Carrington Resort, Karikari Peninsula, New Zealand
Located on the Karikari Peninsula, halfway between Doubtless Bay and the northern spit, Carrington Resort's course is the centrepiece of possibly the most diversified resort complex in New Zealand and maybe the world. It's unlikely there is another golf course where you can break your round to sample the fruits of the complex's own extensive vineyard and winery and later dine on prime Angus steaks from the Estate's own pedigree herd.
Carrington (named after the daughter of the owner) opened in early 2002 and then underwent a significant re-design by Matt Dye, nephew of the legendary Pete, in late 2003. The remodelled layout is now an interesting and challenging, but eminently fair test for golfers of all levels.
Dye's philosophy that a course should be enjoyable for the 95 percent of golfers who are not on single figures while remaining a challenge for the other five percent, led him to move or rebuild eleven greens and widen the fairways. The final result is worthy of a Dye dynasty course.
The course is not heavily bunkered, but you will still have plenty of opportunity to test your ability out of the sand. Several holes have superb panoramic views and while the course is close to the sea, it could not be described as either links or parkland in style. The new hole routing means that if the golf has not been scintillating on the front nine, you can turn left by the tennis courts and zap up to the winery for a tasting session before moving on to the back nine.
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Facilities
Carrington offers an extensive range of activities within the complex including clay shooting on their Olympic standard shooting range, mountain biking, canoeing, horse riding, massage, bird watching, walks along their secluded white-sand beach and wine tours/tasting at their adjoining Vineyard & Winery - Karikari Estate.
The central complex includes a clubhouse, an upmarket restaurant with an excellent cellar, a convention/reception centre capable of catering for up to 70 people, as well as locker rooms and a fitness centre. High quality accommodation lodges and a reading room catering for eclectic tastes, administration facilities, a members' lounge bar and an infinity pool and spa also form part of the central hub, while family style villas by the entrance to the resort take the overall accommodation capacity to 76.
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A wetlands area between the course and the beach has been restored. The bush trails, which are used to transfer cattle between various parts of the property, provide access to hides for birdwatchers while the beach is a popular shell-gathering spot. These areas are accessible by golf cart which guests can utilise during their stay.
Karikari Estate Vineyard and Winery happily reports that its initial (2003) vintages have totally sold out and the 2004 chardonnay and merlot vintages will be released shortly.
Carrington has achieved a 5 star rating from Qualmark for their accommodation.
Check out the New Zealand golf tour that visits Carrington Resort:
Auckland & Northland Golf Tour
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