I used to hate it when I would ask a question and someone would give me answer to a different question, without telling me they had reformulated the question.
I've traveled quite a bit and when I first went to New Zealand, I met 20 somethings on holiday work visas which sounded like and interesting adventure for me, in my early 60s at the time. I quickly found out I did not meet age criteria. In some countries like Australia where there are electronic visa applications, the limits of what you can and cannot do are spelled out. I've done repeated trips to Ireland and Australia and have spent over 18 months in the last eight years or so overseas, mostly on golf trips, with three of 27 not involving some to a great deal of golf.
With that in mind, let me ask if you had considered a golf sabbatical trip and not considered caddying part of the experience? I say that because there are quite a few areas of Ireland, Scotland, and Australia where golf is quite reasonably priced and long term rentals can be found. The coasts of all the countries are incredibly beautiful and the people are friendly and engaging. By considering two different hemispheres, you could take three months in the northern hemisphere and three in the southern hemisphere with a break in between.
If you selected a destination like County Donegal, Sligo, or Mayo in Ireland or Inverness/Dornoch/Cruden Bay in Scotland or the Mornington Peninsula in Australia, there are an abundance of very good courses that won't cost a tremendous amount of money. The downside of golf in New Zealand is the spatial separation of the quality courses and the expense associated with playing the best courses.
Charles Lund