Maramarua Golf Club – with a new full set.

November 25, 2019 Ken Orr 1 Comment

Over the Bombay hills south of Auckland city. November burst into life with a beautiful summers day. The countryside was dry, tee boxes were a little hard and fairways were on the border of drying out. The rain gods are needed to keep the Maramarua Golf Course in good condition. But today it was just right.

The dry conditions meant the greenkeepers had to top up the water on the greens, we did get caught in a few sprinkler bursts. The greens were okay but a little hairy which made them slow to putt on.

Maramarua Golf Club is in a rural setting, the course has character aplenty. I was an immediate fan – the first was stroke hole 17 a short par four. I started with a par and followed up with 2 more.

The fourth is called Fish or Chip only 302 meters but the tight fairway and encroaching water challenge the tee shot. The pro advice on the website is, ” the smart option is …. blah blah blah.” We know what comes next and it involves an iron from the tee. I hit driver and this was not smart, but it felt good!

The course is a wonderful challenge none more so than the 8th. Stoney Batter ( the 8th) is stroke hole 1, 371 metres par 4 with a small lake protecting the front of the 2 tiered green.

The New Clubs

This was the first day that I had the full complement of new clubs in my bag. Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal Pro irons and Titleist T2 driver and hybrid. They were flying me along today. 2 over the card after 9, a birdie on 7th helped. The guys at the clubroom fitted me well for these clubs, I am loving having them in the bag.

My good scoring started to slip going into the back nine. Due to sunstroke, thirst, tiredness, old age, new golf swing, and a full heavy bag. I required some concentration to keep the round under 80. 3 closing pars got me home in 79 on the par 71 5,574 metre course.

I passed down my old clubs to my boy who used them well today and even secured a 2 on the par 3 14th. Another golfing milestone for him.

What I like about Maramarua Golf Club is the quiet setting and the interesting touches around the place. They have gone with a stand-up rake for the bunkers – a nice touch of class.

Fish or Chip maybe one of the top hole names in the land. The hole naming committee didn’t take an easy road here. There was no Elbow or Westward Ho to be seen.

Easy Away, Long Fellow, The Sniper, Deception are some of the classy titles. Thank you for making some creative effort!

You will enjoy your day out at Maramarua Golf Club, so if you are south of the Bombay hills drop in for a round.

North Harbour

Redwood Park Golf Club -towering trees, a three and just me.

November 19, 2019 Ken Orr

Daylight saving pushed the sun down time out by one hour. Excellent news for golfers! Redwood Park Golf Club was chosen as today’s challenge. I hummed and hawed about a coastal course on a sunny spring day. The wind looked stiff in some places which turned my attention to tree-lined choices.

Redwood Park is in Swanson, West Auckland. I got to the carpark and it was filled with cars – another good sign for golf in this land. The temperature was rising at 2 pm in the afternoon and I looked forward to seeing what this course had in store for me.

The clue was in the title, Redwood Park, towering Redwoods dominated the terrain. A Redwood is a tall tree with a wide trunk, there is no illusion that you are going through a Redwood if you are heading towards it. The trunk will take your ball.

There were a few Juniors and parents out in front of me so I knew the round could be slowish once I caught up with them. I decided to take my time and enjoy the surroundings. There was plenty of wildlife in the ponds and trees to enjoy all around this beautiful course.

I stood up and looked at the beautiful first hole. Feeling comfortable with the new driver in hand, I swung for the stars and sent a shocking fade up the 1st into the rough. The subsequent blind shot at the green was short but a tidy up and down got me off on par.

Now I don’t rabbit on about my shot-making or lack thereof. But the 2nd was a 211 metre par 3. Into the stiff breeze, I had to use the driver. Not for some time had I hit a driver off a par 3.

I swung again with confidence, a peach of a contact sent the ball 10 feet from the hole. Playing alone there was no one else to see my genius. Did I nail the birdie – no I did not.

The Eagle!

The 3rd was a 462 metre par 5, again a chance test the driver off the tee, I hit a riper. Sitting in the middle of the fairway the new hybrid was unleashed with success and I stood over a 75 metre flick to the green. This is the perfect distance for my 57 degree old rusty. I watched on as the ball took 2 bounces and dropped into the hole.

WOW, an eagle 3 and I looked around to see if anyone may have noticed – there was nobody within 400 metres. I high 5’ed my self – like an arse. I was 2 under after 3 holes. Why oh why am I on my own?

I dropped 4shots in the next 6 holes to keep me honest. 2 over after 9. There is plenty of interesting holes around Redwood Park and I was enjoying the variety.

I have a liking for a tee box that has to be found back up in the trees. The 7th was a short walk up through the Redwoods to an elevated tee. It was a great view and I hit a smart drive to compliment the setting.

Number 8 was a cracking par 3, the 9th was a lovely par 4 and 10 was a par 3 over a large pond. This course was really taking my eye as I tiptoed through the Redwoods. I was 2 over the card after 10 holes, which is unheard of, so I knuckled down to concentrate on getting into the clubhouse with a season-best score.

I had a couple of nervous bogeys on 11 and 12. But a par on the next par 3 and 2 short par fours got me to 4 over after 15, I should have birdied 15 at 247 metres it was asking for it.

15th – A chip and put from here for birdie – easy eh?

Coulda woulda shoulda —- didn’t

I met a man on an electric golf bike, he was coming up a hole behind me. We had a long chat about electric bikes, walking the course and the state of NZ golf. We agreed the game was healthy and I eyed up his bike for a future purchase when I might want to rush around a course. Look here for how cool it is.

Walking the last 3 holes, I tired badly, dreaming of the bike. Luckily I managed to hold together a bogie on each of the last 3 to come in 7 over par for the round.

A wonderful-looking 76 on the par 69. I deserved a beer, so I bought one and sat on the great deck and marvelled at the Redwoods.

Redwood Park Golf Club is a great golf course, it is well established and challenging. Take yourself out to enjoy the trees and all this course has to offer.

Nice periscope

Waikato

Te Kowhai Golf Club -I was not alone

November 12, 2019 Ken Orr 2 Comments

A community course in the rural town of Whatawhata. Te Kowhai Golf Club was my second choice of a quick 9 whilst driving upcountry. I pulled over at Ngahinepouri Golf Club but it was closed for a tournament. That was 2 courses in one morning that turned me away due to an overabundance of golfers.

I am 43 courses into the 393 across New Zealand, just over a tenth of the way there. It is time to pick up the pace. The thought of quickly running around New Zealand and playing 393 golf courses has had a reality check. I need to keep my head down and swing hard to get closer to my golfing goal.

I have a new golf coach, I’ve had a couple of the coaches leave from the Institute of Golf at Ellerslie. Maybe the challenge of me is too much for these men.

The new coach, Ross speaks my language, a fellow Scot. Already I have seen improvement in my ball striking. The journey is looking positive to the single figure mark. But I need to apply myself and commit to getting this done.

The chap in the clubrooms at Te Kowhai Golf Club suggested I take a card to help me find my way around. “You’re on your own out there – a private round at no extra cost!” The front of the card at Te Kowhai has a picture of a nice bird. At first, I thought it was a Kowhai, but it turns out the Kowhai is a tree!

The front of the card is much prettier than the back.

This course has flat narrow fairways and many trees. I soon squashed my first thought of how I would make easy work of this little course. How wrong I was. Midwinter and slightly long fairway grass were not forgiving to a poor skinny drive looking for a bit of run-up. The greens were perfectly fine and flat to putt on. Easier than Waitomo’s earlier that morning.

A straight par 5 to start off was followed by long par 4’s 380, 345 and 254. No, it is not a typo 254 metres, the trick here is that if you don’t get into the right-hand side of the fairway at about 215 metres you are confronted by a wall of trees.

If I had an opinion, I’d shorten the par 4’s add 3 more par 3’s call it a 12 hole course and let the community enjoy an easier set of challenges in this lovely setting. Or am I just a little grumpy that I couldn’t quite get the measure of this course?

A story to read at the ball wash machine.

I noticed my clubhouse keeper had let 2 others onto the course, his lies about my own private round rung in my ears. Not alone I stood on the 9th dis-satisfied with my golf but pleased to have stopped at Te Kowhai Golf Club.

The ninth was a tough hoof into the strong wind 162 metres and the well-struck hybrid still didn’t get up to the green. A chip and a putt and I was back in the car to head home, a little tired. Nothing that Bat Out of Hell blaring at me from the stereo wouldn’t cure.

Waikato

Waitomo Golf Club – out of the dark into the light.

November 4, 2019 Ken Orr 6 Comments

Waitomo is famous for its extensive underground caves, I was here for a different reason. Waitomo Golf Club is in the Waikato Region. Established in 1912 the course is a fine example of NZ rural golf.

I was playing at Waitomo because I was heading back up to Auckland on my own with some time to kill. Rising early that day I planned to get a start on Taumarunui Golf Course. The car park was FULL at 8 am, there was a gaggle of golfers warming up. The friendly team in the shop said the Maori Cup was on and I wouldn’t get a tee slot for a few hours.

Golf in New Zealand is not dead, this would be the second course I found today that was fully booked.

I pulled over at Waitomo Golf Club, straight off of SH3 just passed Te Kuiti not knowing what to expect. The kiwi golf legend, Phil Tataurangi played here as a boy. There is some great reminiscing here of his childhood learning golf at Waitomo Golf Club.

It was a cracking sunny day – no good for my glow in the dark golf balls. An unexpected parcel arrived at my office desk some time ago with 6 balls in it. Strange balls, not ordered by me. I have subsequently discovered they are glow in the dark. These could have been a massive advantage if Waitomo Golf Club was actually in one of their famous caves.

The caves are filled by the most amazing glow worms and tourists who are boating through the caves or black water rafting if they are more adventurous.

Self serve Eftpos, the first time I’ve seen that on my travels. But I still prefer the cash in the honesty box malarkey. It feels right to push your little envelope of cash into the hole.

I love an obvious opening hole and even more so if it is downhill- downwind – with a wide fairway — short —okay you get the picture. The first was stroke hole 18 and ticked all the boxes.

Lookout ahead

The other pet love of mine is the way in which each course deals with the blind tee shot. We know about Warkworth and Helensville’s bells. Akarana has a periscope on the 3rd – you can see nothing more from peering into it in search of your upfront group.

At Waitomo on the 3rd, there is some excellent steps and a platform. This would be my favourite type of checking tool.

I played the first 4 holes behind a 3 ball ahead. At the 5th tee, the male in the group came over to ask if I wanted to play with him. The two ladies were in competition mode and he was the third wheel!

Glen was great company around the rest of Waitomo. He was a rural man, working and living in the Waikato and loving life. I enjoyed his company and thoughts on the future of golf. Making the game accessible and easy for new players in a community was key to his thinking.

The signature hole at Waitomo Golf Club is the 6th. A par 3 beautifully framed but a menacing 137 metres. A firm favourite on the list of New Zealand’s Best Golf Holes.

Waitomo is a great feeling golf course. Farm life surrounds you and there are stunning views across the King Country. I was still getting used to my new driver & hybrid – struggling a bit to get into a rhythm. The greens were a bit bobbly after coring and sanding. I didn’t worry too much, I was enjoying the countryside and the company.

One thing that should be eliminated from our great game is an uphill par 5 that is also the 18th and last hole. We don’t need a final physical test after a good day out. A rule changed required from our Royal and Ancient friends, please. Score early around Waitomo and save some energy for some tough closing holes.