Greenacres

Greenacres Golf Club is located on Best Island, on the opposite side of the tidal Waimea Inlet to Nelson. The home grown course dates back to 1959 and it’s laid out on predominantly sandy ground where the coastal holes have some links-like characteristics.

The current back nine holes were put in by members, who cleared gorse, removed stones and grazing stock to fashion the fairways. H. G. Babbage was then engaged in 1964 to design an additional circuit on the western end of the island, now the front nine, and these holes were also built by club members.

Holes are laid out as two returning nines, with the second half measuring almost 300 yards longer than the front half, thanks in no small part to it having back-to-back par fives that run parallel to each other in opposite directions at the 15th (“Ridgeway”) and 16th (“Piggadilly”).

Highlight holes include the stroke index 1, left doglegging par four 9th (“The Gully”) which shares a green with the 18th in front of the clubhouse, and the shortest of the par threes at the 143-metre 17th (“Wee Willie), where a late birdie might be possible by avoiding the two bunkers to the right of the green.