The "World's Southern-most 18 Hole Golf Links", it says it right on the front of the scorecard! I believe this only means that I have come a long way from Staten Island to play some golf. Well, I didn't come all this way to lay up, right? I went straight for the back tees. This mistake cost me more golf balls than I was prepared to lose.
The combination of a strong wind and a unique layout required more orientation than I expected. The front nine twists its way through some wild low-land sand dunes, covered in shining thick native grasses. Oreti boasts a varied and unique topography but lacks in firm links conditions to take advantage of the playing strategies.
The second nine opens up into a large meadow and back out to some large trees, finishing among a small audience of sand dunes, unwinding a testing round of golf. Overall Oreti offered an exciting round as I discovered each hole and is worth a look if you ever make it this far for a round of golf.
The golf course at Kauri Cliffs is a wonder in the world of modern golf courses. Perched on top of a small mountain the clubhouse allows expansive views of the entire front nine and the Matauri Bay. When walking (not suggested) this golf course one senses a true cross country golfing experience. The front nine straddles and climbs the sides of former cattle pastures before getting you out to the cliffs edge for the spectacular seventh hole, a tough par 3 across a chasm.
The back nine begins by climbing down into a valley which shares holes 10, 11, and 12. Hole 13, Tablelands climbs out to a ridge and the sense of the ocean becomes stronger. No where in the world have I seen such dramatic cliffside golf starting on the fourteenth hole! Golfers are then treated to uninhibited and inspiring views of the Cavalli islands and the surrounding bay for four spectacular golf holes before again climbing back home to the clubhouse.
The views are good and the golf is great. Somehow architect David Harmon was able to create a place for these golf holes among heaving pastures, high ridges and rolling cliffs along the ocean. I was left in awe of the grand scale of this course and left with a great satisfaction to have seen this amazing property.
Cypress point is said to be Mackenzie's masterpiece, a golf course on land the designer said was unmatched in its beauty and variety. I have never seen such a natural place so meticulously looked after. The roots of this property are clearly seen in the crashing waters, sandy dunes, and colorful bushes. Like a fine piece of artwork hanging in a museum, the design of Cypress Point is framed in a wild and dynamic environment.
