Is This the Future of Rural Golf in New Zealand?

Tapora Golf Club has made a bold move by installing synthetic greens, becoming the first golf course in New Zealand to do so. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some golfers praising the new, consistent playing surface, while others complain that it’s not as “natural” as real grass. Not everyone will agree – when you go against the grain.

So, what does the future hold for Tapora Golf Club? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure: they’re not afraid to think outside the bunker.

It was a holiday weekend, celebrating Matariki, it seemed just right for a trip to the most progressive club in the country. The essence of Matariki is:

Reflection: reflect on the past and learn from these experiences. Tapora Golf Club is 59 years old, it has seen its share of ups and downs. But the community club has taught me that golf is good for everyone!

Remembrance: time to gather and share stories and memories. After our round, Wally took us through the history of the Cowbell Cup, which Tapora retained this year. A competition between Pararoa Golf Club, Mangawhai Golf Club, and Tapora.

Celebration: The abundance of the land, has provided New Zealand with 383 golf courses. What else is there to celebrate?

New Beginnings: Who better than Tapora Golf Club to look forward to our future with their revolutionary greens?

My Ponsonby tractor enjoyed the drive to Tapora – especially the final stretch of unsealed road. It arrived in the car park looking not too out of place with the local Utes. The local legends, Wally and Edith were in the clubrooms looking after the crowd with food and beverage on the holiday weekend.

I printed a card on the new card printer, with an NZ golf booking registration screen and eftpos facility on site. This is an additional feature in the last few months.

Before I dig a bit deeper into the synthetic greens and how they play, a word of warning, this golf course is tough. The combination is long holes, undulations, narrow fairways, and elevated two-tier small greens. All add up to a course of 5,990 metres and a nightmare waiting to happen if you let it happen to you.

The Nine holes have been expertly designed to give you a different challenge from the varied tee boxes when you play the full 18 holes. There are 2 flags on each of the greens, red for the front and blue for the back.

A wide target greets you on the 1^st tee, for a par 5 to start, which is a welcome site. “Kia Ora” – take advantage of this hole it is a gift compared to the rest of the collection.

My first glimpse of the opening green was a buzz for sure, mesmerised, and desperate to find out if my perfect approach would hold the surface. I never found out on the 1^st as I missed the green. I chipped onto the green with unknown outcomes of how that would go. Fairly normal to be honest.

Is the grass greener?

Health and safety tip – If you hold your putter onto the surface as a wee brace as you bend down to mark your ball it will slide along the green propelling you forward.

My first putt was a poor effort at an up-and-down par, all me, nothing to do with the surface. The greens run true and are slower than I thought you would get.

2^nd Hole is back towards the clubhouse a long par 4. The fairways are good well drained but they don’t offer much run, lengthening everything somewhat.

The drive at 3 is tricky to the very narrow fairway which does have banks on each side to help. The green is a nightmare up to a pedestal 2-tiered delight.

The 4^th gives you some water worries off the tee and a very small green to hit. I’d given all of my handicap to the course by the end of that hole. It rained hard for a minute or two, we were next to the clubrooms and a warm beer would have been a blessing. But we gamely pushed on to see the clouds part once again.

“The Pricker”, the 5^th, is exactly that up to an elevated green, with a large slope out front, so coming up short is not an option.

The 6^th is “Mt Hopeless”, an incredible undulating fairway in front of you from the elevated tee box. And again a two-tiered green elevated for your delight. I bagged my first par of the day here. I was getting used to how the greens performed, if you hit a good putt with good direction and good weight it will pay dividends. Not unlike any other green in the land.

There are some great golf holes but you will have to wait until the last of the nine to confront the god given golfing hole of the day. You will most likely arrive there in tears after shooting at the 179-metre par 3 over water to a teeny wee green.

The Hole of the Day

The ninth hole from the top tee is formidable and beautiful. ” Hazard County” dares you to fly over the hazard on the right without going too straight into the other hazard through the fairway. The view from up here is magical. Happy Matariki! Reflect on your decision to cut off more than you should have done. Remembrance of the new Titleist you took from your bag. Celebrate a perfect second attempt just to prove that no matter how useless you are there is always the potential for New Beginnings.

It’s still too early to say whether Tapora Golf Club’s decision to install synthetic greens will be a success. However, it’s certainly an interesting experiment, and it could have a major impact on the future of golf in New Zealand.

If synthetic greens prove to be a success, it could lead to more golf courses in New Zealand making the switch. This would have a number of benefits, making golf more accessible all year round in areas with harsh climates.

Local volunteers would certainly be on board, as they see their greens destroyed by the never-ending weather events. The surfaces are more than acceptable for any golfer, and much better than the majority of rural courses. It looks to me to be an excellent investment.

There is something special about Tapora Golf Club, the revolutionary greens are well worth your time to play on this New Zealand first. But there is more at play, the challenging golf course, the amazing surroundings, and the warmth of hospitality in the clubhouse.

The township of Kerikeri is populated with over 8,000 souls, the largest town in Northland. A town steeped in history, with the oldest building in New Zealand as a testament to that. Mission House has just turned 200 years old and is a great place to visit when in the area. Kerikeri is the fruit bowl of New Zealand. Abundant with Citrus, Kiwi fruit, Feijoas, Tamarillo, and plenty of avocados.

There are many reasons to visit this part of Aotearoa, but none more so than the golf courses of this region. “Winterless North” is the tagline often used, so a game or two in the colder months of the year is still on the cards.

The Golf course in Kerikeri, Bay of Island Golf Club, is one of the premier courses in the region and recognised New Zealand-wide to be of top-class pedigree. But before we journey down these fairways, I want to highlight a 9-hole course just 15 minutes out of town.

The golf course between Kerikeri and Kaikohe is Okaihau Golf Club, it sits and presents itself in an ancient valley. Step into this history of rural golf where a mere nine holes beckon your adventurous spirit. Born in the year 1928, the club still goes strong today. I just pulled up to play, no fear that the course would be too busy to let me on, I was right with only a few cars in the car park.

A rural offering of 2,647 metres for the par 36 nine holes, not long by any means reflected in my low playing handicap for the day.

First, the opening hole is a modest par 4 at 276 metres. Your drive needs to traverse over a gully with a road on the left, no need to fret, the fairway’s wide open, so even on the first swing of the day you should be fairway bound. The shot up to the first green needs to be confident due to the hill, 2 extra clubs for the distance introduced me to the soft and true surfaces. Seems like an easy way to start if you stick to the simple plan. I had a 7, not part of the simple plan.

The second hole, another short par 4, 283 metres, but a challenge indeed. A blind tee shot, and I released that the lack of local knowledge may hold me back today. It was an enjoyable run through the first holes in a rural setting with some cows watching my every move across the fences. If they only knew I had used up my handicap strokes on the first 3 holes they may have turned away in shame.

The 5^th was again blind but a stripped pole pointed the way, or didn’t really it seemed to mark the middle of the sloping fairway, so a local may tell you to be right of the pole. Luckily for me, the power fade was out in force and left me in a great spot.

The sixth hole is a beautiful par 3 shooting over a gully to a target with two bunkers guarding the green and a view of the clubhouse. This was my favorite hole of the day, maybe because I had steadied the wobbly ship with a couple of pars.

I had a triumphant moment as I lasered my tee shot at the 111-metre par 3, excited for a moment that I would be closer than I was.

Onto the seventh hole, which took some detective work to find, across the car park. It’s a short par 5, a mere 411 meters, with some mighty fine trees on the left side. I made a birdie here, sending a peach of an approach toward the downhill green.

The course is not very well marked with hole names or maps, but it is a functional country course with a short and well-maintained rough. The fairways are wide, and the greens are good. And the bunkering across the course is attractive.

The onsite toilet was well-signposted and delightful.

The final shot to the ninth hole under the clubhouse is a nice way to end the round, with an American pine overlooking the green.

The American Pine stood tall observing my final endeavours on the last – following the birdie on 7^th I was back on track for a on handicap round. But two solid bogies to finish put me right back in my box.

Okaihau Golf Club surprised me a little, with the $25 green fee you can play all day, in a lovely setting, with a well-thought-out golf course.

Bay of Islands Kerikeri

Announcing itself as a premier 18 holes in the region Bay of Islands Golf Club, is a must-visit when playing in Northland. As the sun peered timidly over the horizon, I headed off for an early morning encounter with the Bay of Islands Golf Club in Kerikeri.

I arrived and was greeted warmly in the shop, the gent was watching the Masters. Amidst the excitement of the Masters, the genial gent greeted me, willing to share his wisdom with a first-timer like myself. Taking time out from the Masters madness, he provided me with invaluable tips and a printed map of the course. Ah, the camaraderie of golf, where a bit of knowledge and advice can make all the difference.  It is nothing much to stop and give your customer a bit of knowledge before they set off. I also was told to have a putt on the practice green to get a feel for the true and firm, but not lighting surfaces.

 A straightforward par 5 first hole was welcome as I dusted off the sleep in my body. First out on a course is a treat, all mine to grapple with, awesome! The fairways immediately felt up to par, on volcanic underbelly these would be dry and very playable year-round.

A simple wee shot into the first green was received well and I stood over a birdie putt to start my round with just me and the course to know, despite missing a birdie putt, the greens proved delightful—firm, yet not excessively slick. I tapped in for a par and saw a man on the course many holes ahead of me. Geeze, he must have started an hour before me. My special moment alone with the course exposed for what it was, just another player to grace its fairways. Oh, and there over a hill I saw another group ahead of me.

Out and back to the clubhouse for 1st and 2nd and then off to the renowned 3rd hole. Following the advice I had received in the shop, I approached the challenging par 5 with care, navigating its 492 meters, complete with a dogleg left and three tiers.

A strategic hole with the playful name of “The Big Cheese,” it perfectly encapsulated the course’s delightful naming etiquette. The approach to The B.C. was well framed with bunkers and water, a very challenging and attractive hole.

A strategic hole and beautifully named, “Ken’s Folly,” the 4^th is stroke hole 1- for a 282 metre par four -how unusual. The voice of the bloke it the shop rung in my ears, 4 iron off the tee get in position and take 2 more clubs to get fully up to the green. I did both those things and made green in regulation, easy peasy = 3 putted, of course.

I was enjoying Bay of Islands Golf Club, a mature and well-cared-for course for sure. While I didn’t achieve an ace on the par 3 5th hole aptly named “The Ace,” the subsequent stretch of holes showcased the course’s consistent quality. The bunkering across the course stood out, although I skilfully managed to avoid them until now.

The 9^th is meaty but lovely 354 metre par 4 back up to the clubhouse. A thoroughly enjoyable front nine and by now the sun had warmed the course and me. A quick drink stop in the clubrooms to check the Masters progress and onto the back nine. The 10^th tee had 3 guys on there, who didn’t offer me a place to play through, not cool. I had to push passed them as they had teed off, I was on a mission to get around in under 3 hours.

I was sizzling around the back nine until the 13^th, as is always the case the 13^th is the signature hole. It made me stop for breath and appreciate its beauty.

A par 3 of only 110 metres, but with a downhill drop of over 20 metres to beautiful little green surrounded by 3 bunkers and an adorable pond. These shots are very difficult to judge if you have never played the hole before. A bit like the 7^th at Pebble Beach – I had played that on the simulator at the range once, so I was all ready for this challenge.

It was stroke hole 18, obviously because the locals had worked out which approach to take, and so did I thanks to the simulator. A three quarter 56-degree wedge did the job and got me out of there with a missed birdie putt for par. This hole and the 3^rd might appear on the BEST GOLF HOLES IN NEW ZEALAND LIST. 

The tee shot from the 14^th back in the trees is a nice touch and I liked the 15^th, “Timewarp” – the name was enough. It is a 281-metre par 4, tempting you to a bomb of a driver to the narrow green around the slight dogleg or drop a 5 iron into the fairway and nail the approach. I took the sensible route.

When I reached the 17^th they had started club day as a shotgun start, which meant a ridiculously slow final 2 holes. This left me a tad disappointed, and I met a local man filling out his card who had the same worry, if you can’t finish your round without others getting on the course it is not ideal.

My Kerikeri adventure was a positive one, Okaihau Golf Club was an unexpected treat, would it make the Top 10 Nine Holes in New Zealand List? and Bay of Islands Golf Club certainly presented itself as a standout golf course.

Check out the Top New Zealand Golf Courses List to see where Bay Of Islands slots in.

Houhora Golf Club is the most northerly golf course in the country. The golf course is on state highway 1 halfway between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga. I had an early start, to beat the traffic for the drive to the Cape, a once-in-a-lifetime place to visit. On the return from the most Northerly point in New Zealand, it was only right to pull over and complete the list of “most northerly things to do in New Zealand.”

Luckily, I was in the Jeep, the drive up to the clubrooms from the road is steep. The crew in the car were worrying about a hilly outing. There were a few cars around and many carts, fuelling the worry warts of the steep terrain ahead. The Wednesday haggle was finishing up and the clubrooms were open for business and full of lively types.

$15 will give you the pleasure of this country golf course. I paid my money and asked the barman if he could lend me a pencil. He produced a box of blunt pencils and old pens, and as he rifled through the collection, he settled on a white pen, which he handed to me. Lo and behold it was one of mine! It was a logoed pen with Kingsgate on it, one of the hotels in our chain. The marketing manager will be delighted that our name has covered all parts of the country, is this the most “Northerly Kingsgate pen in the land?” I’ll add it to the list.

The first tee at Houhora Golf Club is up a steep track, more hills; the worry warts were concerned. The main concern was that we hadn’t played in a long time, so golf fitness was sure to be questioned today. The top of the hill and view from the 1^st tee was inspiring.

The course is in a rural setting and mainly flat once you get down into it, Phew. A collection of rusty old swings of the club from the elevated tee got us going just nicely. It was a warm day with a wee breeze to help lower the sweating.

The course is 5,622 metres long for 2 nines, a standard par 72. There were no hole names in sight today. There are good scoring opportunities on the first 3, including the short 1^st, a nice 122 metre par 3, and a gettable par 5 3^rd.

The fairways were in good condition as country golf goes, there was placing, but most of the time my ball sat up nicely in the fairway. There are a few strategic bunkers across the course which have an unmanicured rustic feel, and the greens were at the back end of their latest coring and were heavily sanded, but still firm and true. I can imagine they perform well year-round. The greens were not overly large which is very typical for a country nine. The course has many areas where little red stakes are visible. A few of these had water, the majority will have water when the rains come. These areas are intrusive and appear all over the course, avoiding them will help with your scoring for sure.

The 5^th is a par 5 with a well-thought-out design before the green, to give you a reason not to attempt getting on in 2. A pretty little pond and 2 bunkers with a narrowing fairway give you all the clues you need to play sensible.

From the tee on the 5th, you can see the whole course in the valley in front of you. This is the farthest point of the course away from the clubrooms and you can look across the course and see where you came from. This is not a reflective ancestral statement …unless you want it to be.

Golf fitness was now being questioned as the wind dropped, and temperatures started to rise. I struggled through the next couple of long holes, hoping the clubrooms were going to be open to lubricate the dehydrating body. I promised to return the pen to the man up there so I’m sure he wouldn’t go home. The pen was not on brand as it started to register double bogeys on the card. I must have a word with the marketing manager about the effectiveness of these pens. Time for a rebrand, I think.

On the 7^th I hit a perfect pull to land my ball on top of the neigbouring avocado orchard’s protective sun net. My second attempt landed next to a stanza of tall bamboo, it was old dry bamboo and very tall. It swayed in the light breeze, creaking and moaning at me as I hit a tired old pitching wedge toward the green. The bamboo reflected the need for more golf to push the needle of lifestyle balance back to the positive. I was creaking and moaning as I put the bag on my shoulders and walked away from the bamboo.

Around the course, there is a great collection of trees, not just Bamboo you’ll also find palm trees, pine trees, and some local Kauri.

The last was the final test of fitness, the longest par 4 on the course that needs a strong approach shot up a steep hill to a green below the clubrooms.

Scoring will be forgotten today but not the location and the experience of ticking off the “most Northerly golf course in the land.”

Back in the clubrooms, the barman got his pen back, he had wisely spent the time sharpening pencils. I ordered libations as we needed a lift as we had tired badly coming up the last. A combination of not enough golf time, early rising, the heat, and some steep inclines.

The restless night, the night before, in the worst accommodation I’ve ever experienced didn’t help. And I have slept in many rough old places. I won’t name and shame but soft beds, no thrills, spiders, overpriced, noisy with a crack in the bedroom door that you can see through. Plus, a meal that was incredible. If you had offered me that meal as my death row final dinner, I would have gone to the Pearly gates starving.

Anyway, I was not starved of a great golf course today, happy to know I was in the clubrooms drinking “the most Northerly beer I’ve ever had”.

The “most Northerly on course toilet in New Zealand” was in good order. There was a male and female toilet, which is unusual. And clean, unlike last night’s accommodation offering.

Take a drive one day up ninety-mile beach and visit Cape Reinga. These are iconic landmarks in this little country that you should see once. Houhora Golf Club should be part of this memorable trip if you know what is good for you.

There was news of a Life Members sponsored event at Tapora Golf Club. I was excited to get on the road early on a Saturday morning to head north and meet the local people on the Okahukura Penisula, in the Rodney district.

Tapora Golf Club is a coastal country course overlooking the Kaipara Harbour. A marvellous setting for these 9 holes of golf in rural New Zealand.

I took SH16 north, as I drove into the depths of the country I was wary of the weather – rain wouldn’t be my choice of weather event today. There was no wet weather gear in the car.

I had a random daily mix on the stereo and I chuckled to myself as a country singer belted out ” when I’m going to the country, I hope the sun shines on me”. The tune coincided with my windshield showing signs of a drizzly rain shower.

I had hope as the sky had large patches of blue all around. The rain threat subsided as I neared my destination.

It felt like a proper country destination as the road turned to gravel. I love gravel roads it scares off the uncommitted tourist.

The music choices turned rather strange at this point. Frank Zappa’s “Get Whitey” played a 7 minute instrumental of something. I am no music expert but when this tune finished I realised it was a live version. At the finish of the tune, a crowd applauded and applauded a little too much and a little too long. There was maybe something special about this tune to warrant the enthusiasm. It could be that the applause was a relieved outburst – glad that the ensemble was finished after a long 7 minutes.

The gravel continued and so did the odd mix from the car stereo. “Demented” by Erthurt gave me 2 minutes of various jangling and irrelevance. The song finished and so did the gravel. I turned off the stereo.

No more music was required I travelled in silence as I neared Tapora.

Arriving at Tapora Golf Club, a warm welcome and hot cuppa awaited.

The course was established in 1964 and is looked after by the local community, a fantastic labour of love.

I played with 2 life members and the club captain. I was in a privileged group of golfing greats for the day out.

Kia Ora, the opening hole, is a stiff test and a good welcome to the course.

The rolling hillocks of the surroundings meant that a well-placed tee shot would be rewarded, but you needed local knowledge for that. The 3rd claimed to be a shoo-in birdie. My card did not reflect this confidence in the name.

I enjoyed the various challenges going around Tapora Golf Course. The locals kept an eye on my game for me and offered advice when necessary. Some just looked on in wonder.

Woolaway

The 8th is an awesome 155-metre par 3. I thought this could be the best on the course. But the signature hole is the 9th from the top tee. A tricky carry to get onto the fairway and then a good smash is required to get up to the green by the clubhouse. From the top tee, you can see the stretch of avocado orchards all around. The new superfood is a cause for the expansion of this green gold in the area.

Now you would think that in the heart of rural New Zealand that the golfers of this area would be traditionalists. Not so, very progressive people they are. The new rule changes of a flag in option on the putting green had not gone unnoticed. Quickly they have been converted to flag in people in these recent times. I didn’t have the heart to complain that is this new rule was a sad ruination of our game!

What a great day out at Tapora Golf Club. Fantastic people and a magical location. Well worth the drive from Auckland.

I had a great post-match meal and a mixed with the challengers for the trophy. No surprise Wally from our group was the runaway winner. He was expert in his navigation of Tapora Golf Course, he might know his way around here better than most.

As I pulled away from the clubhouse a round of applause rang out in my head, just the right amount of applause too. Well done Wally for winning the trophy and well done Tapora Golf Club for keeping this little slice of golfing New Zealand alive and kicking.

Paparoa Golf Club in Northland is a true rural experience in a lovely valley. A short 5kms up a gravel road near Maugaturoto.

I was on my way to play Kauri Cliffs and had some time to veer off State Highway 1 and play the 9 holes here in the Kaipara District.

The local livestock keep an eye on the fairways. The greens are very well protected on each hole. You hear stories of country courses with fences around the greens. Paparoa Golf Club is one of them, which made me wonder what the ruling was if you hit part of the fence. Play it as it lies no doubt – the fence is part of the course.

I was all alone at midday on a Saturday. Not a sole around, just myself. It felt great to be here as I toddled round on my own. Me and the golf course, it felt like therapy from the Urban lifestyle of the city.

Number 1 was stroke hole 1 a long dogleg downhill. The course is split down the middle by a country road. 4 holes on one side and 5 on the other. The back 5 are the pick of the halves.

When I crossed the road to get to 5, I noticed another sole man unpacking his clubs up on the hill. There was now 2 of us.

The 5th is a tricky number, teeing off to an angled fairway over a scrub. The green is small and elevated not easy to score on here.

6th and 7th share the same part of the course up and back, the 7th is called Boomerang as a testament. A massive double fairway allows you to let rip off the tee.

There is a strip of rough which technically divides the 2 fairways. Like a flattened punk rockers spiked haircut. It would be an awfully unfortunate shot to land in this cut of rough.

The Jump was the par 3 8th – a short uphill tester. As a result of the small green it made the tee shot hard enough. The 9th sweeps you back up the hill to the clubhouse.

On the 9th Tee the squeak of the gate to cross the country road divide grabbed my attention. My other solo golfer stopped to watch me launch my ball up the 9th fairway. We shared a manly hello and an unsaid respect for each other. 2 men washing away the troubles of daily life with the help of a golf course.

I was 7 over the card for the nine, right on my 13 handicap. I am beginning to realise 2 things, single figures may a distant goal and also that the score doesn’t matter some days.

I felt revived getting back in the car for my drive further north. Much better for the experience of Paparoa Golf Club.