For a day of fresh air and fun, golf can't be beat. Graham Hepburn visits Auckland's courses.
If you ever bump into a foreigner on a golf course around Auckland, they will invariably tell you that you don't know how lucky you are.
The region is packed with courses that are scenic, easily accessible, comparatively cheap and playable all year round.
For those that don't have the money or time to be full-time members, a lot of clubs now offer limited memberships or nine-hole memberships, and you can also pay reduced green fees for a casual round of nine holes. There are always twilight nine-hole golf competitions in summer - usually run midweek - and some clubs offer twilight memberships during daylight saving, which allow you to sneak in a round from mid-afternoon onwards.
If you're not a member of a New Zealand Golf (NZG) affiliated club, green fees at the top-end courses can be frightening. A lot of courses also offer discounts on their usual rates on quieter days such as Mondays and Thursdays, or reduced rates if you book and pay online.
Here are some suggestions for golfers of all abilities.
Gulf Harbour
Before stunning coastal courses like Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers, there was Gulf Harbour - one of the most ambitious championship courses built at the time. Gulf Harbour hosted the 1998 World Cup of Golf and 2005 and 2006 New Zealand Open. The oceanside holes on the back nine are spectacular and hair-raising if the wind is up, particularly the signature hole, the 16th, which skirts the clifftop, meaning a sliced drive is doomed to a watery grave. Along the final stretch, the views alone are worth the price of admission.
Address: 180 Gulf Harbour Dr, Gulf Harbour, Whangaparaoa, ph (09) 428 1380.
Cost: From $75 (all prices quoted are standard weekday prices for 18 holes and for members of NZG-affiliated clubs).
Howick
Occupying Musick Pt, Howick Golf Club has a charming clifftop setting with views of the Hauraki Gulf through sprawling pohutukawa. The fairways have some interesting and challenging contours, and wind can be a significant factor, particularly along the coastal holes. Views of the gulf islands on the closing holes will take your breath away as will any shots hooked towards the clifftops. The sea is not the only water hazard here - a lake in the middle of course can prove troublesome on a few holes.
Address: 32 Musick Point Rd, Bucklands Beach, ph (09) 535 1004.
Cost: From $40.
Muriwai
This links-style course is free-draining, making it playable right through winter when other courses are boggy. But because it is a links-style course, the rough can sometimes be brutal and being on the west coast means you're often exposed to the sort of wind that only Wellingtonians could love - but that's all part of the challenge. A classic example is the eighth hole - a 140m par three - where you play towards the sea and depending whether the wind is at your back or in your face can require anything from a 9-iron to a driver. Great clubrooms, with a deck overlooking the course and from where you can watch the sun go down, blazing into the sea.
Address: 101 Coast Rd, Muriwai, ph (09) 411 8454.
Cost: From $40.
Titirangi
Can't bypass my home club as it's one of the most demanding courses around with holes cleverly set up to expose any shortcomings in your game. Designed by Alister MacKenzie (responsible for Augusta, home to The Masters), it has its own Amen Corner where a promising round can go up in flames. The bush setting comes into play with several holes requiring shots across unforgiving gullies. The tricky greens, some of them tiered, will test your putting skills.
Address: 11 Links Rd, New Lynn, ph (09) 827 3967.
Cost: From $75.
The Grange
Always in good nick, this club hosted the 2001 NZ Open and has been undergoing redevelopment over the past few years, which includes improving its tees and greens. The introduction of a large central lake has not only added to the picturesque woodland setting but also created a major hazard on some holes. Errant drives are gobbled up by the mature trees lining the fairways and anyone thinking they can make up some shots on the par-3s should think again. They are hard to get at and even on the fourth - what seems like an easy 100m pitch shot - you can end up in trouble, especially if you are long.
Address: 2 Grange Rd, Papatoetoe, ph (09) 278 9777.
Cost: From $75.
Chamberlain Park
This public course run by Auckland Council is great for beginners due not only to its cheap green fees but also the fact that it is largely flat, the fairways are open and there are few water hazards or bunkers. Considering the traffic on it, this course is always in surprisingly good condition, including the greens. Because you cannot book (you simply turn up and queue for a round if the course is busy), it pays to time your run.
Address: 46a Linwood Ave, Mt Albert, ph (09) 815 4999.
Cost: From $30.
Maungakiekie
Because Maungakiekie straddles a valley, most holes go uphill or downhill, which makes for some challenging and picturesque holes where you are often hitting blind shots (that is, you can't see the green from the tee). The signature 10th hole is a beauty, with a drive from an elevated tee across a gully and out into the wild blue yonder. The creeks and gullies that run though the middle of the course provide the major hazards and it doesn't pay to tangle with the mature trees lining the fairways.
Address: 5 Anita Ave, Mt Roskill, ph (09) 621 0093.
Cost: From $40.
Akarana
A near-neighbour to Maungakiekie, Akarana was redeveloped a while back and that included the introduction of a lake that has made some of the holes much scarier. A prime example is the 8th, a beautiful-looking but daunting 150m par 3 with water all the way down the right and a cavernous bunker to the left of the green. A highly social club with lively clubrooms and one of the few golf clubs around Auckland to make use of a deck overlooking the course.
Address: 1388 Dominion Rd, Mt Roskill, ph (09) 621 0024.
Cost: From $60
Getting started
* If you want to get into golf, first get some lessons from a professional and do some practice on a driving range. Experienced golfers tend to get a bit snarly if they are stuck behind someone who is duffing and hacking their way around a course, constantly searching for lost balls.
* Try to play at quiet times or on less-popular courses where there is less pressure to play quickly until your game is up to scratch. Public courses, such as Chamberlain Park, are an ideal place to hone your game.
* Buy some second-hand clubs to begin with as you may end up hating the game and tossing your clubs into the water hazard that your ball just disappeared into. You can pick up a reasonable set online for a few hundred dollars.
* Brush up on the rules of the game, including etiquette, which encompasses everything from appropriate dress to behaviour on the course.
