I recently took the short trip across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand and more importantly, Paraparaumu Beach – an Alex Russell design that has hosted 12 NZ Opens. Having played it four days straight, Paraparam’ (as the locals call it) is one of the most enjoyable golf courses one could hope for. It’s crumpled fairways, catapulting the golf ball in all sorts of directions, made for fun golf, and a form of the game that Australia is starved of, perhaps with the exception of but to a lesser extent at Barwon Heads and the recent openings of Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm.
During my stay, I had the pleasure of meeting and playing with the Club’s General Manager/Superintendent and GCA’er, Leo Barber. Leo is obviously a busy man but hopefully he can provide a few comments along the way, perhaps giving some inside knowledge for those planning on attending the Boomerang event in March 2012.
I will not attempt to review Paraparam’, as this was done brilliantly by Ran in the Courses By Country Section, not so long ago. Rather, I thought I’d share some photos of perhaps the key design element of the golf course - subtle greens with severe slopes and depressions surrounding them. During my time on this wonderful links, these slopes often caught me out. Although my short game was on, ‘up and downs’ were rare, placing a premium on approaches.
Firstly, here are a couple of photos of the long par-3 2nd hole, played into the prevailing wind. It’s a rather narrow green, and you will be doing well to make par should you miss the green on either side.
Here is another par-3 at the 5th hole. Below shows two photos from the right side of the green, followed by the rear, illustrating severe slopes on all sides. And wonderful par-3 where making a three is always satisfying.
Below is the short par-4 10th hole, showing the only blowout bunker that remains on the golf course. This green is treacherous, requiring the approach shot to be played from the left side of the fairway, which hugs a small water hazard that catches any pulled tee-shot. While I like the look of this blowout bunker, I think it should be revetted, keeping in line with the remainder of the bunkers at Paraparam’, including one that is hidden behind this one.
The 13th hole is a wonderful and bunkerless par-4. It is on the most undulating part of the property, with it’s fairway rising and falling dramatically. The approach shot (a 5-iron for me) was one of those shots in golf that is truly a ‘make or break’ shot that is often at an important stage of a match. The first photo is taken back from where the approach is from, while the second photo shows what the golf is faced with should their approach shot come up short of the green, rolling all the way back down the slope, some 50 metres from the green.
The 15th hole was one of my favourites at Paraparam’. A blind drive that needs to be shaped right to left will leave a short approach with the wind whipping off the right shoulder. Brilliantly, this subtle green will push any slightly miscued ball off the left side, and down a dramatic slope. On the day following this one, the pin was cut in the middle of the green. I hit a perfect drive and had just 90 metres in. My approach was a low spinning wedge that I pulled ever so slightly. It pitched on the middle of the green, spun left and kept rolling until it fell off the left side…bogey 5. I’d love to see the pin on the left side!
The 16th is Paraparams’ version of the Postage Stamp. Less than 130 metres but playing into a stiff breeze, you simply cannot miss this target left of the greenside mound. That being the case, so many balls tend to miss the green right, leaving yet another difficult pitch up a steep slope. Depending on where the pin is, you can use that green side mound as a backstop should you miss the green right.
17 is one of the great holes on this enjoyable links, where off the tee, you have a short right option or a long left option. During my visit, the long left option to the upper part of the fairway was the best play, as it was playing downwind. This also presented an easier approach shot thankfully, to a treacherous green that simply cannot be missed left or long. The photo below has been taken from behind the green.
Lastly, I thought I’d show you a photo of the 18th hole – a short par-5 that is a rather weak hole when it comes to strokeplay, but a wonderful hole should matches reach the last hole. When played downwind like it was on this occasion, the green was reached in two with just a 6-iron. The pin position shown below is the most accessible, but the best one is back-right, as it was on the final day, meaning that a cut is required to get the ball close – not an easy task when the wind is coming off the right.
To those GCA’ers that are playing in the Boomerang event at Paraparaumu Beach in March, enjoy this wonderful links – I certainly did!