The town of Coromandel is a big focus for the latest COVID lockdown. The Coromandel Golf Club should be open as a welcome relief to the good people of this town. If there is a sport that should be exempt from restrictions we all know it should be golf.
This course is a wee bit special. All the holes are named after a gold mine according to the history lesson on the wall of the clubrooms. I wonder if “Try Again” the 10th was a failed 2nd attempt at a gold mine I’d like to think it is.
Just on the edge of town, the course is an unassuming affair. “Scotties” the opener is a simple straightforward par 4. Make the most of this as each hole has its own character – just like a gold mine – I’d imagine.
The 2nd, “Hauraki” takes you straight back to the clubrooms, good if you left your sandwich in the car. A gentle downhill par 4 with a couple of nice-looking bunkers at the green.
A nice run from here, down “Bunker Hill”, up “Union Beach” and a great drive off “Tokatea” – a par 5 which should be a scoring hole if you can keep your cool off the tee. This is a nice and challenging part of the course.
The 5th takes you back to the clubrooms, good if you left your drink in the car!
The 6th is the start of the best of the course, it is called “Success” without knowing the history the hole didn’t look like success. Uphill to an elevated green (again) short but shitty – we all know someone like that.
The par 5 7th and the brilliant downhill par 3 8th leave you enjoying every bit of this golf course. Ending on “Slaughterhouse” is much better than the old standard elsewhere called “Wrecker”.
I find this course very different across the 9 holes. The greens are in good nick, the hole names are some of the coolest around. I like the number of times you get back to the clubrooms. Good for never getting caught short, grabbing a chocolate bar, a cold beer, or fresh pencil.
Definitely worthy of making the Top Nine Holes in New Zealand. A really good place to be, so get out and support our regional courses, when the lockdown levels drop.
If you meet a politician then have a word in their shell-like. Golf should be free to play at any level, if you can ride your bike for exercise then the pleasure of a round of golf will keep the morale of New Zealand up in these tough times.