We have just finished a couple of 18 hour days down here at the Open and this is the first opportunity I have had to reconnect with my macbook. (Catching breath now).
The 30th of the month we played at Arrowtown Golf Club. Donning the wet weather gear with a sluggish head after a night out with the Colliers and BNZ lads it looked like it might be a long round. Even more so after two pure shanks on the second hole resulted in a double bogey. Fortunately the weather and golf quickly improved after that!
Each hole at Arrowtown funnels through natural terrain characterised by huge undulations and schist rock formations sprouting out from the grass. Every other course around here has clearly taken inspiration from Arrowtown with the Hills, the new Coronet 9 at Millbrook and Jack's Point all showing shades of its rustic, rugged charm. It is also a sign of good design that the courses have not tried to look ??resorty?? and instead have embraced the natural landscapes of this area and worked with that.
The features of Arrowtown that have been replicated are the use of rocks as an obstacle (as opposed to bunkers, of which there are none) and spectacular elevated tees sitting atop rocky outcrops, enticing you to have a crack at a short par 4.
We played again with Roger from the Australian Financial Review and like the previous day were fortunate to be hosted by NZ Tourism, along with the various other international media personnel. At the conclusion of the round the consensus was that Arrowtown was a beautiful little course and great fun to play. In my mind it has to be one of the best country courses in New Zealand.
Our golf was just steady until I managed to hit my second shot to the par 5 10th to about a foot of the cup and recorded puregolf2010??s first eagle of the year. Stoked. And worthy of a cheeky glove punch (normally reserved for when JP and I both make birdies on a hole - also a rare occasion). That seemed to spark something as I hit all bar two greens on the back nine and even with the putting wobbles managed a 34. Enough to beat Jamie by 4&3 (scores 73/80) to take the matchplay lead for the first time ?? 15.5 plays 14.5.
Arrowtown was mint ?? and another course in the region with ludicrously cheap membership at $440 a year! Greens were good, fairways good and great fun to play.
We then went to the Hills for lunch and to watch the golf, meet a few media chaps and catch up with some good friends. We were having a couple of beers in the Colliers tent when JP got a call from Phil Leishman who had managed a couple of tickets to the NZ golf awards dinner. So it was a quick smart trip into town, a 30 second shower, and a minute trying to rustle up some respectable looking clothes (which I in particular struggled with) to attend the semi formal awards dinner. The awards dinner was an awards dinner, and I would say that a few of the golfers could learn a thing or two about speeches (perhaps from Robert Gates who gave a pearler after winning the NZ Open). A highlight of the dinner was the ??fireside chat?? that the MC Phil Leishman (champion) had with Peter Alliss and Peter Thompson ?? two legendary figures of the golf world. Peter Alliss is a classic human whose gravely voice keeps viewers entertained for hours on end. In Uni days we used to sit up all night watching the last round of the Open and his commentary was a huge contributor to our insomnia.
M
Jack's Point is one of those rare beasts; one of those courses that beats the hell out of you, spits you out, and yet you still love it. This morning's game was a fitting way to conclude puregolf2010's maiden month, and an amazing 5 days in what must be New Zealand's golf mecca, Queenstown.
To get a sense of just how spectacular this place is, you'll need to check out the photos in our gallery. They may not do Jack's Point justice, but at least they'll give you a flavour. Quite simply it's a stunning piece of land (3,500 acres, in total), overlooking the deep blue Lake Wakatipu. This here be mountain country, and the rustic charm of the Wakatipu Basin comes through strongly when you play at Jack's Point (as it does at the other courses we have profiled in the previous few days). Tussocks and shabby bunkers play a starring role in this monster of a course, as do rocky outcrops and glassy greens. Expect a few lost balls, a few 3 putts, and a few heart palpatations.
I'd love to wax lyrical about the day, but we must now set our compass and head north to Chrstchurch, for a flying visit before we trek up to the North Island again. In the meantime, we'll leave you with a little vid that Mike has put together, which hopefully gives you an idea of just how epic Jack's Point is. A more full analysis / commentary will come shortly.
Take care for now, JP
P.S. The matchplay score for month 1 was Michael 16.5; Jamie 14.5 (after being 13-5 up!). February we'll play a stableford format, and hopefully try to play more against each course than against each other!
14 brief thoughts for the day:
1) Queenstown is the golfing capital of NZ. I may have said this yesterday, but it??s worth reiterating. The capital. ??nuf said.
2) Millbrook has the most amazing ambience of any golfing resort in New Zealand ?? the buildings are stunning, the setting serene and the service first class. I could think of worse places to spend my days? If life goes well for the next 40 years I??m buying a retirement place there.
3) My 7 iron is not my friend. Jamie and his putter have been on better terms.
4) Greg Turner is a nice chap. He also gave Millbrook some teeth with the new ??Coronet Nine??. Fairways tarted up with slates of schist; drivable risk and reward par 4??s; and tricky short par 3??s made the new 9 an absolute pleasure. (It easily pushes Kelvin Heights out of 4th spot in my books, but too early to make a call on how high up the NZ rankings it sits for me.) 460m par fours and 570m par fives are immense. And the acres of knee high brown top grass suit their purpose.
5) Putting on perfect greens is a treat, but it is even better when a couple of 40 footers sneak in (during the first couple of holes, no less). Green staff at Millbrook take a bow.
6) We managed to play the Coronet 9 before John Key officially opens it on Sunday. I hope JK also gets slammed by the black tees like we did (although he??s more likely to be playing on the woofter tees).
7) I have the worst golfing tan?
8) We have had a fair few photographs from various media taken today. It is hard to keep the smile on, so Jamie says some truly unprintable things to make me laugh.
9) You can see why golf takes 5 hours when there are million dollar views on every hole.
10) How much better is scoring when you get lucky and find a couple of balls in the long grass! Even better when you snap slice it (twice) onto the opposite fairway and make an easy par? I am happy to admit I was a bandit golfer today.
11) A huge thanks to Millbrook and Tourism NZ for hosting us, along with the international media contingent, today. The service, facilities, golf course and meal were all first rate. Day couldn??t have been any better.
12) Jamie and I are now level on the matchplay scores at 14.5 each. We are going to play stableford next month (as it promotes playing the course as opposed to each other). Thus there are only two days of matchplay left, for the winner to take out this month??s award (oh if we had sponsors to offer some golf balls, gloves, (or even food) to the winner).
13) There may be a few punters walking around The Hills with sore heads tomorrow, it sounds like Queenstown is already going off.
14) Go Tataurangi! Two more good rounds mate!
We are in the golfing mecca of New Zealand. Queenstown during the NZ Open weekend is golf mad (in fact, mad generally), so we are definitely in the right spot!
This morning we were hosted by the Queenstown Golf Club, commonly known as Kelvin Heights. The course sits atop the Frankton Peninsula and overlooks Lake Wakatipu. Quite stunning, really. Locals are friendly as friendly can be too - on arrival we were greeted by Johnny & Gav, the resident pros. They set us up with Bun (a member, of Japanese extraction) and his mate Matt (a chef and all round good punter). Stars were aligned for a good day from the start; early on we knew it was going to get hot, and the course was in good nick. Lovely.
Here is a big call...Kelvin Heights comes in as my number 4 best course to date (behind Kinloch, Kauri Cliffs and Wairakei). The course has the most amazing views across the lake, towards Walter and Cecil Peaks, and up to the famous Remarkables. It is a traditional course, with no bells and whistles, but fun holes that keep you honest. To boot there are the great greens and well manicured fairways. Play well and you can score well. Get distracted by the outrageously beautiful views though and you'll find your scorecard can get messy.
Severe undulations come into play on many holes, and are a notable feature of the course. The fairways are generally not flat, and this needs to be taken into account when standing on the tee. Once on the short stuff, the greens are relatively easy to hit. HOWEVER, there are gnarly slopes on most dance floors, so 3 putts are always a possibility (I had a few).
Kelvin Heights boasts some great holes. Number 5 sticks in the mind for me (as it probably does for most people) as a signature hole. The fairway snakes around the lake, and the second shot (hopefully) played to an elevated green. Other holes are equally spectacular: the downhill second played to the 9th green must be on a postcard or two somewhere - it looks like the lake is floating behind the pin (however I can assure that this is not the case as we learnt when Jamie airmailed the green and found his ball, playable); the 109m 10th hole ?? played downhill to a very shallow green flanked by a tranquil little lake (pleasant for those who don??t hit into it); the 15th also played downhill as a risk reward par 4, with a hugely sloping green, which was today where our match ended 4&3.
Poor Jamie hit the ball well but shaved the hole a number of times. I think it's karma because usually it's his putting that digs him out of trouble. Not today though, and hopefully not tomorrow! In the morning we play Millbrook with journos from Asia - should be a lot of fun. Hopefully we'll get to play the new layout, which is being formally opened by Mr Key on Sunday. Unlikely. Either way, I'm sure the course will be stunning, and we'll head off to The Hills afterwards to see how the real golfers play. Should be another good day in paradise.
Thanks to Queenstown GC for hosting us - we loved it. (The ludicrously cheap $500 membership fee may be enough to persuade us to move down permanently). Thanks also to Bun and Matt, who were great company.
MG
At last! After an unwelcome losing streak the beard has gone. Actually, the term 'beard' is probably a bit generous - the fluff has gone! Before today I'd taken 1/2 a point out of the 6 on offer during the past week. Michael was starting to get his tail up, and I was beginning to lose faith in my putting stroke. A win at Pegasus today was just what the doctor ordered - I didn't want to be hanging out at the NZ Open looking like a ragamuffin.
Tuesday really flew by, now that I think about it. I was up at the crack of dawn, to drop Angela (my lovely girlfriend) and the Wellington lads (Corky & Bart; Tweedle Dumb & Tweedle Dee) at the airport, for the graveyard flight back before work. Poor souls. Straight back to bed for me by 6.45am, thinking I'd snooze for an hour or two, then have a productive morning on the laptop. Not so. Mike knocked on my door at 11.45 (we were due on the tee up the road at 12.45); shocked and stunned - and with that next-morning-cotton-mouth feeling - I kicked into gear and readied myself for action.
Pegasus Town is a new development about 20 minutes north of Christchurch (the South Island's main centre, for our international audience). Quite literally they've built (or, at least, are building) a town from scratch. On marshland. When I heard they planned to erect a golf course too, to be honest my expectations weren't sky high. However reports from friends based on recent visits had been very positive, so I went into today with an open mind.
It was just as well that I did, because Pegasus was a delight. No wonder they're hosting the NZ Women's Open next month. The course - though relatively benign in parts - was well laid out, and littered with hazards. In fact the hazards are what stick in my mind the most; there were more red, white and yellow pegs than...well...a place where there are lots of red, white and yellow pegs. Unsurprisingly, given Pegasus' youth, trees do not play a significant part in the course. However this will change in years to come, and I look forward to dodging mature oak and sycamore trees in 30 years time. If I'm still playing golf, that is. By then I won't have the strength to hit the ball from end to end on some of the massive greens - even today there was doubt as to whether putter was the appropriate club, or whether a solid wedge would be more suitable.
The wind tried to spoil the party, but it never really got up enough to cause too much trouble. We even saw the sun on the odd occasion, which was a welcome break from the gloom we have experienced of late. Summer my fat toe.
The company was sparkling. We were joined by Michael's grandfather, Ernie (a retired school master), and an old mate called Callum (aka 'Rodeo'). Cal was a few years ahead of us at school (we played hockey with him), and he now owns & runs a resort in Vanuatu. A very unassuming punter who is always good for a laugh. Ernie is a rogue of a man, who will give himself 4 foot putts if you're not vigilent (I was on his team, so turned a blind eye to his cheek). Both were good value. And for once myself and my partner - Ernie - won the haggle.
Probably the highpoint for me was watching Michael argue with Ernie about a ruling he had handed down, after Mike hooked his ball into a lateral water hazard. (Ernie has been an international rules official for 25+ years). Not a happy Michael - he had to drop his ball on the far side of a lake (a lake that he had not even seen from the tee; he couldn't believe his luck when his ball 'somehow' ended up in it).
Another notable feature of the day was Cal's ball retrieval performance - he has a ball scoop, and recovered a dozen or two out of the bountiful lakes. Didn't miss an opportunity all day. An interim puregolf2010 ball sponsor perhaps...
Pegasus is a good resort course, and in time I've no doubt it will develop into a very good course indeed. The facilities, as you would expect, are top notch too (although take your cheque book if you're buying a round of Heinekens). Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
Thanks to Craig & co at Pegasus for hosting us (in particular, for shouting us a cart - a welcome luxury indeed), and to Cal & Ernie for joining us. A great day, and a fitting way to conclude our Christchurch leg. Nice.
Down south to Queenstown tomorrow, via the army course at Twizel. Should be fun.
peace, JP
Here to catch up with the guys at the official launch of puregolf2010 at Terrace Downs. We took the one hour journey up from Christchurch in Michael??s mum's little red car, me riding shotgun with Michael driving and mates Bart, Corky and Rich squashed in the back seat. After a few nervous moments realising we were out of gas we rolled in on fumes at Kirwee to refuel.
Terrace Downs is a spectacular course nestled into the foothills of the Southern Alps, with a fantastic backdrop of mountains that today were half obscured by clouds. The day was overcast with a very light wind from the northeast. This is the wind you want to play here, a howler from the northwest or a southerly can be uncomfortable, so the boys were blessed.
A tidy group of 24 player lined up at the first tee and some succumbed to the first water hazard but most got off to a healthy start. I joined them a the 10th par 3 in front of the clubhouse for a haggle against Jamie and Michael??s scores. A par and a 4 were enough to hold many off with the bunker in front and the lake behind claiming a few donations. On the 16th there was an obligatory warmup shot from the tee box hanging on the edge of the Rakaia Gorge. It is a big shot to get a ball to the other side of the river 200 metres below but sublimely satisfying to attempt it.
The day was well supported, mostly friends and family of the boys who freely donated at every opportunity. Special thanks to Terrace Downs for being proactive in taking up the opportunity to host the event and for being so generous with prizes for the auction. Terrace Downs also donated two sets of brand new kids clubs to The First Tee and we can assure you we will find them a very deserving home. Steve at Kelford Engineering, thanks for your sponsorship and for being a great sport on the day.
The day raised around $2500 with some donations still to come in online. This was an awesome kickstart to the fundraising and sincere thanks go to all who participated. Writing this on the redeye back to Auckland and reflecting I??ve had a great time the past couple of days and met many new friends I hope to see again before the year is out.
I urge you to support these two fine young men who have enough courage and commitment to follow their dream and enough heart to make a real difference for children.
If you have the chance to play with or make up a four and play alongside these guys, don??t miss the opportunity to be part of a big adventure. They are also on a skinny budget, so don??t be shy to offer them a bed or a meal along the way.
Puregolf2010 has officially launched and we have pulled off our first event of the year. Day 25 of the year was our launch event hosted by Terrace Downs.
It may sound rather bizarre to have the official launch some 25 days after opening but Jamie and I figured that very few people would be around (or indeed half alive) at sunrise on Jan 1 so we picked day 25. It was Wellington anniversary weekend and was thrilling to see a number of friends make the treck from the capital to support us and join in the day.
The day proved to be a cracker, with fine weather fine company, and in parts some fine golf. We had 24 golfers and a number of spectators, and played a stableford competition. Jamie and I played in the first group with a couple of interesting chaps: Paul from Auckland who has a holiday house at Terrace Downs and his friend from West Sussex, Matthew, who was out holidaying in New Zealand (and getting a reprieve from the harsh UK winter). They made for great company and it was fascinating to hear Matthew??s golfing story ?? along with his father they built a golf course on his family farm in the 70??s, largely with their own labour, and proceeded to sell membership to the course, expand the facilities and now there is the full she-bang with two courses, a hotel, conference facilities and the works? Impressive stuff. We were also blessed to both have caddies today. Micah was on the bag for me, a mate from the University of Canterbury where we both were on the student executive together. Micah is finishing off his Masters in Engineering Management at the moment, a one year degree that is proving very popular with engineering students interested in one day crossing over into management. Through this program Micah is working for the Martin jetpack company, the New Zealand outfit that has designed jetpacks and is about to commercialise them. Not sure if that means people will be flying around the streets of Christchurch with jetpacks when we return from our year of golf - that would be a fair shock to come back to! (It doesn??t look like they will have room for the golf clubs).
Back to the course, our best ball match was a tad one sided after Matthew and I took turns at making 3 stableford points on each hole which proved enough to be 6 up at the turn and finished on the 13th. Come the 16th hole, Jim and I left Matthew and Paul to it and joined each group for a nearest the pin competition as they came through. The 16th tee at Terrace Downs has spectacular views across the Rakaia gorge and towards the southern alps (it is where Mt Hutt is, and Terrace Downs doubles as a luxurious and handy base for the avid skier). The best way for a golfer (and non-golfer) to enjoy this view is simple, renowned and extremely satifsying ?? tee up an old ball and smash it off the cliffs and watch it sail to the turquoise water below. After this customary and rather brutal donation to doc, the 16th tee shot is a very different kettle of fish. The hole is merely 100m long with both tee and green perched on the edge of a cliff, a sloping green and a bunker at the back which is nigh on impossible to make par out of. The hole requires finesse. And today Jamie and I lacked that ?? we combined with a total of 0 stableford points! It was also a graveyard for others scores and after watching it played a number of times I really appreciate that it is a cracker of a hole. It was also blessed with a few truly great shots today none other than by Jamie??s grandfather ?? Tommy Patton - who coolly faded in an iron, picked up his tee and had another puff on his cigarette. All whilst the ball flew straight at the hole and rolled to within one foot of the cup, right in the jaws. Remarkable stuff for an 86 year old, and a great way to take out the nearest the pin award. The crowds on the 16th inspired some other good golf as well: Bart made a tap in eagle 3 on the last and a very good old friend of ours from school, Doug, made no fewer than 4 birdies in a row to finish his round!
Unfortunately our golf was not quite as good as Doug??s! The match finished 2&1 to me on the 17th with generally the story of the day being that a par won the hole. And thus the gathering of people who were watching JP and I come up the 18th (6 hours after our round began) were left without the dramatic finish promised at the amphitheatre-like 18th green nestled below the clubhouse. Jamie and I finished with scores of 93 and 82 respectively, which has brought our overall shots to date very close together.
After the round we went into the beautiful clubhouse facilities and had plenty of food, drinks and good company. JP will do a blog about the formalities, but all I can say is a huge thank you to everyone who contributed, particularly Steve and Mary who own Kelford Engineering, our sponsors for the day, and Terrace Downs for putting on a great deal for us (and stunning weather). All in all we have raised close to $2,500 out of the day for The First Tee so I can safely say it was a resounding success.
M
Russley hosted us this morning for day 24. It was another bleak day as we stumbled into the car and with rather sore heads made our way to the first tee for our 7am tee time? This morning was the first time we can really say we burnt the candle at both ends. It was, therefore rather unsurprising that I fatted the first tee shot about 90m. But at least it was straight and I made par.
Playing at Russley was like seeing an old mate again who has been away travelling the world for a while. Once upon a time I was a member at the place for around15 years until the family membership at Clearwater drew me away. Jamie was also a member of Russley whilst at high school and varsity. So it was all very familiar. There were no excuses of ??another new course every day?? today. Russley has been home to many a battle between the two of us, including an(other) almighty choke by me at the 20th hole in our school matchplay final. Alas, that would have been the pinnacle of my golfing career.
Russley is a solid, narrow traditional golf course that tomorrow is hosting the final round of the New Zealand open qualifying. It used to also be the home of the garden city golf classic, a tournament that in its day drew a high quality field, including once the young Tom Watson. You have to hit the ball straight off the tee or there is trouble. On a misty and damp morning the course off the back tees was playing quite long and there are a number of tough par fours. Today we had the odd quality shot, but at no stage did either of us string a few quality holes together and therefore our scoring really suffered (87/91). My round started like the recurring nightmare I used to face (when, like many a youngster I held high hopes of a dream round every time I stepped up to the first tee) on the second tee. The second has out of bounds along the right, and is a fairly daunting drive down a narrow shute. And today my nightmare came true as I blocked it straight out of bounds and lost my new pro-v1. A costly shot all round. The signature hole at Russley is probably the par 5 sixth, a long par with a huge lake around the front of the green. Following a Russley-esque chip out from the trees I was standing over a six iron to the back pin placement, surrounded by water. But rather than salivating over the challenge before me I had something of the dry horrors. I proceeded to hit a pure shank head height and slicing towards out of bounds. Thankfully, I stayed in bounds and managed to nudge the ball onto the green for four, before rounding off the hole with a four putt. Nice. Thankfully my game picked up on the last couple of holes and I finished with two solid pars on the very tough finishing holes (including the newly redesigned 420m 18th). This proved enough to take the match 2 up against Jamie so he goes into tomorrows launch unshaven.
Definitely a must play course in Christchurch, although of course I am biased. Thanks to the crew at the course for their hospitality. The rest of the day has been spent watching the NZ PGA championship at Clearwater ?? where a few guys pulled out all the stops to lose the tournament on the 18th ?? cringing to watch. Tomorrow is our official launch and I am amped.
Peace
M
Puregolf2010 just took to the skies for the first time and we are now in Christchurch.
Tee off was 630am at Miramar golf course. Early stuff, definitely in JP??s favour (he is a morning person). The course was Miramar, handily waited right next to Wellington airport where our 737 awaited impending it??s 1040am departure. Miramar is a links course, and quite possibly the windiest golf course I have ever set foot on. So it was with delight that the weather today did not disappoint and we had a ??real Miramar experience??. It was blowing an absolute gale with sideways rain throughout most of the round. Most (sane) golfers would roll over in bed and settle in for a relaxing brunch and a spot of newspaper reading. But Jamie and I were stoked (not that we had any choice about the matter).
We were joined today by a few mates from our hockey team (that we have bailed on for 2010). Bart and Corky are golfing with us for the entire weekend, and our coaches Dave and Teaguey joined us for the round this morning.
When you arrive at the car park and struggle to stand up it is pretty tough to get into the golfing mindset. Thankfully the balls were not rolling off the greens so the course remained playable. The front 9 at Miramar plays East to West and therefore always played in a cross breeze ?? more fuel for JP??s draw I thought to myself... Miramar looks like many a links with rolling undulations and some pretty nasty pot bunkers. I managed to duff a 3 iron into one such bunker on the second hole and struggled to advance the next 10m from the gnarly downhill lie I was greeted with. Miramar has been known to be rather scruffy at times, but today the fairways and greens were pure. The back nine is only a par 34, and probably lacks a couple of tough ??two shot?? holes. The first time I played it I tried to hit driver all the time and got into all kinds of trouble, but when you know your way around (particularly the short par 4??s, 10, 12 and 14) scoring can be very agreeable. I guess the main defense for Miramar, like most links courses, is the wind.
Fortunately Jamie and I are both ??glass-half-full? wind golfers and put our heads down and took up the challenge today. Wind like we faced today requires creativity and that is much more fun that the standard target golf played most days. I find the wind also concentrates the mind, so that when you finally make it near the green you don??t want to throw away all your hard work on stupid putting and chipping. It is almost with desperation to get the thing in the hole before you face the music again on the next hole.. Full shots were a no no, particularly for me as I hit the ball very high ?? so we resorted to punches, jabs and generally fudging the ball low and out of the wind. The odd hole played downwind which gave us some reprieve. Today??s round was the first I have been happy with this year and was stoked to shoot 7 over par, 77. Jamie (82) also hit the ball pretty damn well and our match was tightly fought finishing 2 and 1. The (sideways) rain had set it pretty badly by the 15th and the last few played as a sprint to the clubhouse. Once there ?? we had a quick shower (good facilities at Miramar) and checked in just in time to make our flight with Pacific Blue.
M
Matchplay does funny things to your golf. The dynamics of a match shape mood, conversation and ?? in Michael??s case ?? probably the rest of his day. Poor Michael 3 putted the last from 15 feet to halve the match. The hole before he hit what appeared to be a solid drive (on a driveable par 4), but the ball was lost. An almighty choke, to use his words. For me there is of course the relief at having got out of jail, and having retained the privilege to wear my shoes until tomorrow morning (see this week??s punishment, detailed in yesterday??s blog). Phew. I myself had two 3 putts today, in 9 holes, and so can relate to his anguish to a certain extent.
The idiosyncracies of matchplay golf aside, we had a wonderful morning. The 9 holes at Titahi Bay Golf Club ?? today??s venue ?? sit atop a peninsula overlooking Porirua, around 20 minutes from Wellington. We were told the views on a clear day are spectactular, and you can see right down to the South Island. This morning the clouds hung low, although a few rays shone through intermittently. Crucially the wind didn??t play a part (it usually would). It??s a short course, and several of the par 4s are driveable (I hit it on 1 of them, and over the back of another; Mike hit it over the back of all 3 ?? no control...)
Post-golf we missioned into town, to catch up with friends over a few famously good Wellington coffees. I forgot in 3 weeks how good it (Wellington coffee) was ?? particularly at Mojo ( http://www.mojocoffee.co.nz/), of which there are a few in these parts. Coffee goes with Wellington like a pint goes with a curry. So I??ve had a few; when in Rome, as they say... (Read: the preceding 300 words were typed in 8 seconds flat).
I can feel the effects of my last doppio wearing off now, so will retire to base camp to write a few letters. This time tomorrow we??ll be out at Clearwater, enjoying watching how the real golfers play. Maybe see some of you out there...
Peace, JP
P.S. We're throwing around a few ideas about how to structure the blog going forward (if at all) - i.e. whether to split it into sections (say, for example, "The haggle", "The course", "Our playing partners", "The region"). We'll also be putting up a standalone stats page, to cater for you numbers nuts out there. Welcome any thoughts/comments/feedback.
Just choked on the final green worse than Tom Watson at last year's Open to halve the match with JP. Thus the weeks matches are halved and we can both keep our shoes on. Current scores 13.5 - 8.5. Very small consolation of keeping my unbeaten streak going...
M
Another day another round of golf! Today??s course was Manor Park in the Hutt Valley north of Wellington. The weather threatened to turn foul, but it has come out a cracker now and it is a pristine evening in the city.
Our golf started a wee bit sluggishly today. Without playing partners or much of a warm up we both took a few holes to get going. But then we came right and ended up with scores of 80(m) and 81(j). So Jim is now officially on his first losing streak of the year ?? and I am enjoying the boot being on the other foot!
Manor Park golf course was definitely set up in my favour in a match against Jamie. For those unaware, Jim has something of a ??strong draw? and a large number of holes had out of bounds along the left side, and trees overhanging on the right. Not ideal for JP. That said, we both hit the ball relatively well today and our downfall was with our short games. Nothing new for me and a number of three putts (again) dulled any hopes of a low score.
Manor Park was in good nick, and our uninspiring putting was in no means due to their greens, which were top class. The course generally was very green and prepared to a standard to be expected of a private members course. Looking at the new clubhouse, the standard of the course and the ambitious course development plan ?? it appears to be a well run and successful club. Without a doubt one of the best in the region.
Anyway ?? we have decided as at today, that each day the loser of the weeks matches will have a punishment. Consequences are key. This is where you guys come in ?? so we want suggestions below as to what the loser must do. The weeks will finish on Friday - we are currently 3/3 for this week so tomorrow now takes on a greater meaning. The punishment for this week is that tomorrow, whoever comes in second place is not allowed to wear any shoes whatsoever from the completion of the round until the next round on Saturday morning begins?
Looking forward to our last day in Welly tomorrow before the adventure south begins. For those CHCH based, we would love to see you at our launch on Monday at Terrace Downs, and are also looking for playing partners on Tuesday at the new Pegasus Town golf course.
Peace
mg
Kia Ora and welcome to another installment of puregolf2010. We have had another blinder today playing at Wainuiomata with Mu from Fat Freddy??s Drop, our good mate David Bott and two local members, Kevin and Graham (incidentally Kevin informed us that his son was part of another leading kiwi band that we are a huge fan of?? Kora). Yes, there were six of us to begin with after a small misunderstanding, and it was indeed the first time many of us played as a six. However, before you conservative golfers reading this blog fall over aghast with our form, we split into two threes to complete the last 15 holes of the round which sped up the pace of play.
Wainuiomata golf course was a good challenge. It was much longer and more difficult than many local golf courses, particularly off the back tees. The par 5??s in particular really dominated us. I played them 8, 8, 6 & 6. Not good?. And Jamie was almost as bad. One of them in particular, the wrecker, was so difficult into the wind that Dave played it as a par 6 (however he then managed to three putted for an 8). Dave almost had the match sewn up between the 6 of us, before a lost ball on the last hole brought about a solemn end and he ended with an 84, one shot behind myself. Dave is however, full of enthusiasm for our adventure and has provided Jamie and I with a multitude of great advice which Jamie and I are much appreciative of. We discussed the logistics of our project, and the fact that when you are out by yourself, living on the smell of an oily rag, that it is then that you have really taken a risk ?? which is something that we are starting to appreciate.
Back to the golf, myself Jamie and Mu (the founding mastermind behind Fat Freddy??s Drop) were not having a day to remember. That was, however, until I pulled out the video camera on 13 and Mu pulled out a stunning 6 iron to about 20 feet. Always a showman. I was foolish enough to leave the camera on for the next hole as well (Dave??s par 6 wrecker) where Mu coolly strolled in for a cheeky 5. Mu??s golf was not always as tight as his music ?? which we are all massive fans of ?? but when his swing came right (as you will see in our video posted below) it was pretty damn smooth. We also heard about his poker playing exploits which made us all yearn (again) for a casino in the capital.
Wainui was a good golf course and I was surprised to hear that the club had faced some difficulties of late. I had the opportunity to hear about this from one of the board members in our group, Graham, who was telling me about their membership base and fees which seem very well priced for such a quality course so proximate to Wellington central. I am sure that if kept in the condition it was today, a club with a course of that quality will flourish in the long term.
A few locals are coming around now for a wee flatwarming at the girls, so I best leave it there. No doubt a short video that better showcases another pure day will follow. And for those watching the stats with interest, a 3&2 victory to myself, and scores of 83/91.
Peace
M
I have finally been welcomed back into the commentary box. It has been a long time between drinks, but I finally scraped a 1 up victory today at Te Marua golf club in the Hutt Valley.
The day started well as JP and I mapped out our US itinerary for a couple of hours and then sent this draft out to a few chaps who have kindly offered to help us out. If we can arrange to get on the 60 or so courses we have on our wish list, it will make for a pretty amazing couple of months? (and feel free to make suggestions of must play US courses below this blog)
Wellington turned on a stunner today which has resulted in the crowds flocking to St Johns bar and other summer hot spots. It is fair to say the climate here leaves quite a bit to be desired so when it does come right, like today, the Wellingtonians definitely make the most of it.
Te Marua golf course was a well manicured track about 30 minutes drive from Wellington city. The first tee shot was a highlight as we smoked it out across the river, to a challenging dogleg par 4 - the toughest hole on the course. After yesterday??s experience of putting on glass, the greens today were at the other end of the spectrum and initially both of us really battled to get the ball to the hole. Te Marua is infamous for having either out of bounds or water on 16 of the 18 holes and we were warned that we would really struggle to play to our handicaps here. However, the tees were forward for the mid-week men, and with such good conditions the course played relatively straight forward. The one dilemma for both of us were the unusually bouncy greens ?? when we hit a shot in the ball literally bounced 2-3 feet in the air as if the greens had trampolines implanted underneath them. Bizarre.
I was cruising in the match and was 4 up with 5 to play before Jamie sorted his game out and started rolling in the birdie putts left right and centre. He was standing over an 8 foot putt on the last to halve the match (and make his 4th birdie of the back nine) but (un)fortunately it just slid by so the miracle comeback was not completed. The scores ended 78/81.
We are now back at the girls flat in Mt Victoria about to enjoy a beaut dinner. It has been great to see Gret this week and hear about her first week in the new job.
M
Chisholm Park
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