A Devonport resident who wanted to bust his boredom during the lockdown has made a DIY golf course in front of his house.
Landscaper Luke Hancock, who has played golf regularly for over 15 years, told the Herald he made the course on day one of the lockdown to improve his chipping game while not being able to visit an actual golf course.
Chipping is a technique golfer's use to get the ball closer to the green.
Using his landscaping skills, he mowed a shape in the ground, cut the lawn inside it lower than the rest of the grass, put sand on it to make it slightly flatter, used plant pots as the holes and some bamboo sticks as the flags.
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He said he has been spending most days chipping 50 balls, with the goal of getting at least 40 in the same place on the green.
With a handicap of 15, he is hoping the chipping practice would get him down to 13.
"The challenge is just trying to improve and hopefully be able to transfer that to the real golf course when we are allowed to play again."
Hancock said he spends as much time maintaining the course as he does playing on it, as he has to mow the lawn every 3 to 4 days.
"A bit overdone but at times like these you've got to find something to do."
Since he has been using it, locals have said nothing but nice things to him about the course.
"One of the coolest things has been the response from the local community. Them looking at it and thinking 'oh, that's a great idea'," he said.
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"It seems to bring out a bit of joy and entertainment to a few other people.
"Hopefully people go and do similar things or [my golf course] inspires them to do something rather than just sit at home and be bored."
'My game’s feeling pretty good so it’d be great to manage to go one better at NZ.'