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Matthew Delahunty

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Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« on: February 10, 2013, 10:19:20 PM »
The following is a copy of a thread I posted on thegolfforum.com some time ago with the intention of posting here once Michael Taylor had done a few of his New Zealand course reviews.  Somehow, it didn’t make its way here but on the request of a few of our New Zealand friends, I will try to get it all up here over the next few days.

The 2012 GCA Boomerang was staged at Paraparaumu Beach which, until the last decade, was widely regarded as New Zealand's No.1 track. It's located on the Kapiti Coast about 45 minutes north west of Wellington. The locals say it has a micro-climate as due to Kapiti Island sitting just off shore. I can't say we saw the benefit of that micro-climate while we were there.

I made the trip not knowing too much about the place other than it was a links course designed by Alex Russell, the NZ Open was last played there in 2002 when Tiger Woods commanded an appearance fee of $4m and only just made the cut, and that there had been some criticism a few years back of the soft greens.

In looking at the aerial photo on Google Maps prior to my departure, the first thing which struck me was the size of the property. It's not very big. However, it makes great use of the land it's located upon.

The property is split into three portions by ridges of dunes. There's a large ridge "separating" holes 5-9 from the rest of the course and a smaller ridge separating 10, 11 and 12. the remainder of the holes play across the middle portion of the course. The course is an exercise in good routing. Russell was presented with a small piece of land and the abovementioned dunal ridges, yet has created a course which flows well and makes full use of what lies in between without the need to implement many man-made hazards. In his favour was that the land is pure linksland with some excellent natural landforms which provide the basis for excellent green sites. His ability to utilise those sites on such a small property is testament to his ability as an architect.

Not all the credit remains with Russell.  Prior to his redesign of the course in 1949, there was a layout which had existed since the early 1930s.  Many of the holes today play over the same routing as the original layout.  Russell did, however, make a number of key changes and gave us the sublime 16th hole. 

I'd read on GCA that mushy poa greens has ruined the playability of the course. Happily, I can report that is no longer the case. The greens were some of the best surfaces I've encountered for a while (especially given the downpour the previous afternoon), and firm, which is a vital ingredient in the playability of any links course.
 
Anyway, onto my pics. I was a bit restricted by the murky weather but Leo Barber will no doubt add some of his own magnificent photos.

1st hole - 368m Par 4

The first is a generous opener but no pushover. It's a gentle dogleg left with plenty of room to land the drive. The bold line is to take your drive close to the dune on the left to shorten the approach but this may leave you with a blind second shot. The green is bunkerless but drops off on the right.





View from the second tee:



2nd hole - 185m Par 3
This is a long par three which plays back into the prevailing breeze. The rolling land between the tee and green is a sign of things to come. The front bunker shouldn't worry the better players. The green sits atop a dune and a miss left or right will leave you 6 feet below the putting surface. There's a really cool landing zone short of the green allowing you to run a shot in. The green has some deceptive breaks. You should be happy to walk off here with a 3.




Second green (and fourth green) from the third tee:


The third and fourth holes play side-by-side in opposite directions and complement each other nicely. They are both long par fours.


3rd hole - 390m Par 4

The 3rd is 383m from the blue tees and usually plays into the wind so, although it is shorter than its companion, it tends to play longer. There is generous room to drive as the third and fourth holes share some common fairway. If one is long enough, he/she must avoid the dune on the right. Longer drives will find the upslope of the fairway which inhibits the golfer obtaining maximum distance from the tee. The locals appeared to favour driving out to the right as the percentage play, well away from the grassy dunes which border the left side of the fairway. From the right the shot is semi-blind thanks to the right side dune but the angle opens up the green. The second shot is played to a large green which slopes from front right to back left. There are three traps guarding the left side. Anything long will be down the slope presenting a tough chip back.








4th hole - 408m Par 4

Longer than its predecessor, but tends to play a touch shorter. Just like the last hole there is adequate room to bail right, but that creates the worst angle to the green. Along the left is a high ridge of dunes. Finding oneself on these in the long grass is a recipe for a big number, but the player who wants to create the best angle to the green needs to flirt with the left side. There is also a bit of a fast lane as your balls can kick off the firmer ridges that run off the dunes. The long green is angled left to right and is protected on the right by three pots. Another trap is middle-left nestled in against a large sand dune. A classic links par four.








The 5th and 6th holes are the cornerstone of the routing here. In order to make use of the narrow strip of land south east of the ridge and return the 9 to the clubhouse, the architect (it appears the original architects – not Russell) had to fit in two holes running the opposite direction.


5th hole - 150m Par 3

The fifth is a fantastic par three. It's a mid iron to a plateau green which sits atop a dune. The green drops away on every side bar the back left portion. In effect, it's an island green without water. Missing the green on the wrong side is deadly, although the putting surface is amply large to allow some chance of recovering par. When we played it the banks were soft and the fringes a bit fluffy. Playing in the middle of summer with tight lies from off the green would make recovery a more fearsome proposition.  Leo told us the story of Frank Nobilo destroying his chances in a New Zealand Open when he played some army golf to take a 7.

Russell's original design was for the tee to sit high up on the dune left of the current tee. At one stage during the Boomerang we went up there for a look. It would make for a spectacular drop shot but I'm of the view that the present tee is likely to play better (even if less spectacular).








6th hole - 286m Par 4

The 6th is a driveable par 4. It plays from an elevated tee into the eastern corner of the golf course which it shares with the 14th green, 15th tee and 7th tee. The fairways contains some fantastic humps and hollows. At 286 metres it is not as easy as it looks. The green is narrow and tiered. There are traps both right and left (and another back right). If one attempts to drive the green and misses, he/she is left with a devilish approach which will struggle to hold the firm putting surface.

Laying up is not straightforward either. The heaving fairway will suck up your ball and spit it out. Most drives seemed to end up to the right of where they were struck so if the wind is up you may have to aim towards the dunes on the left to give yourself a good angle of approach. Both days we played to a pin on the lower tier. The locals told us it was a more difficult proposition when the pin is back, as it is almost impossible to hold a pitch on the back portion of the green which is a small target well protected either side by traps.

For some reason I didn't get a photo from the tee, but Leo has a special shot which I'm sure he will post.

Approach from the right hand side:



From back RHS of the green:


Ash Towe

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2013, 01:48:20 PM »
Matthew,

Thanks for posting the great photos.  Paraparaumu has lost its position as the number 1 course in NZ in some peoples eyes, due to some of the more recent developments.  However it is a terrific course and congratulations to Leo Barber for what he has done there in recent years.

Mark Chaplin

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2013, 05:07:00 PM »
Does PB have one of the best sets of par 3s to be found anywhere? I am a fan of shorter 3s and PB does this perfectly with nothing much over 200yds and a couple of great bunkerless holes, 16 is an all world shortie in my humble opinion.
Cave Nil Vino

Mac Plumart

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2013, 10:43:26 PM »
Bump


Wow!  This places looks great.

More pics, please.

Sportsman/Adventure loving golfer.

Matthew Delahunty

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2013, 01:45:58 AM »
7th hole - 457m Par 5

The 7th is the only par 5 on the front nine. It plays back in the opposite direction to the 6th over the same rolling ground. There's lots of width on the drive, but the golfer wanting to get home in two should try to keep his drive left of centre to ensure the shorter route home. There's plenty of room right for the golfer who is content to play for par. Missing the fairway left is problematic as there are some water hazards hidden beneath the dunes. Near the green the land slopes from left to right and favours a running approach aimed at the right dune. A well placed bunker on the right restricts that play if you approach from that side. Hence, to get home in two (unless you're as long as Michael Taylor or Grant Saunders) the left side is the best place to be. There are two bunkers on the left. This green has some deceptive slope and saw quite a few missed putts during the Boomerang.






8th hole - 339m Par 4

One of the favourite holes of most players during the Boomerang. This hole is almost driveable and it tempts many into a big score. This hole has two "shelves" which run parallel to the drive line. On the left is a higher shelf which accommodates the fairway. There is a lower right shelf which is currently short rough. The lower shelf provides a direct line to the hole and the short route home. However, the shot to the green from this side demands utmost precision. The green, nestled into a large dune, is tiny and guarded on the right by a bunker. The approach from the fairway opens up the green. The key here is firmness of the green. If the green were soft and accepting of approach shots, the hole would be a straightforward assignment. But being small and firm, it requires either a well struck approach to stick, or for the golfer to resort to running the ball in. As a result, any approach from the right having to carry the trap is unlikely to hold the putting surface.







9th hole - 347m Par 4

The ninth is another short 4, one which has suffered from boundary issues. We played twice from the original tee left of the 8th green which makes for a much better hole (359m). From the blue tee (right of the 8th green) the options from the tee are limited. The optimum drive must be guided to a valley between two large dunes. The shorter hitter will have to aim left of that position to ensure a view of the green, thereby taking his/her drive over the left-hand dune immediately in front of the tee. From the old tee, a straight drive will provide a clear approach but a drive which leaks right will be blocked out by the right hand dune which is home to a couple of pine trees. From the current tee, the first fairway to the right is internal OOB. The green is large for a hole of this length and fairly flat and featureless.

9th from the current tees



9th green from the carpark looking back up the first fairway


Hugh Griffin

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2013, 01:04:53 AM »

9th hole - 347m Par 4

The ninth is another short 4, one which has suffered from boundary issues. We played twice from the original tee left of the 8th green which makes for a much better hole (359m). From the blue tee (right of the 8th green) the options from the tee are limited.

Ahh, thanks for this, I didn't realise there was an old tee block on 9. When i played the course last year i though the 9th was the only disappointing hole on the course, possibly made worse by the fact i hit off the 10th, which made the let down of the 9th hole my last hole. Thinking back now i have no doubt that the old tee block would make for a far better hole given the right hand dune location - such a shame that boundary issues caused a change, which then resulted in the need for an awful internal OOB...

Really enjoying this thread, Paraparaumu was probably the highlight of all the courses i played in NZ last year which included all the big names. Can't wait until you get to the 15th and 16th :)

Michael Goldstein

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2013, 01:29:52 AM »
Leo, put up a photograph of 9 from the proper tee...

It's an awkward hole from the new tee (not that I ever play from it!)

From the old tee it's really cool how it balances the course with three holes playing perpindicular to most of the others (which are generally into / down wind) - and two of these holes both have blind tee shots over high dunes.

Mac - I can't do photo's on here but I can't resist uploading a few goodies from time to time on my twitter feed.




@Pure_Golf

Matthew Delahunty

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2013, 02:19:02 AM »
10th hole - 284m - Par 4
The 10th is a short par 4 and possibly the weakest hole on the course. From the 9th green you walk around the back of the clubhouse, cross the stormwater drain and peer up at the ugly apartment tower to the left of the tee. A driveable prospect if you encounter a favourable breeze. The hole is reasonably wide for its length but a "burn" runs down the left side and dunes impinge on the right to create a neck at driving distance. There's also one of the course's few unrevetted bunkers cut into the dune on the right. The fairway slopes from right to left but left side of the fairway gives a good angle. The green is relatively flat but long. There is a sharp fall off the left edge. Putts break towards the left edge of the green. In most circumstances the smart play on this hole is iron for position and wedge to the green, but it gives the confident golfer an opportunity to kick start his/her back nine.





11th hole - 390m Par 4

After a couple of birdie propositions on 9 and 10, this hole will have you knuckling down to keep a bogey off the card. It plays longer than it looks. The hole doglegs ever so slightly to the right. Down the right hand side is a ridge of dunes which, when we played, had just been denuded of trees. Down the left is the club's boundary, bordered by houses - but no fencing. Michael Taylor managed to rattle a few neighbours' houses in the weekend we were there. From the tee one can elect to save some metres by playing down the right hand side. However, the green is set up for an approach from the left. The locals will point out a white out of bounds pole which is your best line from the tee, especially if you can get to the flatter part of the fairway. The hourglass green is tucked in next to a dune on the right (which makes approaches from the right of the fairway problematic), with another mound on the left. It's another deep putting surface with the dunes creating a waist in the green. There's a trap short right and another one on the left, but the bigger concern here is getting your approach to the correct portion of the green.




« Last Edit: February 13, 2013, 02:22:08 AM by Matthew Delahunty »

Michael Goldstein

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2013, 03:19:54 AM »
Matthew, I think 10 is one of the great short par fours.

Like #6, the closest you can get to the hazard on the left the easier your second shot in is.  Altenatively, the further right you hit from the tee the more your view is blocked.

The green, unlike some at pram (the flat greens are the strongest legitimate criticism I have heard of pram), has a considerable tilt on it, meaning shots from the right are even less likely to hold the green. 

You can play a high shot or a low running shot into the narrow green - particularly if approaching from the left side of the fairway.   

It plays vastly different in the two prevailing winds - although even downwind driver is a brave play.
 
It might not be as pretty as the 9th at Cypress but it is some golf hole. 

@Pure_Golf

Leo Barber

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2013, 03:35:09 AM »
Matthew, thanks for this superb commentary.  I am still amazed at what you gleened from just a couple of days.

The weather was freakish unfortunately, with really bizzare fog and looking at your photos I can't believe how greasy the place looks under those conditions.

If you don't mind I will post a couple of pics to support your thread.  Apologies for going back a few holes but you have come out of the blocks pretty hot!!!

Hole 1 - behind the green



2nd Hole





Behind



3rd Hole



180m out.  Wild natural movement typical of Paraparaumu's terrain



Approach.  Russells bunkering defends the left side forcing a drive to right the portion in order to reach a left pin.  Too far right and you are blind, not enough and you contend with the bunkers.  I love this simplicity about his design



4th Hole

From the tee.  Again Russell rewards a drive to the correct portion of the fairway with a second shot that take full advantage of the greens tilted axis.



My favourite bunker complex on the course and a great example of how a subtle tilt of the greens axis, some simple bunkering can turn what is essentially a straight away par 4 in to a really interesting hole.






Leo Barber

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2013, 03:45:27 AM »
5th Hole

We have just completed some work on this hole rerouting the path away from the centerline and over to the left largely out of sight.  We also lowered some high ground in front of the green so as to open up some more of the dramatic island contours that the green is positioned on.





This photo was taken up at Russells original location for the tee site.  For an unknown reason this tee was never built and quite a colourful history exists on how the current teeing ground came about following a shift from the alternate site settled on over on the 8th tees.

« Last Edit: February 13, 2013, 03:52:49 AM by Leo Barber »

Colin Macqueen

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2013, 03:46:38 AM »
Matthew,

I second Leo's words and thank you for this commentary. I too was a bit surprised by how green, slick and even soft it looks. It may well not have been soft but it does look like it. Leo's explanation of the dank weather explains things I guess. Was it in fact playing longer that normal for Parara?  This course is a must see for me when I get to the Land of the Long White Cloud in the next couple of years so thanks very much for this taster.

Cheers Colin
"Golf, thou art a gentle sprite, I owe thee much"
The Hielander

Michael Goldstein

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2013, 04:02:25 AM »
Leo, I thought you greenkeepers got to the course early, yet all your photographs are from late in the day...

PS - tell me more about the original 5th tee?
@Pure_Golf

Matthew Delahunty

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2013, 09:28:56 PM »
Matthew,

I second Leo's words and thank you for this commentary. I too was a bit surprised by how green, slick and even soft it looks. It may well not have been soft but it does look like it. Leo's explanation of the dank weather explains things I guess. Was it in fact playing longer that normal for Parara?  This course is a must see for me when I get to the Land of the Long White Cloud in the next couple of years so thanks very much for this taster.

Cheers Colin

Colin,

I understand most of the North Island had horrific weather a few days before the Boomerang.  It also rained a fair bit the day before.  The course wasn't running as fast as it could and was quite lush in parts, but it wasn't soft.  My main criticism would be that the green surrounds collars were quite lush, so rather than balls running down the slopes, they were hanging.  I don't know whether that was typical or just due to the wet conditions.

Matthew Delahunty

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2013, 09:36:48 PM »
12th Hole - 498m Par 5

The 12th is a straight par 5 which plays in the same direction as 10 and 11 along the club's nothwestern boundary. A ridge of dunes runs down the right hand side of the hole. Russell's original routing played to the right of this ridge (to a fairway shared with 17) before having to play the approach third shot through a gap in the dunes to the green (in its present location). That hole was never built. The current hole is devoid of any real strategy. There's a fairway trap on the left but it will be out of range from the back tee for most golfers. It's then a case of getting home in two or not. The green is quite large and there's a drop off to the right. Unfortunately, the hole is just a filler between the excellent 11th and 13th holes.





13th hole - 408m Par 4

One of the best holes on the course. The only regret I have is that we didn't play it in better weather as the site from the tee of the green sitting above the rolling fairway and below the stunning backdrop of mountain ranges makes this hole visually spectacular. A few of the holes at Paraparaumu have a Royal Dornoch feel about them and, in this case, the hole is reminiscent of the 17th at Dornoch (and, less so, the 8th). From the tee there is out of bounds left and a large dune on the right about driving distance. The optimum driving line is over the rise on the left side of the fairway over which, if one can obtain sufficient yardage, the ball will cascade over the shelf into the valley below feeding a little right. Drives right of centre reaching the shelf will feed into the right rough. For the golfer not reaching the shelf, the approach will require a long iron to an elevated green. For those on the valley floor the approach will require little more than an 8 or 9 iron. Anything coming up short of the green will feed back down the steep slope, leaving a 30-40 metre pitch. To top things off, there's a water hazard 60m short left of the green for those who try for too much after a mediocre drive. A miss to the right of the green will most likely see one's ball feed back into a hollow.  Once on the green, there aren't too many complicationsunless you are in three putt territory or putting from the back towards a front pin position.






Leo Barber

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #15 on: February 14, 2013, 01:44:47 AM »
Leo, I thought you greenkeepers got to the course early, yet all your photographs are from late in the day...

Must be the GM coming out in me ;)

PS - tell me more about the original 5th tee?

Not sure why Russells original site was not followed through on.  The original tee was over on the current 8th tee (upper white) playing back obviously towards 5.  D.O. Whyte, one of the founding fathers of the course and a Clifford Roberts type character and the man that basically controlled the club for its first 25years decided off his own bat that he would employ a bulldozer to fill in the gully and create the teeing ground we play from today.  I assume this was partly because he wished to create the back tee on the 8th.  Anyway this created quite a furore and as a direct result the constitution was amended to include a clause that prevented "altering the character of the hole" without member approval at a special meeting.  Its the source of great debate even today with AGM general business often taken up discussing the interpretation of what exactly "altering the character" is and did the removal of X tree constitute altering or not?

Russells Tee will be built at some stage and I think would make a great alternative from time to time.

Leo Barber

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #16 on: February 14, 2013, 02:26:55 AM »
Sorry Matt, I'm holes behind and hope I'm not mucking with your tempo but keen to get some pics without the fog.  Incidently the majority of these photos were taken a few weeks after the Boomerang (For Kevin Pallier).

6th Hole

We rebuilt this tee a few years ago lowering the ridge as per the notes from Russells 1953 visit thus exposing the wonderfully contoured fairway.  The public building backdrop still kills me!!



Early morning shot for Goldy





7th Hole



Scott Macphersons bunker site in the foreground RHS of Fwy






Leo Barber

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #17 on: February 14, 2013, 02:50:35 AM »
8th Hole

The line of instinct and the line of charm.  A personal favourite.  Smallest green on the course and a shortish hole which lures you in off the drive but bares its genuis when facing the second shot and often your third.



Line of Instinct



Line of Charm





9th Hole

Here goes Goldys favourite tee, the original 9th tee block.  A court case in the early 70s forced the tee inland and the creation of the dreaded internal OOB.



Current Tee



Approach

« Last Edit: February 14, 2013, 02:52:54 AM by Leo Barber »

Michael Goldstein

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #18 on: February 14, 2013, 05:33:06 AM »
And what a beautiful tee shot it is.  If only Pram had better lawyers thirty years ago....

@Pure_Golf

Mark Pearce

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #19 on: February 14, 2013, 06:45:36 AM »
There are certain courses (not too many) that, every time I see pictures of them make me yearn to play them.  Some are courses I know (Dornoch, TOC) others are courses I have never seen and may never see.  Paraparaumu is one of those.  These pictures (even those taken in mist and rain), like all pictures I have ever seen of this course scream quality.  Pictures of Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs simply don't have the same effect.  If I and my clubs ever get to New Zealand this is No. 1 on my target list.  Thanks for all the pictures.
In June I will be riding the first three stages of this year's Tour de France route for charity.  630km (394 miles) in three days, with 7800m (25,600 feet) of climbing for the William Wates Memorial Trust (https://rideleloop.org/the-charity/) which supports underprivileged young people.

Hugh Griffin

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #20 on: February 14, 2013, 09:27:03 AM »
+1 Mark. There are a few courses that just have 'it', whatever that is. Pram is certainly one. As beautiful as some others in NZ are (Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers, Jacks Point) this has them beat and all these photos are a treat guys so thanks.

Back to the comments on the 10th too i personally thought that was a great little par 4 with plenty of options from the tee and a nice green site with the banks, which are a common defense, around them. 9 was the only disappointing hole IMO, although the par 5's are all fairly weak.

Also thanks for the tee shot photo of the old 9th too Leo. As much as i enjoyed my round i now feel a little disappointed i didn't know about it as it certainly looks like a much better hole. Oh well, looks like i will have to go back one day...


Scott Macpherson

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #21 on: February 14, 2013, 01:18:00 PM »
I have just returned to Scotland after 6 weeks in NZ. During this time I had the great fortune to play PBGC 3 times. I am fortunate enough to have been a member there for 15 years, and I believe a great deal of how I relate to golf and golf courses stems from my relationship to this links. Every time I return, I am reminded of what great scale it has – almost perfect... if there can be such a thing.

Russells layout uses the dunes impeccably well. I am tempted to talk about this, and the summary would be long, but I might instead point to a couple of its very few weaknesses.

1.It has one or two too many blind shots. Members get to know where they can hit the ball, but visitors struggle with them. The only one that is unfortunate is the first tee shot where golfers must carry a ridge (perhaps 150 yards away) and then the hole bends down and left to a green that can't be seen. The carry is very difficult for some ladies and older men and the first question visitors ask is 'where am I going?'. I have a strong desire to make the green visible from the tee on the first holes I design. I wonder if it is a result of this hole?

2.The course has virtually no fairway bunkers. A couple have been added more recently on the 12th and 18th holes, but a few more well placed bunkers would enhance the strategy of the course and place greater premium on the driving aspect of the game. As Leo rightly says, I have been suggesting a couple of appropriate sites that I think would add to Russell's excellent work.

3. For the few brilliant holes and many very good holes the course has, it has one dud and another weak hole. The 12th is the worst – a par 5 with no strategic merit. Russell had on his plan for it to potentially play as a dog-leg left with a wetland defending the front of the green, but this never eventuated. The par 5 7th has better undulations, but is almost reasonably insipid and bludgeoned to death by the long hitters.

Leo continues to do a great job with the course. I was very impressed with his relocation of the path on the 5th, which previously was an eye saw. Golfers on the tee looked down the gravel path to the wonderful par 3 green. It's departure is a victory for aesthetics.

It remains of the best courses in the country, even if it is fallen down the ranking slightly in the last decade. It's very good value for money and a course anyone can have fun on.  I will be returning next time I am in NZ!

Scott

Matthew Delahunty

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Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #22 on: February 14, 2013, 09:40:32 PM »
14th hole - 133m - Par 3

From the 13th green you walk off the back to the elevated 14th tee. The hole is a drop shot of 133m to a back to front sloping green guarded left and right. It's bigger than it looks from the tee. Anything missing left will kick off the bank. There are 2 tees here. The lower left-hand tee forces you to play over the left trap. The higher right tee is a little more straightforward. We alternated tees from morning to afternoon which provided a bit of variety.

There's a patch of land to the left of the green which is where the original green was once located.





15th hole - 340m - Par 4

After playing 13 and 14 in an easterly direction, the next two holes play back the other way.

The 15th is a cool little par 4. The drive is blind over a hill and the aim point is between the two dunes. From the crest of the hill the fairway descends to the valley floor about 110 metres or so from the green. It's all about placement for the drive. Too far left and your in the rough on the dunes with a hellish approach. Most straight balls will feed into a similar spot on the fairway. This hole is all about the approach. The green is elevated and fast. You don't want to be above the hole, but anything short or left of the green will kick away. There's a pot short right which also comes into play if you approach from the right hand side. The green is sloped from back to front and is a tricky read from almost anywhere. Many a chance went begging during the Boomerang to close out matches here.





15th green left and 3rd green right


Looking back down 15 and across to 13


Matthew Delahunty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang)
« Reply #23 on: February 17, 2013, 09:31:35 PM »
16th hole - 126m - Par 3

This is one of the great par 3s anywhere, and probably one of the best bunkerless holes ever built. At 126m, one could be forgiven for thinking it innocuous - it's anything but. From an elevated tee, the hole traverses some low ground to an elevated green at the same height as the tee. The pear-shaped green is perched on a dune with a mound on the left and a a sharp embankment to the right. The hole plays back into the prevailing wind and, depending on the weather, can be anything from a wedge to a wood. The green is long and narrow but widens towards the back. Anything missing short or right will leave the golfer with a pitch to a green 8 feet above their ball. Par is a well earned score.






Matthew Delahunty

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Paraparaumu Beach (2012 GCA Boomerang) - 17th hole posted
« Reply #24 on: February 19, 2013, 10:16:20 PM »
17th hole - 404m - Par 4

The 17th is an excellent long par 4. From the tee you have lots of options. Before you is a split fairway defined by some grassy/roughy mounds down the centre. You can play to the right lower shelf which is a more direct route to the green, or to the upper left shelf which effectively makes the hole a right hand dogleg. The upper shelf requires a good drive to get up the slope to the correct level but for the longer golfer the landing area is tricky. With the prevailing breeze from behind one can quickly find himself through the fairway and over a ridge. The drive is favourable to someone who can work the ball left to right. With a well shaped shot, the aforementioned ridge can actually be used to kick the ball back onto the fairway and gain some extra yardage. The other option is to take on the mound and cut the corner of the dogleg - this requires a carry of about 225m. The route down the right is more straightforward and gives a slightly shorter second but the approach has to carry to traps to reach the angled green. By contrast, the approach from the left shelf opens up the green. The right side has become obsolete for the longer golfer as, with modern equipment, a good drive will run out of fairway.

The approach will invariably require a mid to long iron. A shot long and left will run through the green and down a sharp embankment. The right is protected by two pots on 20-30 metres short of the putting surface and the other greenside.

We played this downwind on both days. Into the wind, it would be a monster and five would be a good score.

With its rumpled fairway and ridges and hollows running along the left side of the fairway, this hole has a great links feel and would not be out of place on an Open rota course.







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