Boulcott's Farm - North Island - New Zealand

It’s really difficult to know how to review this course, and it’s almost entirely because I’ve played it half way through an extensive redevelopment (and because I played it in a gale). Whilst there are some new holes that are completed, there were others that were just getting their first covering of grass (and not in play yet), and others that were purely temporary measures, the rest being the ever reducing remains of the old course.

It appears that circumstances have led to an 18 hole and a 9 hole club, both running over rather ordinary golfing property, having to amalgamate, with the added complication of some flood defences being built by the local authority, which also have to be incorporated into (disguised by?) the new design. John, the general manager, let me know that in no way were they seeking to compete with the likes of Royal Wellington down the road, which suggests that their budget is not close to the $7+ million spent there. So it seems that the club(s), in collaboration with Chris Pitman, have decided that this was an opportunity to create something new, and are doing the best they can with what they have.

So … to the course. Firstly, the holes that were just starting to grow in – they will be (I think) 8, 9, and 18 when the course is finally complete. Couldn’t get a good feel for what the 9th will be like, but 8 (par 3) and 18 (par 4) look like they may be the best of the bunch, from what I can see, particularly some beautiful shaping around the 18th green. Of the new holes that were open, they generally seemed like conventional modern parkland design, although 4 was somewhat quirky with a sharply angled green. Again, it’s really hard to judge that hole, as it’s a long par 4 that I played into a 4 club wind – hard to feel how it plays in those circumstances. What remains of the old course seems like a decent version of a New Zealand parkland course, which is probably why it had just sneaked into our Top 50 before the changes. A couple of really neat holes – I could number them, but those numbers will probably have changed by the time you get there.

The impression it left me with was that this was a golf club made for the community it finds itself in. It’s a busy place, with a down to earth feel, and it’s priced for people who have normal, run of the mill salaries. It’s also no pushover. I can imagine that this is the perfect club for skilled young players, looking to hone their games on an affordable course that will, when completed, give them a flavour of championship golf. There’s nothing amazing about it (although the new 18th might come close), but it’s solid.

To give it a score, I have to base it on what I found, which is a three ball, but when completed, it will almost certainly fit alongside courses I have given four balls to. Matt Richardson