Our annual golf getaway takes us to the winterless north to take on the Waitangi Golf Club and Kauri Cliffs. The weekend -- in the magical destination of Paihia -- will live long in the memory.

Kauri Cliffs and Waitangi make for a superb golfing weekend

By Peter Thornton

My alarm sounds off at 5.58am. There is no hitting the snooze button this morning. The day we have been talking about for months has finally arrived.

We are heading north on our annual golf boys’ trip to take on the challenge of the Waitangi Golf Club and the world famous Kauri Cliffs. As the lads all pile into the car and settle in for the three-hour journey north, the anticipation and excitement levels are at fever pitch.

This time the line-up includes my father Richard Thornton, an old rugby mate Simon ‘Blocka’ Roche and James Dunlop who is making his long-awaited debut in the battle for the beers and toasties.

The first thing to settle is who was playing with whom and how many shots were being given. We are all enthusiastic amateurs – ranging from handicaps of 18-20  – and like most golfers, believe we can be much better than that.

The format is simple – we play matchplay in teams with the best ball winning the hole. The winners have the privilege of being shouted the after-match and most importantly take the bragging rights.   

After a fair amount of haggling, it’s decided that dad and Jimmy would team up on day one with Jimmy getting five shots.  

Heading north, the Brynderwyns are out of action after the flooding last year, so we drove the scenic route via the Twin Discovery Highway, taking in the stunning views along Lang’s Beach and Waipu Cove.

When we arrive in Paihia, it is like we are in a different country. As we pull into the Waitangi Golf Club, it is warm and there is a gentle breeze with a backdrop of endless ocean and blue skies.

“It’s an easy walking course”

There are nerves on the first tee, but we get off to a solid start with all four drives in the fairway.

Blocka and I get off to a fast start when I make a couple of pars to start the day, we are three up after three holes and feeling good.

Waitangi is steeped in history. It was formed in 1932 when the Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe and Lady Bledisloe, impressed by the site’s historical importance purchased the 506-hectare Waitangi Estate. They then generously gifted the entire estate back to the nation for the Waitangi Trust Board to manage.

Much of the original golf course design from Mr W A Kiely remains the same.  It is a quintessential Kiwi club course layout. It’s forgiving, full of character and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable round of golf.

The whole group warms to the task at the par three sixth, one of the standout holes from the front nine. A Titirangi-like 160m par three where you need to carry the bush and there isn’t a lot of margin for error. 

Dad and Jimmy come back into the match on the par three ninth where James hits his three wood to about 20 feet and makes his par and we take a two up lead into the turn.

The best part of the course awaits at the start of the back nine where the holes hug a majestic piece of coastline with views you can almost touch.

The par five 11th is the signature hole on the course. The panoramic view from the tee box is stunning and it takes three good shots to find the green in regulation. Standing on the green, hearing the gentle lapping of the ocean on the rocks behind, it’s a good feeling to be away and enjoying the Northland sunshine.

Moments later, Blocka hits his ball out of bounds, but takes a drop and holes a putt from 40 feet for bogey. When Blocka and I par the 12th, we are four up again and in control.

Jimmy helps stage a mini comeback with par on 13 but when I get up and down from the bunker on the 15th for par we are dormy three. Any faint hopes of a miracle turnaround end when Blocka makes par on 16 and we claim a 3 and 2 win.

One of the best things about this part of the world is the people. They are friendly without fault. The Waitangi catering team wait for us to finish our round to make sure we can have our beers and toasties. It’s that sort of gesture that makes this place special and makes you feel welcome.  

Merle Tipene, the affable club secretary, joins us for the after match and dad has had a couple of beers by now and is waxing lyrical. He tells our new mate that Waitangi is a “lovely easy walking course” which prompts a swift response from the lads who point out he spent the past four hours cruising around the layout in a golf cart.

The heart of Paihia

There is plenty of laughter and banter as we head down the road and check into the Kingsgate Hotel in the heart of Paihia.

With a view that takes in the Paihia Harbour and across the way to Russell, it is a great setting and the ideal place to host a golfing trip. The rooms are modern and generous in size.

There is nothing better than being able to walk to dinner. And on night one we were hosted by the Crafty Local, a two-minute stroll down the road. I lived in Ireland for a few years, and we would frequent the local pub, so this experience brings back good memories.

If someone had told me that my favourite craft beers from around the country would be on tap in a place like Paihia I wouldn’t have believed them – but this place, has it all and a great menu to match.

From Garage Project to Fortune Favours to Parrotdog to the local McLeods – there are a surplus of options, and they are all good. In the background, a live band is beginning their set, and the Hurricanes edge the Chiefs in the Super Rugby. It’s the end of day one and we are full and content.

We are ready for the challenge of a lifetime in the morning.

“You come for the challenge, and you don’t leave disappointed”

I have unfinished business at Kauri Cliffs. I played here many years ago on a work trip and played like a complete donkey. It was frustrating to play like that at one of the best golf courses in the world.

But not today, I tell myself. Today will be different, I tell myself. I shrug off a disrupted night’s sleep with a hearty breakfast at Kingsgate and we toss the coin for teams. It flips up ‘Heads’ and Jimmy and I are taking on the strong favourites, Blocka and dad.

After a 45-minute drive north – with Jimmy, an amateur rally driver, getting all sorts of driving advice from my father that he never asked for – we pull up outside the gates to Kauri Cliffs.

It’s cool as we warm up on the driving range and the wind is growing in strength as we stand on the first tee. We are ready to go but we need a moment.

Life is short. These are the moments you have to savour. I look at my dad and my mates who I have known for most of my life, and I am grateful to share this special experience with them.

Jimmy and I worked on the Golf Show on Sky Sport television for years and we dreamed about coming to play courses like this together.

Playing here is a truly once in a lifetime experience. Kauri Cliffs is world class in every sense of the word; from the welcome at your car to the staff cleaning your golf clubs at the turn to forgetting your golf shoes and them providing you with a pair of Footjoy's before you hit the pro shop.  

It is such a majestic place and every hole on the David Harman-designed layout frames up like a masterful work of art. And the conditioning, you have to play here to appreciate how good it is.

We get off to a slow start as we are a bit too keen on this hallowed turf, but we are soon underway.  

One of the best moments arrives early in the round at the par fur fifth, which is a truly breathtaking hole. Blocka played the hole like a pro with some impressive ball striking and is in the box seat. That is until I make a 40-foot putt for par from across the slope which is met with a Tiger-like fist pump.

There is more to celebrate two holes later when I make another 15-footer for par that sees us halve the hole with dad who makes par, and we stay at three up.

My putter is hot and I am seeing the lines of the greens clearly. I feel like if I can get on the putting surface then I have a good chance I will make my putt.

The momentum continues on the par four ninth with the best moment of the round. Into the wind I hit a nine iron to pin high and make a fast-breaking putt across the slope for birdie. The running high five slash cuddle celebration is over the top, but we go with it, and we are five up over our lunchtime wrap.

The lads stage a comeback of sorts – Blocka continues to hit fairways in nonchalant fashion – and dad makes his presence felt with a par on the 10th.

But it is short lived when Jimmy hits a couple of golden three wood shots on 11 and 12 -- he plays some of his best golf in the toughest conditions.

The par four 13th is playing across wind and when I manage to hit the green in two, we are able to close out for a convincing 7 and 5 win. That shot will stay with me.

Looking down to Matauri Bay I don’t think there is a better view from a golf course anywhere in the country – and if there is, it probably belongs to Kauri’s sister property at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay.

Both of those courses hosted The Kiwi Challenge in 2009 with some of the world’s best and it would be great to see a tournament of some note back here.

By now the course is playing tough. The wind is up and I can’t back up the big moments from the front nine. We finish the day with a three-hole challenge for $10 each buy in. It results in all sorts of banter and brilliant golf. Blocka edged Jimmy in a playoff on the putting green.

Sitting on the clubhouse patio sipping on a couple of cold Hazy IPA beers, looking out to that incredible view, Kauri Cliffs has once again delivered an unforgettable experience.

I am happy to be here with my good mates and I will talk about this place forever.

I also cannot wait for another chance to come back here and try to put together that complete round. But that is for another day.

As we drive out of the gates, all of the boys feel the same way. ``Man, I would love to play there again''. It is hard to beat the quality of golf and views Northland has offered over the past two days.  

“Refreshing Rascals and Reprobates since 1827”

We’ve been advised to catch the 6.30pm ferry across to Russell for dinner at the famed Duke of Marlborough. It’s a cool way to get out for a meal, catching a boat across the harbour and there is a beautiful moon rising to mark the occasion.

The iconic Bay of Island Hotel was established in 1827 and the walls and décor are lined with history that feels like you are going back in time.

The Duke famously held the first liquor licence in New Zealand and is still just as popular today, almost 200 years later. It’s Saturday night and it feels like everyone in town is here.

The tagline of The Duke is Refreshing Rascals and Reprobates since 1827 and that seems like a fitting theme.

We are shown to a table with an ocean view and the cuisine is perfect from start to finish.

The plates from the sharing menu keep coming and each one is as good as the last. From the oyster tempura to the slow-cooked lamb shoulder to the grass-fed short rib and the baked yoghurt cheesecake for dessert, there is something for everyone and we leave for the boat full and merry.

Back at the Kingsgate we don’t want to go home and find time to for one more competition.

We get on the table tennis table and Jimmy is pretty much unbeatable, deflecting shots with a boyish grin throughout. We put down the paddles and call it a night.  

Our time in Northland could not have been better and we are grateful for the experience that will live long in the memory.

A special thanks to Esme Sutton at Northland Inc (Regional Tourist Organisation) for coordinating our golf trip and making it such a special experience.