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Explore New Zealand 18 Holes at a Time |
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THE COURSE & SOME NOTABLE HOLES: When golfers comer to the southwestern tip of New Zealand's North Island, they generally come to play the famed Paraparaumu Beach links course made famous in America by Tiger Woods's caddy, Steve Williams. If the Scottish-style links of Paraparaumu is among New Zealand’s best-known—and possibly its best—course, just 30 minutes up the road may be its least-known quality course, Levin Championship Links. Laid out in 1952 on a broad swath of primarily flat but undulating grassland in the flood plain |
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between the town of Levin and the Tasman Sea, Levin Links is not wastelandnot a Scottish-style links tucked into the folds of wild dunes. Although its base soil is sandy, and drains well, it is loamy enough to support tall pine trees and lush grass. Indeed, were Levin not a golf course it appears rich enough to be farmed intensively. |
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Despite having little water, the course is
interesting, with several tight fairways among the trees and bunkered, fast greens adding
challenge to its modest length. Ironically, its most difficult holes are two of its
longest, the 532-yard par 5 4th, and the 591-yard par 5 10th, while
its three par-3’s (2 on the front and 1 on the back), are among the easiest. The
encroaching mature trees and undulations add challenge to most fairways and put a premium
on being straight. |
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Although the ocean is not close enough to touch the course, it is close enough to bring low billowy clouds and sea breezes. The backdrop for the more open holes, surprisingly, is mountains—the jagged line of mile-high peaks of the Tararua Range only a few miles inland (east). |
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Greens Fees per ROUND:
NZ$30
Booking Tee-Times:
Facilities:
Nearest HOME AT FIRST
lodgings:
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THE WELLINGTON/KAPITI COAST REGION: New Zealand’s Kapiti Coast is named after a large island just offshore, now home to an important nature reserve and bird sanctuary. Like a mini-Chile, the Kapiti Coast is a fertile, narrow corridor of land between ocean and mountains. There are long, broad, empty beaches here, and productive farms. As Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city an hour to the south, has grown, the former small towns of the Kapiti Coast have grown with it, and many have become bedroom communities to Wellington. As such, the city’s cultural influence has brought fine restaurants and upscale shopping into the region. But |
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Wellington, often compared to San Francisco, remains the regions
cultural center. Its theater, botanical gardens, museums, shops,
restaurants, and harbor continue to be the focus of visitors. |
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