The town of Winton has 18 holes of Championship course in Central Southland. A marvellous and well-kept golf course, a good walking flat course, the greens were surprisingly excellent.
The opening nine holes had fairways presented to be quite wide and the rough wasn’t overly punishing so it made playing quite straightforward. The mature trees had to be watched of course. I only say this because I had good front nine only 4 over the card.
The back nine was punishing with narrow fairways, long rough ( or was that in my mind) I doubled the front nine form to be 8 over on the back nine – finishing right on handicap at 12 over the card.
We played the course mainly alone until coming up 18 we met a few local gents ( in Swandris, if you don’t have one – get one) . Who took great pride in sharing a joke over our wayward tee shots. I haven’t met a Southlander who doesn’t find time for a yarn.
A more pricey honesty box situation due to the quality of the course and the full 18 holes on offer, but still a quarter of the price to find the same quality elsewhere in the country. Winton is a course you have to play if you find yourself in the area. The 16th was a canny wee number only 100 metres but ready to suck you in.
The hole naming committee at Winton maybe need to stay off the Speights whilst making decisions. There is usually a Westward Ho! ( heading west no doubt) We were confronted by the Colosseum on the 6th, alert and fearful of the pending Lions or Gladiators.
Come the back nine the committee were obviously in good spirits and bulletproof, Powerhouse and Dynamite so called 13 and 14. The 16th was Cassino which maybe a reference to the battle of Cassino in Italy, a cold and bloody affair where many New Zealand soldiers fought and were lost. Maybe they did get it right after all.
By the time we got to the 18th all they had left in them was Kia Ora, hello/goodbye/be well. Maybe it was fitting after all.
