Matt Wallbank

A commercial property analyst by trade and a rookie in golf journalism, Matt is an avid traveler having backpacked Europe and the USA out of a 6kg backpack. Based in New Zealand, he is travelling the country to uncover the best golfing experiences and some hidden gems along the way

The best golf courses in Kent: the ultimate links paradise

/

The Wandering Golfers make a memorable three-day journey to Kent, to play three of England's most prestigious venues: Prince’s Golf Club, Royal St George’s, and Royal Cinque Ports. Each course offered unique challenges and scenery, renewing their passion for the sport and providing an unparalleled golfing experience.…

CLICK FOR MORE

Te Arai Links North completes New Zealand’s incredible line up

//

With the North Course at Te Arai Links joining the stupendous South and the stunning Tara Iti, this once deserted corner of New Zealand must now be considered one of world’s great golf destinations. It says much about the embarrassment of golfing riches along this spectacular coastline, an hour or so north of…

CLICK FOR MORE

Barnbougle Dunes – a wondrous golf playground like no other

///

Love at first sight is a fickle concept in golf, but Barnbougle Dunes had me at ‘good morning.’ I had arrived at this fabled golfing destination in the dead of night. Through the darkness I found my way to my bed and fell asleep dreaming of what lay in wait. I was awake…

CLICK FOR MORE

Kauri Cliffs is one of the world’s most beautiful outposts

//

New Zealand is in the midst of a golf boom: new courses are being built, existing courses restored and airport carousels are abuzz with one golf bag after another – but breathtaking Kauri Cliffs Golf Course was here well before the masses. With the likes of Tara Iti and Tea Arai Links driving…

CLICK FOR MORE

Challenge and beauty in abundance at mesmerising Kinloch Club

/

My first year of High School was an absolute blur, I barely remember a thing. However, looking back there is one person who has withstood the test of time and lived long in my memory – Mr Killian. A brawny and brash South African mathematics teacher, Mr Killian was loud, bold and confrontational…

CLICK FOR MORE

Tara Iti Golf Club: the most beautiful links on earth?

//

Since its grand reveal, Tara Iti Golf Club has occupied a place in the hearts and minds of golfers across the world. To most it feels a world away: isolated geographically, almost heavenly in its beauty, and, given its famed privacy and exclusivity, almost impossible to access.  In a country dominated by public golf courses,…

CLICK FOR MORE

Breathtaking beauty and unrelenting drama at unique Cape Kidnappers

/

At their best, golf courses captures the soul of their surroundings, gradually revealing a place over 18 unique chapters: never is that more the case than at Cape Kidnappers Golf Club.  Tucked away on a 500 foot cliff in a corner Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island, this is a place that…

CLICK FOR MORE

Te Arai Links: Sumptuous South Course a genuine showstopper

//

For a for few years, Te Arai Links felt like a myth. Its ultra-exclusive and highly-acclaimed sister property, Tara Iti, had captured the imagination of the golfing world with its beauty, tranquillity and its natural wonder. This extraordinary stretch of coastline on New Zealand’s north island was no longer a secret among golfers…

CLICK FOR MORE

The Old Course is the gift that keeps on giving

//

My P.E. teacher used to call it the shrivel effect and as I prepared to play St Andrews Old Course for the first time, I finally knew what he meant. You know the feeling, it’s the one where every fibre in your body tightens, a pit forms in your stomach and, in my…

CLICK FOR MORE

Is epic Royal Bled one of Europe’s best kept secrets?

///

Golf trips are sacred: they’re opportunities to experience new destinations, create lifelong memories and to spend time with your people. The likes of Pinehurst, Bandon and the great links courses of Scotland and Ireland might immediately spring to mind when you’re going through your bucket list but sometimes straying off the beaten track…

CLICK FOR MORE

Masters Tickets: adventure of a lifetime to reach ‘heavenly’ Augusta National

/

It was the music, that damn music that saunters into the living room each April, coercing me into four days of couch-surfing. Golfers around the world know the tune and I can vividly recall the first time I heard it, thinking it was the most ridiculous and pretentious piece of music, perfectly suited…

CLICK FOR MORE