Mangawhai

Managwhai may well have lost its “most difficult” tag in recent years but it remains a stern test for most golfers with its fast running fairways and large, slick greens. One of New Zealand’s most talented amateur golfers, Ted McDougall, is synonymous with Mangawhai and became resident club professional in 1995. In an article published in the New Zealand Herald, McDougall said; “the difficulty off the blue tees is the result of subtle penalties rather than extreme length.” He went on to cite the example of a young pro playing in a 2003 pro-am: “On the par-five first, he drove far enough to take a five-iron for his second to the green. The ball failed to hold the green and from a downhill lie he hit his third into a drain close to the green. He took a penalty, hit his fifth over the green, chipped back and three-putted for a nine.”

Perhaps the best hole on the course is the 2nd, a 387-metre par four and the toughest hole on the card. The hole doglegs to the right and is protected by a swamp on the left and dunes on the right. It’s a brutal hole to face so early in the round, and, even if you find the centre of the fairway, hitting the elevated green with your approach shot is easier said than done.

Fairly described as an inland links (although it's located less than a kilometre from the sea) and built on sand, Mangawhai is billed as an “all weather course” on the official club website. In actual fact, that’s the only information available on the Mangawhai site. We really do think they should promote themselves a little better… the course truly deserves it.