New Zealand: Golf in the Billionaires Playground.
In an attempt to get a break from busy Melbourne, this month marked a trip across the Tasman to the gorgeous land of Aotearoa. Seeking to blend the worlds of business and pleasure, the trip encompassed meetings across the North Island with some spectacular rounds of golf and new friends made along the way.
New Zealand, often referred to as the "Land of the Long White Cloud," is renowned for its awe-inspiring natural beauty, diverse landscapes, and an array of outdoor recreational activities. The island nation offers a slice of golfing paradise that attracts enthusiasts from around the world. Once you are here it is not hard to see why high-end luxurious golfing resorts are growing in number across this beautiful landscape. The dramatic scenery and contours of the land lend themselves perfectly to the creation of world-class golf venues.
The trip started in the beautiful Bay of Islands, home to the course that started it all, Kauri Cliffs. Kauri Cliffs is a masterpiece designed by David Harman. This luxurious golf course overlooks the Pacific Ocean, offering sweeping vistas of the pristine coastline. The course's meticulously crafted holes provide a harmonious blend of challenge and beauty, earning it a spot among the world's elite golf destinations. This was the first of the remote destination courses to be built in New Zealand by the American Billionaire and has paved the way for many to come.
As we began to make our way back towards Auckland, a modern trip to the best of New Zealand golf could no longer be complete without a stop at Te Arai Links, one of the newest golfing gems on the North Island. Winding through the pine forests and out to a rugged coastline, the two courses at Te Arai can only be described as perfect. This does come with a slight bias as it is hard to complain about a relaxing day in beautiful weather shooting a 69 so do take the commentary with a grain of salt.
My favourite part about this stop on the trip is just how eloquently they have been able to represent every aspect of the resort and property. From the dramatic view over the meticulously maintained driving range from the pro shop, and the accommodation that seamlessly blends into the landscape to the multiple styles of wining and dining, Te Arai Links really is a perfect golfing holiday destination.
A significant portion of the funding for some of the world-class golfing facilities in New Zealand has stemmed from American billionaires who have fallen in love with the dramatic and diverse landscapes across New Zealand. This makes for a unique experience where the courses reflect many different American styles, yet meld into the landscape so perfectly that even on a busy day you can feel like the only person on the course.
Continuing south, our next stop was in Taupo and the renowned Kinloch Club for an enjoyable but truly challenging day on the course. Off the beaten track a little bit you will find a Jack Nicklaus layout that is consistently considered the hardest course in New Zealand. With exceptional accommodation and dining poised atop the hill looking back over the golf course and Lake Taupo, even a frustrating round could not take the smile off my face.
My final stop was at Cape Kidnappers. I am sure most people who love their golf have seen the dramatic photos of the holes perched across ridgelines running out to the ocean at this gorgeous course. Cape Kidnappers certainly boasts some of the most spectacular views on any golf course anywhere in the world, but, to me, this is not the best part. Everything about this property is exceptionally well planned, from the long winding driveway that prevents your view of the course to the first hole running directly away from the ocean. What this course does so well is provoke drama, telling a story as it winds you across the landscape.
And this is what you find throughout New Zealand: exceptional golfing experiences sprawled across beautiful and dramatic landscapes. Experiences that make you feel luxuriously catered for, at one with nature, at peace with your surroundings, and yet a part of a bigger golfing movement to showcase courses on some of the most spectacular remote destination locations we can find. This beautiful country offers you an opportunity to understand what the lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy must be like.
Sadly, this trip did not provide the opportunity to explore what could be some of the best golf and luxury experiences in the country, down in Queenstown. I will certainly be making my way back to New Zealand to take the exceptional opportunity we have as Australians to delve into all Queenstown has to offer. However, on my next journey, I will be trusting the experts in high-end luxury travel from Leisure Golf. Providing unique luxury experiences to the world-class golf courses in Queenstown, with true personalised and professional service is certainly a great way to take an exceptional trip and make it one I will never forget.
