Jamie's thoughts on Day 10 at Kinloch

Posted by Jamie on 10 January 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: Kinloch, Taupo, Tommy Long, car key

That was a day I will remember for a long time.  Memorable in every sense of the word.  I have had an ear to ear grin on my face since 9am this morning, and it is showing no signs of subsiding.  Day 10 â?? quite simply â?? was a cracker.  Kinloch had been built up, in the sense that we had heard it was nigh on impossible.  Photos we had seen added to the anticipation.  So from the moment the alarm went off this morning we had that butterflies-in-the-stomach-prior-to-playing-an-amazing-golf-course feeling.  I love that feeling.

We arrived at Kinloch half an hour before our tee time, and were greeted by the utterly charming Tommy Long.  Iâ??ll pen a few more words about Tom later, but for now suffice to say that we received a very warm welcome, which only enhanced our already glowing mood.  Off to the very picturesque practice ground we went, to warm up.  The range sits in front of the (temporary) clubhouse, and has spectacular vistas across Lake Taupo.  Not a bad start.  Then to the fantastic practice putting green we ventured, to get a feel for what we expected to be lightning fast greens.  Turns out they werenâ??t too bad â?? and they were true as an arrow to boot.  It seems silly to get too excited about a putting green, but if you check out our gallery youâ??ll see what I mean.  

And so we finally reached the first tee.  By this point the decision had been made â?? for better or for worse â?? that we would play from the Tournament tees.  (This turned out to be a good call.)  Our philosophy is this: if youâ??re going to play a course like Kinloch, itâ??s ludicrous to pass up the opportunity of appreciating every (astoundingly well designed) hole in its fully glory, as it was meant to be played.  Who cares what you score?  The course was indeed long from the Tournament tees, but not unfairly so.  If youâ??re going to visit Kinloch â?? and I strongly urge any golfer visiting the Taupo area to do so â?? playing the course in its full glory is an experience not to be missed.  Donâ??t worry about your scorecard; just appreciate the challenge.  

Now Iâ??d like to talk you through the best holes, but that would take all day â?? theyâ??re all (and I mean all) amazing.  Check out our photo gallery and youâ??ll see what I mean.  That said, I will pick out a couple that sit, for me, a nose ahead of the pack.  

The 4th: an undulating dog-leg left, with a generous fairway but an enticing approach.  From the tee you are guided by a striped stake (there are a few dotted around the course, to make blind tee shots less blind).  When you march over the horizon the hole opens up to your left, rolls down a gentle slope and ends up with a well guarded green.  Standing atop the fairway you canâ??t help but smile.

The 5th: another dog-leg left, with a first impression dominated by sand.  There are bunkers literally everywhere, so it helps to pull out the course guide for wisdom.  If you hit a good tee shot, the 5th is not scary, although itâ??s no gimme.  A long, undulating green running front right to back left invites a short iron, but wonâ??t give away any easy putts.  Indeed this is a feature of all of the greens at Kinloch â?? donâ??t expect to sink many 20 footers: you wonâ??t find a flat one anywhere.

The 9th: stroke 1 on the card, and for good reason.  A fairly generous landing zone lulls the naïve golfer (read: me) into a false sense of security.  From 168 metres up to a raised (and invisible) green, I pulled 5 iron, feeling pretty good about the prospects of par.  But it was not to be â?? as I thinned the ball into the thick stuff 50 metres short of the green.  I managed to chop the ball three quarters of the way there â?? into a bunker (one of many I visited today) - and duly made double bogey.  Never mind.  A beautiful golf hole nonetheless; itâ??s not often you walk off the green after a double with a grin on your face.

The 14th: another blind tee shot, guided from the tee by a striped stake.  If you get a good one away here, youâ??ll be sitting atop a rolling fairway that slopes down to the left (into inhospitable territory).  If you donâ??t, needless to say youâ??re in a spot of bother.  Not a long hole, but the approach shot is again blind, and the green particularly mountainous.  Make a par here and thereâ??s cause for celebration.  Same goes for the next hole:

The 15th: Tom warned us about this hole, but his words couldnâ??t prepare us for what we were about to face.  Namely, a monster.  The fresh right to left wind didnâ??t help my cause, to be fair.  But when you stand on the (tournament) tee, all you think is...[expletive].  The possible scenarios start racing through your mind: hook into hell; block into impossible bunker...etc.  You get the picture.  Anyone who makes a birdie here deserves a medal.  (I suspect thatâ??s no one).  All rambles aside, the theory is to hit a high long iron at the front right and let it skip left onto the (himalaya-like) surface.  Good luck.  The 17th is a pretty similar hole â?? and equally spectacular â?? but Iâ??ll spare you the repetition.  

The 16th: a split fairway par 5, everything about which is perfect.  The tee shot is inviting and relatively straightforward.  You then have a choice whether to lay up left or right of a string of nasty looking bunkers.  I went right, Michael left.  A short approach shot follows to a raised green guarded by 346 bunkers.  Wonderful hole.

That wraps up my observations on the course.  I canâ??t emphasise enough how spectacular it is, in every way.  Beautifully manicured; mature beyond its (3) years; and breathtaking from every vantage point.  A must do.  My favourite course in New Zealand â?? and possibly anywhere.  If youâ??re young and fit, like us, walk.  As Tom said to us, those taking a cart risk missing out on the finer points of this glorious place.  Come the 18th Mike and I were pretty tired, but I wouldnâ??t have had it any other way.  

After we walked off Tom was in the clubhouse, eager to hear our thoughts on his stomping ground.  He kindly allowed us to use the locker room facilities (best showers I have ever had at a golf course â?? in a temporary clubhouse too...).  A stiff coffee followed, along with the obligatory card marking.  Before shooting off Tom â?? who is from South England â?? let us pick his brains about what courses we should visit when we head that way.  The bloke couldnâ??t have been more hospitable, and I even enjoyed his banter, notwithstanding the fact that he is English.  So thanks Tom â?? the day wouldnâ??t have been the same without you.

As we readied ourselves to leave this paradise, the day took an unexpected turn.  I snapped our car key in the lock.  Which was amusing, if not a little troubling.  When othersâ?? patience might have worn thin, Tom and the lovely Irene from the bar bent over backwards to help us in our time of need.  Unlike the local locksmith, who is getting no love from me.  $200+ to come out and give us a key â?? pull the other one mate.  Several plans were hatched, none of which were particularly brilliant.  But eventually our saviour appeared in the form of Kevin, a local mechanic, who manually removed the steering lock and hot wired the car.  For $30, no less.  So many thanks to Kevin too.

Nothing could knock us off cloud 9 today â?? not even the car key debacle.  I will bore you no longer.  When a day like today comes around, itâ??s hard not to let it gush out.  Oh â?? before I sign off â?? I should also mention something rather extraordinary.  On the first fairway I got a phonecall (when I heard it ring I thought it was my other half, Angela...but no) â?? from who, but Phil Tataurangi.  Phil casually asked if weâ??d mind him joining us for a round on Tuesday at Wairakei.  I said Iâ??m sure we could squeeze him in.  Can you believe it?  From our brief conversations he seems like a hell of a nice guy, and Mike and I are both looking forward eagerly to Tuesday.  What an experience itâ??s going to be.  We are lucky lads indeed.

Peace, JP

P.S. For you eager beavers that read this before Monday afternoon, the photos wonâ??t be up in the gallery until then â?? slow internet connection at the bach, so will have to wait until we find an internet café after the golf tomorrow.  Patience, my friends.