Forget about the birdies, start worrying the approaching race horses.

An idiot New Zealand golfer just happened to wander onto an adjoining horse-racing track while playing a game of pitch-and-putt on the Ellerslie golf course laid out in the centre of Auckland’s Ellerslie race track.

The golfer had ventured under the rails to retrieve his golf ball and much to the shock of the jockeys, and also TV announcer calling the Great Northern Steeplechase.

This golfer oblivious to approaching race horses (Kenton Wright / Race Images)

“We were all yelling at him, he obviously was more interested in his ball than the race,” jockey Shaun Fannin told The New Zealand Herald.

“When he heard us and saw us coming he started pointing at his ball to show us what he was doing there.

“But we just wanted him to get the hell out of the way.”

Golfer rushes to get out of the way of race horses (Photo – Kenton Wright / Race Images)

And the race broadcaster didn’t hold back during his call of the run.

“There are some absolute idiots playing golf out on the course proper,” he said.

“Can you believe it? Absolute d—-heads.”

Fortunately, no-one was injured and the Auckland Racing Club said no charges will be laid.

Not sure if the golfer managed to save par.

This incident reminds me of a few golf courses I’ve played located within a racetrack including Musselburgh (Old) course located to the east of Edinburgh along with one in Dubai where we have teed-off around 7pmish during the week in covering the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and we would finished around 10/11pm with a full restaurant and bar service still in operation.  Though that course has since closed down and was replaced by The Track golf course, and laid out outside the Meydan horse racetrack.

I’ve also played the 9-hole Golf de Marseille Borely course in the heart of the famed Hippodrome de Marseille horse racing track in the south of France.

But not once, has those games of golf taken place during a race meeting as the golf course has usually been closed.

Aerial view of the Ellerslie golf course and racetrack