Invercargill Golf Club

[Mike_Duffy]

I have a question for Scott Macpherson or any other Kiwis on the board.

I have just discovered my note book from that trip to "the end of the earth" in 1998.
Apart from Oreti Sands, I have two asterisks marked beside the name of the Invercargill Golf Club, which from memory was only about 10 minutes drive from the city of the same name.

I have just combed through the lists appended to the other topic re NZ's top 25 courses, and I did not see one mention of the Invercargill Golf Club.

I see from the notes that I have appended "too many trees"; "needs to be broadened out"; "linksy but with a parkland setting"; "Nice course, why haven't I heard of this one?"

And notably, I have mentioned: "Once again, not another soul on the course - just like Oreti Sands. Weather pleasant, light northerly wind. Where is everyone?"

So why doesn't Invercargill GC get a mention? From my distant memories and notes it would seem that it was one of the nicer tracks that I go to play in "the deep south" of NZ.

New Year's Day here in Oz, so happy NY to all.

[Grant Saunders]

Hi Mike

Happy New Year

Invercargill features on 3 of the 4 lists under its other name of Otatara. Bob Charles has it at 13, Greg Turner at 9 and Stuart Jones at 15.

I havent played the course myself, but by all reports it is a very strong course. I have visited it on a work trip and did notice that it is certainly abundant in mature trees. Im hoping to head down there in the next couple of months to play both Otatara and Oreti. I will take some pics when I do.

Here is their website http://www.invercargillgolf.co.nz/index.htm
Unfortunately, the pictures dont do it much justice.

Grant

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It just so happens that early this morning I watched "The World's Fastest Indian," a movie starring Anthony Hopkins as the late Burt Munro of Invercargill,NZ. A good show about the man who set many land speed  records at the Bonneville Salt Flats for small bore motorcycles.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/

[Scott Macpherson]

Mike,

I, like Grant, haven't played I.G.C (Otatara) but have visited. Parts of the site have great 'crumpled' ground- perfect for golf. Trees have adversely impacted the golf however, as have some drainage issues. There is no doubt, it is a course worthy of mention- and that it is so close to Southland Golf Club (Oreti Sands) makes them a great 'double header' for those making a visit to this most-southernly part of NZ.

Steve,

Speaking of the "The World's fastest Indian", a movie I enjoyed too, there is a pub in between the two golf courses mentioned above called 'The Cabbage Tree' which is very good, and has many photos from the movie shoot on the walls.

Invercargill is an interesting place.

scott

[Mike_Duffy]

Thank you Grant and Scott for your replies. Why do the NZ'ers have two names for their courses? I find it most confusing.

Years ago I asked at a hotel I was staying in at Rotorua where the best golf course was located and I was given directions to the Rotorua Golf Club. I followed the directions to the letter and three times drove past a golf club with the nameplate Ararikikapakapa or something similar. It was only on the fourth drive past the entrance that I asked a passer-by where the Rotorua Golf Club was and he looked at me with a strange grimace and pointed to the entrance!

Steve: As for "The World's Fastest Indian", I got to watch that on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne about two years ago. I wasn't going to view it as I thought the film would be about some athletic Indian running fast, but it turned out to be the one of the most heart-warming movies that I have seen for many years.

[Scott Macpherson]

Mike,

Not all NZ courses have two names. Just a few. Another difference two enjoy. And a positive of the situation may be that if you set the course record at one of these courses, you can claim to have it at two clubs!

[Neil_Crafter]

A few Aussie courses go by two names as well, although they are more akin to nicknames based on their locality:
The Australian GC - Kensington
Royal Sydney GC - Rose Bay
Royal Adelaide GC - Seaton
Glenelg GC - The Bay

are some that come to mind. Although its hard to beat Arikikapakapa or Paraparaumu !

[RJ_Daley]

Happy NY Mike.  I wonder if the naming system is like we here in some locales like Nebraska refer to both the given name by the developer, and the locale's name.  There is Wild Horse the given name, yet many Nebraskans say they are going to play Gothenburg.  They even refer to the great Sand Hills GC as going to play Mullen.  That is easy to do when the one horse town is also a one course town. 

[Mike_Duffy]

Dick Daley: I'll bet London to a brick that I'm in a warmer clime than you are at the present time!!! Right?

If someone told me that they were heading to Gothenburg to play golf, I would be taking them directly to the international terminal to get on a Qantas flight to Germany! And a Happy New Year to you  as well Dick.

Neil C: Yes, you are right, I hadn't thought of the double names in Oz. There are probably more.

Scott: The days of setting course records are not on my radar any longer. I'll leave that to the really accomplished Aussies like Mike C and Neil Crafter - and yes, they could somewhat claim that they held the course record at I.G.C. and Otatara!

[Andrew Mitchell]

It just so happens that early this morning I watched "The World's Fastest Indian," a movie starring Anthony Hopkins as the late Burt Munro of Invercargill,NZ. A good show about the man who set many land speed  records at the Bonneville Salt Flats for small bore motorcycles.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412080/

Steve
I probably wouldn't have clicked on this thread if I hadn't watched "The World's Fastest Indian" over Christmas.  An excellent film and heartwarming story.

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