A morning spent watching the third round of the Masters spurred me into the car and off to golf. A little known Waikato nine hole course in the countryside was a mystery box.

I was surprised to see the club rooms open in the afternoon at Hukanui Golf Club. I was more surprised that the friendly welcome was all genuine. Following the financial transaction the lady in the club talked me through the layout of the course. I headed off down the laneway towards the first, excited by the prospect.

The first is right next to the road, “Roadway”, not Roadhole, it was a drive you don’t want from the first tee. The noise of the busy traffic drew your attention. The group in front were walking the road line peering across the tarmac.

With the tee shot sorted and in the fairway, I found that the green isn’t too far from the passing cars either. A small green which was soft and slow.

Number 2 was into the wind and a challenging hit, 189 metres – with the road still on the left. Following a lavish swish of my hybrid from the tee, I headed off to peer across the tarmac. It was a beautiful high draw that bounced down the road, missing the oncoming traffic thankfully. 3 shots out of my 4 handicap for the nine dropped on the 2nd, this could be a tricky round.

My confidence was still high, I’d scored my best round in the year of lockdown down at Clarks Beach a few days before. Five over the card on the course, that made me feel like a golfer.

Okay, the classic hole names of Homeward Bound and Westward Ho were nowhere to be seen. But we got “Long John” on the 3rd, is this a Treasure Island pirate reference – it could be my new most cringe-worthy hole name.

It was a long par 5, of course. Right-hand dogleg needing a powerful draw from the tee. I imagined the laser tracer thing that follows a drive at the Masters on the TV, bending perfectly around the corner. Nailed it! Visualisation works after all.

The 4th was another par 5, called “not so Long John” – no it wasn’t – but it was shorter and a great driving hole over a ridge to a blind fairway. I nearly hit a random foot golfer.
The club has opened up to footgolf, which is cool and will provide much-needed revenue. The footballers have no idea how hard a golf ball is, so it may end up in disaster.

I was enjoying the course and the conditions but my excitement following the clubhouse lady’s description had lessened at little, nice course but maybe not great.

I was wrong, the uphill short par 4 fifth hole was a great golf hole – fairway bunkers to ask you the question and a hidden gully to stop you laying up. There were wonderful views from the hilltop green. It started a run of 5 holes that were excellent.

The 152 metre downhill 6th, “Beehive” was buzzin’ from it’s elevated tee. I had been told that the 7th over the gully was the course’s signature.

The Canyon

We cracked a can of zero alcohol beer for the occasion and let 2 foot golfers pass through, (very short are these soccer players). If you want a bit of fun at the supermarket ask them why they need a supervisor to the check out to allow you to buy zero alcohol beer, it’s beer you see.

So “Canyon” is the risk or reward hole of the day. Drive over the gully, canyon might make you think of the place in America, not quite as big here at Hukanui Golf Club.

The hole is all risk, OB on the left, trees on the right, a narrowing fairway leading into the green protected by a great deep bunker. Don’t hit the driver, there is no reward.

Just as hole names were improving, we got a “Deception” – the 8th needs a high fade over the corner. DJ was doing it around Augusta all day so why not me. Visualisation saw a perfect DJ like drive ( minus about 100 metres or so)

Walnuts

At the last you get “Walnuts”, the road comes back into play on the left and the clubhouse is 2 paces from the back of the green. You could put your drink order on your ball ready for a quick thinned tee shot. 123 metres to the green it is a lovely way to complete the course.

I was even more pleased to see the bar was still open, not normal for a country course later in the day. Sitting at the back of the ninth enjoying a real beer was very pleasant indeed.

The club claims they have the best 9 holes in the Waikato. I tend to agree, but I’ve only played one other. It ranks up there on the Top 10 NZ Nine Hole Golf Course list.

The course is tidy, the layout is challenging and the clubrooms are very friendly. Cheers Hukanui Golf Club for a great day out.

By accident, on this day I discovered Walton Golf Club. The hidden gem of New Zealand golf courses. A claim made by many but not always backed up. This course could be the real thing.

Following an overnight stop in Taupo, I searched for a course heading north that has appeal on this rustic tour of NZ golf courses. Breakfast on the lake was amazing. I had a quick look at the Lake Taupo hole in one challenge, it was packed with suckers trying to hole out for cash. Like the traveller rigged fairground games – heads they win – tails you lose.

Today’s decision of where to play my round of golf was not dictated by the weather gods. It was the warmest day of the year so far.
When you head north out of Taupo you pass Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary, I slowed knowing that quality lies behind the walls. But this not for today’s challenge, I was going rustic.

I made the decision to pass 2 courses, Tokoroa Golf Club and Putaruru Golf Club, before stopping in Tirau, the corrugated capital of New Zealand. Tirau Golf Club was CLOSED! Arghh bloody coring. The greenkeeper came over to offer an apology that we missed out on the chance to play, he suggested Walton Golf Club. Only a little way up the road near the Cambridge area.

We drove merrily along in search of Walton, through some beautiful countryside with horse stud farms dotted all around the area.

The tree-lined arrival into Walton was a hint to what we had in store ahead of us. The car park looked busy for a little course in the countryside on a Monday. Was there some International COVID
defying event taking place?

There were many ladies in purple around the clubhouse, luckily they were finishing up their round. So we had the course to ourselves mainly.

Lathered in sunscreen for the first time this season and the smell of fresh blossom put a pep in my step.
Golfers should not like trees. I don’t study trees and have little expertise in this field. I do know Onewhero Golf Club has too many macrocarpas.

But here at Walton I maybe have loosened my dislike of a tree. Someone has taken great pride in planting a vast collection of trees here, plenty of cherry blossoms, and well-manicured conifers, a magnolia or two plus more species I need help with. It was a pleasure to see such a spectacular spring day be reflected in the trees all around the course.

There were recognizable tall tall pines trees and wispy
willows plus a rhododendron when needed. The course could easily host a garden tour visit as well as golf.

No hole names here today at Walton Golf Club. The 1st had a nice elevated look at what was coming up. A par 5 first up is always good news in my opinion.

Following a long time sitting in the car getting to a golf course, I always think a wee warm-up should be included before starting the round. I didn’t do that and struggled to find the fairway pulling my driver into a different culture of trees on the first few holes.

The course is longer than most rural courses at 5,725 metres a par 72. There are no easy wins here, the 7th, a par 5, the par 3 8th and the 9th heading back up to the side of the clubrooms was a nice run of holes. All with good bunkering.

I’m not sure of my favourite hole on the course. The 10th through to the 13th was enjoyable. Ending with a cool water pump windmill thing at the back of the green.

After this, the course had more trees and a great outlook in front of me. It was certainly a very pretty part of the course. This golf course had a charm all the way around and it seemed to me that it was comfortable in its own skin.

The greens had been cored 5 weeks before – the Tirau Golf Club greenkeeper told me, so they were hard and difficult to hold the ball on. You needed to drop most approaches onto the front edge. That said they were very true and made for good putting. With my new found putting religion, I enjoyed the short game today.

The area is new to me, the farmland surrounding the course was a good looking affair and well-groomed. There are views out the distant mountain ranges. A thoroughly pleasant place to play golf. I might have found a golf course that has missed the limelight, but maybe the locals like it that way.

Adding Walton Golf Club to the Top New Zealand Golf courses list was an easy decision. I felt the community in the trees, the love in the fairways and all of this with one greenkeeper.

As toilet situations go, they were in pretty locations. Fine loo’s to match the rest of the course. So if you got to go, go to Walton. You will not be disappointed with this country golf course in the heart of the Waikato.

I got out of the airconditioned car and stepped into a pizza oven. It was roasting in the Waikare Golf Club car park.

The chap in the shop had a history, 80 years he’s been attached to his club. His Grandad was the first president in these parts. I pleaded for a cart, even if it were only for nine holes. He said he would be gone soon, but he didn’t live far so gave us a cart and asked if we could park it up after our round. He’d come back later to put it away.

I was getting the sense that there was a love of their club here at Waikare. A golf course in the Waikato not far from Lake Waikare.

Waikato was burnt to a crisp, and so was Waikare Golf Club. But the greens were in excellent condition. The brown fairways and open nature of the course was a pleasure to play. Stocked up with drinks and sunscreen a good day out followed.

There are plenty of features at Waikare. The top of the course offers a fantastic vista and the collection of statues and pond life leaves you feeling like this is more than a dry old golf course.

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A golf hole needs a name, a golf hole name needs some thought, Waikare has a collection of names to rival most. No “Westward Ho” in sight, no “Homeward Bound” and I’ll let them away with a “Devil’s Elbow”

“Rangitoto” starts your round from an elevated tee to a short 420 metre par 5. It’s not such a long way to “Tipperary” 317 metre par 4 2nd. The course is a par 70 at 5,160 metres. Not a long course with 3 reachable par 5’s – 2 of them in the first 3 holes. “Tea House” number 3 has a large landing area from an elevated tee box. An opportunity to start well before the heat sucked the life out my golf swing.

The 5th is only 299 metres, “Tomos” has 3 hollows (or Tomos) to catch your tee shot and give you coin flip stance in the process. I have played Waitomo golf course, so I should have known what a Tomo was, I soon found out when my ball ended up in one.

There are 3 par 3’s in the last four holes of the front nine. The first of these is “Whizz-Bang” my pick of the hole of the day. The carry to the green over the pond and the name win the day! This is a great part of the course.

“Bella Vista” starts the short back nine. Scoring should be easy looking at the card, but this course punishes poorly positioned shots. And there is always a pond to keep you on your toes.

I was looking forward to getting to the 12th “Devil’s Elbow” you know it is a risk or reward slog off the tee. A cracking wee hole at 254 metres with a pleasant and perfectly placed pond to sink a sliced drive.

I birdied the 13th “Waitare” the last of the par 5’s. By now it was a windless boiler of an afternoon. I was so glad of the cart.

“Outlook” up on the 15th tee has a great view across the countryside. Fully exposed to the heat, I made a mess of this hole and the classic 16th “Jerico” which has a lovely framed green with a pond short of the green to catch your eye.

The life was drawn out of me by the time I got to “Temptation” the 17th – we all know that this name for a hole is telling us to hit an iron off the tee to the 277 Metre par 4. Or just take on the tree and irrigation storage pond with a driver. I gave way to the temptation and managed an easy par.

Heading up “Clubhouse ” to finish my round I was certainly pleased to have visited this Waikato staple. I was for sure planning to come back when there was more green on the fairways, to see it at it’s finest.

The clubrooms were excellent and overlooked the course. No one was there when I came off the 18th, sweating buckets and looking for a beer.

A country course that is well looked after and a friendly place to play. The bunkers across the course were well placed, the water features too, the statutes really pulled it all together. Well done Waikare, I see you when it rains!

Waiterimu Golf Club in Waikato is not easy to find, off the beaten track, with not a lot of web presence. I knew about this course from the man at Huntly Golf Club.

Coming off State highway 1 just before Huntly I couldn’t bring the course up on the maps app. I stopped on a deserted road to do some research and find the place.

A hard-working car pulled up alongside me, a worn and weathered man barked something at me. I couldn’t make out a word. I rolled down the window and spoke at him, ” I’m looking for a golf course”

He lights up, ” Are you Scots??” He told me he was a laird, the rightful owner of Castle Inch. Following this information, he affirmed, “I’ve never been to Scotland” He then rattled off a long story starting with him being born on the side of the road in America, “on Highway 66!”

His nationality was an extraordinary mix of Scots, American, Welsh, Portuguese – possibly the father of Rohanldo – and something about having a connection to the German Reich. He did look Maori.

He owned land all over New Zealand and heard this area was up for sale that’s why he was here. He also heard a rumour that an International golf resort was planned for the area, he winked at me knowingly – I was the buyer for sure.

Pulling into an empty car park is a nice feeling. I was looking forward to the nine holes ahead of me. I get more of a kick out of a true country golf course than some courses who think they are something that they are not.

Unpacked and ready to get out there, a rain shower came through and turned into a thunderous 10 minutes of a downpour. We cuddled under the clubrooms parapet until it passed. There was a great outdoor area for post-round socialising.

A healthy mob of sheep roamed freely on the course. Electric fences kept them off the putting surface. The greens were soft and smooth and pretty good really.

This little country course was no pushover, substantial par 4’s and tough par 5’s. The 9th was the hole of the day 140 metres in full view of the nobody watching from the clubrooms.

This journey was taking me to places I never knew about. The countryside here is lovely, rolling farmland. To know that this course exists in rural New Zealand is heartwarming.

The Greenkeepers were friendly all the way around and seem to maintain the fairways will dedication. Although I did get a shit lie now and again.

As a course layout I was impressed, not a cookie cutter design. A local design to keep you challenged. The first was a tempting dog leg a bit early in the round to smash the driver over the corner, or was it?

Number 3 needed your attention off the tee at 389 metres with a dogleg it was deserving of number 1 stroke hole status.

The 5th is a deceptive par 3 at 162 metres. Followed by another dogleg at the 6th tee.

The 7th, a par 5, was a good driving hole narrowed by the trees in front of the tee box. A sloping fairway and tricky elevated green made the short par 5 a little harder than it may appear. The front nine suggests it is stroke 17 but playing it again on the back gives it stroke index 2 as it drops down to a par 4.

Number 8 is another par 5 longest on the course at 444 metres. But the hole of the day is the finishing hole. 140 metres back up to the clubhouse. A beautifully framed way to complete your round in front of those watching from the deck.

Time to go

A word on the loo. Was it a loo on the 5th? If you don’t need to go on course, don’t go is my humble advice. On the card it said toilet so let’s assume you can go there.

I’m not in a position to judge this or add it to the list of top 10 on course toilets. If it was, in fact, a toilet.

What I will say is that on the clubhouse wall there is an amazingly informative sign making sure you know where the toilets are.

By No.10 Tee apparently, which is where the 1st tee is and also this sign.

If you are nearby Waiterimu drop in for the loo or better still a round of golf on the Kiwi classic.