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. Â (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. Â It is also a sign of good design that the courses have not tried to look â??resortyâ?? 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. Â
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. Â At the conclusion of the round the consensus was that Arrowtown was a beautiful little course and great fun to play. Â 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 puregolf2010â??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 â?? 15.5 plays 14.5.
Arrowtown was mint â?? and another course in the region with ludicrously cheap membership at $440 a year! Â 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 â??fireside chatâ?? that the MC Phil Leishman (champion) had with Peter Alliss and Peter Thompson â?? 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
Â
Â
Posting comments has been disabled.
No one has commented on this page yet.
Chisholm Park
12 holes bart cape kidnappers christchurch christmas doak ed bayley hawke's bay heretaunga jane poole napier golf club new zealand puregolf2010 rangiora rarangi gc royal royal wellington the first tee the interislander waiohiki
