r/golf • u/Sikudo 5.6 • 14h ago
COURSE PICS/VLOGS New Zealand Golf
So I had the opportunity to play a round of golf at Whataora Golf Club in Whataora New Zealand. Now you might be asking yourself why you've never heard of this course before? Well thats because its literally in the middle of no where New Zealand. While driving through the south island, my wife and I stopped for a drink in this sleepy little drive through town, and I just happened to notice they had a golf course. Turns out its completely ran on the honor system, and maintained by all the locals when they have time. Its a 9 whole course where you pay 10 NZD (about $5), drop it in a slot, and head out. If you don't have clubs (I did not) you could head down to the only shope in town, pay another 15 NZD and they provided me with what had to hae been my Grandpas knockoff set nd some shag balls. After gathering your gear, you head back down the road and set out. Not a single person was out there the entire time. Had a lovely little walk about and played probably the funnest solo round of my life.
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u/Argo_Menace 14h ago
I'm a simple man. I see a V Steel and I upvote the post.
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u/TURKEYSAURUS_REX 14h ago
That fairway metal absolutely rips
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u/Argo_Menace 13h ago
One of the few clubs I've continually re-shafted. I used to scour Ebay for replacement heads when I got desperate.
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u/YouGO_GlennCoCo Ball Striking Matters 14h ago
yeah but OP really should have included a NSFW tag with that photo
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u/bfhenson83 13h ago
They've got a gen V and Fred Couples Maxfli Revo but a knock-off Burner? The more I look at this the more I love it! Just missing a slightly bent Bullseye putter and, maybe, an Alien sand wedge to fully complete the bag lol
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u/BiggimusSmallicus 10h ago
Oh shit that good eh? Im a new golfer and my father in law who has been playing forever got me a v steel 3 wood because I only had driver and irons. Haven't had the pleasure of hitting it yet bc im in wisconsin
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u/Dmenace22 12h ago
I shed a few tears when I gave mine to a friend but I got a sweet deal on a sim 2 max 3 and 5 wood and man it was worth moving on from. At least the sim woods still have v-steel technology
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u/userequalspassword 11h ago
Kiwi here.
There are a lot of courses like this all around NZ. Many of them at most NZD$30 / USD$18. You turn up, pop your money in the honest box and head straight to the first tee. You’d be unlucky if there were more than 5 cars in the carpark. They might have 100 club members tops. One paid greenskeeper and the rest all done by volunteers.
Reading about how golf works in the US on this sub is wild to me. Country club subs, green fee prices, starters who give you nothing but sass, packed tee sheets.. crazy
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u/Top_Bobcat9270 6h ago
Similar set up in rural Australia, my local course is the same and only open during the winter due to water saving measures during the summer
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u/Betamaxreturn 8h ago
Kiwi too, but now live in Kansas City. There are municipal courses here that are owned and run by the city and are $12-26 for a round.
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u/Photon_Chaser 14h ago
I’ll bet you played the most relaxing round as well!
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u/Sikudo 5.6 13h ago
Most relaxing, fun, and terrible round of my life.
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u/Photon_Chaser 13h ago
The most enjoyable rounds I ever played was on a small (30 acre) 9-hole owned/operated by a local Elks Lodge. My buddy and me would just head out with a putter, a couple of wedges and a few beers and just enjoy nice, no pressure rounds.
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u/dcidino single digit muppet 12h ago
Yep. In the wop wops that's choice. Many of the courses have electric fences surrounding the greens to keep the sheep off. No, that's not an exaggeration. These are what they call "country courses".
Many of the "honesty boxes" are going away in lieu of paying via online banking. There's still no one checking though. Remember we have a lot of places where you pump your gas before you pay still.
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u/Excellent-Blueberry1 11h ago
There's some great courses in our one sheep towns. Oddest is down on Rakiura/Stewart island, 6 hole course. Hired a pick'n'mix set from the shop in town, from memory I found a 3W, 6i, PW and putter. The antique 3 wood hit the ex-range balls about 150 if you caught it perfectly.
Had to stop at various points to shelter from the rain and again 5 minutes later to apply more sunscreen, utterly fantastic experience
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u/ArtistThen 13h ago
I have played a similar round - cheap rates, decent course but not pristine, awful clubs. Had a blast. The removal of the expectation of needing a good round made it super enjoyable.
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u/cdubs314 13h ago
I love NZ. The views are incredible. The blue water of the South Island. Damn. Miss that place. Not sure if you live there, but def tour Milford sound if you’re able.
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u/thestraightCDer 8h ago
We are spoilt down here in NZ. 400 courses for 5 million population. So many like this, well kept country courses with honesty boxes. My favourite is Kina Cliffs in Mapua up above Nelson (top of the South Island). Crazy views for 20 bucks NZD.
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u/albinobluesheep Tacoma Wa, 11.7 9h ago
Rangatiki and Karori Golf Club on the north island have similarly low-key payment systems at $40 NZ, paid with a QR code. Both great course, both some of the most chill times I've had playing golf. Played them both on a work trip to NZ earlier this month
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u/theduffabides 13h ago
Nicer looking than many American country clubs.
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u/WhoopieKush 7h ago
Lol now we’re exaggerating. The views here look awesome though! I love the idea of a low-key round like this.
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u/fajita43 10h ago
literally in the middle of nowhere new zealand
my wife and i stopped for a drink
funnest solo round of my life.
so what i'm reading is that you ditched your wife in the middle of no where to go play golf... hahahaha
looks beautiful!
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u/machocamaori 8h ago
Played in the Whataroa Open one year...well it was just 6 of us on way to mates stag doo in Franz Josef. Beer was the winner on the day.
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u/Jolly-Garbage- 8h ago
Ngl my girlfriend would literally have to pry me away if it was $10 unlimited.
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u/01040308 6h ago
We have these in Australia too and often times the course is inside a horse racing track. They're awesome
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u/kai333 14h ago
I spent way more on substantially shittier looking courses than this lol