NATURE’S PLAYGROUND: NEW ZEALAND
It’s pretty hard to top New Zealand as a
holiday golf destination. There’s a wide
variety of world-class golf courses in
ridiculously beautiful settings, from
picturesque Northland down to alpine
Queenstown. Iconic golf courses like Cape
Kidnappers, Kauri Cliffs or Jack’s Point are on
the doorstep of the country’s acclaimed wine
regions including Hawkes Bay, Central Otago,Martinborough, Marlborough and Gibbston
Valley — so fitting in some top drops post
match is a cinch. The clustered nature of the
golf regions makes it very easy to tick off
destination by destination over a few short
trips (you can’t just go once!).Off course: Make the most of the stunning
surrounds by taking a scenic helicopter flight
over the dramatic coastline of Hawkes Bay.
Alternatively, take a chopper direct from
Auckland to Cape Kidnappers for a speedy
one-hour-and-forty-five-minute voyage with
a killer view. On the South Island, make your
way to the verdant Central Otago region,
near Queenstown’s great courses and
luxurious lodges, for world-class Pinot Noir.WORLD NUMBER ONE: IRELAND
For the purist golfer, Ireland/Northern
Ireland is something of a pilgrimage. Golf
Digest’s world number one golf course,
Royal County Down, is one of a number of
world-famous links courses along the Ancient
East Coast. Here, you’ll also find otherOpening page The
Flinders Golf Club,
Mornington Peninsula,
Australia. Clockwise
from top Kauri Cliffs,
NZ; The flagship course
at Emirates Golf Club,
Dubai: The Majlis; Old
Head, Ireland; Royal
County Down, Ireland;
Cape Kidnappers, NZ.LEISURE