by Michael Donaldson | Oct 7, 2020 | features, Travel
Phil Hamilton and Michael Donaldson get away to one of New Zealand’s best links destinations. With Covid-19 destroying all the best-laid plans, overseas links golf is on a hiatus for the next year or so. There will be no trips to Britain or Tasmania or Oregon to feast...
by Michael Donaldson | Sep 2, 2020 | Courses, features
A new golf course owned by jeweller Michael Hill sits in elite company alongside Augusta National as one of the world’s best par-3 courses according to the influential Golf magazine. Hill’s latest venture, known as The Farm, opened last year. The nine-hole par-3...
by Michael Donaldson | Aug 19, 2020 | features, Travel
Michael Donaldson explores options for double-up days of Auckland golf. Auckland’s sprawling mass of land, narrowed and pinched by harbours, rivers and inlets and entangled with motorways – as a result it’s not the easiest place in the world to get around. So,...
by Phil Hamilton | Jun 28, 2020 | Courses, features
Golf architecture buff Phil Hamilton rates his top-10 New Zealand courses. New Zealand has among the most golf courses per capita in the world but until recently the quality of those courses, apart from a couple of notable exceptions, was pretty ropey. However, over...
by Phil Hamilton | Jun 28, 2020 | features
Little-known Waverley and Arrowtown are the big winners in legendary architect Tom Doak’s latest guide to New Zealand golf courses writes Phil Hamilton. The straight-talking American architect, who designed modern masterpieces Tara Iti, Cape Kidnappers and...
by Michael Donaldson | Jun 28, 2020 | features
How many “true” links courses do we have in New Zealand? Michael Donaldson investigates. We’ve all heard it – someone talking about “hitting the links” when they simply mean they’re going out to play golf. The term “links” is one of the most misunderstood...
