World’s best golf course

Cape Kidnappers golf course on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island has been rated as the best in the world by Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The golf course’s dramatic location put it ahead of world famous others such as Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, Pebble Beach in the United States and Leopard Creek in South Africa. Further down the top 10 were: Green Monkey, Barbados; Domaine de Sperone, Corsica; Turnberry, Scotland; Canouan, The Grenadines; Doonbeg, Ireland; and Royal Melbourne.

The Cape Kidnappers course is built on a 2000-hectare sheep farm on the coast of New Zealand’s renowned Hawke’s Bay wine region. The super Luxury lodge attached to the golf course opened last year and is one of New Zealand’s most exclusive properties already winning high acclaim worldwide.

The golf course has fairways that play out along a series of jagged ridges jutting out like fingers into the Pacific Ocean, before plunging to rocks below. Misdirected balls take a full 10 seconds to reach the water.

Designed by the American architect Tom Doak, Cape Kidnappers has none of the sandy dunes that characterise true links courses but the harsh landscape is in keeping with the game. Players must contend with fearsome ravines, contoured fairways and fast tilted greens.