This writer was in a rabbit hole on Instagram - “doom scrolling” is what I believe the kids call it - when I stumbled across a post from a Kiwi man who had set himself the task of playing every golf course in New Zealand.

Barrie “Baz” Coleman is the man on the mission. With a small team of supporters, his challenge is to play each of the 417 golf courses across the ditch. At the time of writing, he has played 201.

Golf Australia magazine caught up with the man at a Links Foundation golf day at his home club, Weedons Country Club, about 30 minutes out of Christchurch. The community had turned out for him on a sunny Spring Friday.

There were coffee carts, bacon sandwiches, cold beers and a great collection of raffle prizes - all to raise money for causes close to Baz’s heart: the I Am Hope Foundation and Lads Without Labels, two prolific mental health organisation in New Zealand with the former making inroads in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Baz’s love of the game stretches back 40 years. But his decision to play every course in the country came from a deeper, more painful place.

“It’ll be three years ago on Tuesday, my wife, Megan, passed away from suicide,” he tells GA softly in Weedons' empty country clubhouse. “Three of my best mates and I were playing golf one day and decided to do something about suicide and mental health.”

Mental health advocate, Mike King. PHOTO: Getty Images.

From that moment came the Links Foundation. They run charity golf days, raising tens of thousands. They have built a small community fuelled by purpose.

But Baz wasn’t done.

“I must have had a couple of lemonades or something and said, I’m going to go and play every golf course in New Zealand to raise money… They said, okay, good on you.”

A man of his word, he got in a campervan and set off.

Ritchie Barnett, the former New Zealand captain and Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters fullback turned mental health advocate, echoed it in his own way.

“Golf is a great medium to connect,” he said. “You’re playing, you’re having fun… you’re able to talk about real stuff.”

Barnett knows the numbers as well as anyone: “In New Zealand, we’re at the highest in the OECD for 15 to 18-year-olds. We lose 13 people to suicide a week. In Australia, they lose [nine people] a day to suicide.

"We can't sit here thinking it is an IamHope issue; we can solve it, it just takes the community and the entire country to solve it," Barnett said.

Barrie and his mates who have helped drive this initiative, John Small, Paul Burns and Grant Inglis. PHOTO: Callum Hill.

Since his playing days, Barnett has seen the conversation develop. "Playing sport, you aren't supposed to show any vulnerability, you hid it because it was a sign of weakness,” he says.

"In reality, that is what is causing a lot of issues, holding it in, not talking about it, not unpacking what we should be doing.

"We've all been challenged. Once, twice, several times over but we don't often discuss it.

"Males are the worst in discussing and talking about it, and guess what. We are the highest when it comes to rates of suicide.

"it just gives you an indicator why we need to talk as men.”

When Barnett speaks about Baz, you can hear the respect.

“Bazza’s ridiculous… he’s awesome. He lost his wife to suicide… he’s always looked at giving,” Barnett says.’

“But going through something that traumatic; it brings you down and says, ‘well, this is so important, and I need to be part of that solution’.

“I love Bazza. He’s a great man.”

After spending just a small amount of time with him, it’s hard to disagree.

'Putt for plonk' was a popular game prior to the Links Foundation golf day. Whatever you hit, you get. A lovely local Pinot Noir for this scribe. PHOTO: Callum Hill.

Baz is a man who took immense heartbreak and turned it into momentum. He’s crossing the country in a campervan, carrying Megan’s memory with him, collecting stories, raising funds, connecting strangers, and proving that a former landscaper from Canterbury country can make a lasting difference on such an important cause.

Along the way, he has seen corners of New Zealand that few golfers ever reach.

“There’s quite a few [beautiful, untapped layouts], like in the Taranaki. A lot of links courses through there. They’re just amazing… the views,” he said.

Up north, the story is the same - endless coastlines and raw beauty. He told me playing Tara Iti was “very nerve-racking,” but unforgettable. He also added, with a laugh, that he could be the first homeless and unemployed bloke to get a start at the ultra-exclusive venue.

These experiences, however, sit alongside his central purpose: raising money and awareness for mental health.

Their earlier fundraising had tallied $37,000 the first year and $42,000 the next. This time, Baz is aiming higher.

“Today, we’re trying to break the 50 [thousand dollar mark],” he said.

Richie Barnett escapes Great Britain's Keith Senior while playing for the Kiwis in 1998. PHOTO: Getty Images

You'll be pleased to read that they powered past the 50K mark, raising just over the golden number. When Baz talks about the people and the cause, the sincerity is apparent.

“Just live life. Every day is different. You don’t know what’s around the corner, but be happy and enjoy it. Especially with golf… you get to go out there and get away from everyday stresses, and you can talk to people.”

He knows the power of conversation, and so does Mike King who has transformed the support for mental health across the ditch.

“Well, first and foremost, [events like this are] our primary source of income,” Mike told Golf Australia magazine.

“Everyone knows we get six million a year for the counselling platform for Gumboot Friday. But what most people don’t know is we give the whole six million to the kids. And so, it’s days like this that help fund the platform maintenance, the security, the staff that man it.”

But for Mike, it goes beyond funding. It is about supporting kiwi youth through tough periods, making sure they are getting the help they need.

“I Am Hope, we're in the business of societal attitudinal change,” he said. “We’re trying to switch counselling… from a crisis intervention to it’s just a conversation.”

That line could easily be the ethos guiding Baz around the country.

I Am Hope is a New Zealand mental health charity dedicated to supporting young people through free counselling services and nationwide advocacy. Founded by Mike King, the foundation works to break down stigma, normalise conversations about mental health and provide timely access to care for those aged 5-24. I Am Hope is funded through community donations and national fundraising initiatives, including the well-known Gumboot Friday campaign. Its focus on early intervention, practical support and positive messaging has made it a leading voice in youth mental well-being. The organisation continues to encourage Kiwis to back young people who need help, hope and someone to listen.