New Plymouth (Ngamotu)

• The 1st might be the best opener in the country. Short par 4 down the hill with a hazard short left, and bunker short right

• The par 3 6th is the iconic downhill par 3 looking straight out towards Mt Egmont. A lake sits short of the green ready to catch anything not properly struck.

• The 14th is a short par 3 playing straight towards the water at an infinity green protected by pot bunkers. STUNNING!

Pulling into the carpark at New Plymouth Golf Club (Ngamotu Links), with the snowy peak of Mount Egmont looming in the background, it becomes abundantly clear that this isn’t going to be your everyday Kiwi parkland experience. Wedged in an expansive piece of property between Mount Egmont and the Tasman Sea on the North Island’s West Coast, the variety in its gorgeous landscape is what separates Ngamotu Links from many of its compatriots.

Ngamotu’s first tee tells you plenty. An extremely elevated tee box provides expansive views of the tree-lined fairways to come, and the wild coastline in the distance. The first hole sets the tone from a design standpoint too- a reachable downhill par 4 with a hazard short left and a bunker short right protecting the green. Straight away you are forced to make a decision, with an opportunity to make a statement or play it safe. Risk-reward from the outset.

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To call the land which Ngamotu Links is routed across ‘rolling’ would be a disservice. A significant number of holes involve severe changes in elevation tee to green, contributing to the diversity and intrigue of the layout. The intense slopes also invite a wide range of blind tee and approach shots, making some holes a bit of a guessing game for first timers, but who doesn’t love climbing up over a mound to reveal whether their shot was any good?

Conditioning wise, the course is as good as anything you’ll see across the country, and neither the rough nor the fairway should offer you a problematic lie. The fairways are as pure as any, and the greens run true. Speaking of the greens, Ngamotu features some MASSIVE greens- particularly the elevated 8th and 18th measuring around 35m long, sloping back to front.

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The par 3 sixth is the star of the front nine and deservedly Ngamotu’s signature hole. Playing 150 metres from an elevated tee with trees framing Mount Egmont towering over the green guarded by a lake ready to swallow any shot short of the green. The view from the tee box may be gorgeous, but it’s a shot as daunting as any.

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 The tipping point for what makes Ngamotu special is the stretch of holes from 13-15 which plays directly alongside the Tasman Sea, riding the rugged black sandy beach. The short par 3 13th is a gem of a hole, playing straight out towards the ocean. Black sanded pot bunkers guard the front, while anything long will see a steep drop-off onto the coastal walkway. The views tee to green would rival any of the great seaside courses around the world, providing a linksy departure from the inland holes.