Monday, March 27, 2006
Tom Doak was here
Cape Kidnappers images from golfersdream.co.nz
What does
Apache Stronghold Golf Club - Arizona
Pacific Dunes Golf Club - Bandon, Oregon
Quail Crossing Golf Club - Evansville, IN
The Legends Golf Club - Heathlands Course - Myrtle Beach,
And Cape Kidnappers Resort - Napier New Zealand
Have in common?
They were all designed by Tom Doak
For more on Tom Doak go to doakgolf.com
If there is indeed such a thing as reincarnation,
Tom Doak is the latest incarnation of Dr Alister MacKenzie and Mac would have marvelled at what Doak's done here. Geez carving Cypress Point was tough enough how about this lot?
One of THE golf debates in NZ is which one is better.
Kauri Cliffs or Cape Kidnappers?
It's a no contest, it has to be a Doak designed course.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
One more “must” before Cape Kidnappers
We've headed south to Hawke's Bay and arrived in Hastings at a golf course called Bridge Pa.
Image from newzealand.com
Pa being a Maori word for fortified village or redoubt
No this is not the Pa. It's Bridge Pa's very fine clubhouse.
Image from hastings.nzgolf.net
And who said you've gotta go to Scotland to play the old courses.
We've just played one that started over a hundred years ago and now we're about to play one that got going in 1898. However it does appear the trees have grown a wee bit since then.
Here's a good link to the course scorecard and includes some glimpses of the course
And the following piece of information will come in handy when we get there and want to impress the natives with the homework we've done. It comes from the club's web site and is about another great Jones boy.
Not "Bobby" but Stuart Jones.
“THE EMPEROR”
Stuart Jones joined the Hastings Golf Club in 1947 on a 24 handicap. The young Jones, who had taken up golf seriously when a scalding received from a Wairakei geyser persuaded him to cut short a promising rugby career, took a “look, listen and learn” approach towards improving his own game.
By the start of the 1948 season he was on a 16 handicap and by its end he was on three and had won the first of his many club championships. The club has a new No 1 player and the most stellar career in New Zealand amateur golf had been launched.
From success at Bridge Pa his achievements quickly blossomed and he began to be the player to be reckoned with at first provincial, then national and ultimately international level as well.
Image from newzealand.com
Pa being a Maori word for fortified village or redoubt
No this is not the Pa. It's Bridge Pa's very fine clubhouse.
Image from hastings.nzgolf.net
And who said you've gotta go to Scotland to play the old courses.
We've just played one that started over a hundred years ago and now we're about to play one that got going in 1898. However it does appear the trees have grown a wee bit since then.
Here's a good link to the course scorecard and includes some glimpses of the course
And the following piece of information will come in handy when we get there and want to impress the natives with the homework we've done. It comes from the club's web site and is about another great Jones boy.
Not "Bobby" but Stuart Jones.
“THE EMPEROR”
Stuart Jones joined the Hastings Golf Club in 1947 on a 24 handicap. The young Jones, who had taken up golf seriously when a scalding received from a Wairakei geyser persuaded him to cut short a promising rugby career, took a “look, listen and learn” approach towards improving his own game.
By the start of the 1948 season he was on a 16 handicap and by its end he was on three and had won the first of his many club championships. The club has a new No 1 player and the most stellar career in New Zealand amateur golf had been launched.
From success at Bridge Pa his achievements quickly blossomed and he began to be the player to be reckoned with at first provincial, then national and ultimately international level as well.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Be the first person in the world to play golf that day?
Whatever turns you on some might say.
Nevertheless we’ve got the chance as we head for Gisborne the first city to see the light of day (and every day) in the new millennium
Image from tatapouri.co.nz
Poverty Bay Golf club is 111 years old
It’s no typo this club has been in existence for 111 years
Poverty Bay’s Awapuni Links
Here's a wee pic of the place.
Image from gisbornegolf.co.nz
This 110-year-old links course is one of New Zealand’s golfing treasures.
Nationally ranked, it is often host to championship events.
The narrow, undulating fairways and large, well bunkered greens are praised
by the country's top golfers.
And here's a bigger pic for a better idea of what's in store for us
And here's some advice from Adam Jones Course Superintendant, Gulf Harbour Country Club
"Poverty Bay, in my opinion, is a gem.
It's topography and location make it a very unique New Zealand links golf course.
The club should be extremely proud of what the greenkeepers are presenting.
I will be suggesting to visitors and members playing Gulf Harbour that if they are heading south, then Poverty Bay is a must."
Nevertheless we’ve got the chance as we head for Gisborne the first city to see the light of day (and every day) in the new millennium
Image from tatapouri.co.nz
Poverty Bay Golf club is 111 years old
It’s no typo this club has been in existence for 111 years
Poverty Bay’s Awapuni Links
Here's a wee pic of the place.
Image from gisbornegolf.co.nz
This 110-year-old links course is one of New Zealand’s golfing treasures.
Nationally ranked, it is often host to championship events.
The narrow, undulating fairways and large, well bunkered greens are praised
by the country's top golfers.
And here's a bigger pic for a better idea of what's in store for us
And here's some advice from Adam Jones Course Superintendant, Gulf Harbour Country Club
"Poverty Bay, in my opinion, is a gem.
It's topography and location make it a very unique New Zealand links golf course.
The club should be extremely proud of what the greenkeepers are presenting.
I will be suggesting to visitors and members playing Gulf Harbour that if they are heading south, then Poverty Bay is a must."
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Plenty of good golf - Bay of Plenty
When 18th Century navigator Captain James Cook sailed into the region aboard the Endeavour he was so impressed he aptly named it The Bay of Plenty. ...
And here's a shot of one the best. Not quite linksland but the sandy sub soil makes it feel like one - Mt Maunganui
Image from mountmaunganui.nzgolf.net
By the way Mount Maunganui has a rare treat.
One of the very few salt water hot pools in the world. And just heavenly to soak one’s bones in after a game of golf.
And then a wee bit further south a true test for lovers of linksland golf -
Ohope and here's hoping we get there.
It's a wee bit rugged. Kinda like the Old Course when it was a young course.
Image from ohope.nzgolf.net
Here's a photo looking out of the clubhouse.
From which you might just get a far off peek at - holy smoke!
White Island
And here's a shot of one the best. Not quite linksland but the sandy sub soil makes it feel like one - Mt Maunganui
Image from mountmaunganui.nzgolf.net
By the way Mount Maunganui has a rare treat.
One of the very few salt water hot pools in the world. And just heavenly to soak one’s bones in after a game of golf.
And then a wee bit further south a true test for lovers of linksland golf -
Ohope and here's hoping we get there.
It's a wee bit rugged. Kinda like the Old Course when it was a young course.
Image from ohope.nzgolf.net
Here's a photo looking out of the clubhouse.
From which you might just get a far off peek at - holy smoke!
White Island
Thursday, March 09, 2006
PAUANUI LAKES
Image from lakesresort.com
Since it's number 4 on the list below.
We'll detour to the Coromandel Peninsula
It’s a fairly new course but verrry good.
As to being number 4 we'll soon see. But with Titirangi not in
O'Sullivan's Top 10, "Ah hae me doubts aboot his evaluations."
N.Z. TOP 10
COURSE RANKINGS
Writing in the June 2005 edition of
The Golfer, Australasia's No.1 Golf Newspaper,
renowned golf journalist John O'Sullivan
lists his Top 10 N.Z. Courses as follows:
1. KAURI CLIFFS
2. C. KIDNAPPERS
3. WAIRAKEI
4. PAUANUI LAKES
5. PARAPARAUMU
6. TERRACE DOWNS
7. ORETI SANDS
8. MIDDLEMORE
9. BRIDGE PA
10 NGAMOTU
It’s located on a place called the Coromandel Peninsula
Here’s a wee map of the area
Image from thecoromandel.com
And if you’re into tree hugging how about this beauty.
But be advised it only flowers for a short time around Christmas.
Indeed it’s know as the Kiwi Christmas tree.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Golfing among the gannets
So there we have it. Must play number one in Auckland - Titirangi.
Must play number two in Auckland
- Muriwai
Just up the road from the golf course is a famour gannet colony which is well worth a visit before heading back to Auckland.
The good news is we can play with some planning both Titirangi and Muriwai in the same day as they are both in West Auckland.
And still have time to visit, and have luch at the of the very fine vineyards on the way there. Like for instance Kumeu River.
Next stop the Coromandel Peninsula
Must play number two in Auckland
- Muriwai
Just up the road from the golf course is a famour gannet colony which is well worth a visit before heading back to Auckland.
The good news is we can play with some planning both Titirangi and Muriwai in the same day as they are both in West Auckland.
And still have time to visit, and have luch at the of the very fine vineyards on the way there. Like for instance Kumeu River.
Next stop the Coromandel Peninsula
Thursday, March 02, 2006
The Fringe of (MacKenzie) Heaven
Image from titirangigolf.co.nz
And how about these words from the Air New Zealand web site
"Titirangi is Auckland's most celebrated course. It's the closest golfing experience you will get to Augusta National, Cypress Point or Royal Melbourne."
Didn't I say it was good but alas although there's a Redan style hole there's nothing like Cypress Point's 16th.
I can't resist showing this picture of the 16th from one of my favourite golf course web sites.
Image from golfclubatlas.com
And now back to Titirangi.
You know how it is. You can spend years planning on playing a famous golf course and when you get there they’ve mucked about with it. The kind of changes that committees who are full of wannabe course architects make and who made Mac quite mad. Fortunately they’ve maintained a marvelous golf course here on the Fringe of Heaven but I do wonder what Mac would’ve said about that bloody big bunker on the left hand side of the second fairway.
Oh by the way if you’ve heard people rabbit on about redan style golf holes. Titirangi’s 11th hole, there’s a picture of it on the slide show on the club's web site, is a verrry god example
