NZ (North Island) - Auckland | 6 nights, 4 games

A straight away, open starting hole playing downwind in the winter. The 18th fairway on the right creates a wide double fairway producing a very comfortable driving hole. An open entry green will allow the player to bounce the ball onto the putting surface.

This will be a very interesting par 5 . The tee shot is played uphill to an elevated decked fairway. To the left of the fairway, the terrain drops sharply. From the first landing area the player can view the slightly elevated green situated in a saddle with little or no backing.

A delightful par 3 set amongst numerous mature pine trees. This hole plays slightly uphill to a green that will have only sky as a backdrop. A very natural green setting and variable winds will make club selection a complicated task.

This long par 4 will play much shorter than it appears as the tee shot drops some 15 metres to the fairway. The fairway itself is wide and receptive allowing the player to swing away. Protected by bunkers, the green is positioned on an elevated plateau and a shot played left or long will be in trouble.

A short, but occasionally directly into the wind par 4. The tee shot is played over a small arm of a lake to an elevated plateau. A tee shot hit to the right will leave the player with a very difficult approach. The view from the landing area to the green is magnificent, looking directly down towards the marina. The green is decked into the hillside with a sharp drop to the right side. The approach shot must be hit with precision.

A medium length par 5 that the longer hitters could reach in two. However, the green is well protected and a fairway wood will have to be perfect to find the green. The drive area is decked into a rolling hillside that creates severe trouble if the golfer misses to the right. The gently rolling fairway will provide the golfer with several options on the second shot.

This is the shortest par 4 on the course, but no less challenging. When played downwind the green is reachable from the tee, but with considerable risk. The small green, with a lake on the right, will present a difficult target, but will allow the perfect tee shot to bounce onto its surface. The farther left the tee shot is played, the more difficult the approach shot will become.

An attractive medium length, lake-side hole, the par 3 eighth will normally be played with a crosswind. This will make club selection critical. Playing to the right will find trouble. Playing left is much safer but will leave a difficult chip shot to the well guarded green.

A long difficult finish for the outward nine, this hole will vary dramatically depending upon wind direction. When playing downwind, a driver followed by a middle or short iron approach will reach the green. When playing directly into the wind this hole may prove difficult to reach in two by even the best players.

A medium to long par 4 with spectacular views to the west. The hole plays along a rolling sidehill with a gentle curve to the right. A tee shot played right will leave the golfer with a difficult approach to the green which drops quickly off at the back. This hole can vary dramatically in difficulty, depending upon wind conditions and the pin location.

A short par 5, the eleventh fairway plays uphill and is well defended by mature pine trees, bunkers and topographic features. The tee shot is actually downhill into a valley fairway. From the drive zone the hole meanders uphill some 25 metres in elevation with trees creating hazards on both sides of the fairway. The hole appears to be short, but will play considerably longer than the card suggests. Accuracy will be essential.

A dramatic and novel short par 4 situated in a unique part of the site. This self- contained valley provides the setting for one of the most dramatic short approach shots on the course. A short iron uphill approach will require skill and good judgement under windy conditions. The green is perched atop a narrow ridge providing a spectacular vista of the surrounding ocean.

From the back tee this will be amongst the most demanding par 3's in golf; a 230 metre shot to the green some 12 metres above the tee. The green is shaped into a wonderful bowl setting, but protected by a deep frontal bunker. From the forward tees this hole plays medium length from a variety of directions. Weather conditions and tee location will have a great impact on the playing characteristics of this hole.

A long, open, grand par 4. A sweeping downhill tee shot to a fairway some 10 metres below allows the player to swing away. A shot pulled or hooked left will be in trouble and a shot placed too far right will result in a difficult sidehill lie. The approach shot will require a long iron or fairway wood to a green on the ridge line some 13 metres above. The player will see only the flag flying with sky for a backdrop. Judging distances will be difficult. This hole should prove to be both dramatic and difficult.

A spectacular downhill par 3 hole which plays directly at the ocean. This is the first of three unique ocean front holes. Native vegetation and mature pine trees will give this hole an established and wonderful setting that will certainly make this another of many memorable holes.

This hole is likely to be the most dramatic and difficult hole on the course. A setting such as this is rarely found in the golf world and will be compared with the 8th at Pebble Beach or the 17th at Cypress Point. The tee shot plays over a rugged ravine to a rolling fairway that naturally turns the fairway to the right. The long hitter can opt to play over the rugged ocean front terrain to considerably shorten his approach. Such a tee shot is clearly risky, as any shot less than perfect will not be found. The green rests at the point of a narrow peninsula providing 270 degrees of photographic ocean views.

The longest and perhaps the most demanding par 5 playing along and through the gently rolling ocean front topography. To the inland side of the hole is a long ridge line that not only provides a backdrop for the hole but creates a special environment separated from the rest of the golf course. The elevated green is located in one of the saddles along the ridge. This hole will require skillful club selection and accurate shots. The views from the 17th green are spectacular.

A long downhill hole with broad views of the large lake and valley and a glimpse of the Town Centre. A double fairway with the 1st hole will allow the tee shot to stray well right. However, such a shot can leave the golfer with a blind approach. When playing against the wind this hole will provide a challenge to the golfer. It will certainly be an exhilarating finish to the round.

Your drive should be right of centre, this gives the best shot at any pin position.

Keep the drive as close to the line of the greenside as possible.

The wind on this tee will fool you. Watch which way the flag is blowing.

The wind on this tee will fool you. Watch which way the flag is blowing.

Keep drive as tight left as possible if you want to get up for two.

Drive at the power pole, left is not good. Second shot is longer than you think.

Keep the ball below the hole.

If downwind, go with your driver but keep it on a tight line right. If into the wind, lay up with a long iron. Watch the borrow on the green.

Drive as tight left as you dare for the best line to the green.

Centre or just right of centre is the best driving line. Watch the borrow on the green.

If the pin is on the left, it is one club more than if the pin is on the right.

A drive down the left side gives the shortest line to the green. A long green, so the right club is important. A big par 4.

Left is the best line from the tee. There is more room than you think. Anything right will cut you out from the green.

There is only one place to hit it. On the green, preferably on the right level.

Off the back tees, driver with a controlled draw will get you down near the green.

Keep drive left, second shot clubbing all important. Watch the borrow across the green.

Keep drive right, second shot short will bounce right. A long green.

Second shot all important, keep the ball below the hole on the green. Slopes from back to front.

Offers a straight away downhill par 4 with a generous landing area. A drive just short of the right hand side fairway bunker offers the best angle into the green. Careful club selection for your second will stop the ball on a narrow green sloping from front to back.

With an undulating fairway and a hazard up the entire left hand side, there is a premium on an accurate tee shot aimed down the right hand side. From here you with have a medium iron into an elevated green guarded by front left bunkering.

The first of our par threes is a downhill shot to a green protected by swales and run off areas both front right and long left.? Any shot left short of the green but online has a good chance of running aboard favouring the left hand side.

This par five offers a decision off the tee, try and carry the large fairway bunker on the left hand side and play your second from the upper level, or play safe to right but be left with a blind second shot. There are fairway bunkers positioned up the right hand side to catch second and third shots drifting right. The large green is guarded by a front bunker and a large run off at the back of the green.

A straight away hole with two left hand side fairway bunkers and a bank on the right hand side. A tee shot positioned short of the bunkers on the left, leaves a mid-iron to the green. The green has a false front and swale that needs to be carried with the second shot.

From tee there are fairway bunkers either side of the fairway, a straight tee shot will kick forward over the brow of the hill, leaving two options. Either a mid-iron layup down the left hand side to open up the green or have a go in two but a bunker 50 metres out from the green and two swales and run off areas will leave challenging shots if out of position.

Dogleg left, club selection is important off this tee, tee shots must favour the left side and get as close to the end of the fairway as possible.? There are two large green side traps that need to be carried to reach a back pin position.

Water must be carried to land a ball on this green. There is a bunker positioned front middle which needs to be avoided. Behind the greens falls away to a hazard. The green has two levels split either side of the bunker.

This hole is a dogleg right, with fairway bunkering on the corner of the dogleg and a lake on the left hand side. The second shot is a mid-iron to an elevated green with a false front and three different levels.?

The ideal line off the tee is at the power pole behind the green, best to err to the left side as the rough is very heavy to the right. Second shot needs precise distance control to keep the ball on the correct side of the ridge that runs through the green

This par 3 plays downhill so club selection is vital. A hazard borders the hole to the left so favouring the right side is always safest. The green has a ridge running through the middle,?being on the right side of it will lead to an easier putt.

Proving to be the most difficult hole on the course demands an accurate tee shot to the left of the large pine tree that sits on the right side of the fairway. After the tee shot leaves an approach from 150-200m to the green. The green has a ridge running across the middle and a bunker short left.

Accuracy is key here on all three shots, a hazard up the entire left side of the hole means centre right on the tee shot is recommended. The second shot demands even more focus as the out of bounds right comes into play. Once in position it leaves a short iron to a table top green. The green has gentle slopes so rewards any ball on the green in regulation.

This tee shot requires the ball to be moved right to left. Good tee shots will benefit from additional 40 metres of run. The second shot requires careful thought as to where you are going to lay up. Hazards on both sides mean an accurate shot is required. The third shot can be anything from 5 iron through to sand wedge, the longer the third the more the trees guarding the green come into play. A fairly level green with a ridge running across the green makes for a good birdie opportunity.

Accuracy rather than length is vital; a well-positioned tee shot will leave an approach of 100 metres to a green with two swales. The green is difficult to putt on so staying below the hole will give you the best opportunity to make a birdie.

The tee shot is semi blind so the line is the centre of the clubhouse in the distance. A hazard left and long rough on the right means an accurate tee shot is required. The green is offset to the right so distance control is vital for the approach shot. The green falls off to the left so the right side is a little easier to play from.

A downhill par 3 that plays one club shorter than the distance suggests. The only miss to avoid is long which falls away to a water hazard. The green is mostly flat with subtle slopes.

A large lake in front of the tee needs to be avoided. The fairway is very generous with fairway bunkers used to aim at. The green is elevated and has two distinct levels. If you can get the ball on the right level a birdie is on offer.