Golf is a kind of benevolent addiction.
For some, like Napiers Kim Southerden, it’s a lifelong condition.
Some may think 67 years of golfing would be enough. Southerden, who will soon be turning 69, is not one of them.
That’s why he recently converted the lawn at the back of his house (with his wife Julianne’s permission, of course) into a six-hole putting course.
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You can never spend too much time practicing your putting, you see, says Southerden, before sinking a ball on the first and trickiest of the six holes.
Southerden literally grew up on a golf course. His father, Ernie, was a golf professional who emigrated from England in 1950 to work as a resident pro at Napier Golf Club. The family lived in a house on the course and from the age of 2 Southerden could be found somewhere near a fairway with a shortened hickory club.
Glenn Taylor / Stuff
Napier golf pro Kim Southerden turned the back lawn into a six-hole putting course.
When Ernie retired after 43 years in the role, Southerden took his place. He was the club’s golf professional from 1976 to 2015 – a job for which he spent some 70 hours a week on the course.
He represented Hawke’s Bay from 1971 to 1976, was a junior representative for New Zealand, represented New Zealand at the 1978 World Cup, played on the professional circuits in Australia and Europe for many, many years, teaching and passing on his love and knowledge of the game to others.
So no one was very surprised when the putting course appeared on the back lawn. He says it wasn’t much of a lawn anyway and a bit shady in the winter for grass, but you suspect this is something he’s been thinking about for a number of years.
He still plays regularly, although not as often as he’d like, and still occasionally works at the club.
“I’ve never really had a break from it. Golf is a passion, so why not make it your life? I don’t regret it for a minute.
“I thought I’d play a few days a week when I was retired, or half-retired, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way – but I’m trying my best to get back into it.”
Southerden wants to play “as long as I can”. “We have people in the club in their 90s who are playing, so we’re going to keep our fingers crossed that we do that.”
Meanwhile, he spends as much time as the evening light allows on his new putting greens.
“Putting is the most crucial shot in golf. It’s about 40% of the game, so if you can get good at that, you can generally keep your scores low.”