Buckley Golf Course, Shannon

7th tee

Now for a course at the opposite end of the scale to Cape Kidnappers - Buckley Golf Course at Shannon, 20 minutes south of Palmerston North.

It'll cost you $239 less than your game at Cape Kidnappers. In fact, it'll cost you less than lunch at Cape Kidnappers!
Yes, the green fees at this little gem of a layout are a mere $10.

Okay, the greens here aren't as good as the fairways at Cape K but ... obviously when you see the huge difference in fees, your expectations are different.

Personally, I love this course and think it represents amazing value for money. It's 18 holes, but you play the first three holes twice - they're holes 1-3 and then 16-18, with different tees on one of them, second time around. They are regularly mown and when you play the middle 12 holes, you're sharing them with sheep.

8th tee

I would recommend playing Buckley in summer or after at least a week of fine weather if it's winter. If it's been a wet winter, the par 5 7th hole at the bottom of the course can get too boggy. And if the sheep haven't been on the course in a while, you may lose your ball in the middle of the fairway.

However, play it in fine weather and you will get both an interesting and challenging game of golf. I find the middle 12 holes way more interesting than the others.
I particularly like the 8th hole, a 309 metre par 4. You make your way up through the bush to an elevated tee which is beautifully framed by trees. Your drive goes on to an uphill slope, nice wide fairway, but you can't see the green for your second shot. I now decide on a club and then take one extra, because I haven't managed to ever hit this green.
The par 3's on this course are deceiving. They look straightforward but can really bite you on the bum if you don't give them the respect they deserve.
The 6th is a 121 metre drop hole ... such a considerable drop that there's a railing to hold on to on your way down the path to the green.
Miss this green long and you'll have a tricky chip back up to the green. If in doubt over club selection, I'd advise going for the short one. Especially if it's been a dry summer, because you can get spectacular bounces here.
There are two par 3's in a row, the 14th and 15th, which are the last holes on the sheep course before going back to the sheepless area again. The 14th is 142 metres long, with a bunker at the front right of the green and a  pond further right.
You can actually play this one well left because the lie of the land means the ball will bounce around on to the green, as long as you're up far enough. If you're a bit short, you're liable to end up in the drink or, if you're lucky, the bunker.

14th green

The 15th is 128 ms and one of the more straightforward par 3's, unless you're a hooker.
The greens are electric fenced - easily stepped over or, if you want to fix your short putting (or too tight grip), easily grabbed.
The sheep fairways do get mown and, with 15cm placing, you're generally hitting off a reasonable lie.
They say "you get what you pay for" but at Buckley, I reckon you get more than you pay for.