Championship Golf Course in the Making

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 65, 18 March 1937, Page 8

Championship Golf Course in the Making

Valuable Addition to the City’s Playing Areas Natural Features Used to Best Effect The Palmerston North Golf Cluh’s new course, which has been constructed on the reserve to the south of the Esplanade between Park road and the Manawatu river, will bo officially opened by tho Mayor (Mr. A. E. Mansford) on Saturday next, and the ceremony will mark the culmination of a remarkable effort on the part of tho officers of this very progressive club. Six months ago it did not seem possible that this country could be used ior golf, but since then there has been a transformation and it is only a matter of time before Palmerston North is possessed of a second championship course—one actually within the city boundary.

The new course has been constructed on undulating country ideally suited for the purpose, and the natural features havo been turned to such advantage that there is variety all the time. In addition, the course provides a real test of golf with a real premium on that all-important aud most difficult of shots, tho straight ball. A year ago tho place, from a golfing point of view, was a wilderness, but that has been changed and tho country, with its wel.built greens and closely clipped fairways, is a "sight for sore eyes.” Of course there is much still to be done, but at the rate the officials of tho Palmerston North Golf Club work, it will not be many moons before this course bears the polish which is tho hall-mark of the progressive and successful club. The large and up-to-date club house, with its many windows and well sheltered verandah, has beeu completed aud is ready for use, and the same can be said of the professional’s shop and the residential quarters. When this course is completed it will be right up to championship class, and the men who played an important part in tho designing of tho course wore Messrs, it. W. (Jumberworlh, H. Bott and the members of tho committee of the Palmerston North Golf Club, Alf Seifert, J. It. Galloway and A. E. Ekstedt, whose ideas were discussed and pooled. The work of laying down greens, constructing bunkers, and levelling fair? ways, has been carried out under the supervision of Mr. Black, tbe city curator, with Mr. Munn as foreman of works, and tho club is indebted to them for the wonderful mannei m which the plans have been put into effect. Following is a short description of tho course: — First —156 yards—s bogey. The first three or four holes are fairly straightforward and they will give the official starter every chance of getting the field away without delay. The first one is a three-shotter 456 yards in length, and it is a five bogey. The direct path is over a slight rise and tne fairway gets tighter as the player approaches the green. There are plantations to catch weak seconds and the green, slightly dished, is fairly well guarded with bunkers. Second—3ol yards—4 bogey. The second hole is an interesting one with plenty of trouble for the player who fails to place his first or second shot. Direction is essential. The tee is up on a terrace and the drive must be hit over the rough slightly to the left of the green, which is on the right hand point of another terrace. The green is bunkered with “tiger country” below on the Tight and the river and out of bounds behind. To the player who keeps his first and second on the line bogey figures should be easy.

Third—467 yards—s bogey. The third is a beautiful hole in every W ay. The tee is on the terrace with the river right below and there is :t glorious view of the Esplanade bush, the Fitzherbert bridge, tho river bed and Massey College. The fairway follows the river bank and tho hole is a dog-leg with out of bounds on the right. The green is well placed near the river with a bunker on tho left and the mound near where the old racecourse grandstand used to be marking the entrance. The bogey is five and it should not be a hard one following a well-placed tee shot. Fourth —150 yards—3 bogey. The first short hole is the fourth which calls for a tee shot over a slight dip. There are trees to the right and to the left and the green, which is banked at the back, has bunkers and an old destructor guarding the entrance. There are no real difficulties here except that players will be apt to underestimate the distance to the green. Fifth—3Go yards—4 bogey. The fifth is another pretty hole with the fairway running along the trees lining the river bank. The fairway is about GO yards across and it is out of bounds on the right. On the left there are trees and an island bunker. There is a mound behind the green and there are wing bunkers marking tho entrance. A placed tee shot will open the green but the man who is a little too canny will lose a stroke negotiating a bunker. Sixth —383 yards —4 bogey. The sixth hole is similar to the fifth and the green is in tho corner foxmed by the trees along the river and the Esplanade bush. There is more room to the left but the out of bounds fence will still guard the right flank. Seventh —185 yards —3 bogey. The seventh is another short hole. Li is only ISS yards but the well guarded green set among the trees, with the cross bunker in front, will require the, right tee shot if a stroko or two are not to be slipped. As at the eighth at Ilokowhitu, the three will be very hard to get. Eighth—s7s yards—s bogey. The eighth is the longest hole on the course and it is a double dog-leg. There are two plantations over 200 yards from the tee and they mark the line for the second shot. Having got the required distance with two woods the player should find the green open for the third. If he does not keep far enough over with his second he will havo a bunker to carry if he is to catch the green with his third. Ninth —133 yards—3 bogey. This hole is a yard or two shorter than the ninth at Ilokowhitu but it is played from a tee higher than the green and across a gully. The distance of the outward half is 3010 yards and the scratch score 36.

Tenth—36o yards—4 bogey. The tenth is a two-shotter of 3GO yards and the drive is across a gully and on to higher ground. There are plantations and an island bunker on the right and the green has guarding bunkers. Eleventh —381 yards —5 bogey. The eleventh hole is of 381 yards but the Golf Council has ruled that it should be a bogey 5. The fairway has the out-of-bounds road fence on the left and plantations on the right and it is very narrow. The green is well guarded with a bunker on the left and trees on the right. There is a bank at the back of it. Twelfth—3os yards—4 bogey. Tho twelfth hole is of 305 yards and a well-placed drive should open the way to the green for the easy four. If the drive is off the line tho position is not so good for there is a plantation to the right and bunkers to close the approach to the green. | Thirteen—3ls yards —4 bogey. | The thirteenth is a two-sliot hole without many difficulties and the green is well guarded in front and banked at the back. Fourteenth—soo yards—s bogey. The fourteenth hole is similar to the first in every respect except that it is [4O yards longer. The fourteenth aud tenth tees are handy to the club house and they are exceller alternative starting points. Fifteenth —370 yards—4 bogey. The course has four classic holes with which to finish and the only pity about it is that they arc all together. The fifteenth is a dog-leg with the tee shot j played up on to a plateau. Long hitters | ca.x .. -.e on soiiig trees on top of the terrace and thereby shorten the distance for the approach, but, as at Land's End at Ilokowhitu, if anything goes wrong with tho shot there will be a penalty of several strokes. The terrace curves round to where the green is set in a corner with surrounding trees. It is a beautiful hole calling for a placed tee shot and a straight second. Below the terrace there is elephant country out of which it will be almost impossible to play. ►Sixteenth—2oß yards—3 bogey. The sixteenth is only a short hole but me which Has great chances of spoiling a good card. The green can be reached from the teo but the rough has to be carried to reach the fairway, whicn opens out a bit towards the green. On the right is tiger country and on the left is out of bounds. The green is slightly dished with two bunkers and trees on the right, and one bunker on the left. Seventeenth—3s3 yards—4 bogey. The seventeenth is one of the best, if not the best hole on the course. The tee is on the edge of the terrace with jungle below and giants of the forest to the left and the right. A useful carry and a fairly straight tee shot is required to reach the fairway and the better tho direction of the drive the easier it is going to be to catch the green with the second. The green is well guarded on the left and the best lino from the lee is a shade to the Eighteenth—34o yards—4 bogey. The line to the home hole is along some trees, which are to the right oi the fairway. There is a plantation on the left to catch the hooked drive. The green is backed by trees with more trees to the right, and there are guarding bunkers. It is one of the prettiest holes on the very pretty course. The inward half is over 3132 yards, tho bogey for which is 37. The full length of tho course is G 142 yards and the scratch score has been fixed at 73.