(Chris Jones is a producer and reporter with Channel Seven.)

As a kid I dreamed of becoming a pilot. By my early teens, I had discovered what would turn out to be my life's passion: Sport. During my early twenties the ancient game of golf had begun to occupy my mind as much as AFL and cricket.

Then five years ago, while looking at golf courses on the internet, I found my golfing Mecca. Yes, Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St Andrews are all courses high on my list, but for me a place called Cape Kidnappers on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island encapsulated the journey that golf can take you on in just over four hours and 18 treacherous holes. I just couldn't get the images of those jagged 600 foot cliffs out of my mind. From that moment, my aim was to play more and become a solid enough golfer to ensure I could at the very least be respected by the course I affectionately dubbed 'The Beast'.

After a delay due to my commitments with AFL Grand Final replay, I finally arrived at Cape Kidnappers and was ready to go and tackle the fairways and hopefully avoid the cliffs. I was accompanied by Trav, a mate who I learned to play the game with back home in Mooroolbark, Victoria. It's a testimony to our friendship that we were prepared to go through the metaphorical and physical highs and lows of ‘The Beast'. It was one-in, all-in, the game was Ambrose and the two of us were pumped. After two rounds at Gulf Harbour and Kinloch leading up to Cape Kidnappers, we weren't going to be any more prepared to tackle what many regard as the world's most spectacular course.

Our experience began by missing the entrance. Expecting a lavish entrance, it is simple farm gate. Then we began the eight kilometre drive from the front to the clubhouse. You start at sea level and climb your way up to the top of the cliffs. It has to be one of the most astounding driveways in world golf.

After a brief warm up and putt we began well and we were feeling great. A feature of the course that really surprised us was the par threes. Simply put, they were outstanding yet devastating. The sixth and eleventh were clearly the pick and both saw us walking off with bogeys - ‘The Gully' an epic par three is across a huge culvert, while ‘Lookout' is seriously long and dramatic.

But while cursing the missed green after hitting a four iron at the eleventh, we quickly put it behind us as a most spectacular view loomed over the horizon. The 12th hole is like an infinity pool. You look all the way down to the green and then it just drops away into the ocean. A good score here and you walk off the green feeling unbelievable, not just about the game and course but life.

After surviving the next two holes, we faced the aptly named fifteenth hole:‘Pirates Plank'. It's a stunning par five, with a 140m drop to the left and another life threatening cliff to the right. Miss the short stuff here, as I did, and say goodbye to the brand new Callaway.

Then comes the highlight. As you walk up the steps to the 16th tee, you know something special is about to greet you. When you reach the top you are still blown away. For the first time you see the Black Reef to the right as well as a wall of 200-metre white cliffs to the left. If it takes anyone less than five minutes to hit the tee shot, you just aren't human. We both bombed our drives 260m with the wind down the middle and I can honestly say I have never had a sweeter moment or feeling in my otherwise unspectacular career.

All we needed to do now is survive the rest of the course and seriously well-earned beer was just three greens away!

I'm sure there are courses that from a pure golf layout perspective have the ‘The Beast' covered. But I would challenge anyone to show me a more exhilarating course. If it exists, can you get me on? They tell me Cape Kidnappers' sister course, Kauri Cliffs, in the Bay of Islands is in the same league, so I've already asked my wife if I can take another trip to New Zealand next year.

So as Trav and I sat there overlooking Hawke's Bay at the course's quaint clubhouse sipping on our beers, I came to the realisation, it was done. I had achieved my goal of not being humiliated by the course I feared and respected more than any other. Oh, and for the record, as an Ambrose team we shot a one-over 72 after missing a one-metre putt on 18.

Now to my next challenge ... Climb Peru's Machu Pichu in December. Do you think they'll let me take my golf clubs up there? Now that could be a course design to rival the great Cape Kidnappers.