Building the 19th Hole at Wanaka Golf Club

Tataurangi Golf has just finished building a new 19th hole at Wanaka Golf Club, the first step in a bigger piece of work for the club, with Tataurangi Golf set to deliver a masterplan for the whole golf course. The idea behind the 19th hole is pretty simple. When a club starts making improvements to its course, holes have to come out of play while the work gets done, and that can mean members and visitors are left playing a shortened course for weeks or even months. Having an extra hole ready to go means Wanaka Golf Club can close a hole for works and still keep a full 18 holes open and playable. It gives the club the freedom to get on with the masterplan without its golfers missing out. Just because the hole is there to solve a problem doesn't mean it had to be a boring one though. It's a par 3 of around 105 metres, so it's short, but it's got plenty going on. The green is shaped like a kidney bean, with a bunker pushed into the middle back of the putting surface. Players wanting to play it safe have room up the left hand side to find the green and take their chances with the putter. Those going for the flag have to take on the bunker to get there. Get it right and there's a real chance at birdie, get it wrong and it's a trip into the sand. Depending on where the pin is on the day, the hole can play completely differently, which should keep it fun for the members who play it every week. The green sits to the left of the maintenance road beside the 10th fairway, over the back of the 11th green. Finding space for a new hole on an established course is always a bit of a puzzle, and this spot allowed the hole to fit in nicely without getting in the way of the holes around it. The green will be grassed in fescue, which suits Wanaka's climate really well, plays firm and fast, and fits in with the look and feel of the course. Tataurangi Golf had a great crew on this one. Tom Paterson from Turf Shapes assisted with the bulk earthworks and shaping, and did an awesome job bringing the contours and bunker to life. Club Superintendent Dave Mahoney and his greenkeeping team were also a massive help, with their knowledge of the site keeping the whole build running smoothly. From boots on the ground to a finished hole ready to be seeded and grown in, the build took just three weeks. Now it's over to the fescue to do its thing, with Dave and the team looking after the grow-in over the coming months. This is a really exciting project for Wanaka Golf Club, and Tataurangi Golf is stoked to have been part of it. The 19th hole sets things up nicely for the masterplan, and the team is looking forward to the chance to do more work with the club as it all comes together. A big thanks to the club, Tom and Dave's team for all their help along the way.