The 10th hole at Waihi Golf Club

10th Hole at Waihi Golf Club looking from the tee

The 10th Hole at Waihi Golf Club is a great hole. It is the Men’s number 2 Stroke hole and Number 1 stroke hole for the Ladies. It plays to a length of 380 Metres off both Men’s and Women’s Tees.

For the Tee Shot you need to have a slight fade if you are a right hander. Or a slight draw if you are a left hander. On the right hand side of the fairway at about 170 metres from the tee are some trees that come into play if the ball is sliced badly or hooked badly if you are a left hander. Or if you are trying to draw the ball for a right hander, you have to take on the trees.

But left is no good either, if you hit your drive in the left rough. Because you will be faced with a ball below you’re the feet lie for your 2nd shot in thick rough. Once you have safely hit the fairway, the 2nd shot is no bargain. Because you will be looking at a mid to long iron in the winter, but in the summer you will have much less club. The single figure player could even hit in as little club as a Pitching Wedge. But as in any hole the wind is a big factor to how the hole plays and what club you are forced to use. Anywhere in the left rough or left hand side of the fairway you will have to either go over or around the Big Tree that is positioned on the left-hand side just in the rough about 50metres short of the green.

But the shortness of the shot doesn’t make it any easier. Because if you hit the green on the full, the ball is likely to release through the back of the green. And if you land it short it will more likely do the same thing or sometimes a shot you land short that you feel will release with, may just take one bounce and then stop. But you have a better chance if you land it short to roll it up close.  The Slope of the green is from left to right. So if you hit your 2nd shot into the middle of green it may roll off to the right and into the rough.

Once on the green a 2 putt is no guarantee. The green has some funny little breaks that will leave the good player even scratching his head. The green is huge, properly 40metres long from front to back. If the pin is put on the middle right hand side, and you land your ball on the left hand side, you are faced with an extremely difficult putt.

So in my Opinion, a par is a great score, a birdie a Brilliant Score!! And sometimes a bogey is even a score you will accept. The 10th Hole at Waihi Golf Club is just another great hole that the Thames Valley has to offer.