Formosa Golf Resort is a wonderfully crafted golf design. The legend that is Sir Bob Charles, used his years of experience to good creativity to come up with this golf course.

The NZ Open was held right here in 1998, with that the course was surely aiming for greatness. In a few quick years, the gloss came off and so did the wheels.

I played here a couple of years ago and lost a ball in the middle of the 1st fairway, plugged somewhere into the sopping wet pastures. The course was a mess, I won’t elaborate but such beauty had fallen from grace. The atmosphere in the pro shop and bar were all wrong, defeated.

I came back one late afternoon when the weather looked settled and after a stretch of rainless days. A golf course that should give you more, deserves another chance so I drove the 40 minutes from Auckland city with no thought that I would need a tee slot secured.

When I got close to the driveway I remembered how impressive it was to pull up to the large grounds and make my way to the clubrooms.

I was hoping this old Supermodel wasn’t sat there clutching a beer on her porch, with a toothless mouth and false teeth sitting in a jar. With her belly fat sitting low over her filthy shorts giving herself a hair cut. Shouting obscene comments to the players as they passed her by.

I received a very friendly welcome in the shop from the Pro who had a passion for talking golf. Unfortunately, I could only play 9 holes due to the time I arrived, shame really. I took the front nine as the back nine was busy.

There are new owners and big hope for a resurgence of Formosa Golf Resort. I do hope this is true and this course gets back on its feet.

The tees range from a manageable 5,704 metres off of the whites, up to 6,633 off of the blacks. So the variety of golfers that can enjoy the magical location and well crafted course is wide.

There are panoramic views of Waiheke Island and Rangitoto from the course as you walk the clifftops and coastal fairways. A glimpse back across to Auckland CBD in the distance reminds you we aren’t far from the city of sails.

Formosa Golf Course has all the bones of a classic, palm trees swaying in the wind. A resort feel and wonderful sweeping driving holes, there are water features and picture-perfect greens.

The place stinks of a lack of water when it needs it and holding too much fluid when it doesn’t. Let’s hope the new owners get the drainage and the sprinklers back in action.

The Front Nine

The first is a good way to get your round going, a down hill shortish par 4 with a palm tree framed green. You should get off to a good start.

The 2nd is a 165-metre par 3 into a tiered green over a wee pond that doesn’t really come into play. A long par 5 number 3 has a sandless fairway bunker to catch your pushed drive.

The 4th tee shot needs an accurate drive through an encroaching tree tunnel. Formosa style is on show off of the 5th, from the elevated tee box, a pond asks you to take on the corner. More water on the 6th I was warming to the challenge and ignoring the rough fairways.

Hole of the Day

The 7th is a canny par 3 to a long 2 tiered green, the tee box is a great place to be, looking up at the green framed by the overhanging trees.

I was sad to be standing on the 9th tee box, a great par 5 to take you back to the clubhouse. Nine holes at Formosa was not enough on this lovely evening. I wished I had arrived a little earlier to make it a full 18.

I managed to par the last with an up and down from the only bunker on the course with sand in it. The previous owners must have stolen all the sand to pay for their taxi ride out of here.

Missing out on the back nine was a shame, it has some great holes and better coastal views. I put the clubs away and promised to come back to play the rest and keep an eye on the progress of this once great golf course.

I had a good yarn with the pro and it seems work is underway to put the lipstick back on this pig. It will take a lot of puff and some mouth to mouth to resurrect Formosa. Good luck to the people here in their mission to put this course back at the top of great New Zealand golfing destinations.