New Zealand has long had to live in the shadow of its big neighbour Australia in many aspects of tourism and lifestyle, and this includes the golf industry.
While much is made of the larger country's golf scene and its famed stretch of sand-belt links along the Melbourne coastline, New Zealand has just as much to offer in exciting layouts perched on rugged cliff-tops and inexpensive courses that are almost Hawaiian in their lush flora and extreme-green settings.
Whatever you are looking for golf-wise in the 'other Down Under', you will find in New Zealand's 400-plus courses, divided about equally between North and South Islands.
'There are some four million people in New Zealand, but only about 400,000 golfers. That's a lot of courses for a relatively small population of golfers,' says the Brisbane native.
'A lot of the clubs have just 70 to 80 members. These are country courses where the members actually own the course and take care of it. They mow the fairways and greens themselves and take turns running the bar. It's like a big family place. There are a lot of courses like that in New Zealand.'
