Tuesday | February 14, 2017
My day began quite early with a 7:00 AM muster time as we were heading out to play Cape Kidnappers, the sixth most beautiful golf course in the world outside the United States.
The area got its name when a young boy fell off Capt. Cook’s ship centuries ago and was kidnapped by the locals. He eventually escaped and returned to the ship, but by then the area was so named.
Although the course is supposed to be difficult, I carded a 90 - a good score for a course of that caliber. The weather was overcast – exactly what we needed not to burn.
Some people may call Cape Kidnappers a true links course, yet the land tilts towards the sea in a series of ridges jutting out towards the edge of the cliffs. It is quite similar to golf in Scotland, one might posit. But here, instead of being directly along the sea, the fairways and greens are more than 500 feet above the ocean. Thus, if one pulls an approach shot over the ocean, the ball will hang in the air for more than 10 seconds before landing in its watery grave.
I can’t recall exactly how many types of animals we saw on the course, but the herds of cattle were probably the most interesting.
Sheep, turkeys, goats and the like are common – and we have seen them on several courses already – but teeing off over cows was interesting.
The course was built on magnificent cliffs. If this approach shot had gone a bit further, I’d have a helluva hike down to my ball.
Once finished, we enjoyed a beer before heading back to the ship.
Later that day . . . on an art deco tour of the city, riding in an authentic vintage Daimler automobile, we saw only one building that survived the 1931 earthquake. (After the earthquake, Napier was rebuilt in the Art Deco style and has been faithfully preserved as such.)
We visited the theater, an Art Deco masterpiece, on this the opening night of “Carmen”. We wish we had known….
The light fixtures were extraordinary.
Exhausted - and still thrilled with my round - I collapsed after enjoying a very early dinner.
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