Barrie ‘Baz’ Coleman’s ambitious quest to play every golf course in New Zealand in the space of 15 months has made it to Southland.
Coleman set out in March, 2025 to play all of the 414 or so courses and, in the process, raise awareness and money for mental health.
That quest is personal for Coleman.
His wife Megan died suddenly aged 49 three years ago after her battle with mental illness over many years.
Coleman and two of his mates decided to set up The Links Foundation to raise money to help support mental health organisations.
They have held three fundraisers on Megan’s anniversary, raising over $130,000. The majority of it has one to I Am Hope.
“Two years ago, after we had done the second [fundraiser], after a few beers, I decided I would leave my job and my home and go and play golf and raise awareness and money for [mental health].”
As of Wednesday evening, Coleman had completed 262 courses after starting at the Weedons Golf Club in Christchurch on March 8.
He made the trip to Stewart Island on Tuesday to tick off the island’s six-hole course.
“It looks like your backyard; it needs a mow. The greens are shockers, but the views are amazing.”
On Wednesday, Coleman was in Riversdale and Waikaia playing their courses, while on Thursday, he will start on Invercargill’s courses.
Some of the courses he plays by himself with little fanfare, others make an occasion of it.
The Waikaia Golf Club turned it on for Coleman on Wednesday afternoon, putting on a club day.
While he has played many of the courses by himself, he has had some friends join him for various parts of the journey through New Zealand.
“I’ve got a lot of friends that want to join me in Queenstown when I get to Queenstown.
“They don’t want to play with me at a nine-hole out the back of somewhere,” Coleman joked.
A couple of months ago, Coleman took a pause in his schedule following the death of his mother, and he has since gone about catching up.
It included playing five courses in one day, with the Gore Golf Club one of them
He has also had a shoulder injury that he picked up a couple of months ago to contend with along the way.
“It is just starting to come right now, but other than that, I’m still holding up alright,” Coleman said.
People can support Coleman’s fundraising efforts by donating to the Saving Butts Sinking Putts Givealittle page.