8th Hole at Maramarua Golf Club

The 8th hole at Maramarua Golf Club is a very challenging hole. Hence why it is rated the Number 1 Stroke hole on both the Men’s and Women’s scorecards. The tee shot is not that tight around the tee leaving you a chance to draw or fade the ball to land it in the fairway. But if you slice or hook the ball too much your will be in serious trouble. There are hazards on both the right and left sides of the fairway around the areas where the single figure handicap player lands the ball.

It you hit the ball in the left hazard you basically have to take a penalty drop or try to hit a miracle shot out, and nine times out of ten those shots never come off. And if you hit it in the right hazard you will properly have to lay up short of the water hazard that is in front of the green. You will want to position your ball in the right centre of the fairway, because a well stuck drive in the left side of the fairway can sometimes mean you are blocked out by the tall trees that separate the 8th and 5th fairways. Once you have positioned your ball in the fairway you face a medium to long iron depending on what level of Golfer you are and what time of year you are playing the hole. In Summer the low handicap player can have as little as a pitching wedge to the green, but in winter you can have a long iron or even a rescue or fairway wood to the green and sometimes it is out of reach. And the wind can also be a factor in what club you chose to play. To the higher handicap the water hazard that is just short of the green is a real problem. Most high handicaps lay up to the right side of the fairway just short of the green, so they can try and make their par with a short iron pitch shot.

The 8th Hole at Maramarua Golf Club looking from the fairway to the green

Positioning the ball on the right tier of the green is a must because it has two tiers to it. If you land your ball on the bottom tier and the pin is on the top tier it will be a very hard two putt. But it will be even more difficult if you land your ball on the top tier and the pin is positioned on the bottom tier. Sometimes you will have trouble even keeping the ball on the green when the greens are fast.  Once you are putting you will find the green has some tricky breaks in the putts. Best to have an uphill putt as you can attack it more. Downhill putts can be extremely quick and very frustrating!!

Birdies on this hole are very rare, Pars are a fine Achievement and walking off this hole with a bogey is nothing to be ashamed of.  This is just another example of the fine holes the Thames Valley and Greater Waikato and South Auckland Region has to offer.