Wairakei

Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is set in 450 acres of rolling terrain, bubbling with geothermal activity, near Lake Taupo on New Zealand’s beautiful North Island, midway between Auckland and Wellington. The course was built with government money as an additional tourist attraction for the holidaymakers who visit the neighbourhood of Lake Taupo and Rotorua.

Civil engineer, Commander John Harris, who was England’s leading and most travelled golf course architect of the time, laid out Wairakei International and it opened for play in 1970. “The construction was supervised by Michael Wolveridge, an Englishman whose keen appreciation of the subtleties of golf architecture had been enriched by a spell on the US professional tour,” wrote Peter Thomson in the New World Atlas of Golf.

The sole objective was to design New Zealand’s best course, which was capable of hosting national events. Despite his engineering background, Harris resisted the temptation to move too much earth at Wairakei and he made stunning use of the natural features of the land, some of which are quite unique.

The 14th is called “The Rogue”. It’s a marathon 608-yard par five and a potential card wrecker. The fairway is routed up a narrow well-bunkered valley towards a natural rogue borehole that spurts forth jets of sulphurous steam. The challenge and interest comes with the approach shot to the banana-shaped green with numerous bunkers and hollows to the left side. When the pin is to the left of centre, this is one of the trickiest approach shots on the Wairakei course.

Walking is relatively easy at Wairakei where the steepest climb is to the occasional elevated tee. Avoid the natural hazards in the shape of creeks, gullies and the odd rogue borehole and you may card a decent score at Wairakei, which is unforgettable and exciting golf among the geysers.