Bluff Golf Club is on the road to the famous southern town of Bluff, 15 minutes from Invercargill. Bluff is the duo mentioned in the common phrase to descibe the north to south extremities of New Zealand – Cape Rianga to the Bluff – is it the Bluff? Or just Bluff? This is not the most southerly tip of New Zealand, that honour goes to Slope Point, but Bluff is the southernmost mainland town.
There isn’t an East to West equivalent – Rouatoria to West Cape? So from a golfing perspective that must mean Tolaga Bay to Te Anau.?
Anyway back to the course, Bluff ( or Duff as my brother misheard it) is a simple 9 hole affair. When you pull up along the driveway you get a sneak peek of the layout, sweeping down to the Mokomoko inlet.
Mokomoko is a lizard, skink or gekko. There was a chap called MokoMoko who was famously hung for murder at Mount Eden Gaol in 1866, I don’t think it has anything to do with him.
This area, Greenhills, is famous in it’s own right for not building the town of Stanley. A wharf, a pub and a gaol were erected ( apparantly in the 1860’s that makes it a town.) The shifting sands of the inlet saw the back of the wharf and the town dissapeared before being built.
For a small cash donation of $10, the course is all yours. You “Set Sail” from the first all downhill to the small green. The layout is mainly alternate down the hill holes and then backup the hill. The 3rd is the exception, a 159 metre par 3 that is perpendicualar to the rythm set by the others.
The course is pleasant, it covers 2545 metres for the nine and a par 35. The Bluffsiders obviously are not pretentous enough to rename the 2nd nine if you go around again. Same tee boxes with the same names. I learned that “Kohatu” the name of the par 5 dogleg second hole means rock, fitting as there is a rocky wasteland to avoid half way up the hole.
If you are heading to this part of Aotearoa there are a few must dos. Take a photo at famous southern signpost, get some fish and chips at Fowlers Wild Bluff Oyster shop and play nine at Bluff Golf Club.
PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
No website – just turn up.