Top-notch greens are hard to find on a country golf course. In the blazing heat of Waikato, I found just that at Horsham Downs Golf Club. Situated north of Hamilton, near Flagstaff the club is a wee stunner, nine- holes of great golf.
I sat in the car looking out over the Waikato River, a peaceful fast-moving body of water. Peaceful until a jet ski buzzed by. The golf course is on the east bank of the Waikato, it doesn’t really come into play unless you hit a big sliced thin on the 3rd.
I caked myself in sunscreen from the boot of my car, it was hot and I wasn’t too used to sunshine as yet this summer. There were plenty of folks around on the course and a few were getting ready in the car park. The chap in the shop was a proud Waikato man in a rugby shirt to match his pride. He juggled the shop and bar, he ducked away to serve a couple of beers whilst I was printing my card. He gave me excellent instructions on how to get around the course and set me on my way with a large drink.
The opening hole is an exceptional way to get going, a par three of 167 metres into a beautiful two-tiered green, flanked by a couple of bunkers. A challenge from the get-go for sure with the added bonus of the incoming driveway in front of the green.
The blind drive off the 2nd is interesting, a short par four of 266 meters. If you know where you are going a well-hit drive up and over the hill might have a surprise eagle putt at the end of it. Or you might just nestle into one of the 2 bunkers sprawled in front of the green.
From the 3rd tee, you can see a glimpse of the Waikato River, but it shouldn’t be in play on this 143-metre par 3. The back of the green is all out of bounds so the pressure to not thin your tee shot is the biggest worry. I was very impressed with the greens at Horsham Downs Golf Club, they have put a great deal of effort into maintaining top-quality greens at such an unlikely course. You can have the confidence to fire at the flag and know you’ll get a receptive surface.
I started with a solid three bogeys in a row, my frustrated gate made it to the 4th tee box and was delighted to view another par 3 down into a bowl of green below.
I felt my fortunes improving as I stood over the shot into the classy green which was 144 metres away. A quality strike and 2 indifferent putts secured my first par of the day, and at the last of the par 3’s on the course. It is unusual to have 3 of the first 4 holes as par 3’s.
I nailed a drive up to a blind and narrow 5th fairway and bowled up to my ball swigging most of my drink, it was hot and the fairways were baking. As Winton Peters might say, “The drapes don’t match the carpet “– the fairways are typical Waikato country course fairways, with limited irrigation they are at the mercy of the weather. Not poor just not up to the standards set on the greens.
My shot from the middle of the 5th fairway was down into a green some 40 metres below, a little daunting with the driveway behind. Another par secured I moved across to the 6th – the longest par 4 at 383 metres with a road all down one side. My ball is still bouncing down that road…triple bogey later I needed more liquid.
The only par 5 is the 7th only 423 metres, if you know where the fairway was on this hole – it is an easy drive, and you can really let loose. A large bank on the left side of the fairway almost guarantees success, if you don’t go too far left, your ball will make its way onto the fairway. The green is a monster – I found that out when I got there in 2 mighty hits and took 3 mighty awful putts to make par.
With only 2 holes to go I could see the clubhouse from the 8th tee and knew there was beer there. The final two holes are unique for sure, both have two greens, one for the front nine and one for the back nine. Normally you will find different tee boxes so this was unusual. All holes have 2 flags one for each nine so encouraging you to go around twice. The issue I uncovered on the 8th fairway was that the distance marker in the ground didn’t tell you which of the two greens you were 135 metres from, an added challenge for sure.
When I was heading down the 9th – having avoided the OB on the right – I felt very satisfied with my outing. Only 258 metres, the last is a hole that could be a Wrecker if you take a swing to get there in one blow. The OB might get you or the tree in front of the green if you are on the wrong angle.
The green I was shooting for was small and sloping steeply towards me. I played a safe 4 iron up to a good spot to attack the hole. That I did and came off the last with a tap in par.
It is difficult to pick a hole of the day, I reckon the 1st just pips the rest. The amphitheater beginning to a 2-tiered green is a great opening challenge. The guy in the shop likes the 7th – because it is a hole with no danger on either side of the fairway. He said to me when I was enjoying a beer on the outdoor deck that he would challenge any small course in the country to compete with their greens. Who am I to argue? Horsham Downs Golf Club is up there as one of the best nine-hole courses in the country, just for their greens alone. Add in the target golf of the three excellent par 3’s, the risk-reward of the short par 4’s, and the quirky double greens on the 8th and 9th they must be a contender.
If you are looking for a quick nine holes, (or a slow nine) we have many choices across the country. I found nine samples in different locations across New Zealand.
What is the ideal number of holes for a golf course? Is 18 holes really the golden number? The traditionalists need to listen for a minute before starting a march and camping at the gates of parliament in protest. Park your purist thoughts on the well-known 18 holes that have been the bread and butter of the game long established by the Royal and Ancient.
Following the rule changes in 2019, we all quickly got over the iny or outy debate over whether a flag should be in, out, or held. Is this the next big hurdle to questioning the fabric of our game? Why is the perfect number of holes 18?
Playing a full 18 holes, including getting to and from the course, plus the after-match beers and sausage rolls will take up a full day. It isn’t for everyone. If you want to open your club to a range of players, this thought might be holding you back.
There is nothing better than a respectable 9 holes. It is short enough to get done before breakfast in the summer, and you can squeeze it in between finishing work and getting home for a late dinner. Some say that 12 holes are perfect, enough time to recover from a bad start and long enough to put the pressure on the second half if you get off to a flyer.
Don’t get me wrong, 18 holes are the real challenge to level the playing field for all of us inconsistent hackers out there. A full range of opportunities to be the hero or the villain over 18 holes certainly sorts the wheat from the chaff.
On this trip, I discovered Mangakino Golf Club and their 4-hole bash, a late evening event that is great for extended families to give our game a go. A progressive club with a mission to attract new players to the game.
The selection of 9-hole golf courses in our country is impressive. The latest leg of my journey to play every course in the land allowed me to tick off nine of the 9-hole courses.
One Quarter of the way through!
On this trip, I made it over the threshold of one-quarter through the country of golf courses. Golf course 96 was a memorable milestone at Mossburn Golf Club and I had a wee lie down on the soft greens to celebrate.
the softest grass in the land.
The First of the nine courses is the Southern cracker at Bluff. The course is 15 minutes out of Invercargill, in an area called Greenhills. The course is a sloping affair overlooking the Mokomoko inlet. On approaching the clubrooms down the driveway, you get a good sneak peek at the sweeping layout.
It is cash only with no room for online payment, I was skint for cash and left a note worth $10 that I’d promise to pay somehow. I “Set Sail” down the aptly named first with the course to myself except the company of a mower man.
The course is a simple layout up and down the slope. The open nature of the terrain was good for confidence off the tee, with only a smattering of flax bushes in your way most of the time. The greens were on the rural small side, so a difficult proposition to get on.
The mower man was following me around the greens– I was getting trimmed and non-trimmed variations on the soft flat surfaces. It would be tremendous if on the PGA tour they stuck a greenkeeper on the course to work around the pros during a tournament. The Bluff man wasn’t worried about me hitting the greens as he moved about his work grabbing the flag as he buzzed past the hole.
The hole names were cool, Kaitoa, Tarewa (up to a hanging green) , Moki Moki( a skint or lizard.) Maranui ( Long sands ) and finishing on the 9th with Anchorage ( which marries nicely with Set Sail at the 1st) and they didn’t mess with new names if you repeated the nine to make up 18 holes. I have never seen the point in that.
The nine holes measure 2,545 metres, it is a short course but the hill and the wind make for a challenging journey.
Dunedin – a city of golfing heaven and tradition
Dunedin has many golf courses in and around the city. The oldest club in the land, Otago Golf Club set a foundation for golf in the Scottish-branded Southern City. They say the Scots came 12,000 miles and landed in the Bay of Islands. They found it a wee bit too hot. So, they marched south until they found a climate more like home, stopping when they could go no further and get no colder.
Gladfield Golf Club didn’t appear to be up for that. A walk-up and play public golf course 15 minutes from central Dunedin. The main sign on the way in claims a $15 green fee will get you on this nice wee course, the discounted rate of $10 is offered where you pay. This is good psychology, to underpromise and overdeliver. With an extra fiver in my pocket, the spirits were lifted on the first tee.
There is a wide and downhill drive to start you off and give you a warm feeling of achievement. I followed a nice drive with a sweet gap wedge leaving a birdie chance first up. Four putts later I headed to the second tee.
A four-ball of local fellas were still fluffing around on the 2nd tee, the last combatant topped his tee shot a good 10 feet. “You can play through chief” was the friendly advice from the fellas. Feeling gallus I jabbed a thank you and commented that it would give them time to practice! “We saw your putting…” they retorted, and I felt better now being part of the local banter. My tee shot off the 2nd was a ripper, and the fellas acknowledged the effort for me. But this hole is a monster. A sharp sharp dog leg to the right and then up and up a hill. There is a dangerous drop-off if you miss your second to the right, it makes you aim well left to leave an approach that gets a view of the green. This is a cool hole.
The course is not a bland old public golf serving, it has some chops. There were two par 3’s back-to-back, the 4th and 5th are attractive and challenging. The 6TH has a hedge along the right-hand boundary of the fairway, 2 men ahead were in the hedge, they saw me and waved me through. I got up close to them and passed the time of day. There was a hole in the hedge, and you could see golfers on the other side. “What is in there? “I asked the men.
“That’s JJ”s another 9-hole golf course.”
This is the first time I’ve seen two 9-hole courses side by side. Was it a messy breakup of golf lovers? Was it bravado from competing neighbours to see who could make the best 9? Who knew? The only other side-by-side courses that I know to date are Gulf Harbour and Whangaparaoa which are next to each other on one fairway.
Gladfield Golf Club is a great place for a quick hit when you need to stretch your legs before getting into the city of Dunedin. Don’t pass it by.
The next day, I got a very early start, waking up to the waves on St. Clair Beach. I wasn’t sleeping on the beach, I was in an apartment overlooking the famous surf paradise.
On the easternmost part of Dunedin out past Portobello, is the Otago Peninsula. If you trek over the hill on a winding road, you’ll discover this hard-to-find 9-hole golf course. Otakou Golf Club is 3,085 metres of links golf that you will enjoy at every turn. A remote wee place where you will need $15 of honest money to cover the cost of the round.
When you drive into a car park of an unknown golf course in a quiet, out-of-the-way location, you don’t know what to expect. It is a common thought of mine, “I don’t know what to expect from this course today”. Which is a little dumb, a bit like walking into a random restaurant you’ve never been to before. You don’t know what to expect, it will have food and some beverages, but the rest of the experience will be a mystery until you try it. Otakou Golf Club will have 9 holes on the menu, but I do hope it isn’t all vegan.
The course has a linksy feel, humps and hollows, with contoured links-like greens. The greens were excellent, firm, good rolling and better than you’d expect. There were a few too many pine trees on the course to make it feel like a true links. (whatever that really means) The course has a sandy bottom and is well laid out, with no hills to speak of.
Scrubby sandy rough is an indication that the course keeps at one with nature. The approach to the greens allows for the traditional bump and run that makes it feel just right.
This could be the best Nine holes in Otago and is pushing for a spot on the best of New Zealand List.
A mix of long par 4’s gettable par 5’s and attractive par 3’s. The 8th is 286 metres long from a blind tee shot giving the course authenticity in the links world. Risk and reward is a huge part of the links experience. And followed by the last at only 226 metres so reachable, with a road so close to the fairway to make you think twice.
THE LAST
If you are looking for a nine-hole menu of taste sensations then I’d suggest you add Otakou Golf Club to your hit list when in Otago.
The course is an up-and-down affair, 9 holes that offer many challenges. Treelined fairways, nice bunkering and a view of the Kaikorai Estuary are pleasant.
It is only 10 minutes from downtown Dunedin to visit this little parkland beauty that claims to be the premier 9 holer in Dunedin. I did pull up to the car park, unsure what to expect, which by now was to be expected.
The first is an awesome way to start. A short par 4, with a steep hill down to the fairway that was nice and wide. Golf will be easy today.
The last is your opposite, a long tough uphill challenge and a very tricky way to finish. Get your punches in early when stroke hole 1 is your last.
The course is in good condition, the greens are somewhat better than most at the nine-hole level. I met a cross-section of locals as I sprinted around, I nearly felled a young couple from the first tee as they appeared from nowhere, hidden at the bottom of the steep slope. My drive whistled over their heads, not a good look. They let me play through. I met a lovely local couple who were having a leisurely game. I stopped for a natter with them and also 2 slow-moving gents from across town who were enjoying the peaceful facilities. Dunedin is a very friendly place with amazing local people, this is aligned with the world of golf.
The 8th is a good hole, a semi-driveable short par 4, with many hillocks and humps to negotiate, some local knowledge on where to land would have been a help. The nice wee green is protected by a bunker.
8th
This course is tidy, not remarkable but worthy of your attention. For a well-utilised 9-hole golf course it is in better condition than most and has the variety across the nine holes to make a play for the best in New Zealand List.
In the hills of South Otago, the little town of Clinton has a golf hub worth a visit. The course is 9 holes, formed back in 1937. The town is called the five-horse town as it celebrates its local Clydesdales. Located in the centre of the town are sculptures created to celebrate the long agricultural history. A few years ago there were 3 horses, but with inflation and progression, they are now 5.
There are under 300 people in Clinton, so it is magnificent that it can maintain a golf course that is a fair challenge and very tidy.
For the $15 green fee, you will get a curious wee course. The fairways are wide in places but there are enough trees to keep you focused. The downhill first is called “Popotunoa”, named after the hill reserve in the distance.
The greens are soft and typical for a rural course. Flat, small and approachable. The rolling course is an easy walk, in pleasant surroundings.
“Little Moe” the 6th is 118 metres over a gully with the road terribly close behind the green. A great wee hole you should play once in your golfing life.
Little Mo
The day I pulled over was a roaster in the south, I stopped to gather plenty of liquid for me and my company. By the 5th we’d drank everything and were sweating our way around this great nine-holer. We were the only players, probably because you should never play golf at the height of the heat like us dehydrated losers.
Halfway between Dunedin and Balclutha in the Otago countryside is a nine-hole golf course that will surprise you. Toko Golf Club isn’t pretending to be anything other than a place for the local community to meet and walk with golf clubs. I may have had no expectations in the car park when I arrived, “I don’t know what to expect from this course today”. By the time 9 holes were done and I was back in the car park I was expecting to come back and play again. I had found a course that ticks a lot of boxes.
The mainly flat easy walking course is in good condition, including various pretty gardens. There is a creek that weaves through the course and plays a part in four of the holes. There is limited bunkering, only in play on 3 holes. This is a normal country course set-up, keep the maintenance low and use the resource well.
It is a great course to play on wide enough fairways and short enough rough not to lose your ball, on the first there was a two-armed man raking the bunker, a friendly fella enjoying the rake, the sand and the scorching heat.
The dog leg 4th is a nice hole as is the par 3 5th. On the 6th make sure you take your tee shot up the 7th after your approach to the 6th green to save time. And don’t tell the rules committee. Toko doesn’t seem to need many rules.
Country courses with limited membership hinge on a few good ladies and gentlemen. It was 29 degrees when I got out of the car. There were 3 guys sitting in the shade of the clubrooms. “whoosh it’s hot today fellas.” I said. “Come back when it heats up.” I was told by the good southern men in the shade. The online payment wasn’t working I left another promissory note that I’d pay somehow.
“Are you a good golfer” I was asked by one of the men. Be careful, this is a question you can’t answer. It is relative to nothing, good v’s the effort you have put into the game over the years, or good just today, or good is better than the average. “I’ll let you know when we finish.” I’ll walk with you said the ex-shearer Melvin who took up golf later in life.
“Is there a tap somewhere ?” “yes over by the gate, the water is funny but the prisoners drink it.” (the is Otago Correctional Facility is nearby) I filled the water bottle, the liquid was brown like dirt, I packed it in my bag anyway.
The Greens are country-soft but well looked after and true. There was a choice the club made a few years back. They had a chance to acquire the farmland next door and turn the excellent current nine into a full eighteen. A wise old member warned the committee that they could expand to a full 18 but most likely the quality would drop, they had no time or money to maintain additional holes. So, the decision to keep 9 and make it a top-quality course was the right one.
I enjoyed the company of Melvin on one of the better country nines. I was nearly out of golf balls going up the last couple of holes. I am not sure how this happened, there were spares in the car, but I didn’t check my ammunition levels before getting out on the course. You hear that occasionally in the professional world where the caddy only packs a dozen balls and the pro sprays a few around and hands out a couple to the local kids on his way around. The caddy notices on the 16th or somewhere that he is on his last ball, lose it and that is disqualification! The caddy is best to keep that a secret from his employer.
You know that a tube of toothpaste is always near full, right up to the moment when it is near empty. It’s like golf balls, you have a bag full of them and then hold on, why is there only an old Titleist with JC written on it and a pinky orange slightly rubber number that just appeared in your bag? Where did the rest end up? There are many things in life that fit this irritating order of the universe. Petrol gauges show full and then the panic of the red light appears as you pull out of a country golf course with no idea where the closest garage will be. And of course, the charge on your phone fits this model, plenty of charge right up til the screen dims and you’re on less than 10% .
I emptied the muddy water from my bottle on the ground in the car park, I was stunningly thirsty, but there was no chance of me drinking it.
Deer capital and soft greens
The town of Mossburn is known as the deer capital of New Zealand. The 9-hole golf course is not dear, $10 and you are away. A flat course with wide fairways underneath the attractive Takitimu Mountains.
The course is the rural variety, small green that was so so soft, if I had brought the rolly puppy dog from the toilet tissue ad he would have loved lying on the grass, I gave it a go on the 4th. It took a good few minutes to get up, very enjoyable.
The first is stroke hole 1, which we don’t like that much as a starter. A long tree-lined hole with long fairway grass adds extra degrees of difficulty.
There was no one around except a wee dog and some sheep penned between 2 fairways. Surprisingly it was humid for a trip around a Southland course, there were large sprinklers firing out protection to the greens. These weren’t going away quickly so there was the need to dodge the sprinkler to and fro as I putted.
The course boasts many majestic Douglas fir trees. The layout is not remarkable, but it is an attractive place to play.
Halfway around I met a nice fella who was wondering which fairway was needing cut the most. I pointed him to the first.
Mossburn Golf Club does mess with different names for the second of the same nine, but I must say in their defence, just like Tuatapere Golf Club they have significantly different tee boxes. The ninth particularly goes from par 3 to par 4. So I’ll let them off this decision.
These types of golf courses are all over Southland, very local affairs, looked after by the community. Not the most trodden of golf courses but well-loved for their contribution to local life. I was honoured to be here on my quarter point on the journey to play all 392 in the land.
The last two of my nine nines are in the North Island. Mangakino Golf Club, north of Taupo, is mainly flat easy walking golf. A pretty little place to view from up at the club rooms looking down across the layout. In the heart of the dam country, there is a hydroelectric power station at Lake Maraetai.
I arrived at the car park late in the day just before 7 pm. Enough light to see me around before heading to my accommodation for the night in Taupo. To my surprise, there were many cars and some activity in the clubrooms.
It was probably twilight and it was probably finishing up, so I headed inside the clubrooms to pay my fees. I was warmly greeted by a lady asking if I was here for the 4-hole frenzy. I wasn’t really, I told her. I might play the whole 9 if that’s okay.
She took $10 from me and told me to hurry up and join the family on the 1st tee. I missed them as they took off as a family 4 ball. It seemed the community were being encouraged to get into golf. Nice one I thought.
I walked up and joined the family and played alongside them at the first. They were lovely people getting introduced to our lovely game. They released me on the 2nd to march on to get around before dark. The course was in country nick and very pleasant.
The front and back nine differ by 180 metres – the front has 2 par 3’s the back has 3 of them but one less par 5. This would make for a thoughtful second run at the nine-holer.
There is a nice lake -Maraetai – flanking the course and the undulation down the far end of the course makes it a worthy experience. The 5th/14th is a 243-metre par 4 or 133-metre par 3. This is the hole of the course for sure just for that variation but a very intrusive pond at the front of the green makes it a challenge from either tee.
I also love that the 7th is stroke hole 1 on the front as a 376-metre par 4 and stroke hole 18 on the back as a par 5 404 metres only.
The last is a nice wee par 3 under the club rooms, when I got there the family were just finishing their 4 holes, I put my tee shot 2 feet from the pin. I looked a shoo-in for the closest to the pin prize. Except, the guy who won it took away the marker after he hit his shot! That is one way to guarantee the prize.
There were pizzas in boxes being passed around the club rooms and I joined in with a lite beer and talked with the crowd. A friendly bunch who had forgotten all about covid and were enjoying their community place. The guy running the show told me he was trying to get the club back on its feet. Make it more of a focal point for the local community and those with a bach to get involved with the locals. He was certainly going to give it a nudge and spruce the place up a bit.
Very good luck to him and the community there, golf will keep us all in high spirits, even in a pandemic.
To conclude the Nine o’ Nine, I took on my first Taranaki golf course. This region looks like a very interesting challenge with its 19 courses offering a range of experiences. Urenui Golf Club is north of New Plymouth by 30 kilometres.
The course is short and flat, ideal for holidaymakers who are attracted to the swimming spots and caravan park that borders the course. An unusual $12 green fee is required in cash, if you have only folding money this leaves an honest man’s choice, pay $15 and contribute more or put in a tenner and feel like a bandit stealing the club of $2. You decide where you sit. I found a two-dollar coin in the car and saved myself from the dilemma.
Who doesn’t love a Pouhutaka tree-lined fairway? This course has much to offer aesthetically. Views out over the Tasman and Caravans banking around one green to vindicate its name, the 5th, “Caravans”
The tee boxes with the ocean in your backdrop are excellent. Add in a couple of tempting dog legs and it makes for an entertaining golf course.
I enjoyed this course, it is well suited to the jandel-wearing golfer as well as me in my proper shoes. I met a one-armed man in the bunker raking to his heart’s content. I later found out he is a local legend who looks after the course. The Taranaki golf course kept in shape by a one-armed greenkeeper | Stuff.co.nz
The course was in fine condition and what I would say was an interesting find on the coast of Taranaki. This region might surprise a few with what golf it offers. I’ll be back to find out.
At the time of writing, there are 392 courses in New Zealand. Nine-hole golf courses are the backbone of small-town New Zealand golf. The quality of these courses is variable, but always the golf courses are there because of the hard work of local people. Building a golf course for your community is no mean feat and maintaining it takes dedication.
I have loved discovering these amazing places and will continue my journey to play every one of them. Go well, fellow golfers.
I had a lucky discovery in the countryside and the course makes it to the best courses in the land list.
A storm blows me into a rustic beauty in Shannon.
There are many golf courses in this land of the small white ball. 393 in fact, some of them will take your life savings for the privilege of teeing up. But my focus has moved to the lifeblood of New Zealand golf and those courses in the countryside feeding our communities.
Country courses can be all rustic – sheep, fenced greens and honesty boxes. Some are more angled towards country community affairs, a home for social gathering. Most are in quiet parts of our land giving you time to hear the wildlife, see the trees and listen to yourself muttering over missed putts.
My recent travels started at the king of rustic courses. Hawkes Bay is an area of New Zealand that can claim to have a true international golfing attraction in Cape Kidnappers. But I was there to play Te Pohue Golf Club.
Where? Taupo to Napier is a nice drive touching the southern point of the mighty Kaingaroa Forrest. It climbs up to the summit of the Turangakuma ranges and once you cross the bridge over the Mohaka river, you rise again to get up over the Titiokura Saddle. One of the great New Zealand road trips to be ticked off. 30 minutes short of Napier is this nine-hole golf course. Proper rustic with sheep in the fairways and sheep tee markers. Oh and nobody else on the course.
I played this course in a wind that was part of a weather bomb heading up New Zealand. It made for a perfectly wild day on a course that has a charm all of its own and should be a must stop if in the area.
At the start of this Rustic Tour of New Zealand, I was well organised. My wallet was filled with cash to feed the honesty boxes. I mentally prepared myself to share the course with wildlife. I mentally prepared for the various greens I would encounter. I downloaded an audiobook to focus on my putting prowess.
There is a man called Dr. Bob Rotella, a golf coach guru. I listened to his “Putting out of Your Mind” audiobook on the road. This has changed my life, both the audiobook thing and the lessons learned in less than an hour.
If you need any improvement on the greens I’d advise downloading the short audiobook. Audible gives you a free book when you sign up, so I challenge you to listen and not gain the confidence over a putt that I have now, thanks to Dr. Bob. Click the pic and tell me I am wrong.
The day after Te Pohue, I headed to the legendary 12 holes at Takapau Golf club, born in 1898. The weather bomb was severe and it wouldn’t let me out of the car to find out why there was a legendary attached to my description. I had to drive off.
It took 2 hours of navigating the storm to find a break at Shannon and I was blown through the 2 farm gates of Buckley Golf Club.
In the hospitality world, you use phrases such as, ‘we under-promise and over-deliver’. Buckley didn’t make any false promises, but my expectations were easily beaten by this little country course. Some sheep early on, but some cool hole designs lurking behind the clubhouse.
“Pond” “Hazard” and “Drop Shot” are worth the green fee alone. The club has been around since 1919, so it knows what it is doing.
The Best Nine Holes in the Land (so far)
The morning after a storm is always calm, I found a cracker clear day in Titahi Bay in Wellington. Titahi Golf Club is where Michael Campbell started his rather splendid career. This course is 9 holes and following the day out here it went straight to the top of my best nine holes in the country list.
A remarkable course on sweeping undulating slopes with brilliant risk and reward holes. Understated but not unnoticed. I’m glad I missed Titahi in a storm, my impression may have been somewhat different.
I once played Tokanui Golf Course in a breeze that was much stronger than stiff. I was actually very pleased to be playing the Southernmost golf course on the mainland with a Foveaux straight wind belting across the course. It made the whole course make sense, you don’t go to a water park and not expect to get wet.
Country golf courses struggle to get recognition, people don’t go country very often, the greens staff are usual one, with volunteers keeping these place in good order. That is why I was surprised to find Walton Golf Club. Following a closed sign at Tirau Golf Club due to the dreaded coring season, I stumbled up the treelined Walton driveway. In the Waikato countryside near Cambridge, this is a real hidden gem.
I didn’t expect it would end up on my top NZ golf course list. It slowly grew on me as I walked the fairways of this top-class country golf course. The layout, the location, the well looked after greens and fairways and the beautiful TREES. Like being on a garden tour it was a well thought out and a great place to play golf.
If you want to get lost in rustic whilst in the Waikato, there are many choices. “The best 9 holes in the Waikato” according to the team at Hukanui Golf Club is found 30 minutes north of Hamilton. Hard to disagree with that sentiment, the bar was open, the welcome friendly, the variety of challenges across the 2 hours was remarkable.
“Canyon” the signature hole across a small canyon was fun. The last green on the course is nearly in the clubhouse, “Walnuts” is a great finishing hole.
If this isn’t rustic enough for you, get in the car and find Waiterimu Golf Club. Proper electric fences and a flock of green keepers to manage the fairways. Somewhere near Huntly, you’ll enjoy the solitude of the country here.
An excellent collection of rural golf courses in New Zealand, and only a little slice of what is out there. When you come to plan a wee golf trip, don’t rush passed a small rural offering in favour of the big names out in the press. Save yourself a dollar and play a course that will give you some real character and might even surprise you just a wee bit.
Well Well Well I had never heard of Pupeke Golf Club before today. The birthplace of Lydia Ko and Michael Hendry, so it has to be worth a look. Our own course was closed for the Charles tour so we thought a venture to the North shore would be a good option. Only 15 minutes from downtown. The course is a sweeping up and down affair that will put the fitness to test. Overlooking the Hauraki Gulf, with many glimpses of Rangitoto the attractive layout makes this course one of the best in and around Auckland.
Practice green and views up to the sweeping first hole.
We debated getting a cart cos it looked like a difficult walk. One of our 4 ball had played here before and claimed we would definitely know we walked the course come tonight.
Cart it is then……Na …..we’ll walk….we need the exercise. That is why we are here enjoying a magical windless day.
The same “played it before “companion said when he finished his round playing Pupeke some years ago, he packed his clubs in the car and turned to the course and gave a one finger salute screaming , “ I’ll never be back!!”
It is a difficult and punishing course, the reputation is for one of the toughest courses around the city of Auckland. Plenty of Out of Bounds, deep scrub rough and many other ways to lose your ball. No wonder Lydia turned out the most accurate player on the LGPA.
That’s me ball on the green at the signature 17th.
I had completed 2 lessons with my new coach. My previous coach Fred left to go overseas, maybe he had been following my progress and the embarrassment sent him into hiding. Following some serious practice I was confident that the swing was beginning to turn a corner …lucky all the doglegs on Pupeke were about to test the turning corners.
I loved Pupuke, a hellava walk that pushed my ageing limbs to get about the place. But it is fully worth it.
Greens are good and true, hard to read and can punish a poor decision. The driving accuracy is paramount, not knowing the course is a big disadvantage. OB or worse awaits a misplaced tee shot.
I had a patchy start, getting to grips with my short game around the treacherous greens. The 7th is a funny dogleg directly left, a 5 iron off the tee leaves another one of those up the hill to a plateau green.
I got to the 9th one over my 13 handicap for the day. A perfect 9 iron saw my ball inches from an ace, tapped in for birdie and promptly birdied the 10th par 5 straight after. Was I loving Pupeke at this point! Great views and a marvellous setting was constant. Unlike my run of birdies which dried up pretty fast and was replaced with a run of bogies. At 17 the signature hole, I popped another sublime 9 iron onto the green close enough to comfortably miss the birdie putt.
Wattle downs Golf Club – Head down the southern motorway about 30 min out of Auckland. 5 minutes’ drive from the Takanini Interchange and you’ll find Wattle Downs Golf Club.
It is a 9 hole golf course – I had the impression it was not going to be worth a visit. I called to make a tee time in the morning. “Oh just turn up there is no one around” ( on a Sunday morning). My son was looking for his collared shirt. A a lion red tee shirt might be fine attire for the day. I was feeling a little judgemental for no good reason.
Carry – Don’t ride
The course is surrounded by retirement villages, 18 holes might be a bit much for the old folks. The welcome in the shop was friendly and engaging. We were wished well, and given a guarantee the spits of rain would come to nothing. They didn’t by the way, fine conditions today, warm with a little breeze.
A good looking club house and well maintained course, this promised to be more than I expected. Lovely parkland setting and good people.
The Slice at Wattle Downs
There are some cool doglegs to deal with, a couple of short par 4’s and some tricky par 3’s. One at 213 metres followed by 175 up hill. The last is a 305 metre par four sharp dogleg to the right. The clubhouse is dead straight ahead about 180 metres. A high slice around the corner would have to be spot on or you might end up playing through the golden wedding party at the The Slice Restaurant.
Play safe up to the corner and you will have 135 ish into the green.
The bar was titled the Thirsty caddie – there was a great outdoor area to watch the players come down the last. Well worth stopping to enjoy the view.
Looking down the last.
The people were friendly everywhere, we were given some local knowledge (a little too late) when you tee off the par 3 6th hole, you leave you clubs on the 7th tee box which is right next to the 6th tee box. Once you have putted out on the 6th green you walk all the way back from the green to where you started. The following locals told us we should have teed off the 7th first, then teed off the 6th, finished the 6th green and then continue with your 7th hole – not sure how the Royal and ancient committee would cope with playing a future shot first?
Bar was open
A good quick day out, I enjoyed playing Wattle Downs. I will go back now I know the layout. Of course the scoring will be much better. I was 9 over on the 9 holes. Shoulda woulda coulda had an eagle after driving the par 4 4th, but missed a 5 footer and the subsequent 3 footer for birdie. The nerves jangled somewhat but I nailed the par putt. Current handicap is a problem 12.2 at present with so many swing and set up changes I’m doomed.
Drive 30 minutes west out of Auckland and you will be in the Waitakere ranges, native bush surroundings and awe-inspiring Kauri trees. Waitakere Golf Club is in the middle of the forest where public access restrictions are in place to keep the Kauri dieback at bay. The disease is common to only the Kauri and is threatening the existence of these majestic trees.
Waitakere golf course has an excellent topography and a great native bush feel. It may also be under the threat of extinction. Towards the end of a blistering summer made for dry and hard fairways and greens of varying condition. It was not pleasant playing conditions.
I played this course in 3 hours in a massive rush, rock hard fairways was a bonus for my self-esteem – like driving up an airport runway. I drove the 10th par 4 ( and promptly 3 putted)
The view off the 10th – stunned Muppet drove the green.
Standing up on the first it is blind tee shot over a hill, that drops 50 metres down to the green. Note to self – remember to research the course before you venture out. I am finding that not knowing the course layout is costing me a few rookie shots.
I broke 80 for the 1st time this summer, the easy driving conditions and lady luck won the day. 9 over with a course handicap of 12.
The setting is lovely exceptionally undulating. Most greens provide a tricky approach shot. Even though the par 5’s were nearly drivable in 2 hits the greens were a bugger to get on, even close in.
The 9th is a cool hole imposing trees to avoid from the tee and a straight up the hill second to the elevated green. I enjoyed the challenge of the course, the back nine especially. The 16th took a bit of effort hazards on both sides of the angled fairway. The green is skinny and has two large pines framing it.
Waitakere’s signature hole is number 6. The tee box was up in the trees and you play off a driving range pad no grass. I thought that odd until I got to the 14th and could not find the tee box (it’s behind the 13th green) 20 metres into the trees. Another hidden tee box again off a driving range pad.
Signature Hole Number 6
You get what you pay for, really cheap round of golf at $25, not many members, no money in the pot – a beautiful place to be for 3 hours I was exhausted when I finished and wished the bar was open and welcoming to draw me in. – No such luck.
Akarana Golf Course is my home course. I rose early on a Saturday and headed down to the scramble.
I was buoyed from a good range session in the week. There are new range monitors at the Ellerslie golf range. The longest drive game is cool and you can play golf at a selection of golf courses from around the world, including pebble beach. I played a Stockholm course ?? Not sure why but was level par after 14 holes. What could go wrong on the real course?
17th Green and view up the last – spot the sky tower
Akarana Golf Club is in Mt Roskil area only a 10 minute drive from the CBD. Probably the busiest course in Auckland. Akarana is well looked after and well sponsored by local businesses. I do love a named hole here they are named after the sponsors. ” Barfoot and Thompson – the 1st!” Some good commercial decisions have been made here. I’m a member at Akarana they are onto it in the bar. Busy atmosphere with good food. The club hosts corporate golf days all summer long and the membership is high. The place is in good condition commercially and physically.
I joined 3 fellow Saturday scramblers on the first tee – glad to play with someone new. You learn a lot watching other golfers play. I took the confident lead and smashed a drive down the centre of the 1st and made an easy par on the opening par 5. Pro – tip ..”distance and accuracy are key to great drive here.” There is a bunker that gets in your way if you have a good tee shot in you. BUT as a short par 5 you can still get out of the bunker easily and have a short iron in to the green. So give it a go off the tee.
Nice part of Mt Roskill
My partners were all in golf carts for the day. I carry my bag… if I can’t do that one day due to age, laziness or injury I’ll move to a cart. But there is no way a grown ass man should be carting around. Golf is fickle enough without the exercise of carrying your bag around. A poor round in a cart seems as pointless as chocolate fireguard.
16th easy par 3 if you put it on the green
I had good start to what was the worst round I’ve played in ages. On 12.4 with a course handicap 13 today ended up shooting 17 over ( on the front 9. ) And 10 over on the back – 27 over par 14 over my handicap….. greens in regulation on the front 9 = 1. Frustration levels off the tee 10 out of 10. The following lack of confidence in the irons 10 of 10 and putter usage frailty score 10 out of 10. This game is ALL in your head. I think the problem is the 2nd hole. The sponsored hole has naming rights by Davis Funerals. This was the first nail in my coffin.
Maungakiekie is my 2nd of the 20 golf courses in Auckland. New Zealand was in the midst of a heat wave, roads melting, train tracks buckling, sweat pouring from suited men on Queen Street and at Bunnings if you are looking for a stand up fan you’ll find nothing but out of stock signs.
Scorecards are always better looking on the outside.
It was a noon tee off in the heat of Mount Roskill. We decided to have a pre-match lunch at the course. My feeling is that if you are going to any golf course, BUY SOMETHING! If we want our golf courses to survive we need to support them with the purchase of a pie now and again. I always buy a drink and tees at least. Contribute to the bar after your round. We bought 2 pies and drinks to see us off. I also bought a glove – you can find cheaper elsewhere but hey support the clubs.
Now I am not using this forum to be a golf course critic and assess service levels to provide Trip Adviser with more fodder. BUT note to every golf course – be VERY welcoming. Ask your visitors if they need course advise, or where they are from or what brings them to their course today?
Maungakiekie is the Maori equivalent of One Tree Hill. Maunga for mountain or peak. Kiekie is a native vine that was found growing on the hill, which is all but gone today. Is hard word to say, I won’t be repeating it again in recommendation for the golf course. It didn’t feel like a happy place and certainly not grateful for our business.
Onto the golf. Following a solid round at Howick last time out, plus I had a very intense range session which resulted in me straightening up my driver following Fred’s instruction. I also played 9 holes of Twighlight at Akarana ( my home club) – scoring was okay but ball striking was great! Positive signs for today’s outing!
View from the putting green out over the course.
The course is not pristine the fairways were pretty dry but not super hard. The greens were very true and in good condition but a bit slow for my liking – do you here the rhetoric of a man laying the foundation of excuses? There are ups and downs galore here which I love. It gave us a tremendous work out in the heat of the day.
The course is interesting, the first is all down hill and sets up a lovely golf course from the get go. The last is a killer, long and uphill all the way.
The heat was killing us but our spirits were on alert as we approached the 6th. I pared the sixth following a monster drive( thanks Fred).
On the card there was a hole listed as 6A. We had no idea what this meant, was it a choice hole? Could you take it or leave it? Maybe if you failed on 6th, could 6A be your mulligan ? Who knew ? I’d never see it before. 6A was a short par 3 back up towards the 7th tee box. We assumed this was added to give the poor bag carriers some interest factor as the 7th was a long walk back up the hill. Had we found the 19th hole? It was so bleedin hot that I would have settled for the 19th at this point in the round.
At the 10th ( now actually the 11th) we had a big drink and totted up the scores – not flash. The 10th Tee pro tip ( i’ll give you my opinions on the pro tip in due course) said “hit out over the hazard – it will require distance and accuracy to make the fairway… blah blah. We looked up and didn’t really see “the hazard” The sugary drinks and the exhaustion set in as we manufactured a hazard that didn’t exist. I teed up aiming left over the trees over my mirage of a hazard. A blocked slice send my ball onto the right hand fairway. My partner send his ball after mine also to the wrong fairway. We walked down to hopefully see the left hand – unknown – over the hazard – fairway situation. There was no left hand fairway is was just housing behind the trees. Lucky our golfing god was watching as we were both in the middle of the correct fairway and we didn’t end up in somebodies living room.
I like a named hole , My drive found the willows in “willow Glen”
The 15th was interesting… it didn’t exist! Ahhh now it made sense, 6A replaced 15 which was seemingly under repair – there was not a 19th hole – and on all days we needed an early trip to the 19th.
I scored 85 on the par 70 my 12 handicap is climbing fast, I might visit Fred for some advice.
Time for a beer after a sweltering round
No warm welcome as I donated my hard earned foldies to the bar. We slugged cold drinks down after match to cool off. I fear for Maungakiekie’s future. The green fee is low, the membership is dwindling and the service delivery is almost accepting it’s fate.
There are 18 more golf courses in Auckland to get my teeth into.
There are 20 golf courses in Auckland. What a treat awaits on the varied courses within 30 minutes of the city centre.
Overcast and 23 degrees at the outset. Full blazing sun and 27 degrees at the turn. Pulling up to Howick the car park was FULL not a space, even for a lime scooter. I circled until someone moved on. Every course in the country has a selection of reserved spaces, President, club captain, caterer, life member .. usually empty spaces … surely the club knows if these guys are playing today… We squeezed into a freed up space and unloaded the weapons for the day. We had plenty of time prior to our tee slot for putting practice. The practice green was ridiculously small no actual holes just 2 flags with rubber rings on the bottom. We messed around waiting and started to notice the topography. Sweeping undulating fairways, elevated greens, encroaching ocean. This looked awesome, dangerous but awesome. Partner for the day, Lochy was eyeing the 9th green. A tee shot over a gully to the green, no real drama except the closeness of the green to the pro shop.
We headed to the 1st tee – I take back my previous comments there is a lovely practice green over by the 1st. The golf course is on the peninsula at the end of Bucklands Beach. There is some real estate money down in this part of Auckland, it is a beautiful suburb. After my shocker last week my handicap has moved north to 11.9, so 12 for the day. 1 more shot would be helpful but now further from my dream of single figures.
Shoulda read the signage Practice Green is lovely
I love this course, the greens are good, fairways okay but location and variation of the challenges really appeal to me. It is a Par 33 on the front 9 – with 4 par 3’s. A wee seat in the shade at half time to tally the scores. I’m playing on handicap, 6 over, nice I’m in it! My partner Lochy had a 50. Now Lochy has never beat 100. Howick is a par 69 for 18, this is his chance. The heat of day got stronger and temperatures rose, so did Lochy’s game. He was smashing his drives a long long way. His putting was coming together just when he needed it. I’m not a great one for keep score during the round but we stopped on 16 to assess the situation, 2 pars for me and I’d play to handicap at 12 over. Two 6’s and Lochy would break 100. No pressure. A bogey at 17 burst my bubble but Lochy had a 5.
Now, 18 is the easiest hole on the course ( says the index on the card) it is a par 5 with OB and ocean all down the left hand side. Who works out these stroke holes? Lochy skirted with OB on his drive and then really skirted with OB on his 2nd as it scuff up the fairway. But eventually he made the green in 4 followed by 2 putts later he has nailed a 6 and ends up on 98! What a legend! I fall off the pace to be 14 over and 2 over handicap.
No pressure on 18 – the ocean is calling!
Great golf -wonderful location – straight to the top of the list of Top Auckland golf courses I’ve played. We celebrated with a beer ( ginger) and 2 bags of chips ( we missed the kitchen fryer by 5 minutes.) Lochy was pleased with his milestone and I had that feeling I was growing into a potentially good round some time soon. We were left with a parting post-it note on the car complaining we had parked too close to the next door car and they couldn’t get in to their car. My apologies to you whomever you are. You will be pleased to know I have kept the note and will gift it forward next time someone parks too close to me.
Waitemata 26 degrees full sun stiff SW wind during 1st nine easing to a light breeze coming home. Companion Lochy ( my boy)
1st official round of the mission to play every golf course in NZ. Nestled in the Narrow neck beach suburb on the north shore close to Devonport. Waitemata is a flat course with little or no interesting features. A well established course in a lovely parkland setting, a great walking course, established as one of New Zealand’s collection in 1905.
Interesting thing I lived in Auckland 14 years ago and resided in a street overlooking this golf course, but I never played it. My number 1 son went to his first school here so I have some fond memories of this area of the world.
The front nine is a par 34 – 2 par 3’s and no par 5’s. EVERY hole is straight and flat. Should make for easy scoring – apparently not 9 over the card – only 2 shots left for the back nine on today’s course handicap of 11. The tee boxes and greens are all a bit close together at Waitemata and the layout lends itself to great deal of near misses as some average golfers poke their way around. I’ve never heard as many “four!” calls in a nine holes of golf. We did tee off late, 1.30pm – it’s a different class of golfer playing late in the day usually.
The first nine layout was not obvious, we got lost looking for tee boxes a few times. There was one hole which had a sign pointing out the next tee but it sent us the wrong way for a moment until a friendly local sorted us out. Funnily enough when we neared the tee there was a sign saying ” this way” nothing else just a re affirmation of something is this way.
Look out for the Law
The back nine has the odd dog leg and the interest factor increases, coming in is a par 36 with much shorter par 4’s and a couple of straight forward par 5’s – should be much easier than the front. Not according to my card – following a 9 over on the front, I went 1 better at 10 over on the back. Leaving me 19 over the card and 8 over my handicap. So much for single figure aspirations – staying under 20 might be a result.
The 11th is a dog leg right 290 metres – perfect for my power cut ( aka super slice) but no – you are prohibited by law to fire a driver around the trees onto the green. You will be prosecuted – with the right like mind judge there would surely would be no fine for using a life long slice to good effect…. I should have been arrested for imitating a golfer during the back 9.
1 course down, 1 handicap going up. This is going to be awesome!
The journey to play every golf course in New Zealand
