I have an old friend called Ed (Woody) Bayley who has joined us for a number of rounds this year (Gleneagles, The Hon. Company, and walking around Carnoustie, St Andrews and Aberdour). Woody grew up playing his golf at the Rangiora Golf Club. His parents are members there and many moons ago I used to go out and have a hit with them at Rangiora. Rangiora is a satellite town of Christchurch, a farming hub and a place I know well after playing cricket there (next to the golf course) for about 5 years. It is about 20 minutes drive from home and so when I was aged about 13 I was stoked when Woody joined up at Russley, our local course and we could ride our bikes down to play at the golf course.
Rangiora is a good country track and I remember Ed used to wax lyrical (yes, even as a 13 year old) about how good the greens were. Over the years nothing has changed.
Another thing that hasn??t changed is Ed??s name on the NZ Golf system ?? Woody Bayley. Woody was a nickname when Ed was young but one that very few of his mates have adopted nowadays. So it always cracks me up to see his name up on the membership board at Rangiora as Woody.
Unfortunately one thing has changed for Woody and that is his golf. He was a golf snake aged 13 off a four handicap. He??s now about 6 foot 2 and I??m not sure that his swing has fully adapted yet as his handicap has blown out to 15. He should be playing better golf than this but like many guys our age he struggles to find the time amongst a hectic social and working calendar.
Some of the strongest memories about Rangiora are playing it in a howling Nor??wester with the course bone dry and the ball rolling forever, harbouring false hopes for gangly teens that hitting the ball 300m was normal. Today it was dead calm. It should have been a festival of birdies ?? plenty of roll, great greens and no wind. Alas it was not ?? a solitary birdie for myself on the 2nd hole, although JP fared better with 4 including a closing back-to-back. Key.
Playing Rangoon with Woody is crucial as he, like me, is known to hit the ball very wide off the tee. Indeed he hit a few shots about 150m off target. But the point is, he could give some invaluable advice about how to play various holes the Wrong Way - i.e., down the neighbouring fairway - and then what club to hit back over the trees to the green. Superb.
Woody and James Turner and myself played a skins game. The lads came 2nd and 3rd, although should have fared better had JT been able to roll a few putts in. To be fair he was a bit shaky after a morning cleaning up the store after another powerful earthquake rattled the shelves. I??ve felt earthquakes in the past, but probably nothing as severe as the two that rocked CHCH at 2am and 1030am early on Boxing Day. Some excitement to the day and at least we??ve got the ??CHCH experience?? of late.... Thankfully nobody was injured again..
In the group behind was Geoff Burns, another who has had major involvement in pg2010 (Remuera, walking Titirangi, Jacks Point, Otatara, Oreti Sands and Rangiora) and JPandas whanau, father Mike and uncle Nigel. I think the Irishmen took the money and more importantly the pride - when they all rolled in birdie 2's on the 17th. Off 18 handicaps..
Of course a day at Rangiora wouldn??t be complete without seeing John Bayley senior and Margie who were out playing a few groups ahead of us. The surrogate family from uni days? they thought they??d seen the end of JP and I when we shifted to Welly?
Tomorrow we start our drive back up north to the Cape. 90 holes to go - Bring it on.
In central Christchurch ?? where Mike grew up and I spent 7 years ?? you??ll find Hagley Park, a tremendous resource for locals and tourists alike. For me it was always an ideal place to run around, the loop from home taking me about 38 minutes from memory (39 on Sundays). On weekday evenings and weekends it??s buzzing with sporty types ?? rugby, cricket, touch, Frisbee, netball, tennis and, of course, golf. Jam packed full of active humans, so it is. Hagley??s 12 holes may not be Royal Melbourne-esque, but they serve a purpose, giving affordable access to golf for those on a budget (time or money). It??s also a great spot from which to People Watch, and handy to town afterwards for last minute Christmas shopping!
With the imperative of darting around to catch friends on Christmas Eve in mind, Hagley was the perfect fit. It??s also proximate to The Dux De Lux, just in case we felt like a refresher afterwards (see the planning that goes into our days...). Those visiting should do so. Christchurch??s most famous pub and for good reason ?? no better place to sit on a balmy afternoon than in that courtyard. For us however it was all Clean Living ?? golf and golf only. And plenty sunscreen.
A few friends joined us, as did one of the locals. Alan was one of life??s truly nice people, a widower who works night shifts with The Salvation Army. Under his New Zealand Warriors bucket hat was a kind, mouvery face. He kept Blair and me on the straight and narrow ?? or at least he tried... ?? and played out of his skin by his own admission. Had he opted instead of escorting us around to play in the comp Alan would??ve cleaned up without breaking a sweat. What a buzz you get from seeing someone playing beyond themselves, the delight painted in bright colours across their dial.
Pedestrians pass by and through the golf course at their peril. It??s a busy place, the park ?? but everyone seems to co-exist rather harmoniously. That said there must??ve been dozens of unsuspecting cyclists who??ve been knocked off their wheels by an errant tee shot or, dare I say it, shanked approach. Blair was doing his damdest to take out a few joggers, each slice more severe than the one before it.
The Brothers Rendall ?? Nick in particular ?? looked to be seeking shade where possible. Often Goldy was the lonesome figure on the fairway in the 3 ball behind. Every couple of holes we??d shout the current birdie tally over ?? a practice that became progressively more depressing as the putts dried up. Not a good day on the fundraising front, especially disappointing given the length of the course. But if the ball doesn??t want to go in it doesn??t want to go in. I find that you rarely tear up ??easy? courses because the pressure to make birdies constantly grips you. Or that??s my excuse anyway.
A very pleasant day indeed. Alan when he left us was off to put the finishing touches to the Christmas lunch he??d prepared for his son, who originally came down to Christchurch on a golf scholarship. He spared no details in sharing with us the menu ?? touching to observe the man??s excitement at his first Christmas lunch with The Boy for years. Alan, if you??re reading this, I hope you had a fantastic day; it was a pleasure to play with you.
Thanks to Hagley GC for having us and to the lads for coming down. Good. Day.
JP
Sister Jo hasn't featured too much on the blog this year, despite all her help! So she took matters into her own hands at Clearwater and created this..... Merry Xmas to all. 72 Holes to go!
I??m camped out in the ??Row Box? ?? which is supposed to be bolted to the roof of Jucy Lucy, but I??m beginning to wonder ?? trying desperately to punch out a blog. But the wind has other ideas. The canvas walls of my makeshift cabin are flapping like the wings of a young magpie On The Run after scoring his most fruitful bounty yet. It??s like a bloomin?? Disney ride up here. Except there??s no smell of candy floss and Mickey Mouse is nowhere to be seen. Anyway, no complaints from me. I lie here with only 4 sleeps, 72 holes and doubtless one or two more lost balls between me and The End. An appropriate time to look back, this time to our day at Waitikiri Golf Club.
After being blown sideways by the Nor?? Westa?? at Ashburton ?? it??s been hellishly windy of late ?? we found ourselves in the comfort of Christchurch. Michael with his parents, and me with my grandparents. I had a lovely evening chewing the fat with Grandma and Grandpa, who are surely the wisest people on God??s Good Earth. Certainly they??re among the most interesting, and kind ?? I always leave looking forward to seeing them again (and to another installment of Grandma??s cooking). Last Wednesday it was with great apprehension that I drew open the front doors, wondering whether that ghastly Nor?? Westa?? was still rearing its ugly head. Course it was. Waitikiri would be tough going.
Ron the General Manager wouldn??t have told us otherwise either. After giving us a quick dressing down and instructions to smile for The Press photographer (??you??re at Waitikiri...you LOVE Waitikiri...?) y??er man then set about getting stuck in as we teed off. ??Watch out for the O.B. on the right there lads... You??ll do well to break 80...? Good banter. Perhaps the first time we??ve been sledged by the GM off the bat this year? Mind you John Farren from Ballyliffin wasn??t half bad on this front. The pair would get on well. If only every golf official was so colorful.
For company we had a teacher and pupil, Campbell and Judah. Cam a young man of Central Otago origins with a thick coverage of 8 o??clock shadow. Judah a spritely man of 11 years, keen to sharpen up his handicap over the summer break. Both gentlemen of a gentlemanly disposition and a pleasure to walk around with. Judah in particular impressed me with his patience; not once did he lose the rag or grimace. If memory serves correctly I was nowhere near as genteel at his age ?? not even close! (Then again I??m a Scot and thus must be forgiven a measure of fire...).
The course was much as I remember it from past visits, largely on account of inter school matches. Conditioning it must be said however has improved in recent years. The club appears to have sold some real estate around the edges and ploughed the proceeds into a smart new clubhouse and greenkeeping resources. My feeling is that the whole package is all the better for it, really an impressive beast. Why they don??t amalgamate with next door Windsor I don??t understand ?? well, that??s not strictly true; I do now after the Inside Word from Ron ?? but that??s neither Here nor There.
For the most part it??s tree lined stuff. Indeed on the back of Nor?? West?? gales the fairways were tree lined on 3 sides: to the left, right and underneath. That is to say a carpet of branches lay underfoot after being torn from their rightful and respective homes. Had I ever had the competency to hit the dam thing down the fairway I might??ve had trouble locating my ball. As it happened I could have no complaints foraging around under the cover of shade like a swine hunting for truffles. Judah must??ve been wondering why after playing so much golf I could be so hopeless. And well he might.
In such trying times I looked to newfound junior friend for inspiration. And I found it. The young man caressed his pill beautifully around the track with enthusiasm and restraint. When a 25 foot putt rolled in for his first par of the day mid-way into the back nine we all threw high fives around like a bunch of Americans who??ve just hit the green on 7 at Royal County Down. A lovely moment. From what I could gather, wee Judah lives only with his father, who also plays at Waitikiri and supports his son in his endeavours. He??d be the paradigm student that The First Tee would love to have in the program were they to spring up in Christchurch. Which is something both Michael and I would love to see.
JP
It??s not in my nature to be outspoken. Well, fair enough, yes it is. Pipe down. On the whole though I tend to hold my tongue when it comes to analysing courses we visit. I??m not Tom Doak and don??t profess to be; doesn??t pay to offend the sensibilities of those that have so graciously hosted you. However. There comes a time when one becomes so moved that it??s futile to suppress one??s reformative energies. Like now. You see folks, we had the pleasure of playing at Waimairi Beach in hometown Christchurch, which I haven??t played since 6th form. And...it??s jam packed full of potential. With a good few pines felled and a pot bunker or two cut, you??d be looking at the Royal Lytham of Aotearoa (??Royal Waimairi? has a nice ring to it, doesn??t it?).
My abiding memory of this delightful track was the greens ?? they??re slicker than Jack Nicholson was at the height of his powers. Thankfully, in the 9 years since my last visit, nothing has changed on this front: they??re still pure. Bart was getting hot flushes on the practice putting green. (Though he still wasn??t sinking a bloody thing...). We teed off and immediately found ourselves having to shape it around pine forests to the port and starboard sides. Now, the shore is only a few hundred yards away; the Easterly wind blows temperamentally across the course from, well, the East (i.e. the Pacific); and the soil is that lovely sandy stuff that you find beneath the fescue at the likes of St. Andrews, Troon, Birkdale, Ballybunion and Co. In short, smashing links land.
So. Why then are there great big pines standing like wooden warts on the landscape? First of all, it??s New Zealand ?? people don??t like cutting down trees by virtue of some innate, in this case unhealthy, affection for the dam things. I don??t agree with everything coming out of the Michael Clayton School of Golf, but he??s on the money on this subject. On ya Michael. Second, there are cries of ??safety?. Because the slice of land isn??t a big one, people perhaps justifiably worry that it??d be a warzone if you chopped ??em down. I??m not sure about that though: hell, when we were up at Howick a week or so ago, there are trees aplenty but still balls flew past our ears every 26 seconds.
Well. If after employing a lumberjack to do your Dirty Work you can??t reshape the holes to be sufficiently removed from one another, make it a 12 hole course! After all, 12 is the optimal number of holes. That applies now, and more pertinently in the future. You never play well for more than 12 holes; there are always a few in the middle, down the stretch, or even at the outset, that ruin your card. Plus you??re around in 2 hours tops. In today??s world that??s key ?? particularly if you??re trying to capture the attention of young ??uns like me who are time poor, and who think golf in New Zealand takes far too long. It does. The Revolution is coming.
Anyway I??ve said my bit, and will ruffle no more feathers for the moment at least. If you??d like to continue the conversation, email me at jamie@puregolf2010.com.
Despite getting stuck behind a slew of 3s and 4s (mainly mature gentlemen playing their Friday morning golf, er, carefully), we were thoroughly enjoying the experience. Between shots I was using my imaginary can of spray paint to mark out the trees that, in the Patton Redesign, would be culled (i.e. all of them). What a pleasure it was too to be playing on (or at least admiring...) the lush carpet green fairways that are the product of a very proficient watering system. By some miracle ?? and I hope I??m not being too cynical in this sense ?? the greens were also, on the whole, very nicely shaped. There??s generally not too much thought apparent in New Zealand greens, but this was a notable exception. I??m thinking in particular of the 5th and 7th greens for anyone in the know.
A curious looking character began wandering alongside us as we approached the 9th green. I gathered by his body language that he had come to greet us. Jack McDonald was his name, a retired tradesman from Belfast (though he emigrated some 44 years ago). Instead of playing with his usual Dollar Club pals ?? who play every Monday and Friday for, you guessed it, a dollar ?? Jack thought he might walk with us down the back nine. He??d been following our journey with interest, and saw puregolf2010 was rolling through his back yard. We were all glad of his fine company (and local knowledge). Given Jack spent his first 11 years or so living in Clydebank near Glasgow (his father worked on the docks, on The Queen Mary among other projects), he and I probably fell back into speaking with our native brogue. (It??s something I??ve become more aware of after travelling around Scotland with Michael for 2 months: ??Jamie??s talking Scottish again...?).
Y??er man had a glint in his eye and told me of how he nearly lost his grog in the earthquake ?? his wife??s best vase had fallen off the top shelf but, mercifully, the whisky was poised flirtatiously on the edge of the shelf. Naturally in the melee Jack had a dram to steady himself and celebrate his near miss. Mrs. McDonald wasn??t quite so relieved.
Walking off the 18th after a satisfying adventure the Secretary Manager, John, came down to welcome us. Once we??d taken care of the necessaries (we have to hand in cards again, now that we??re back on home soil!), our trio was invited into the clubhouse to join The Dollar Club for refreshment. A train track of men ran down the centre of the lounge, almost as if they were playing a dozen chess matches. Not a rook or a knight in sight however ?? just a few handles of Speights Old Dark and the odd bowl of chips. And a bunch of gentlemen in the twilight of their careers enjoying each other??s company (or so it appeared...).
Mike Hurley, the leader of the pack (past Captain, President, club member for over 50 years etc etc), welcomed us with a haka. Well, he didn??t actually, but it would??ve been entertaining. Rather he said a few words while on his feet and walked us to the bar. There I chatted with him for the best part of an hour and learned a bit about the club that he??s given such service to over 6 decades. And about The Eagles Golfing Society, of which he is the present captain (and who do a lot of valuable fundraising work). Like Jack, a tremendous gentleman to while a few minutes away with.
I could??ve stayed at Waimairi Beach all day, but a family dinner was fast looming and I was in no mood to miss out on any of the festivities. Bart and I hucked it out in Jucy Lucy to Crossnacreevie (named after my grandfather??s old farm in Nor??n Ireland that??s sadly no longer in the family). Mum gave me the sort of big hug that only a mother can give, and just like that I was Home, telling tales of The Year That??s Been. Three generations of Pattons sat around the table with friends from near and far. How good is it to come home to your mum??s cooking????? Vintage evening ?? good to be home.
JP
This morning I woke from a deep sleep to a pillow soaked with drool. The past week down south, in Queenstown, was amazing ?? but it certainly took its toll. When we weren??t playing golf we were watching it, or spending time amongst the crowds at the NZ Open. I tell you not to attract sympathy, but rather to set the scene for today, which was always going to be ?? first and foremost ?? one of those travel days.
After spending a whirlwind 12 hours with family, I met Michael at Harewood Golf Club ?? near Christchurch Airport ?? for this morning??s match. Harewood in its heyday held prestigious events like the Garden City Classic, but in recent times appears to have been undergoing a transitional phase. Before today I hadn??t been there in probably 5 years or so, but had only fond memories ?? in particular, of the Old Course (the big brother to the New Course, a younger, less challenging track). Harewood had kindly accommodated us at late notice (3 days), after we juggled our itinerary to squeeze in more girlfriend time in Wellington.
The course itself is undergoing significant renovations, and 9 holes are out of play while the greens are been rebuilt. So we played 9 holes twice (and thankfully did better the second time around). I had a sluggish start, and made 3 double bogeys in the first 4 holes (gulp!). Thankfully I pulled it back and shot 77 (par 68), edging out Michael, who hacked an 81. It??s hard to provide meaningful comment on the course, given the state it??s currently in. It wouldn??t be fair. Normally it??s a well kept, pine tree lined layout, with good greens. And that??s how it??ll probably be when we next return, in 2011, after the renovations are completed. In fact I??m very much looking forward to seeing what results a couple of million bucks will produce ?? probably pretty good ones I suppose.
Rod and Lisa ?? from the club ?? were very hospitable, and wished us well before we made our way to the airport. Thanks to both of you for hosting us ?? we look forward to seeing how Harewood evolves in the coming months.
A quick flight to Wellington, followed by a short jog to get the car (taxis are expensive here, particularly from the airport, and we??re developing increasingly frugal tendencies), and we were back in the girls?? flat. Have just had a lovely dinner with my other half, Angela, and will do farewells tomorrow morning for the last time before we reconvene in Australia.
Tomorrow we play Paraparaumu ?? probably the best links course in the land, and one of the best courses full stop. Last time Mike and I played there it was a howling southerly ?? wind / rain / hail / sleet ?? so hopefully the weather gods are kinder tomorrow. Forecast is good; fingers crossed.
Until tomorrow...
Jamie
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
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
