Golf

POSTED BY SI

No cricket in NZ, but golf in Fiji.

Ah yeah, here’s some golf porn.

This is for you Dave, Ads, Mark, H, Tim, Joel, Sean – and so many more of you back home, suffering with your “Course Closed’ waterlogged quagmires.

This morning I played Natadola Bay. Designed by Fiji’s own former world number one Vijay Singh, and August this year host to the $1mUS PGA Tour Fiji International.

It’s a monster.

They don’t have rough. There is golf course, and there is jungle. If the ball goes off the fairway, it’s gone. I lost one (one of five) that dribbled no more than a yard off. No chance.

Its defining feature though, is humidity. Yes it’s hot – 30 degrees plus today – but the humidity is crazy. I have never sweated more playing golf. In fact I’m not sure I’ve sweated more doing anything. And this from a guy who can happily sweat through and wring out three helmet sweat pads in a half hour innings full of forward defensives. In England. In May. I sweat easily, and I’ve sweated less in steam rooms.

The course was empty. The deal from the resort included round, buggy, club hire and four balls. The clubs were a very decent set of Cleveland CG16s. Couldn’t blame those too much.

After losing a ball and carding a triple bogey 7 on the first, the three remaining balls didn’t look nearly enough. I felt slightly better after parring the 2nd, and then slammed one into the ocean on 4.

Fortunately on the 5th tee a local guy was selling balls, $F20 for a dozen (50p each) which I enthusiastically took him up on. Strange how insurance works – now I could afford to lose balls I started hitting them straight.

I’d say the signature hole here is 6, a par 5 with an elevated tee and green, and as daunting a drive as you’ll meet anywhere. Fabulous hole.

There a more like it, carved out of Jungle. Loads of elevated tees and steep winding tracks.

After a little break at the turn to completely re-slather myself in factor 50, it was out towards the ocean again.

All I ever aim to do on any new course is break bogey: +18. I clawed back to +9 after 9, so all I need to do was par one on the back 9. Could I do that? Not till it was too late. Ended up 19 over. Not at all shabby for a championship course with someone else’s clubs in a sauna.

The first one didn’t touch the sides.