Kristine KerrA multimillion-dollar investment is needed to upgrade New Zealand’s ageing golf course infrastructure to attract more high-net-worth tourists, a leading course architect says. Although New Zealand had the second-highest number of golf courses per capita in the world, many of them were in need of a major upgrade to increase their appeal to this segment of tourists, once the borders reopen. "Many New Zealand courses tend to have less challenging routing, strategies and features than newer courses — which makes them less interesting to tourists. "There is also an increasing focus on the role of golf courses in preserving and enhancing the natural environment — which may include the integration of wetlands and native plantings." Kerr said the small number of our marquee courses are at a premium level and the feedback from international tourists and locals is that these courses are exceptional.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 08, 2021 16:41 UTC