Where the Coast Meets the Course: A Golf Journey Through Northland
Where the Coast Meets the Course: A Golf Journey Through Northland
Caption: Golfer Pacific writer Peter Thornton.
Three of Northland’s best golf courses – Waitangi, Bay of Islands Golf Club and the remarkable Rosewood Kauri Cliffs – played host to our annual golf getaway. It was an unforgettable experience, writes Golfer Pacific writer Peter Thornton.
Three of Northland’s best golf courses – Waitangi, Bay of Islands Golf Club and the remarkable Rosewood Kauri Cliffs – played host to our annual golf getaway. It was an unforgettable experience.
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
After experiencing the trip-of-a-lifetime to the winterless north this time last year, we decided to do it all again in the hope that history would repeat itself. It couldn’t be just as good second time around, could it? The short answer to that is yes. Absolutely.
This time, making the trip were Simon ‘Blocka’ Roche, Daniel Markham and Wade Smith, who was making his long-awaited debut in one of our boys’ golf trips.
Smithy – a former age group national tennis rep – is a natural sportsman and loves nothing more than a golf trip away with the lads. Smithy and I are old mates. We first met at Murray’s Bay Intermediate when we were 11 years old, and it is great to still be good friends 35 years later.
He plays off a 14 handicap and would set the standard for the weekend.
The format was simple, we teamed up in pairs, with the combined best Stableford points winning the hole. Blocka and I would play off 20 handicaps while Daniel was handy on a 30.
The losing pair would buy two rounds of beer and hear about their loss until the next match was underway. The golf wasn’t always of the highest standard, but the banter was brilliant.
“Where the tee meets the sea”
After picking up the Wellington-based lads from Auckland Airport we made the three-and-a-half-hour journey north to Waitangi. We were running late for our 1.30pm tee time, and with the sun going down at 5.30pm, we were fighting the clock to get 18 holes in.
But the team at Waitangi were accommodating and we were on the first tee in carts in a matter of moments. Smithy and I teamed up for round one and we got off to a handy start when he opened with two nonchalant pars.
There are many great holes in the tree-lined opening nine holes – one of them is the par 3 6th. Blocka got his team back in the game with a par, but our bogeys were enough to win the hole.
The magic at Waitangi happens on the back nine where you have a panoramic view of Paihia Harbour.
We were 3up heading down the par 5 11th when Smithy hit his shot of the day – a pitching wedge from 108m to four feet from the hole. It was a special shot on the signature hole at Waitangi that you will be talking about after over your pint.
I never get tired of playing this stretch, holes 11 to 15 hug the coastline. It’s a good combination of great design and spectacular scenery.
We held on to claim a 4 and 3 win and everyone had enough moments to look forward to the main event on day two.
I had an up and down day – quite literally. On the par 4 14th I hit a six iron from a hanging lie and tumbled over. As I was going down, I knew that moment would be talked about for the rest of the trip, and so it was.
“You had a pretty good day, Pete, you stayed on your feet all day,” was the low bar for improvement from that point on. I did make three pars to finish the day to head to Kauri Cliffs with some much-needed confidence.
We ended day one by hitting the local pub for a burger and a beer, and a second-place finish in their Thursday night quiz.
The magic of Kauri Cliffs
For many people, playing at the famed Kauri Cliffs is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It doesn’t get any better than this – the views, the challenge, the customer service, and the quality of the course are all superb.
During your round, walking on this hallowed turf, you have a feeling that you must make the most of it, because you might not be back here again.
Last year when we were driving out of the gates, all of the boys were tired, happy and sore. We played this world-class layout in May and got off to a reasonable start – making a few pars and a birdie on the front – but as and we stood on the 10th tee the wind grew in strength. It brought us crashing back down to earth.
As the All Blacks would say, losing the final test match of the year is like a stone underneath your beach towel. You think about it all summer until you get the chance to play there again.
Driving down that dusty dirt road, with fields full of sheep on one side and a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean on the other, it is a quintessential Kiwi experience that must make American visitors to this property think they are in another world.
When that first view of the golf course is unveiled it’s a sight that gets the heart racing.
The signature match saw Smithy and Blocka – old mates from ages ago – team up to take on Daniel and myself.
Standing on the practice green in front of the grandiose clubhouse, there was not a breath of wind, and it was a balmy 19 degrees at 10am. Conditions were perfect.
After a good warm up on the practice range, I hit a poor opening tee shot into the right rough. I came up with a great second shot, with a rescue from 180m to 12 feet for birdie. My putt lipped out, but I knew it was going to be a good day.
There are so many good holes to savour here and the first one that takes your breath away is the par five fourth. It is as brutal as it is beautiful. The rolling waves crashing on the beach in the distance is the perfect backdrop to this David Harman-piece of art.
Daniel was the star turn of our round at Kauri Cliffs. He came to the trip, having not hit a driver that much but he made a sweet connection all day and was handy with his 37 handicap.
His tee shot to the par 3 5th was his best shot of the day. He just missed the four-foot putt and then Smithy stole the show with a birdie putt from 40 feet.
But the best moment of the round arrived on the signature par 3 7th. Blocka hit a pure three wood to 30 feet and then made the downhill putt for birdie with some pace. It is a two that he will never forget. Smithy also made a fine par on the seventh as they easily won the hole on one of the best par threes in the country.
We managed to get one back on the ninth when I made a six-foot putt for par, and we made the turn 2up and feeling good about our chances.
Take your time
One of the best things about playing here is just taking your time. We all settled in for a chicken burger and chips at the halfway point and Kauri Cliffs was comfortably living up to expectations.
Playing at Kauri is special because the team go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience. The pros cleaned our clubs at the turn and had a genuine interest in our round.
Caption: A stunning view of the 16th hole at Kauri Cliffs in Northland. Photo credit: Nick Wall/ AirSwing Media.
By the time you reach the coastal stretch, you are in awe of this place. That view down to Matauri Bay from the 15th and 16th is one of the best sights from a golf course in Aotearoa, and perhaps the world.
When we won the par 3 14th, we went dormy-4 and Blocka and Smithy staged a comeback. They won the 15th and 16th at ease before Daniel finished the match on the stroke one hole. He made a putt from eight feet for bogey which was good enough to secure a 2 and 1 victory.
We all put in $10 for a three-hole challenge on the closing stretch and Blocka and Smithy finished all square, so it was decided on the putting green. Blocka claimed the spoils, but Smithy was content as he put together the round of the trip, an 85 at Kauri Cliffs.
There is no better place for a couple of celebratory beers. If you haven’t experienced Kauri Cliffs, put it on your bucket list. It’s a golfing experience that you will talk about forever.
Soaking in a hotspot
After two games in two days, the old bodies were aching, and relief was on the horizon. It was a cool and crisp Northland evening when we arrived in the Ngawha Springs around 40 minutes’ drive from Kauri Cliffs.
It’s a fascinating sight seeing the pilgrimage of locals and tourists make their way here for a two-hour session.
Ngawha consists of 16 geothermal pools in a courtyard and the heat varies from tepid all the way up to 42 degrees, which will get your attention.
Each of the geothermal pools have their own unique characteristics and healing properties with differing temperatures, colours and minerals. It’s just what we needed.
It’s also a great social time. Because the pools are intimate, it’s a great chance to meet the locals. We met a Māori fella who visited the pools three times a week, as it was good for cleansing his mauri and wairua. He was a top man and gave us great tips for the rest of our trip.
Stepping back into the cold, with a sky covered in a thousand stars, it was time to head home for some much-needed sleep.
A beautiful spot
During our time in Northland, we stayed at the Copthorne Hotel Bay of Islands, a few minutes’ walk from the Waitangi Golf Club.
The hotel is ideal for a golfing weekend or a family trip to explore Taitokerau. There is a swimming pool out the front which would make this a great summertime vacation. The rooms were modern and spacious, and the Sea Spray wing had beautiful views over the harbour. It was a magical spot both at sunrise and sunset.
Blocka and I met up at 6.30am for a run over to Paihia and back. It was special starting in the dark and seeing the sun slowly rise throughout our run. That early morning pink hue over the golden sandy beaches will be a memory I will keep from this trip.
After the run we tucked into the legendary cooked breakfast at the Copthorne of poached eggs, bacon and hash browns while we caught up with how Foxy was faring in the US PGA Championship. We had our own major championship to play down the road in Kerikeri.
Golf in the heart of Kerikeri
It’s always a special experience playing a course you have never played before.
There is the unknown of where a hole goes, what hazards lie around the corner and the unique feeling of trying to make your first round there a memorable one.
I had heard nothing but good things about the Bay of Islands Golf Club. It lived up to expectations as one of the best club courses in the region.
For the final match, I teamed up with Blocka, looking for his first win of the tour, against Smithy and Daniel. There was everything to play for.
When you print off your scorecard, the 5840m Par 73 layout from the whites seems gettable, but it has humbled many good players over the years, and we soon found out why.
The course is an adventure and has a plethora of doglegs and undulations to keep you guessing.
The advice from Brad in the Pro Shop perhaps summed that up best. On the third hole – the par five - don’t go left off the tee and then don’t go right from the fairway.
Special mention needs to be made about the condition of this course. The greens were superb, the couch fairways were in good nick, and it would be a real pleasure to be a member here.
Like a game of chess
Smithy was his usual casual self as he hit fairways and greens in regulation like it was no big deal, and Daniel was proving a worthy sidekick on the opening two holes.
Local knowledge is a premium here as the round plays out like a game of chess. You constantly need to play for position and think about your second shot.
The hardest hole on the course – the stroke one fourth is a case in point. It’s a short par four at only 282m but it’s one of the tightest doglegs going around.
I hit a pretty good rescue into the right-hand side of the fairway and followed it with a six iron that just hit the left side of the green and went into the hazard.
I managed to help us get one back on the fifth when I hit a seven iron to the front of the green and two-putted for par and Blocka was hitting many fairways in regulation. His par on the par five sixth was solid golf.
But Smithy and Daniel held a 2up lead on the 10th. It was one of those days where the putts weren’t dropping, and our rivals didn’t give us many openings. Before we knew it –when Smithy made a great birdie on the par five 12th – we were 4down with six holes to play.
The par 3 13th – known as the Drop Hole – puts the Bay of Islands Golf Club on the map. It is only 110m, but it drops significantly to a green that is surrounded by bunkers and water. It’s a great hole.
Daniel hit his best shot of the day when he hit a seven iron to five feet, but I managed to get up and down from the bunker to win the hole and keep us in it.
But the comeback was short-lived as we halved the next hole – Smithy and Daniel would go onto claim a 4 and 3 win and we were left to rue what might have been.
This part of the course is awesome – a series of short par fours with a range of doglegs and undulation changes. You can make anything from a three to a seven on these holes easily.
We finish off the round with another three-hole challenge, which Smithy took out without any stress, and we completed the day with a round of Sawmill Hazy IPAs on the deck.
Brad showed us a video of a Kiwi being rescued from a drain on the golf course earlier that morning. It’s an extraordinary sight to see a Kiwi in clear daylight. “You don’t get that in Auckland,” he says proudly.
He is right. You don’t get places like this in Auckland. The Bay of Islands Golf Club is a real gem.
Perhaps the best thing about this place is the people. I was taking photos on my phone throughout the round and my keys were in the same pocket and fell out on the course.
Without them we would have been in a bit of strife, so it was a huge relief to see them passed into the Pro Shop by one of the members.
Caption: An magnificent aerial view of Kauri CliffsPhoto credit: Nick Wall/ AirSwing Media.
If you are heading to Northland, put this place on your golf trip schedule, you’ll love every minute and leave only wanting to play it again.
Floating above the world
We arrived at the Paihia Wharf in the middle of the afternoon to see a group way in the distance, at a ridiculous height in the air. It was pretty nerve wracking to think that we were up next.
The Flying Kiwi Parasail in Paihia is an awesome experience. It’s New Zealand's highest parasailing at 1300ft (almost 400m) over the beautiful Bay of Islands.
The crew – Julia and Sean – were great people and after a short boat trip out into the heart of the harbour you are strapped into a harness, sat on the back of the boat and pulled up into the air.
There was no need to be scared. It’s just a wonderful, carefree experience. It’s so quiet up there.
It’s a lovely feeling floating around for 20 minutes. To the east you can see the historic township of Russell, the best of the Bay of Islands, including the ‘Hole in the Rock’ and back toward inland the hallowed turf of the Waitangi Treaty grounds and the coastal holes of the Waitangi Golf Club.
On the descent you come swinging down and your feet are dunked into the ocean. It’s a soft landing back onto the boat and a must-do in the Paihia area. There are no age or physical limitations, so it is a great activity for all the family and for people of all abilities.
The oldest establishment in New Zealand
Going for dinner at The Duke of Marlborough feels like a trip back in time. The evening began with a ferry trip from to Russell with the lads keeping tabs on the Warriors playing the Dolphins.
The Duke is a grand old lady that has been restored. She commands centre stage on the Russell waterfront. The tagline is ‘Refreshing Rascals and Reprobates since 1827’ and it was the first pub in New Zealand to hold a liquor license.
The stage was set for a good night out. We arrive when a wedding full of 180 guests was in full swing and getting rowdy, and we were shown to our seats with an ocean view.
We began with a flagon of the local McLeod’s Pale Ale and realised that every step of this culinary journey was going to be a memorable one.
– Wade Smith’s approach shot to the par 5 11th at Waitangi GC.
From the fried bread to the Calamari starter – which was cooked to perfection, to the medium rare Scotch fillet steak, every dish is something to savour. The restaurant was full and lively, and the waiting staff were excellent.
We finished the evening with a quiet bottle of Shiraz before we made the 9pm ferry. If you’re on holiday in this region, book in a table for a special treat, the quality and atmosphere are superb.
A dinner out of the top drawer was a fitting end to a Northland golf trip that the boys will talk about for many years to come.
Northland Inc and North Golf Association have launched four Golf Itineraries, designed to offer great golf, amazing food and drink, and epic experiences. Find them at northlandnz.com/golf-itineraries
Simon Roche’s tee shot to the par 3 7th at Kauri Cliffs.
A special thanks to Lisa Cunningham, the Destination Specialist at Northland Inc for coordinating our trip.