South Head Golf Club is a simple country course, with rolling fairways. It is not hilly but has many an elevation change throughout the course. I have heard a lot of courses class themselves as a “hidden gem” – this could be the truth here at South Head Golf Club.

What makes it a gem is the location, a quiet country course with views across to the Kaipara harbour. The variety of holes here is excellent and the condition of the course is well above expectations.

This is the home course of Steve Williams, Tiger Woods caddie for many years. Locals tell tales of the day Tiger caddied for Steve around South Head before his wedding. That’s a recommendation enough to get out to play the magical course located here.

It was a warming day and the kiwi sunshine is always a threat to my Scottish skin. I bought a hat. Leaving some of my hard-earned foldies with the club.

The slopes on the course mean that local knowledge would be a helpful advantage. The first hole slopes left to right and there is an elevated green to challenge your shot-making. I started poorly, didn’t register a par until the 6th. Local knowledge probably wouldn’t have helped.

The 2nd is a tough 183 par 3 and 2 holes later a 160-metre uphill par 3 is deceptively difficult. The 5th is a long par 5 called Perseverance, that says it all really.

I was glad to get to the 6th a shorter par 5 but called Westward Ho. Come on people do we need a Westward Ho on every course in the country?

The 9th was a great looking hole from an elevated tee, this was my first look at birdie – for 2 reasons. Following a good drive and expert gap wedge, I was 6 feet away. the other reason was the turkeys taking up residence on the fairway and in the rough.

There should really be the use of the turkey bird in the golfing vocabulary, maybe a triple-bogey could be a turkey?

If the 9th was good looking, the 10th took the cake, Eagle’s Nest, a par 3 over water to a bunker guarded green. I had another birdie putt here to no avail.

Birdie Alley

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The fun really begins on the 12th, the next 3 holes are nicknamed birdie alley. This could be right up my street. Yardage of 256, 258 and 285 metres it was a chance to have a go from the tee.

The 12th green was missed on the right, I couldn’t get up and down, 13th same story BUT on the 14th we stood up on the tee box, wind behind and no real idea where the green was. Both myself and the boy put our drives on the green, he was 5 feet away. So the story now becomes all about whether he nails his first-ever eagle.

It got tense as he stroked a firm putt at the shrinking hole, somehow the golfing gods sucked it into the cup! Wild celebrations ensued and a 2 written firmly on the card. Good work son!

I really liked the set up of the 17th – only 376metres of par 5. Great view from the tee box of the narrowing fairway and the overhanging tree and the fairway bunker. A wise man may play a mid-iron to avoid driver disaster. Wise men shouldn’t play golf, have a rip!

The 17th is firmly on my list of top holes of New Zealand – named Eccles Highway after the man who designed the course, this is a hole to be proud of.

Hat’s off to South Head

A friendly clubhouse topped off a wonderful day out at South Head Golf Club.