Best time to play Australia and New Zealand

[Ivan Lipko]

Hello, dear sirs!

I am very sorry if this has been asked before but I searched and found nothing.

Reading this forum and especially some of the pictorials made me want to go and play Australia and New Zealand courses pretty badly.
The question is that coming from Russia isn't exactly a very easy trip, so I want to come when I can hit the courses in their best condition.

So, what is the best time to come to Australia and NZ to play golf? The priorities for me are:

1. Course condtioning
2. Weather - which should be fine for golf - not too hot, but not too cold either

I am very flexible with my schedule so I can go whenever I want/need.

Thanks a lot in advance.

PS: By Australia I mean Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania. By NZ I mean the whole New Zealand from North to the very South (I heard there are some nice courses there too).

[Mark Chaplin]

Ivan - I spent March in NZ - North Island and Sydney/Melbourne in Australia. All the courses were in very fine condition with warm to hot but not overly hot weather. Perfect to kick start a northern European golf season!!

[David_Elvins]

Definitely March.  April isn't bad.   Jan and Feb are very hot and stormy at times. October to November can be windy. December can be ok weather but courses are generally better after summer.

[Ben Jarvis]

Ivan, I'll agree with what has already been mentioned. Courses of note are definitely better coming out of summer. Weather during March and April in Melbourne is generally ideal for golf. It's never too cold in Australia to play golf.

[Leo Barber]

Feb/March best time for New Zealand.  Very settled weather generally with temps around low to mid 20degC.  Aust is the same but add 3-5 deg on average maybe a bit more.

[Scott Warren]

Dobray dien Ivan,

Kak de la?

As others have said, March is ideal. Feb can be a bit hot and April might be a bit of a coin toss with wind and rain.

But it's all relative - today was the third day of winter and it was 20C!

I hope when you come to Sydney I'll be able to show you some of our courses and perhaps have a meal and some beers. One of my very best friends here was born and raised in Novgorod. In late 2009 my wife and I visited St Petersburg and Moscow and your countrymen were very welcoming and accommodating.

Dosvidanya,
Scott

[Mark Chaplin]

A cultured Aussie? 

[Mark Bourgeois]

And to pile stunner on top of stunner, Mark, apparently a cultured Sydneysider!

[Paul Jones]

March 4 - 11, 2012 is the best time - since that is the time I will be there :-).

Paul

[Ivan Lipko]

Thank you very much, gentlemen. Your recommendation were of a great help. Thanks again.

Scott, verrrry nice Russian, thank you! I appreciate your generous offer and from my side I would like to say that if you come to Moscow one more time I'll put you on the best courses we have. While I don't really think they compare to the great courses in Australia they're pretty good and may be an interesting experience for you. It will be a true pleasure to host fellow GCAer.

[Matthew Rose]

March and November were the two best months while I lived in Melbourne. Jan and Feb were a million degrees every day and the winter tended to be pretty damp, though usually warm enough early in the day.

[Ivan Lipko]

BTW, is it like Florida or AZ in Jan and Feb?

[David_Elvins]

Melbourne can be like either, depending on the day.  Sydney can get more humid and has more storms. Not quite tropical though.

[Bill Brightly]

BTW, is it like Florida or AZ in Jan and Feb?

Sounds like someone is looking to miss out on the best part of a Russian winter

[Pete_Pittock]

The next big GCA event is next March, based around Paraparaumu Beach. It is in the planning stages,
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,48320.msg1087574.html#msg1087574

[Terry Thornton]

Ivan,

March and April are Adelaide's best also. Feel free to contact myself or James Bennet should your plans take you here.

[Ivan Lipko]

Thank you once again, gentlemen! I will let you know when I come as it will be a true pleasure to play with you.

[Kevin Pallier]

Ivan

You can play in Austrlia all year round so that's good enough in itself isn't it ?

I'd recommend though the day-light saving period from Oct to Mar to take advantage of the longer days.

[Ivan Lipko]

As I have a couple more questions regarding the best time of year to play golf and don't want to start another thread, I would prefer to extend the existing one.

I believe there are a lot of experienced and well-travelled golfers on the board who might know the answer.

So, what is the best time to play Pebble Beach and Bandon (I think they have similar weather, don't they?)?

And also, what is the best time to play the famous links courses in Scotland and Ireland?
Again I am mostly asking about the prime course conditions and nice golfing weather.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[Ivan Lipko]

That's interesting - thanks a lot!

[Anthony Butler]

Dobray dien Ivan,

Kak de la?

As others have said, March is ideal. Feb can be a bit hot and April might be a bit of a coin toss with wind and rain.

Green coring... Over/under about April 30?

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

would March /April also be the best time to visit Tasmania? I understand its proximity to the mainland, but sometimes such island areas can have unusual micro climates that should be avoided.
thanks

[Bill_McBride]

September and October are the best months for the west coast of America.  The interior valleys have cooled so the fog doesn't hang around a large part of the day along the coast.  Warmest temperatures and least chance of rain.

I would not recommend Bandon in March.   

[David_Elvins]

would March /April also be the best time to visit Tasmania? I understand its proximity to the mainland, but sometimes such island areas can have unusual micro climates that should be avoided.
thanks

I generally try to avoid Barnbougle in Sept - Dec as that is when most of the high winds hit.  Other than that, the only real variation in weather is the temperature.   In June and July the weather can get cold in the morning - a lot of ice, frost, etc - but the days often clear up nicely. 

In February, Barnbougle is better than Sydney or Melbourne because it doesnt get as hot, making it also a good time to get there.