MURIWAI — Its Many Moods

MURIWAI

MURIWAI its many moods photography by

MARK MEREDITH

MURIWAI GOLF CLUB A photographic journey around a New Zealand links

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The many moods of Muriwai The gannets on Otakamiro Point love and depend on it, and the scores of tourists who come to watch them adore it too, revelling in the epic scale and wild grandeur spread before them. It’s a favourite haunt of anglers, and of surfers, kite surfers and kite buggy riders who harness the prevailing wind and mighty swells that roll in off the Tasman Sea. But for one group of frequent visitors to Muriwai, golfers, this stretch of Auckland’s west coast wilderness holds an allure that few seaside locations in New Zealand can match – the attraction of a real links golf course in a setting so beautiful, imbued with such a special atmosphere, that it can almost always be guaranteed to make up for the pain of a sorry round of golf, no matter how deep the depths of despair. You will leave, instead, thankful to have experienced golf in such a setting, as nature intended it; to have known the challenges of the wind in your face, the blunting and ballooning of your shots, or seeing your ball carried unexpected distances to bounce about the humps and hollows that comprise the typical topography of a true links golf course. At Muriwai, if you get a lucky bounce or two and negotiate the undulating fairways, you still have to contend with the mouths of deep pot bunkers and cloying, unforgiving rough should you stray too far from the intended path. The greens are very good and true but well guarded and varied, with many humps and burrows, as you would expect to find on a coastal course. Built on a sandy base, Muriwai links drains superbly, and if there is one course in the Auckland region that can guarantee play almost every day of the year, it’s here.

The beauty and ambience of Muriwai inspire the photographer in me as well as the golfer, which isn’t always a good thing. My distraction at the way the light casts shadows along the bumpy fairways or lights the trees and wild grasses, or shines upon a distant flag flapping above the green has me reaching for the camera stashed in my golf bag rather than carefully considering the correct club. These photographs were taken on visits to play the course over the years and also over a couple of special dawn and evening sessions when I had a golf cart to get me around quickly, before the magic light disappeared.

Golf courses are dynamic entities that never stand still, shifting and changing through the seasons and by the hour.

They are put down upon the land to test our resolve, patience and skill, at the same time imbuing these pursuits with the comforting delight of playing upon a stage unrivalled in modern sport for its evolving beauty, wherever it may be set and in whatever mood nature decides to present it. At Muriwai, nature appears to have outdone herself.

Mark Meredith

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Where Muriwai golf course meets the Tasman Sea, above the par 5, 14th, late afternoon

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The Front Nine At first glance this section of Muriwai’s links looks fairly straightforward, but that would be a false impression. Nothing at Muriwai is quite what it seems. Nothing is easy. As ever at Muriwai, accuracy off the tee on the front nine is essential in order to give yourself a chance of reaching the green in regulation. While holes 4 through 7 give you a chance to get back on track should you stray too far off course and encroach on neighbouring fairways and the more forgiving rough that divides them, no such luxury exists around the perimeters of this nine. On the left of holes 4 and 5, punishing rough and out-of-bound markers could blow the early part of your round off course, as can the prevailing wind which wants to send the ball in that direction. Holes 1 and 2 have rough you need to avoid, and their fairway bunkers too.

The tricky dogleg 7th demands a drive to the left, or else. The scenic par 3, 8th hole, usually directly into the wind, will require more club than you may realise. On the 9th stay away from the right, though the wind wants to take you that way. The chief physical characteristic of the front nine are the expansive views to the sea, especially on the 2nd and 8th tees, a welcome reminder of why you have decided to put yourself through this challenge.

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The par 4, 1st hole downhill from the clubhouse, and the 2nd, a par 5 dogleg, morning

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The front nine middle section at Muriwai golf links, afternoon

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Ready to drive down the first on a fine late summer morning

View behind the par 4, 1st, morning

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The 8th green, surrounded by wild coastal plants and grasses, early morning

The beautiful setting for the 8th green, late afternoon

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Storm a comin’ from somewhere over the back nine and approaching the 1st green

Approaching the par 5, 2nd green, in the magnificent setting that is Muriwai

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Past the hidden ocean, a fourball make the climb towards the 9th tee, morning

An early fourball head towards the dogleg of the par 5, 2nd, on a beautiful Muriwai morning

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Weighing up the task ahead on the par 3, 3rd

A group putt out on the same hole

Misty morning on the 1st hole

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Looking back down the 6th fairway and up the 7th (right), sunset

The imposing backdrop to the front nine, morning

The tree-lined backdrop to the 5th green, late afternoon

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Rollercoaster approach to the par 4, 9th hole, morning

Looking back up the challenging par 4, 5th hole, early morning

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Muriwai links brings many challenges, not least of which is coping with the weather blowing in from the west

Rainy one month, dry as a bone the next

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The dramatic downhill par 3, 8th hole which is often directly into the wind and, sometimes, a gale

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View over the 1st and 2nd holes from above the 2nd tee on a glorious autumn afternoon

Above the 8th green and 2nd tee looking towards the lifeguard hut and gannet colony on Otakamiro Point, early morning

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Rain on its way, looking over the 7th green and 8th tee

View to the front nine and Muriwai beach from Otakamiro Point

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Evening shadows lengthen on the 5th green

A sunset soaking after a long, dry summer

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Looking back over a green-side bunker on the dogleg par 5, 2nd hole, evening

Golden light on golden grass and the green oasis of the par 3, 3rd, evening

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View of the tricky 7th hole from the back of the 8th tee, sunset

Foreshortened aspect looking back at the par 4, 9th hole, morning

Wide-angle aspect of the 9th green from a position in the semi-rough you don’t want to find yourself in, afternoon

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Looking back to the hills and homes of Muriwai from the 6th green on a perfect evening

A morning fourball approach the first green

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Kite surfing behind the 8th green, sunset

Welcome watering on the 9th hole, sunset

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Wind-blasted pines catch the last rays of the day’s sunshine by the 8th green

Dusk beckons over Muriwai and the 8th green, from the 2nd tee

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The Back Nine You may leave sight of the sea behind you here, but you can certainly feel its presence and hear its roar behind the large dunes. These dunes effect some measure of relief from the prevailing wind, on the par 5, 14th at least. This dogleg, which runs directly below the dunes, is a wonderful example of a links hole, with sea mist sometimes rolling in over the bumpiest, most uneven fairway on the course; it also comes with virtually unplayable rough on both sides. On the 15th, a beautiful par 4 with an elevated tee, you can launch the ball miles downwind, while on the difficult dogleg 13th the wind is head-on. Each hole on the back nine is very different to the other, and this feeling of individuality is much more pronounced than on the front nine – the varying nature of the holes is well illustrated in the following photographs.

As a photographer/golfer, this is the nine I most look forward to playing as it offers the most interesting and challenging layout, while its picturesque aesthetics have my camera trigger finger itchy, edgy and ready for action, especially when I reach the 12th – pictured opposite.

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The early golfer makes his way to the 12th green and a glowing stand of pines caught in the first rays of the rising sun

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The coastal section of the back nine, 13th (right) and 14th holes, afternoon

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Dawn over Muriwai from beside the 10th green

A burst of sunshine illuminates the 10th green on an overcast morning, taken alongside the 12th hole

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On the dunes looking down on the par 5, 14th hole on a beautiful afternoon

The elevated green of the dogleg par 4, 13th hole, afternoon

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The last leg, approaching the 18th green, evening

Final approach to the 18th green, late on a golden afternoon

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The third shot to the green on the undulating, dogleg par 5, 14th hole, afternoon

Sunrise on the par 3, 11th

Evening on the 11th

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The lumps and bumps of the undulating 14th fairway, looking towards the 13th green, sunrise

A greenkeeper makes his rounds, 15th green, sunrise

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The 18th green, sunrise

The 18th green, late afternoon

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The pot bunkers, slopes and hollows of the 18th green

Morning sea mist rolls in over the 13th and 14th holes

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The par 4, 18th hole, a challenging finish

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Behind the 13th green, another dogleg hole, afternoon

View of the approach to the green of the par 5, 14th, sunrise

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The prettiest part of the course, around the 12th and 15th greens, this time viewed from the 16th fairway, sunrise

Light hitting the pines behind the 12th green from the west in the afternoon

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A perfect morning to play up the 16th hole

Rainy weather moving in, behind the 18th tee

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On the turn for home, where the 14th green meets the 15th fairway

The rough alongside the 14th fairway is beautiful unless your ball is in it

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The elevated 13th green where the wind off the sea catches any lofted approach

Successfully going for eagle on the par 5, 12th hole

The well-guarded 10th green caressed by soft evening light

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A fourball set off on the 10th to conquer Muriwai’s beautiful back nine on a glorious autumn morning

Did they conquer or were they conquered? On days like these Muriwai often wins; 18th fairway

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Wild grasses in the early morning sunshine on the 15th

Putting practice on a sunny evening

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Dawn over the back nine

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The natural amphitheatre of the 16th tee, afternoon

Evening shadows sweep the 10th green

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Late evening sunshine highlights the undulating topography of this special links course; above the 18th green looking out towards the 10th

The 18th fairway, sundown

Last play of the day