Waitikiri's new lay-out raises course rating

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 11

Waitikiri's new lay-out raises course rating

\VITH the two new holes ” it opened earlier this month, and the re-siting of some of the tees, the Waitikiri club’s course has a rating of 71, probably the highest in the province. It used to be 68.5. With the order of the holes altered, the course has halves of 35 and 38. The length of the championship course is now 6635 yards, and the standard course 6400 yards. The old course was 6225 yards in length.

Recognised as perhaps the most attractive of Canterbury's major courses, Waitikiri must now be regarded as a probable venue for national and provincial championship events. The new holes replace the old fourth and fifth holes. The fourth, a par 4, has been replaced by a 495-yard par-5, and the short fifth by a 337-yard par-4. In keeping with tradition, both holes are dog legs. The standard scratch score for the championship course is 72. The former second hole has been lengthened, so has the former sixth hole, and the eighteenth, which used to be the ninth, has been converted from a 5 to a 4, with the tee advanced. At present the old ninth green Is still being used, but a new one. nearer the clubhouse, will be played within a few weeks. There has been general satisfaction among club members with the new layout and holes. There are still two fairly long walks from green to tee, but three longer ones have been eliminated. It may seem a disadvantage to have four par-5 holes on one side, only one on the other, but that distribution is by no means uncommon in leading courses overseas. There are two short holes on each side of the course now, but there used to be three of them in one half. The lengthening of the course makes it a better test for the top golfer, although there will always be debate about such a

policy, and whether clubs should cater for their average members or for the very few of championship class. Waitikiri is not yet finished with its alterations. At the old second, the green will be brought forward a few yards to make the present bunkers into side traps. This is part of a plan to remove the bottle-necks which used to slow the fields. There will no longer be waits as players on the old second green wait for those on the third to play their tee shots, and the removal of the fifth hole will be welcomed by those

beginning the former second hole. Bunkers have yet to be put down at the two new holes. The new order of holes, using the old numbers, is: 1, 6,14,15,16, 17, 18,10, 11; 12, 13, 3,4, 5,2, 7,8, 9. The Canterbury amateur stroke championship in February will be the first major event at Waitikiri’s new course. It will provide an opportunity to assess the difficulty of the revised layout and additions. But even the elderly club member, benefiting from fewer delays, will probably see the new plan as a distinct improvement.