A weather bomb hit us coming out of Napier on the self-named “Rustic Golf Tour of NZ”, we were heading towards Taupau Golf Club. The driving sleet and 5 degrees of temperature dampened my spirits. It said on the updated weather app, 5 degrees, feels like 2 degrees. This really puzzles me, it is either 5 degrees or 2 degrees – not a combination of feeling and actual temperature. This scale never works up the way, 5 degrees, feels like 10 degrees…This weather distraction sitting in the car park of Taupau G.C. blew us all the way down to Shannon and up the driveway of Buckley Golf Club.

There was a little break in the weather once I got the car over the hill at Woodville. If you haven’t been across this hill through the Te Apiti Wind Farm it is worth doing one day. The majestic tall white turbines stand strong all around the roadside over the hill. It is pretty cool.

This is a windy part of NZ so it was a good thinking the wind farmer who chose this location to set up their eco-business.
The temperature rose somewhat heading into Shannon and the sun made a welcome appearance.

Driving through the 2 farm gates into Buckley Golf Club you get a nice look at the course. From the attractive arrival driveway there are 3 holes in view, they looked typical country golf – flat and tree-lined with an excessive smattering of sheep with lambs in tow. The clubrooms although basic were set amongst the trees and looked fine.

There were cards for 9 or 18 holes, I wasn’t sure if this was an 18 hole course or 9, you can’t see the expanse of the course until you go around to the back of the clubhouse.

Ahh now, this looks more interesting as the flat arrival holes give way to undulating terrain and I spotted water features that may please the eye.

There were actually 16 holes, 2 holes doubled up to make 18, I hadn’t seen that before. Also, the 9 hole card was a combination of the holes from the 18, not a straight front 9 back 9 affair. You started on 16 played 17 and 18. Then 5, 10, 11, 12,1 3 and finish on 4. I liked the thinking.

By the time we sorted our clubs and teed off the weather bomb had followed us, the wind blew like an irrational teenager, which made for difficult conditions. The fairway grass was long in places where the sheep didn’t get to, so I had a war chest of excuses for my scoring on the day.

For sure, the hole of the day was “Drop Shot” into the teeth of the wind a sheer drop to the awaiting green below. It looked wet around the green so missing it could result in plugged and soggy problems. 121 metres directly down is always hard to judge. Sponsored by a septic tank company called Long Drop.

Look out for the Dangers ahead.

The holes named “Pond” and “Hazard” were inviting trouble as the hole naming committee obviously didn’t deliberate long on the choice of their handle. Although “Crocodile” left me wondering until I saw the concrete statement piece.

The course grew on me as we fought our way around in the wind, the elevated tee of “Plateau” and the short 15th were a delight to play.

A man in a ute drove towards us over the fairways to check if we had seen any fallen trees on our journey. He had a chat about something that was lost in the wind, maybe checking we had paid our green fees. He then got out of the ute to make a point and his hat flew off. He recovered it and drove away to start the chainsaw on his catch for the day up by the clubhouse.

Six par 3’s and 5 par 5’s is an unusual combination for the par 71 over 5,245 metres. But nothing is normal here, it is rustic golf in this beautiful country.

This Rustic Tour of NZ Golf brought me here unexpectedly but what a surprise to discover this local course with golf architecture in a country environment. Buckley Golf Club needs your attention if you are the area.

“Homeward” might be a typical finishing hole but Buckley is no typical golf course.