My view on Formosa Golf Club is 2 fold, brilliant design, stunning location but in need of some loving. – is that 3 fold?
This is a follow-up post from last months late afternoon trip around the front nine, the course has moved forward quickly since then. Over a quarter of the bunkers now have sand in them. We ran a rule across the day if there was a rake you had to play from the bunker. No rake = a free drop. Throughout the round, there was the sound of rustling bushes as rakes were heaved out of sight out and of mind in search of a free drop.
The course was in good condition, fairways are coming along, and the greens are excellent. I am positive that Formosa Golf Club will step back up into the New Zealand limelight with new owners getting the job done. The biggest disappointment of the day was that the bar was closed, under renovation.
The back nine here is the best of the 2 sides. It has the coastal views, water features and a couple of the best holes in New Zealand. The 10th starts the magic with a tight dogleg to the left with a difficult green around the corner. The encroaching villas will have seen a few balls on their front lawn, I’m sure.
The hole that really caught my attention was the 11th. Maybe because I send a perfect iron into the headwind to about 10 feet. The downhill wonder is 151 from the whites. And a full 207 from the back tees, the beauty of Formosa is that the variations in tee choices changes the course difficulty, significantly.
The 11th is protected by good bunkering but the real challenge is the green. It sits nicely into the contour of the land, skinny from front to back, with ridges of undulation that make the thought of 2 putts seem like a success.
For sure the 11th at Formosa is on the list of Best Golf Holes in New Zealand.
The problem with picking a hole of the day at Formosa is that it keeps on giving. The tee shot from the 12th is awesome. An elevated tee showing off a sweeping par 5. Three fairway bunkers early and massive bunker further up which is over 100 meters long. Looking back down from the green is a view to behold and a reminder of how big the bunker is.
The views around the back nine are distracting and the golf course design is challenging. The stretch through 15 to 17 calls for thoughtful golf.
15 is a short par 3 with plenty of protection in front of the green. Which looks easy enough if you can make the right club choice. And not so easy if you get that wrong.
The classy 16th will get your juices going, a long par 5, 453 metes from the whites, and a long bus ride from the back tees. If you get a good drive away your temptation is to get up near the green.
A lone tall pine will catch your eye and most likely your ball. If you don’t do your homework you’ll be oblivious to the sneaky stream in the deep gully in front of the green. Laying up seems like a waste but it might be the wise thing to do.
This par 5 is one of the best in the land and can keep you awake at night with the approach. But it is lovely once you are up on the putting surface, unless you are facing a steep downhill 20 footer…
Standing on the 18th tee gives you a great vista of the clubhouse and surrounding area. The work is not done with an encroaching pond and a tricky approach to a large green.
Formosa Golf Club is a currently well worth the drive from central Auckland. I can see the whole complex on the rise and this will continue. I’d suggest you get out and experience the course today, the value for money is second to none in the region. You cannot put a price on this location.
