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| First hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The first hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue Tees is a 274 metre par four and is the number 17 stroke hole index. It is
a straight forward hole where you tee off from an elevated tee and the green is
on about the same level as the tee. But to get to the green you walk down the
hill and back up it. In the summer it is a driveable green to the long hitter
but in the winter you will be left with a shot just under 100 metres to the
green which you are unable to see because you are hitting slightly up hill. The
biggest trouble on the hole is if you miss it badly on the right you will be
finding yourself with tree trouble. But if you miss it badly to the left you
will more than likely find yourself with a clear shot over the trees from the adjacent
thirteenth fairway. But sometimes your drive can leave you in a position where
you don’t have a full second shot and you will have to improvise to play your
chip shot. Once on the green you will face putts that have tricky little breaks
in them from left to right or right to left depending on which direction you
are putting from. On the whole it is a relatively tame hole to begin with and
the single figure player would be disappointed if he didn’t walk off with a
birdie.
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| Second hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The second hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue Tees is a 132 metre par three and is number 15 stroke hole index. It is a
very different hole played in the summer to the winter. In the summer the
ground to the left and right of the green gets so dry that if you don’t hit the
green on the full your ball will bounce left and right down the slopes. It
leaves a very difficult chip to get up and down for your par. But in the winter
the ground is so wet that if you miss the green left or right it doesn’t move
far and sometimes plugs in the ground. There is a mound that runs across the
green on the front left hand side that also causes the ball to have a severe
kick to the left in the summer. But sometimes it can kick the ball towards the
green if you hit the side facing the green. For the single figure player it is
only a pitching wedge to an eight iron in the summer depending on the wind
direction but in the winter into a strong south westerly wind it can be as much
as a six iron. The tee is slightly elevated and you have a full view of the
green. Once on the green you will face lots of slopes as the green slopes from
back to front and is slightly two tiered. Most players would be happy with a
par on this hole, but a very good tee shot can lead to a birdie as can a long
putt being holed.
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| Third hole at Maramarua Golf Club looking from 220 metres to the green |
The third hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue Tees is a 438 metre par five and is number nine stroke hole index. It is a
slight dog leg from left to right. The tee shot is blind as you are hitting up
a slight hill. A straight drive is required because if you miss it left you
will be chipping out of the tall trees on the left and if you miss it right it
will leave you in a dilemma whether to hit down the first fairway or go under,
through or over the trees to get back to the third fairway. It plays a lot
different in the summer to the winter. In the summer the single figure handicap
golfer can easily reach the green in two shots with a mid to short iron as long
as he/she hits a straight drive. In fact any straight drive could run an extra
50 to 100 metres. The only problem is the fairway slopes to the right and if
the drive is badly sliced it could run into the trees on the right meaning your
second shot would just be chipping out back to the fairway. In the winter the
hole is out of reach into two shots except for the extremely long hitters. Two
well struck shots will leave the single figure player with a short iron for his
third. Once on the green you are faced with a green with a huge slope on it
from back to front. And it has a slight false front on it as well. If you leave
the ball above the hole you can be faced with a slick downhill putt from left
to right. The single figure player would be looking to make birdie here but a
par is still a good score.
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| Fourth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The fourth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue Tees is a 308 metre, par four and is number thirteen stroke hole index. The
main trouble on this hole is the water hazards down the left hand side. But it
is tree lined down the right hand side so a shot in the fairway is the best
option as it generally is on any hole. For the single figure handicap player
that is a long hitter he usually tries to drive the green and give himself a
chance at eagle which in the summer he is more than likely to hit than in the
winter. But if he doesn’t hit the green he can leave himself with a tricky chip
shot to get up and down. The smart option is too laid up with a mid to long
iron and give yourself a short wedge shot for your second. For the golfer with
a severe hook it is a difficult hole because there is a tree positioned right
of the fairway about 60 metres from the tee. But it can be hit over so it is
not really a problem to the skilled drawer of the ball. This hole changes in
the winter to the summer within winter a shot hooked badly wouldn’t have enough
roll out to go in the water but in the summer it more than likely would. The
wind plays a huge part in the hole as well and usually blows hard off the right
hand side and from behind. But occasionally the easterly makes it a much longer
hole than it usually is. Once on the green you will find the green slopes from
back to front with a huge right to left break or left to right depending on which direction you are putting from. Holing putts less than ten feet
on this green can be tricky. The single figure player would be disappointed if
he didn’t birdie this hole but on some occasions a par is a great score.
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| Fifth hole at Maramarua GC looking from 220 metres to the green |
The fifth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 465 metre par five and is the number five stroke hole index. The
main trouble on this hole off the tee is the hazard all the way down the left
hand side that stops about 90 metres short of the green. It also is well
guarded on the right hand side by trees and some of them are rather tall. The
fairway way has a severe slope to it from right to left and in the summer when
the grass has turned to brown and is tinder dry a drive that seemingly started
down the centre of the fairway can end in the hazard on the left. But in the
winter it is not a problem keeping you ball in the centre of the fairway
because parts of the fairway get so wet that on a fully hit drive the ball
still plugs in the ground. So a drive missed well to left will find the hazard
and will properly mean a penalty drop but if you are really lucky you may be
able to play it back out to the fairway. A drive missed well to the right could
mean just chipping back to the fairway but you might be lucky to find a gap
through the trees to get back to the fairway and still have a chance of hitting
the green in three shots. For the single figure handicapper the green is in
reach in two shots with a fairway wood or long iron but sometimes in a very
strong tailwind it can be reached with a mid iron. But if you choose to lay up
you will be faced with a short wedge shot or a bump and run chip shot to a
green that slopes severely from back to front. There is a bunker on the front
left and bunkers on the left side of the green that you will have to watch out
for. Also on the right hand side there are lots of small trees and it leaves a
very difficult up and down. Once on the green you need to give yourself an
uphill putt because a downhill putt is very hard to judge the speed. Also
putting across the green has severe breaks from right to left and left to
right. The single figure player would be looking to make birdie but par is
still a good score.
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| Sixth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The sixth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 149 metre par three and is number eleven stroke hole index. It
is played off an elevated tee to a green that has bunkers on the left hand side
that have some very high lips on them so they are best avoided at all times. You
get a full view of the green from the tee with it being elevated. There are
some medium height level trees on the right hand side that are about 60 metres
from the tee but don’t really cause any problem to the skilled drawer of the ball
because he can easily clear them. There is a huge hill on the right hand side
that will kick the ball that has been missed to the right hand side on the
green and sometimes next to the pin in the summer!! So the miss on this hole is
definitely to the right. But in the winter the ground is so wet the ball won’t
bounce anywhere. Club selection on this hole for the single figure player can be
from as little as a pitching wedge with a strong westerly behind the player to a
five iron with a strong easterly wind in your face. Once on the green you will
be faced with a green with some very tricky breaks. The green slopes from right
to left and some of the putts can be very quick!! A birdie on this hole is
very good and can be achieved with a great tee shot or a long putt holed!! A
par is always a good score on this hole with a birdie being a bonus.
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| Seventh hole at Maramarua GC looking from 220 metres to the green |
The seventh hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 336 metre par four and is number seven stroke hole index.
The tee and the green are on the same level but about just over 200 metres from
the tee there is a dip in the fairway. Also there is a water hazard on the left
hand side of the hole where the dip is in the fairway which will catch out the
single figure golfer that has a bad hook. Also on the right hand side there is
a large tall tree about 200 metres from the tee that will come into play with
the player that slices the ball. And a real bad slice can land in the hazard on
the right, but you can also be lucky and have a clear shot to the green. In
fact the single figure player would be better to hit a long iron or a rescue
wood that wouldn’t reach the dip in the fairway and it would still leave a mid
to short iron to the green. But in the winter only the extremely long hitters
would reach the dip in the fairway and you will be playing a mid iron to the
green. For the second shot if you managed to avoid the tree on the right and
the hazard on the left you will only have a short wedge to the green in the
summer but it is a blind shot. There are bunkers on the left and right of the
green but they only have a small lip on them so if you have a good lie you
should be able to get up and down. And there is a hazard on the far left for
the player who hooks really bad!! The green is one of the biggest in area on
the course so you will need to be exact with your approach shot if you want a
small birdie putt!! Once on the green you will be faced with another green that
has tricky breaks in it. The green also has little humps and hallows to putt
through. A par is a good score on this hole but a birdie is very achievable as
well.
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| Eighth hole at Maramarua GC looking from 135 metres to the green |
The eighth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 371 metre par four and is the number one stroke hole index. This
hole is a dog leg to the left and has a large lake in the front of the green.
It is the number one stroke hole for a reason. It is well tree lined down the
left hand side and also the right. There is also a hazard down the left hand
side that a badly hooked drive will land in. The single figure player that hits
a slightly drawed or faded shot in the middle of the fairway will leave a mid
to short iron to the green in the summer but in winter a well struck drive down
the middle could mean you still have to lay up because it is a huge carry over
the water hazard in front of the green that if emptied would have hundreds of
balls in it!! This hole on the second shot is extremely intimidating to even
the skilled player having to carry the water hazard to make the green and has
ruined many a good start to the front nine!! Apart from the water hazard at the
front of the green it doesn’t really have much trouble at the right, left or
back except for the badly sliced shot that could land in the hazard on the far
right hand side. The green is two tiered with a severe downhill slope in the
middle. When the pin is placed on the top tier it increases the difficultly of
the hole because there is not much margin for error between landing on the top
tier, just missing the top tier and having the ball roll to the bottom and
landing over the green that will leave a very difficult up and down for your
par. But when the pin is placed on the bottom tier you can use the slope off
the huge hill in the middle of the green to roll the ball back towards the hole
and a birdie is very achievable. The green slopes majorly from back to front!!
With the huge almost vertical slope from the top tier to the bottom tier!! If
the pin is on the bottom tier the putting isn’t too hard but it is best to have
an uphill putt. Because downhill putts can get away on you very easy. Side hill
putts also have a lot of break in them and can be difficult to read. But if you
are on the top tier and putting to the bottom tier you really have little
chance and have to hope to hole a fifteen footer or more back up the hill for
par. If the pin is on the top tier and you manage to land your ball on the top
tier depending on where the pin is a two putt should be achieved but is not
guaranteed. But if you are on the bottom tier putting to the top tier it is an
achievement to two putt!! There have been some horror stories of four and five
putting on this green!! A birdie is an awesome score here, a par is brilliant
and a bogey won’t hurt you at all.
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| Ninth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The ninth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 508 metre par five and is the number three stroke hole index. It
is one of the longest par five holes in Auckland especially in the winter. It
is one of the most intimidating tee shots in Auckland Golf with SH2 running all
the way down the right hand side and is out of bounds beyond the fence line!! And
from the tee until about 280 metres out down the left hand side are three water
hazards!! So there is no bail out on this tee shot and you just have to hit a
straight shot!! If you are confident with the driver then hit it but I don’t
think it is the smart play at all because you are bringing in the Out of Bounds
on the right and the hazard on the left into play. A long iron or rescue wood
could be a smart and safer option. This hole like every hole plays a lot
different in the winter to summer. In the summer with the right wind the
extremely long hitter can reach the green in two shots with a wood or long
iron. But in the winter you can hit three really good shots and not make the
green. The wind is a huge factor on this hole and when a westerly blows at
about 30mph the whole hole becomes even more difficult!! But when the wind
blows from the north easterly direction the tee shot is much easier and the
green is very reachable for the low handicapper in two shots. If you managed to
find the fairway the job is only half done with the internal out of bounds now
coming into play on the left from 135 metres to the green. But there is still a
lot of room to lay up your ball up in the fairway. The fairway slopes from left to right so a
hooked shot will counteract the slope. But a slice will keep going with the
slope. It is best to lay up to the left hand side of the fairway because that
will open up the green. But if you are on the right hand side of the fairway
you will have to come over the green side bunkers that surround the front and
right side of the green and the green is also surrounded by two bunkers at the
back. Over the green is also out of bounds!! The low handicapper will face
between a wedge and a seven iron in the summer for his third shot but in the
winter into a strong head wind it could be as much as a three iron or he may
not even reach!! The green is slightly sloped from back to front with a severe
slope on the front right when putting from the back of the green it can fool a
lot of players with the ball sometimes run off the green!! The easier pin
placements are when the pin is placed on the left hand side with the slope on
the hill to the left of the green kicking the ball right in the summer months
back onto the green. The hardest pin placement in my opinion is when the pin is
placed on the front right directly over the front right green side bunker and
on the back right makes it hard as well. This entire hole requires lots of
concentration with a par being an extremely good score and sometimes a bogey is
nothing to turn your face up at either. But in the right conditions a birdie is
very achievable!! But ask players who have been a member here for a long time
and they will tell you about a disaster that they have had on this hole!!
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| Tenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The tenth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 386 metre par four and is the number four stroke hole index. It
is a slight dog leg from right to left with the fairway sloping from right to
left as well. It is tree lined on the left and right hand sides from the tee to
green but the trees get more denser from about 150 metres into the green on
both sides of the fairway. If you can play the ball from right to left you will
utilise the slope of the fairway and get more run out on your shots in the
summer. But the shot played from left to right can be just as much affective on
this hole. The wind also has a huge affect on this hole with an extremely
strong west to south-westerly making the hole play extremely long and a north
easterly making the hole play extremely short. The single figure golfer could
find himself with a wedge to a very long iron or even a three wood for his
second shot pending the wind direction. In summer like most holes the hole
plays much shorter but in winter the hole can sometimes be out of reach to even
the single figure golfer. The green is slightly raised in the front meaning in
the winter the ball that seems to of certainly made the green can stop in the
slope before the green. There is also a large tree that is just off the fairway
about 90 metres from the green that comes in to play if you miss the fairway to
the right hand side. It you miss the
green on the right hand side you will face a relatively easy chip shot
depending on the lie. But if you miss the green on the left or long you will
face a chip shot that is blind and will make getting up and down difficult. The
green slopes from left to right and has some very tricky to read breaks in it.
The green is also quite long meaning if you are on the front of the green and
putting to the back pin placement you could easily three putt. A par is a good
score on this hole with a birdie being a bonus.
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| Eleventh hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The eleventh hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 173 metre par three and is the number twelve stroke hole
index. There are trees and scrub all down the left hand side and a tree
plantation all down the right hand side just up to the green. It you hit over
the green too far it is out of bounds. The hole has a right to left slope on it
so once the ball hits the ground in will more than likely bounce left. So a
fade is the shot to play here to counteract the slope. But a draw can be played
if you aim it just on the tree line on the right and curve it back. In the
summer it can be as little as a six iron down wind and as much as a two iron
into the wind. But in the winter it is usually a four iron and sometimes a two
iron or rescue wood into the wind won’t even make the green. A good shot in the
winter won’t run forward much as the ground in front of the green becomes very
soft. Chipping from the right and back of the green can be tricky due to the
downhill slope. But chipping from the left is back into the slope and is much
easier to control. Putting is extremely difficult on this green as it slopes
from right to left quite severely. There is hardly a straight putt on this
green!! If you are on the front and the pin is on the back you will be happy
with two putts. A birdie on this hole is excellent and a par very good.
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| Twelfth hole at Maramarua GC looking from 160 metres to the green |
The twelve hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s
Blue tees is a 336 metre par four and is the number ten stroke hole index. You
can’t see the green from the tee because you tee off on a slight downhill that
goes up and then down to a gully. There is out of bounds all the way down the
left hand side with some small trees all the way down the right hand side to
about 200 metres from the tee and a small tree that is about 200 metres on the
left just off the fairway. On the right there is a tree plantation to about 100
metres off the tee. And after that there is various trees scattered down the
right hand side of the fairway to the green. And there is one big tree to the
right that guards the missed tee shot to the right and will mean you just have
to play out to the right or chip back to the fairway if you get behind it. Again
this hole is a lot different from winter to summer. In summer on a strong
westerly wind the single figure golfer can drive over the gully onto the flat
of the fairway. In a very strong north easterly wind the hole can play very
long. But in winter you will only make the gully. The second shot is usually a
blind shot to the green hitting off an uphill lie. In the summer it is a short
wedge to a mid iron. But in the winter it can be a mid to long iron. The green
has no real trouble around it but if you miss it way over the back you will be
out of bounds. But the green is a tricky one being two tiered and it is similar
to the eighth hole in that way but the slope is less severe. And the bottom
tier is much smaller than the top tier. This makes putting very difficult if
you are on the wrong tier. Sometimes even though you are on the bottom tier
putting to the top tier the putt doesn’t need to be struck as much as you
think. If you are on the wrong tier putting to the other tier a two putt is
very good. A par is still a very good score on this hole but a birdie is very
likely as well.
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| Thirteenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The thirteenth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 295 metre par four and is the number sixteen stroke hole
index. It is similar to the first hole as the tee is on about the same level as
the green. But to get to the green you have to walk down and up a steep hill
which is more severe than the first hole that runs parallel to this hole. This
hole like all holes plays very different depending if it is into a head wind or
down wind. Into a very strong west south westerly wind it can be as much as a
drive and an eight iron in the winter. But in the summer with a strong
northerly wind behind your back the single figure player if he hits the ball
straight and long can possibly roll it onto the green. On the left hand side
there is a hazard that comes into play for the extremely bad hooked shot
properly only the very high handicap will visit it. But from about 120 metres
from the tee on the left is a large tree plantation that is best avoided but
sometimes you can manufacture a shot from it and get it on the green. On the right hand side there is a big tree
about 100 metres from the tee which could cause a problem for a golfer with a
severe hook. But the skilled drawer can hit over it. From 100 metres from the
tee to up to the green on the right hand side there is small to medium length
trees that will cause you problems if you miss it just to the right. And right
next to the green on the front right there is a very large tree that also
causes lots of problems. If you miss way right you will have a clear shot from
the first fairway. But you will need to hit it high to clear the large tree
near the front right of the green. The second shot can be very difficult into a
strong west south westerly wind because the back of the green is very exposed
and it can be hard to get you balance while playing your short iron shot and
you sometimes have to take two more clubs than usual. There is no real trouble
around the green but it is better to miss on the left because if you miss on
the right or back there is a huge slope that makes getting up and down tricky. Once
on the green you will find the front of the green has a slight false front and
the green has a little slope from back to front. It is quite a big green so you
just hitting the green is half the battle and sometimes you are faced with a
birdie putt over forty feet and it can be hard to two putt. All in all it is a
simple hole that the single figure handicapper should birdie but if you get out
of position a par can be a good score.
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| Fourteenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
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| Fifteenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from 220 metres to the green |
The fifteenth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 390 metre par four and is the number two stroke hole
index. This hole is one of the toughest holes on the course for a reason. In
the summer the low handicap golfer can easily drive down the ridge to the
ninety metre mark and hit a wedge into the green. But in the winter a good
drive and a long iron or fairway wood will still come up short of the green,
leaving a short chip to green to get up and down for the par. Like all holes
the wind plays a huge part in the hole and when it is blowing from the north
east the hole plays much shorter than when blowing from the south west where it
whistles right down the hole in the players face. There is trouble down the
left hand side in trees but if you hit a bad hook you may still have a second
shot because the trees open up at about 250 metres from the tee. There is also
trouble down the right hand side with trees and about 250 metres off the tee
there is a plantation of trees that you would not want to go in because it
would mean just a chip out back to the fairway. Once up at the green there is
trouble on the left with a big slopping hill and small trees that would make a
ball going down there very hard to get up and down. And that is if you can find
your ball at all. There is also trouble with small trees over the back of the
green but it takes a really bad shot to get there. Once on the green you will
find a green that slopes from back to front with some very tricky breaks. And
the front part of the green is like a false front and when the greens are
running very quick it will roll right off the front down to the fringe. This is
a very hard hole that if you walk off with a par you will be very happy but in
calm conditions you can also achieve a birdie but in extremely windy conditions
a bogey is a good score.
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| Sixteenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from 200 metres to the green |
The sixteenth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 449 metre par five and is the number eight stroke hole
index. This hole is a sharp dog leg from left to right. You tee off from a very
elevated tee and the green is on the same level as the tee. The dog leg turns
sharply left to right at about the 200 metre mark. When the tees are played
right at the back the player that slices the ball will have to flirt with the
tree on the left with their tee shot. Also at the 200 metre mark off the tee
the fairway becomes flat after a huge rise up the hill. In the summer time the
low handicapper can drive his ball over the hill and it can roll out to 300
metres but he better hit his drive straight because if he slices it he will be
out of bounds and if he draws it too much he will be through the fairway in the
trees. But in the winter it will take a very good drive to reach the top of the
hill and you will have no problem worrying about your ball rolling through the
fairway too much. Again the hole changes pending the wind conditions. When it
is blowing south westerly the hole plays much short to when it is blowing north
easterly. The trouble down the left hand side is a clump of trees about 180
metres off the tee and once the hole dog legs there are small to large trees
all down the left hand side until ninety metres from the green. The trouble
down the right hand side is Out of Bounds that runs from the tee to the green
and there is a clump of trees placed at the 200 metres from the green that prevents
the long drivers from taking a more direct line to shorten the dog leg. The
second shot is very difficult as well and becomes more difficult in the summer
because the ground gets so dry that a shot just missed slightly left rolls
right down to the bottom of the hill leaving a blind shot for their third. But
a second shot missed right can roll out of bounds off the slope to the right.
The green can be hit in the summer with a mid to long iron but in the winter it
is out of reach for the shot hitters and the very long hitters can reach
sometimes. The smart option is to lay up to the ninety metre mark and hit a
short wedge into the green. Once on the green you are faced with a big green
that slopes from back to front and it is slightly two tiered. The green like
the rest of the greens has some very tricky to read breaks in them and the wind
also plays a huge part in the putting because it is the highest part of the
golf course. A par on this hole is a great score but a birdie or even an eagle
can be achieved by the low handicap player!!
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| Seventeenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The seventeenth hole at Maramarua Golf Club off the
Men’s Blue tees is a 250 metre par four and is the number eighteen stroke hole
index. It is a driveable hole for single figure handicap player in the right
conditions but for the average golfer it is out of reach but on strong tail
wind and when the ground is extremely dry in the summer a long straight drive
can roll onto the green. You tee off out of a narrow Shute with trees on the
right and one big tree on the left that cause the player problems if he has a
bad slice. The slope of the fairway is severely from left to right that in the
summer if the ball lands in the middle of the fairway it will roll into the
right rough. Also up at the green there is a huge clump of trees on the left
hand side that the player trying to drive the green has to take on if he is to
drive the green. But if he can draw the ball in from the right hand side he
won’t have to deal with the trees and will also counteract the left to right
slope that becomes more severe up by the green. In the winter the hole is only
driven by the extremely long hitters. And a drive that lands in the fairway
most always stays there. You can also be faced with a very difficult chip shot
over or under the trees on the left to try and get the ball on the green. Some
people tee off with a mid iron to leave a full wedge into the green. The hole
is tree lined all down the right hand side and on the left hand side if you hit
a really bad hook there is small trees that will mean if you hit in there you
will just have to chip back to the fairway. Also the green is above the fairway
meaning that if you are short in the fairway you will have a difficult chip
shot up the hill to the green. Once on the green you will be faced with a green that slopes from left to right with tricky
breaks in most of your putts. This is a very easy hole if played the right way
and the single figure player will be disappointed if he doesn’t walk off with a
birdie. Most players in the club can say they have made at least one eagle on
this hole at some point in time!!
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| Eighteenth hole at Maramarua GC looking from the tee |
The eighteenth hole at
Maramarua Golf Club off the Men’s Blue tees is a 350 metre par four and is the
number six stroke hole index. It is a
great finishing hole and is tree lined down the left and right sides. You tee
off on an elevated tee down to the fairway. It favours a draw for the right
handed player off the tee but you can still play a fade if you take the trees
on. There is also a water hazard on the left hand side that will catch the
badly hooked drive just over 200 metres off the tee. If you miss the ball too
much to the right off the tee shot it can be okay because your ball will land
in the fourth fairway and will leave you with a clear shot to the green as long
as you can clear the trees. Again the wind plays a huge factor in the hole and
when it is played into a strong westerly wind it can be a drive and a long iron
but when it is blowing a north-easterly wind it can be just a drive and a short
iron. And in Summer like all the holes on the course it plays much shorter to
the winter where a drive down to the 135 metre marker is very good. The hole
plays uphill to the green and it is usually one more club than you think it is.
Once on the green you will be faced with a green that slopes from back to front
and there is a false front on the front of the green that will roll the balls
back off if not cleared!! There is also out of bounds on the back right of the
green. The green has some tricky breaks in it from right to left and left to
right and the outside deck up top off the club house in the Summer time often
sees a little bit of friendly heckling from the players watching that have
finished their rounds!!
Maramarua Golf Club is
well worth playing and is situated less than an hour from the Auckland CBD and
Hamilton CBD and just under two hours from Tauranga. It is a must play golf
course for all serious golfers!!
Great description of the course Jamie.
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