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 Wairakei International Golf Course, Lake Taupo“Everybody knows what a great country New Zealand is and how beautiful it is. But now my friends are coming here not just for the fishing, but for the golf too.” Jack Nicklaus
Where Northland has its beaches and Auckland its great waterfront restaurants, Lake Taupo is the centrepiece of a region of spectacular volcanic cones. It's possible here to fish, play golf and ski on the same day. Lake Taupo is an adventure paradise in so many ways - you should visit www.laketauponz.co.nz to get the picture.  For now, imagine yourself making the three-hour trek up the volcanic slope of Mount Ngaruahoe for a peek inside the active crater, or crossing Mount Tongariro - a nine-hour walk often said to be the best one-day walk in the world. For fans of the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, Tongariro National Park was the location for Mordor and Mount Doom. But don't let that put you off. Picture yourself breezing down the mountain over freshly fallen snow at one of the three skifields on Mount Ruapehu, or sailing across the lake on a windsurfer or in a small boat, with the wind at your back. See yourself by the mighty Huka Falls, or on the first tee at Wairakei International, the first New Zealand golf resort built with the express aim of attracting overseas guests. Built by the government's Tourist Hotel Corporation in 1970, Wairakei is the original New Zealand golf resort and, though it has changed owners since then, the course has aged beautifully and recent upgrades have maintained its status of one of New Zealand's finest places to play. Golf CourseWisely, the Wairakei International Golf Course owners hired the original architect, Michael Wolveridge, to complete the re-design. Wolveridge worked on the original layout with Commander John Harris and five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson. Wolveridge has added new bunkers, cleared away unsightly underbrush and created more water hazards. It has made Wairakei the finest non-coastal golf course in the country. The par-5 14th hole here at Wairakei is one of the longest and most challenging in New Zealand. At 548 metres, this hole would be a serious test of golf if it were a straight, wide open fairway with a large, friendly green. But it has a monstrous pine tree in the middle of the fairway that, like one of those giant trees in The Lord of the Rings, seems to come to life by forcing players to go right or left with their second shot. Once that is safely achieved, the third shot is to an elevated, kidney-shaped green protected in front by sand traps. Reaching this green in two is next to impossible and for many who take on The Rogue, as this exceptional hole is called, just reaching it in three is something. It's the number-one-rated stroke hole on the Wairakei International Golf Course.Wairakei International opened more than 30 years ago but it took the rest of the world time to catch on. It wasn't until 1996 that Golf Digest rated it among the top 20 courses in the world outside of the US. The clubhouse includes a café and bar, but save that for after your round. Your first stop (after paying green fees at the pro shop) ought to be the new driving range. If your game is not as good as you want it to be, Wairakei's three-day Golf School Package for $650 is a bargain. The price includes two nights' accommodation in Taupo, breakfast and lunch each day, use of the driving range, green fees, video swing analysis, two nine-hole rounds and one 18-hole round with the professional.
Lake Taupo has a great variety of hotels and motels to choose from, including the world-famous Huka Lodge, where Jack Nicklaus has stayed on his golf and fishing trips to New Zealand, only minutes away. The Bayview Wairakei Resort, 1km north on State Highway One from the golf course, has a golf package for two that includes a one-night stay, cooked breakfast, green fees, and a cart at Wairakei International, all for just $380. |
Accommodation near Wairakei
