The 1920s were a golden age of golf course construction in Australia, thanks in no small part to the creativity and genius of Dr Alister MacKenzie. His 1926 trip to Australia, primarily to dream up Royal Melbourne’s West course, ended with him designing or consulting on the design of countless others, including Kingston Heath, Royal Adelaide and New South Wales – all still ranked among Australia’s five best courses today.
New Zealand also benefited from MacKenzie’s visit down under. Upon learning that the good doctor was in Australia, the directors of Auckland’s Titirangi Golf Club arranged for him to stop over on his return voyage to the United States. Titirangi had been in existence since 1909; the idea of a redesign had been in the pipeline for several years.
MacKenzie arrived in early 1927. Confronting him was a golf course spread across land that was at times dramatically undulating. It had several natural water hazards and pockets of native trees and shrubs. He stayed in Auckland for a month and oversaw the initial redesign work. Of his visit, MacKenzie wrote: ‘On the Fringe of Heaven (better known in Maori as Titirangi) the ground was exceptionally well adapted for golf . . . It is undulating without being hilly and has many natural features such as ravines of a bold and impressive nature.’
By the mid-’90s the course was run-down and overgrown in many parts. English-born Chris Pitman, who’d been a MacKenzie devotee for 30 years, was commissioned to return the layout to its former glory. Pitman worked from MacKenzie’s original sketches. He did not change the routing. Nor did he alter any green sites. What he did do was modify the greens and bunkers and remove the overgrown old pine trees that were encroaching on the playing lines on several holes. It took him nearly a decade. The results were outstanding.
Titirangi opens with the easiest hole on the course. A 282-metre par-four, it plays over the crest of a hill and down to a green surrounded by five bunkers. From the tee you cannot see the flag, but this should not stop long hitters having a go at the green if the conditions are right.
MacKenzie’s brilliance at finding unique and natural green sites is demonstrated at the 387-metre, par-four 6th. A dogleg fairway stretches gently downhill from the tee, before turning left round the base of a hill and heading up the slope to the elevated green. The longer your drive here, the harder your second shot becomes, as you find yourself needing to hit a long or mid-iron from a side-hill lie. For right-handers, this means the ball is well below their feet. Looking up at the green, all you can see is a long, steep slope coming off the right edge of the putting surface.
Titirangi’s par-threes, long regarded among the best in New Zealand, were left virtually untouched by Pitman, who contented himself with some minor tweaking of the bunkers and putting surfaces. So good are the par-threes that in certain competitions the club puts up a ‘MacKenzie Award’ for anyone who can par all four of them.
Best of all is the 161-metre 11th, known as ‘Redan’. The green is perched on a plateau beyond a valley and above the level of the tee. It slopes gradually from back left to front right, and it sits diagonally to your approach shot, which has to clear three large, deep bunkers in front.
Fun and excitement are the lasting feelings that stay with you after a round at Titirangi. It is not a long course, but the variety of shots it asks you to play across this wonderful golfing landscape will leave you wanting more. Although Titirangi is a members’ club, tee times are available for visitors every day.
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MEMORABLE HOLES 2nd, 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 18th WHERE TO GO Links Rd, New Lynn, Auckland BOOK A ROUND (09) 827 5749, www.titirangigolf.co.nz OTHER 120 GREAT COURSES NEARBY Royal Auckland (21 km), The Grange (25.4 km), Muriwai (38 km) WHERE TO STAY Titirangi is 20 minutes’ drive west of downtown Auckland. The Hyatt Regency Auckland offers a stay-and-play package that includes green fees and transfers to and from the course. BEFORE/AFTER YOUR ROUND If you do stay in the city, be sure to check out the 328-metre-tall Sky Tower. Its three observation levels offer the best views of Auckland. There’s even a Sky Jump from the top of the tower if you are feeling adventurous. |