The most southern 18 hole golf course in the world!
Yes! Yet another sunny day! Headed south to play the most southern 18 hole golf course in the world! On the way we found a beach with “gemstones” which we filled our pockets with, and a network of caves that Norman and I set out to explore, armed with a couple of flashlights each. The cave opening quickly became very narrow and rocky, and when the maneuvering started to hurt my injuries, I decided it was sensible for me to back out and let crazy Norman explore on his own. If he was not back in an hour, I would send for help.
The Cave
If you have done any spelunking (cave exploration) this one wasn’t too bad. They had reflector tape placed periodically so you knew which way to venture into the cave. It is so strange to be venturing into the total darkness and sometimes you are climbing upwards only to then be descending further down. I should have remembered from prior experience that you could use a hard hat and knee pads when exploring caves. OUCH – I didn’t have them! Anyway, I made it about 80% of the way to the other exit (about 1/4 mile) only to be confronted with a water crossing that was only 3-4 feet deep and 10 feet across. I was alone and did not bring proper attire with me, so I humbly retreated.
The Golf – Southland Golf Course
An isolated links style course set near the coast. 3 of the holes are rated the best in NZ. What a view. They had just redesigned the course the previous week with 3 new holes. The New Zealand Open was played last week in Queenstown and several of the tour players came to this course for the official inaugural of the new layout. We arrived at 4:00 and we were the only people on the course (sunset isn’t until 8:00+). Alison accompanied me for the first 11 holes and was able to pitch and putt, and was very pleased at how she felt. I say 11 holes because in NZ the turn is rarely at the 9th hole. They do things differently down here. The course became a challenge on the back 7 when water came into play and I had a real problem figuring out the layout of the course. There were many par 4’s where I could not make out where the green was. Needless to say, the score was higher in the back than the front. But overall, a thrill to play.
The Cave
If you have done any spelunking (cave exploration) this one wasn’t too bad. They had reflector tape placed periodically so you knew which way to venture into the cave. It is so strange to be venturing into the total darkness and sometimes you are climbing upwards only to then be descending further down. I should have remembered from prior experience that you could use a hard hat and knee pads when exploring caves. OUCH – I didn’t have them! Anyway, I made it about 80% of the way to the other exit (about 1/4 mile) only to be confronted with a water crossing that was only 3-4 feet deep and 10 feet across. I was alone and did not bring proper attire with me, so I humbly retreated.
The Golf – Southland Golf Course
An isolated links style course set near the coast. 3 of the holes are rated the best in NZ. What a view. They had just redesigned the course the previous week with 3 new holes. The New Zealand Open was played last week in Queenstown and several of the tour players came to this course for the official inaugural of the new layout. We arrived at 4:00 and we were the only people on the course (sunset isn’t until 8:00+). Alison accompanied me for the first 11 holes and was able to pitch and putt, and was very pleased at how she felt. I say 11 holes because in NZ the turn is rarely at the 9th hole. They do things differently down here. The course became a challenge on the back 7 when water came into play and I had a real problem figuring out the layout of the course. There were many par 4’s where I could not make out where the green was. Needless to say, the score was higher in the back than the front. But overall, a thrill to play.
