Beers, toasties and bragging rights

By Peter Thornton

Following is his what he described as the perfect golf weekend away in Taupō for the season-ending matchplay championship. 

It all came down to this. Once a month in Wellington, three mates and I get out for an early morning hit at Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club or Karori Golf Club.

The format is simple. Matchplay in teams, the best score (minus strokes given for handicap) wins the hole. The losers pay for the winners’ beers and toasties and the winners get bragging rights until the next time. The golf is usually fairly average, but the banter can be world class.

And now the championship decider had arrived.  It consisted of all the lads (somehow) getting sign off from their better halves to head north to take on two of New Zealand’s best championship courses in Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary and The Kinloch Club.

This was our Masters. Our Open Championship. Our Ryder Cup. You get the idea.    

They were fitting locations – Wairakei shares the same designers (John Harris and Michael Wolveridge) as Karori and parallels many of the trademark elements.

The picturesque views from elevated tees, the gentle sound of the creek which runs throughout the course and a layout full of signature holes (at a championship standard at Wairakei).

Wairakei was designed by Harris, Wolveridge and Australian legend Peter Thomson, the five-time winner of The Open Championship.

Kinloch has the feeling of a links course. It overlooks Lake Taupō and shares many qualities with the iconic Paraparaumu Beach. It is the only course in New Zealand to be designed by arguably the greatest golfer, Jack Nicklaus.

The words of Sir Bob Charles are on the clubhouse.

“I can honestly say this is the number one golf course in New Zealand,” says the 1963 Open Championship winner.  

“For those unable to play the great links courses of Scotland, Kinloch compares with the best of them. A true links experience with Jack Nicklaus at his best.”

One of our regular golfers, Andrew Joyce, was a late withdrawal. My father Richard was more than happy to come down from Auckland and “meet us in the middle”. 

The teams were me and my old man taking on good mates Simon ‘Blocka’ Roche and Daniel ‘Little D’ Markham.  The stage was set.

“It’ll clear up”

As we hit Desert Road in the Tongariro National Park, the driving rain on our windshield was deafening.

We were only a few hours away from tee off and we couldn’t see 20 metres in front of us.

Our weekend of golf and other activities was in jeopardy, but like most golfers the optimism inside the car remained off the charts.

“It’ll clear up,” was the hourly catch-cry from the lads even though there was no evidence of any clear weather coming our way. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

When it’s tipping it down outside, you don’t have much choice but to change plans. On Friday afternoon we visited The Deck in town for some burgers, beers, and a pool competition.  

We made our debut at the Wairakei Thermal Terraces and took in Top Gun – Maverick at the local cinema. It was brilliant.

When we emerged from the theatre at 8pm, the relief was palpable when we looked up to see a clear, starry night. Things were looking up for our 9am tee off at The Kinloch Club.

A mecca of golf

There is no place quite like Taupō.

No trip to the region is complete without a visit to take in the Huka Falls.  Witnessing the phenomenal hydro power of more than 220,000 litres of water passing over an 11 metre high waterfall per second is a sight to behold.  

The town centre is packed with great places to dine and head out for a few drinks. The lake is an endless playground and offers world class trout fishing year-round.

Perhaps the best way to see the region is from the air. Taking in the stunning views of the country's biggest lake, the Huka Falls, Mount Ruapehu in the distance and the expanse that is the central plateau is simply breathtaking.

This place is also a mecca of golf.  Yes, Queenstown lays claim to that title, but Taupō is unique.  Being able to pack up the car with your mates and get on the road for a golf weekend, Taupō scores huge points for accessibility, affordability and awesome layouts. 

The championship courses at Kinloch and Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary rightfully claim the spotlight.  

The Tūrangi Golf Club is a hidden gem and there are 36 holes at Taupō Centennial.  The region offers something for golfers of all abilities.  

The toughest course in New Zealand

I don’t think many would argue that The Kinloch Club is the toughest course in New Zealand. You come here for the challenge, and you never leave disappointed.

With the endless sprawling, unkept bunkers, unbelievable green complexes and risk-and-reward on every hole, it’s unlike any course in our golfing landscape.

Nicklaus came to New Zealand around 50 years ago and according to legend, fell in love with the land of the long white cloud. He held the ambition to design a course here and what he created is a masterpiece.

The Golden Bear visited the course in March, 2008, for the opening and was pleased with his work. He’d be delighted to see how his layout has matured. 

We were greeted at the pro shop by the always-affable Tom Long.

The director of golf at Kinloch is a top man who always has a yarn up his sleeve. He let us know that, with the inclement weather, we had the course to ourselves.

After a walk down memory lane, where Tom relived his past glories as a youth footballer – he was part of the Arsenal academy and played on the famed turf of Highbury – it was time to get going.

Tom offered some sound advice on how to take on The Kinloch Club.

“With your approach shots into the greens, make sure you take an extra club. Jack has created an intimidating course with the extensive bunkering, and most of the trouble is at the front of the greens.

“It’s a thinking man’s golf course so it will really test your strategy on how you play each hole. There’s a good chance you’ll come off mentally exhausted.”

With those thoughts ringing in our ears, there were nerves on the first tee.  

But the lads soon warmed into our work and looked to make it a memorable round. For 20-handicappers Blocka, dad and myself any par around here was worth celebrating.   

We played off the blue tees, while Daniel who hits it short and straight all day, played from the whites. We gave ``Little D'' 18 strokes and with his tee advantage he was a genuine threat. One of his highlights came early when he almost holed a pitch shot from 70m to win the fifth hole.

As well as the beers and toasties on the line, we added a side-bet on the par threes. Everyone chucked $5 into the hat and the closest to the pin claimed the pot. This finished with some great shot-making and plenty of near misses.  

Early in the back nine dad and I held a handy  two up lead -- and when the old man hit the notorious par three 15th with a three wood (his shot of the day) -- we started to get pretty cocky.

Blocka led a mighty comeback to win 16 and 17 and it was all square going down the last.

And what a hole to decide the opening match. The par five 18th – with a huge lake down the left and a plethora of trouble to find.

We managed to get up and down from the rough on the final hole for bogey to secure a one up win. The beers were definitely going down a bit easier.

A turning point

Even if you didn’t want to talk about, we replayed every brilliant shot and every missed putt soaking in the Wairakei Thermal Terraces. Over our three days in Taupō, this place was our second home.  

The pools range from lukewarm to piping hot. It’s a great meeting place for people from all walks of life. After five hours and more strokes than we all had hoped for at The Kinloch Club, this place was the perfect tonic to soothe the aches and pains, and relax.  

During our time in Taupō we stayed at the luxurious Riverside Apartments. This place is ideal for a golf trip. Modern with heaps of space and an endless view of the Taupo Harbour and the river to Huka Falls, these apartments are tailormade for a stress-free weekend.

Sipping on an ice-cold Hazy IPA we looked out from our balcony to hear the humdrum of town getting ready for a night out. It was about an hour until the All Blacks were going to take on Ireland in the second test in Dunedin.

That night didn’t pan out as we’d hoped. Meanwhile, Blocka and Little D were already plotting their own comeback the following morning at Wairakei. 

“Every hole is a postcard” 

While Kinloch slaps you in the face and can pull your pants down in front of the whole school, Wairakei welcomes you with a big, warm hug and makes you feel right at home.  

Playing golf at Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is a world class experience.

Coming through the gates, it was a sight for sore eyes to see the balls neatly staked in pyramids on the range and the course in great condition. Most importantly, the rain looked like it was going to stay away.

Before we teed off, we were met by Love Taupō team who were up early on their Sunday morning to drop down bacon and egg rolls for breakfast from Baked with Love.  It’s the little things that make for a great experience and that sort of effort made a huge difference.

Wairakei has a special atmosphere. After years of working on Phil Leishman’s television golf shows, I have great memories of covering The Charles Tour events here. During those times, I’d always dream of coming back here with my mates. And here we were.

The feeling on the first tee was special. Looking around to see two great mates who I have known most of my life, and my old man. You have to treasure these moments.

During the round I hit some of the best golf shots I have hit all year. A well-hit rescue from 200m on the first to 20 feet, a perfectly struck six iron to 10 feet on the third, and a drive down The Rogue Hole that went for miles.

Unfortunately, I also hit some of my worst. It only means that I have to come back and give this course another crack.

The birdlife in the sanctuary of Wairakei just adds to the place. One of the highlights for all of us came early in the round.  Standing on the fourth tee, my old man, who had a reliable weekend with the driver, skied his tee shot.

In a moment that felt like slow motion the ball came down sweetly on the head of an unsuspecting goose. He got in quite a flap. I hope that poor fella is resting up.  

Blocka and Little D turned it on during the final round and we were three down at the turn. We got one back with a good par on the 10th. We found our voice and were talking about the greatest comeback golf had ever seen. It never eventuated.

We went down in a pretty convincing four and two loss. Taking off the cap and shaking hands on the 16th green is never a good feeling.

But the back nine at Wairakei is something to savour. The magical short par fours at 11 and 12, the incomparable par five 14th, the quintessential-Wairakei par three 15th to name a few. 

Every hole is like a postcard.

Almost on cue, three deer ran out and frolicked on the fairway behind us on 14.  

Coming down the last I made sure my final memory was a good one.  I played the 18th perfectly to record my only birdie of the round. There would be another day.

As we made the long journey home, we were knackered but happy. There was no better place for the season ending matchplay championship. And the end result was a fitting one.  

Peter Thornton is an experienced journalist and media manager. He first worked in the golf industry producing Phillip Leishman’s television golf shows for Sky Sport. He went onto be the media and communications manager for Golf New Zealand and has worked as a journalist in all forms for the past 20 years.