100 Essential New Zealand Golf Holes

By Tom Hyde, published by AWA Press, RRP $40

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Golfing writer Tom Hyde's 100 Essential New Zealand Golf Holes features 10 holes from seven southern courses.

The summer title piggy-backs off research he did for a previous book, Mad Keen Golfer's Road Trip, which came out almost three years ago.

Rather than being a definitive list of the country's best golf holes, Hyde has put together a collection of memories and yarns.

Hyde, a 15-handicap New York state-born writer, has visited golf clubs the length and breadth of New Zealand, contacting many others by telephone to put together his list.

Along the way he has unearthed some solid yarns, including the story of a ghost of a Maori chief said to haunt the Mahunga Golf Club in Masterton, and lifelong member of the Thames Golf Club Clarice Espiner who scored a hole-in-one at the age of 94.

Hyde notes the number of world- famous golfers who have graced New Zealand's courses during the years, from Jack Nicklaus to Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods to Gene Sarazen, who played at the Invercargill Golf Club in 1936.

Otatara's 412m par 4 14th gets a special mention as hole number 99 because of its association with a dog called Tatters.

Fittingly, the hole features a dog leg and the corner is known as Tatters Corner after a dog with a fondness for finding golf balls.

Tatters would become a life member in 1949.

Hyde was previously in Southland two years, but remembers the golf courses in and around Invercargill fondly.

"I like them all. Right now I think Oreti Sands is a little over-rated, I mean Greg Turner has said it would be one of the top resort-style links courses in the country. That may be true now, I know there are four new holes going in there.

"I liked it for its scratchy charm, if you will. It was a cool little course, I liked it for its location."

Hyde liked the parklands style of Green Acres and recalled driving around Queens Park on a Monday morning on a cart with frost on the ground.

"Invercargill's lucky to have something within walking distance of the town centre."

Central Otago does not miss out.

Hyde notes the history associated with the new Jacks Point golf course, including the story of Maori Jack who was honoured for bravery after saving a traveller from drowning in Lake Wakatipu.

Arrowtown and Kelvin Heights each has two holes included, while Cromwell, Te Anau and Millbrook also get a mention.

Hawke's Bay's Cape Kidnappers has three holes featured in the book and it's one Hyde has a special attraction to.

"Like other new courses such as Kauri Cliffs, also created by Julian and Jose Robertson, Millbrook, near Arrowtown, Clearwater in Christchurch and Lakes Resort on the Coromandel, it has definitely raised the bar for New Zealand courses by attracting international attention," Hyde said.

Hyde's next project is likely to be a book on the country's nine-hole golf courses and he's keen to come back to Southland.

TOP OF THE SOUTH
Southern holes featured in Tom Hyde's 100 Essential New Zealand Golf Holes:
* 11th at Cromwell, 322m par 4;
* 13th at Arrowtown, 459m par 5;
* 18th at Arrowtown, 324m par 4;
* 18th at Millbrook, 505m par 5;
* 5th at Kelvin Heights, 362m par 4;
* 10th at Kelvin Heights, 110m par 3;
* 8th at Jacks Point, 480m par 5;
* 10th at Te Anau, 386m par 5;
* 14th at Otatara, 412m par 4;
* 11th at Oreti Sands, 353m par 4.

- © Fairfax NZ News