serious about sustainability, the sensitively sculpted course participates in the GEO Foundation’s OnCourse programme.

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Top: Windross Farm Golf Course. Centre: Gulf Harbour Country Club. Right: Muriwai Golf Links.

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Tom Doak designed the brightest star of New Zealand’s golf courses, Tara Iti, near Mangawhai north of Auckland. Entering at number six on the World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses last year, Tara Iti had the highest debut on any of Golf Digest’s various course rankings and is New Zealand’s first-ever American-style private golf club. A coastal course with expansive views of the Hauraki Gulf, sand is a beautiful natural feature but, remarkably, there are no bunkers. Its sustainability initiatives led to it becoming Golf Environment Organization (GEO) Certified in July 2018. The course has dominated the charts almost from the week it opened in 2016, and once again holds the top spot on NZ Golf Digest’s 2019 rankings for New Zealand’s best golf courses. Kauri Cliffs at Matauri Bay, is the third-highest ranking course in NZ Golf Digest’s top 40. Its extraordinary series of holes high above the Pacific Ocean and forced carries over deep gorges impress visitors and locals alike. The late Dave Harman designed and built the coastline course in 2001, and golf architect Rees Jones gave it a makeover in 2013. It was a worthy nominee for New Zealand’s best golf course in the 2018 World Golf Awards, and last year moved even higher on Golf Digest world’s top 100 list, edging up to 37 from 49 in 2016. A visit to Kauri Cliffs is an unrivalled day out, in our view, and that’s why we’ve made it an integral part of PaR nz Golfing Holiday’s annual Bay of Islands 4-Course Classic. The historic Waitangi Golf Club near Paihia at the Bay of Islands region is on land leased from the Waitangi National Trust Board, close to where Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840. The original course was formed after the then Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe and his wife purchased and donated land in 1932. Remodelling was framed by New Zealand golf course architect Kristine Kerr and her Kura design team around 2011. The course is notable for its peaceful coastal setting and surprise challenges. NZ Golf Digest places it 37th on its list, and participants in PaR nz Golfing Holidays’ annual Bay of Islands 4-Course Golf Classic sing its praises. American golf course designer Matt Dye designed the Carrington Golf Course to take in sweeping ocean views and hillside vineyards on the Karikari Peninsula, in Northland. This Doubtless Bay course secured an impressive 13th ranking on the NZ Golf Digest scale. Right: Kauri Cliffs at Matauri Bay. Below: Waitangi Golf Club.

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2019 NZ COURSE RANKINGS

Points

Golf Course

2019 Ranking

2016 Ranking

World Top 100*

32.6

Tara Iti

30.53

Kinloch

30.03

Kauri Cliffs

29.91

Cape Kidnappers

29.86

Wairakei

29.24

The Hills

29.14

Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Point

29.14

Paraparaumu Beach

27.99

Millbrook

27.71

Arrowtown

27.48

Royal Wellington

27.37

Muriwai

27.28

Carrington

27.16

Titirangi

27.08

Gulf Harbour Country Club

26.85

Hastings

26.79

Manawatu

26.63

Formosa

26.23

Mt Maunganui

26.12

Clearwater Golf Resort

26.1

Windross Farm

new

26.05

Christchurch

Mangawhai

T23

New Plymouth

T23

25.93

Otago

25.68

Terrace Downs Golf Resort

25.63

Pegasus Golf Resort

25.52

Cromwell

25.45

Whitford Park

25.35

Wainui Golf

new

25.27

Poverty Bay

25.25

Omaha Beach

T32

25.25

Waipu

T32

24.93

Russley

24.9

Nelson

24.87

Invercargill

24.84

Waitangi

not ranked

24.82

Harewood

24.8

Chisholm Links

24.5

Queenstown

* Golf Digest World Top 100 Courses (January 2019)

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2019 Rankings of New Zealand’s great golf courses; ones that each of us should play if we get the opportunity. The 2019 rankings were compiled from 21 Rankers submitting their Top 12 courses in the North and South Island. The 21-member ranking panel has over 700 years of combined golf experience, with “rankers” from Invercargill through to Nor th Auckland, with a diverse mix consisting of professional players, experienced amateur players, golf industry professionals and some club players with extensive playing experience here in New Zealand and internationally. These golf industry ‘insiders’ have ranked their top 12 golf courses in the North Island and the South Island. This year, those who submitted were: Phil Aicken, Leo Barber, Robyn Boniface, Barry Brown, Peter Cutfield, Blair Dibley, Stuart Duff, Susan Farron, Simon Forshaw, Doug Holloway, Denise Langdon from PaR nz Golfing Holidays, Josh Longney, Dave Mangan, Trevor Marshall, Nigel Merrett, Grant Moorhead, Alan Rose, John Sanders, Duncan Simpson, John Spraggs and Doug White. The ranking system is based on seven criteria that cover the key factors that are essential in good golf course design and also criteria of what is important to the golfers that play these golf courses. This includes: Risk/Reward, Playability, Layout, Design, Scenic Values, Conditioning and Ambience. A maximum of five points was awarded per category so the maximum any course could receive was a total of 35 points. The points awarded were totalled up and then divided by the numbers of rankers so the average was calculated thus giving the overall result. The last New Zealand Top 40 Golf Rankings were compiled in July 2016. Therefore, this is the first ranking conducted with two new courses having been added: Windross Farms (21st) and Wainui GC (30th). Two previously ranked courses have since closed: The Grange and Oreti Sands. A point to note, with the redevelopment of Royal Auckland, it was not included for consideration in the rankings this time around.

QUEENSTOWN

HAWKEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BAY

2019 MULTI COURSE

CHALLENGES

Multi Course Challenges – Great Destinations around New Zealand – check out the following – registering now! All details and entry online at www.parnz.co.nz

2019 AKARUA MILLBROOK MASTERS Sunday 27 October – Saturday 2 November 2019 Welcome to one of PaR nz Golfing Holidays longest running tournaments, our annual Millbrook Masters, now in its 17th year. The competition is individual stableford by age and handicap. Enter with par tners and friends this fun tournament set against The Remarkables in the magic of Queenstown. Packages include 2 rounds at Millbrook and 2 rounds at Jacks Point in carts, plus stay 6 nights in 5-star luxury at the Millbrook Resort, NZ’s #1 golf resort. The social programme is comprehensive including welcome and farewell functions featuring award winning Akarua Wines, daily lunches, souvenir tournament clothing, a great prize table and much more. 2019 TRINITY HILL HAWKE’S BAY 4-COURSE GOLF & WINE CLASSIC Monday 4 November – Friday 8 November 2019 The 4th annual Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay 4-Course Golf & Wine Classic includes rounds on Cape Kidnappers in carts, Hastings, Napier and Maraenui Golf Courses and yes you read it right – the inclusion of Cape Kidnappers in the 4 course line-up. Cape Kidnappers is ranked 17th in the world, Top 100 Courses Golf Digest 2019. The tournament is set in the Hawke’s Bay, a major wine-growing region on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The tournament is open to all affiliated golfers, all handicaps and ages 30+. A Seniors Division for the 70+ and a Teams Competition will be played again this year. The social programme includes tastings at the Trinity Hill Winery and food and wine matching welcome and farewell functions. Come join us in the sunny Hawke’s Bay.

VISIT US AT: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077 Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575

WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND

If you want to take home more than scorecards from your next golfing holiday in New Zealand, then here are a few suggestions for making the most of your time off the golf course.

AUCKLAND We recommend at least two or three nights in New Zealand’s largest city to explore the possibilities of its 29,000 kilometres of coastline and its three expansive harbours – the Waitemata, Manukau and Kaipara. It’s our main visitor gateway, so there’s plenty on offer to cater for your interests. For instance, you might fancy a day trip to one of the many islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Waiheke is a favourite for those partial to sampling great wines and artisan foods. Vineyards and restaurants at Cable Bay, Casita Miro, Mudbrick Stonyridge and Te Motu are popular with ferry-goers. Day or half-day tours around the central city have itineraries that take in the waterfront, the fascinating Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium, pretty Mission Bay and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. There are stunning views from the region’s many sacred volcanic cones, or maunga, and from the lookout at historic Bastion Point. A trip up to the top of the Sky Tower in the heart of the central city will help you get your bearings and discover why Auckland is sometimes called the City of Sails. If sailing or gazing at boats is your thing, spend some time wandering along the marinas, waterfront restaurants and parks in the city’s Viaduct Harbour and Wynyard Quarter. Preparations are in full swing for the prestigious America’s Cup sailing event in 2021 and it’s a fascinating place to relax over a coffee or to sample top quality, modern New Zealand cuisine.

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A.J. Hackett Bungy at Auckland Harbour Bridge

Northland and the Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is named for the area’s cluster of more than 100 islands – an amazing sight no matter whether you approach it from the land, sea or air. A simple pleasure is to take a passenger or vehicle ferry across the bay from Paihia to historic Russell, and perhaps enjoy a drink on the deck of the Duke of Marlborough Hotel. It’s hard to believe this town was once full of rowdy whalers and traders. If you have the time, there are comfortable cruise options to venture out to The Hole in the Rock and Cape Brett Lighthouse, and to catch sight of dolphins, whales and other marine life. The historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Te Kongahu Museum of Waitangi is significant to Kiwis because it is where indigenous Maori chiefs signed a treaty with the British Crown in 1840. For those who want to learn more about Aotearoa New Zealand, there are authentic cultural performances that convey the meanings behind Maori protocol and culture.

Main pic: The Hole in the Rock. Right, top to bottom: Russell wharf; Cape Brett lighthouse.

Taupo and Rotorua Rotorua is the place to head if you wish to feel more revitalised and refreshed. Its natural geothermal activity can be enjoyed while strolling by a natural bush-lined stream, through a dip in a hot pool, or at a luxury spa complex. It’s also the place to experience bubbling mud pools and geysers up close, walk through a cool forest, or enjoy a Maori cultural evening. The geothermal Kuirau Park is only a few minutes’ walk from the centre of town, and you can venture further afield to places like the Waimangu Volcanic Valley. It’s possible to take a day trip from here to see the wonderful

glow-worm caves of Waitomo, or to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata, which is the scene of various shots in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. This is a popular international attraction, even for those who are not avid fans of the films or JRR Tolkien’s stories. At Taupo, you’ll find conservation areas with protected birdlife such as kiwi, and more oppor tunities to explore geothermal attractions such as Orakei Korako and the Wairakei terraces. A charter boat ride around Lake Taupo is a popular option, along with sightseeing at the dramatic Huka Falls.

Above: Redwoods Treewalk, Rotorua. Below, clockwise from top: Kiwi at Rotorua; Huka Falls, Taupo; Hells Gate, Rotorua.

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Hawke’s Bay The Hawke’s Bay region is a premium wine-growing area of New Zealand known for its hearty reds and finely-balanced chardonnays. While winding through vineyards and boutique wineries, you can also follow the gourmet trail to discover cheese, honey, olives, chocolate and other treats. Napier’s distinctive art deco precinct is always recommended,

and every February there’s an Art Deco Festival in which the whole city and thousands of visitors embrace the glitz and glamour of the 1930s. For nature lovers who want to witness the 25,000-strong gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers, the best time to arrive is between September and the end of April.

Above: Cape Kidnappers, Below, left to right: Hawke’s Bay Cycle Trail; Craggy Range vineyard. Opposite page, top: Wellington City and harbour; bottom: Kelburn Hill, Wellington.

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Wellington and Kapiti Coast At the southern tip of the North Island is windy Wellington, dubbed the world’s coolest little capital for its vibrant arts scene and active outdoor lifestyle. The national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, is a popular choice for visitors and locals, as are the delightful waterfront walkways from the city to Oriental Bay. The Wellington Cable Car is one of the capital’s most recognised symbols. This funicular railway was opened in 1902 and rises 120 metres above the city. It’s well worth the ride, and you can tack on a tour of the Zealandia sanctuary at Karori, a wander through the Wellington Botanical Garden, or a visit to the Space Place at the historic Carter Observatory. If you arrive in between September 26 and October 13, you might be in luck to book a seat at the wacky World of WearableArt (WOW) awards show.

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Queenstown and Central Otago Queenstown is the gateway to Central Otago and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most-southern wine region. There are about 200 vineyards within a 40-minute drive of the town centre. Pinot noir is the signature wine of this region, and many local wineries offer cellar-door tasting. We suggest at least four nights in Queenstown, and PaR nz Golfing Holidays often include a day tour to the spectacular Milford Sound for visiting golfers. Make sure you include a leisurely cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard a vintage steamship or

a modern vessel, or choose a jet-boat ride through the Shotover River canyons for a more heart-racing experience. A meander through the historic goldrush village of Arrowtown is definitely worthwhile, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an impressive array of shops and eateries. For history buffs, the partially restored Chinese Village from the 1880s is a poignant reminder of the thousands of Chinese gold miners and business people who once lived in this region.

Above: Coronet Peak, Queenstown/Westport. Below, left to right: Rippon Vineyard, Lake Wanaka; Cycling at Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown. Opposite page: The Shotover Jet, Shotover River, Queenstown.

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Christchurch and Dunedin Like Queenstown, Christchurch is an international gateway and a tourist destination in its own right. Since the devastating ear thquakes of 2010 and 2011, the city has re-emerged with amazing street ar t, innovative projects, a booming hospitality scene and state-of-the-art architecture. This is also the place for exploring Antarctica in total comfort. The International Antarctic Centre near the airport is the only specialised Antarctic attraction in the world, and the Canterbury Museum houses the largest and most diverse collection of Antarctic memorabilia in the world. A drive along the Otago Peninsula, a wildlife cruise, or a wander through the Botanic Gardens are great options for

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unwinding in Dunedin. However, it won’t be long before beer lovers notice there are three breweries in town – Emerson’s, Speight’s and Steamer Basin – that offer tours and tastings. Speight’s is one of the few gravity-fed breweries left in the world. Wherever your golfing adventures around New Zealand take you, you can expect big, bold, beautiful landscapes, and the best coffee in the world. The team at PaR nz Golfing Holidays would love to be your hosts. See you on the fairway! The PaR nz Golfing Holidays team www.parnz.co.nz

Above: Tunnel Beach, Dunedin. Below, left to right: Christchurch City, Canterbury; Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin.

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PaR nz Golfing Holidays – New Zealand Suggested Tours

The Kinloch Club

North Island Special 8 days / 7 nights / 6 golf This 8-day package includes one night at the acclaimed Cape Kidnappers Farm Lodge with two rounds playing the Cape Kidnappers course designed by American golf architect, Tom Doak in 2004. The course is currently ranked #17 in the world by Golf Digest (World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses 2018) and #4 in New Zealand best courses as published by Andrew Whiley, (December 2018); ratings and votes sourced from a number of golf experts and identities in New Zealand, including PaR nz Golfing Holidays Director, Denise Langdon. Cape Kidnappers is an exceptional course with spectacular views, many holes bordering on threatening cliffs 500 ft. above the sea! One round is included at Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary (NZ #5 Top Course) – one of New Zealand’s oldest recognised resort courses. Opened in 1970, Wairakei was designed by a 3-man consortium that included the late Peter Thomson. The course today is an absolute treat to play with much native wildlife and birdlife seen throughout the course, protected by a fully fenced

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predator-free enclosure. Golf is also offered on the Hastings Golf Course, often referred to as Bridge Pa, and either Napier or Maraenui Golf Courses as alternative challenges in this wine Mecca area of New Zealand. The final round is scheduled for The Kinloch Club, currently rated (NZ #3 Top Course). This is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature course in New Zealand. A must play with a variety of tees giving you a multitude of links challenges, as you would expect. The opening holes set you up for a great round, with the back nine offering many great views over New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo. This tour is a mix of stunning and highly-rated resor t courses mixed with some recognised member-club courses. Accommodation is offered, on a twin share basis in comfortable 4-star apartments with a one night special TREAT in the 5-star Cape Kidnappers Farm Lodge.

Arrowtown Golf Club

Queenstown Highlights 8 days / 7 nights / 5 golf Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s premium tourist destinations, with picturesque mountain vistas, stunning lakes and streams, world-class wineries and restaurants, and home to Lord of the Rings movie sets. Queenstown is recognised as an action adventure centre along with some of the best golf that this country has to offer. This package includes world-class championship golf at 5 top resorts and clubs – a 5-Star package! The five courses offered include Jack’s Point (No #7 in NZ, #76 in the World, January 2019 Golf Digest), two rounds at Millbrook over their 27 holes (ranked # 9 in New Zealand) complimented with rounds at Queenstown (NZ’s 40th ranked course) and Arrowtown, or Cromwell or nearby Wanaka. These are a mix of resor t type courses and memberships clubs, presenting a range of challenges and scenery. The best in the region is arguably, The Hills – a private

Millbrook Resort

member course that can be included in this tour. It is an expensive day-play package that includes food and beverage on a course that is always prepared to an exceptionally high standard. The Hills is always in the top 10 courses in New Zealand – current ranking 6th, as published in December 2018 by a panel of New Zealand Golf experts and identities (Including PaR nz’s Denise Langdon). The Hills is offered as an optional 6th course. We include in this package quad-share accommodation in the 5-star Millbrook Resor t in Deluxe 2-bedroom suites – both having their own bathroom and bedroom, with breakfast included. A rental car seating four is included but alternative transport options can be included such as transfers with set times and a driver. NOTE: All courses offer replay rates that can be added to the base package.

Jack’s Point

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North Island Special 9 days / 8 nights / 7 golf Golf and New Zealand are now synonymous with world-class facilities and our North Island has no shortage of golfing greats. This 9-day package includes golf in Auckland, Bay of Islands, Hawke’s Bay, and finishes in Taupo. We propose starting in Auckland right on the harbour at the 5-star Hilton Auckland Hotel, which is centrally located to some of the best restaurants and shopping areas in the city. Golf in Auckland is at the world-renowned Titirangi GC, designed by legend Alistair Mackenzie. Titirangi is now ranked #14 in New Zealand’s Top 40 in 2019. From Auckland to Mangawhai to ‘stay and play’ in New Zealand’s #1 golf course, Tara Iti which also occupies #6 ranking in the 2019 Golf Digest Top 100 Courses. Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2016, this links masterpiece, although a private members’ course, is a wonderful challenge with 9 holes following along the Pacific coastline. Two days in the Bay of Islands is a perfect way to relax staying right on the harbour at the Paihia Beach Spa and Resort. A round at Kauri Cliffs, ranked New Zealand’s 3rd best course! Kauri Cliffs also made the Golf Digest 2019 Top 100 list coming in at 37th place. Cape Kidnappers (17th in the world, Golf Digest 2019, and rated 4th in New Zealand) is a must. Designed by American

golf architect, Tom Doak in 2004, the course is one of New Zealand’s most photographed courses, an exceptional layout with spectacular views, many holes bordering on threatening cliffs 500 ft. above the sea!. Staying 2 nights in Havelock North at the boutique 5-star Porters Hotel gives golfers a chance to explore the Hawke’s Bay wineries and local village. We finish the tour in Taupo at the 5-star Hilton Taupo Hotel, overlooking the snow-capped central plateau and Lake Taupo. One round is included at Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary (NZ #5 Top Course) – one of New Zealand’s oldest recognised resort courses. Opened in 1970, Wairakei was designed by a 3-man consortium that included the late Peter Thomson. The course today is an absolute treat to play with much native wildlife and birdlife seen throughout the course, protected by a fully fenced predator-free enclosure. The final round is scheduled for The Kinloch Club, currently rated NZ #3 Top Course. This is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature course in New Zealand. A must-play with a variety of tees giving you a multitude of links challenges, as you would expect. The opening holes set you up for a great round, with the back nine offering many great views over New Zealand’s largest lake, Lake Taupo.

Waitangi Golf Club, Bay of Islands

North Island Special 14 days / 13 nights / 8 golf Golf and New Zealand are now synonymous with world class facilities and our North Island has no shortage of golfing greats. This 14 day package includes golf in Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Taupo, the Hawkes Bay, finishing on Wellington. We propose starting in Auckland with accommodation at an inner city hotel, and golf on Windross Farm – Auckland’s latest course that hosted the 2017 New Zealand Women’s Open. Windross Farm has just been voted New Zealand’s 21st best course (Dec 2018) – the first time it has been in this prestigious list. Two days in the Bay of Islands is recommended with golf at Gulf Harbour on route (a past NZ Open venue and host of the 1998 World Cup of Golf). A round at Kauri Cliffs ranked New Zealand’s 3rd best course! Kauri Cliffs also made the Golf Digest 2019 Top 100 list coming in at 37th place. We then suggest 3 nights in Taupo – travelling by car (or you

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could swap for a domestic flight). Two exceptional golf fairways await – Jack Nicklaus’s only course in New Zealand, The Kinloch Club and Wairakei International Golf & Sanctuary. Wairakei is a special treat playing in and around numerous protected bird and wildlife in this predator-free, fenced private course. Cape Kidnappers (17th in the world, Golf Digest 2019, and rated 4th in New Zealand) is a must before heading to Wellington to finish with Paraparaumu Beach Links and Royal Wellington. Paraparaumu, host of many New Zealand Opens including the infamous 2002 Open where Tiger Woods just made the cut in, gives you a unique links challenge (rated 77th in the World, Golf Digest Jan 2019). Royal Wellington has been recently renovated, hosting the 2017 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and the 2018 Annika Sorenstam Invitational. A sensational 2 weeks that allows times for sightseeing and leisurely travel.

Paraparaumu Beach Links

New Zealand Golf Adventure 20 days / 19 nights / 10 golf Golf in New Zealand is now synonymous with staying in world class hotels, visiting unique tourist attractions and playing World Top 100 Golf Courses. Discover for yourself why New Zealand, from north to south, is such a popular destination for the avid golf traveller. We have links, alpine, parkland and resort golf courses designed by some of the greatest legends of the game – Jack Nicklaus, Peter Thomson, Tom Doak, David Harman, Robert Trent Jones Jnr and Sir Bob Charles to name a few. Our 20-day golf adventure of New Zealand starts in the ‘City of Sails’ Auckland with 3 nights accommodation right in the city on the harbour. Your first round of golf is on Windross Farm – Auckland’s newest course, host of the 2017 LPGA New Zealand Women’s Open. Windross Farm has just been voted New Zealand’s 21st best course (Dec 2018) – the first time it has been in this prestigious list. Three days in the spectacular Bay of Islands is recommended with golf at Gulf Harbour on route (a past NZ Open venue and host of the 1998 World Cup of Golf). Enjoy a cruise to see the famous Hole in the Rock and a round at Kauri Cliffs ranked New Zealand’s 3rd best course! Kauri Cliffs also made the Golf Digest 2019 Top 100 list coming in at 37th place. We then suggest 3 nights in Taupo – travelling by car or plane. Two exceptional golf fairways await – Jack Nicklaus’s only course in New Zealand, The Kinloch Club and Peter Thomson’s Wairakei International Golf & Sanctuary. Wairakei is a special

treat playing in and around numerous protected bird and wildlife in this predator-free fenced private course. On your days off choose between a visit to Rotorua, our thermal wonderland or Hobbiton Movie Set (Lord of the Rings). Cape Kidnappers (17th in the world, Golf Digest 2019, and rated 4th in New Zealand) is a must before heading to Wellington to finish with Paraparaumu Beach Links and Royal Wellington. Paraparaumu, host of many New Zealand Opens including the infamous 2002 Open where Tiger Woods just made the cut in, gives you a unique links challenge (rated 77th in the World, Golf Digest Jan 2019). Royal Wellington has been recently renovated, hosting the 2017 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and the 2018 Annika Sorenstam Invitational. Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s premium tourist destinations, with picturesque mountain vistas, stunning lakes and streams, world-class wineries and restaurants, and home to Lord of the Rings movie sets. Queenstown is recognised as an action adventure centre along with some of the best golf that this country has to offer. Enjoy staying in luxury at Millbrook resort and playing Jack’s Point (No #7 in NZ / #76 in the World, January 2019 Golf Digest), and Millbrook Resort (ranked # 9th in New Zealand). This 3 leisurely weeks of sensational golf allows time for sightseeing and adventure activities if you fancy.

Visit our website: www.parnz.co.nz Or call us on +64 9 486 1077, Australia Toll Free 1800 018 575