Golfer Pacific NZ – July 2020

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Fox and Paddison become racehorse owners PAGE 3 INSIDE // ADAM SCOTT APPROACHES 40 // GOLF IN THE WINTERLESS NORTH

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EDITORIAL

NEW ZEALAND EDITORIAL Paul Gueorgieff pgueorgieff@yahoo.co.nz Ph: 64 4 565 0385 Mob: 64 27 227 1038

pgueorgieff@yahoo.co.nz

Coming to grips with the playing conditions calculator

SALES & CLUB PACKAGE GOLF TRAILS & NOTICEBOARDS Leigh Smith smith.sun@bigpond.com Ph: 0061 7 5504 6334 Mob: 0061 433 163 043

In other words it is not about the course conditions, it’s not about the weather conditions and it’s not about the course set up. Instead it’s about how badly most of us played that day (or how well most of us played that day).

I also understand that the reason why most of us played badly that day will probably be because of course conditions, weather conditions or course set up.

In a round about way, maybe the playing conditions calculator should be renamed the how badly most of us played that day calculator.

LAYOUT & DESIGN layout.golferpacificnz@gmail.com

P

By Paul Gueorgieff Editor, Golfer Pacific NZ

laying conditions calculator.

That three-word phrase has become a constant query for me.

The playing conditions calculator came with the introduction of the world handicapping system earlier this year and while I understand its intention I wonder about its operation.

The playing conditions calculator is supposed to make adjustments to scores because of course conditions, weather conditions or course set up.

In other words on a tough day

your score should be improved because the conditions on the day were tough.

Conversely, if conditions were easy your score should be raised because the conditions on the day were easy.

At my golf club it was nearly two months before the playing conditions calculator was first enforced since its introduction.

But oddly enough the course conditions were excellent, the weather conditions were excellent and the course set up was no more difficult than usual.

That made me fire off an email to Phil Aickin at New Zealand Golf. Phil knows everything golf.

Phil replied that my golf course must be well rated because the playing conditions calculator had been activated more than 600 times in the first several weeks.

Phil added at some courses the calculator was being activated almost every second day.

I understand that the playing conditions calculator cannot assess the course conditions, it cannot assess the weather conditions and it cannot assess the course set up.

It simply assesses the scores submitted for the day and makes a calculation as programmed to do so.

PUBLISHER Golfer Pacific NZ LTD PO Box 51338 Tawa, Wellington 5249, New Zealand ACCOUNTS Leigh Smith smith.sun@bigpond.com SUBSCRIPTION $60.00 per annum including GST smith.sun@bigpond.com Ph: 0061 5575 7444 Mob: 0061 433 163 043 NEW ZEALAND MAIL ADDRESS PO Box 51338 Tawa, Wellington 5249, New Zealand AUSTRALIAN MAIL ADDRESS PO Box 264 Chevron Island QLD 4217, Australia COVER PHOTO: Ryan Fox with his standardbred pacer Franco Nandor. Photo credit: Lincoln Farms.

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July 2020

Mon 11:00-17:00 Tue 11:00-17:00 Wed 11:00-17:00 Thu 11:00-17:00 Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat 10:00-15:00 Sun Closed

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Ryan Fox with his standardbred pacer Franco Nandor. Photo credit: Lincoln Farms.

I

t’s off to the trots for New Zealand professional golfers Ryan Fox and Gareth Paddison.

The pair won shares in standardbred pacers after finishing first and second in the Wairakei Invitational last month.

Fox won a 20 percent share in a horse called Franco Nandor who cost $140,000 at the National Standardbred Yearling Sales in Christchurch last year.

Paddison won a 10 percent share in a

different horse called Captain Nemo. He cost $110,000 at the same yearling sale.

The horse shares were provided by John Street of Lincoln Farms, which is one of New Zealand’s biggest racehorse ownership operators. The shares are free of training fees, which means Fox and Paddison will have no on-going costs.

Fox’s horse Franco Nandor has already raced four times for a best placing of second and is currently being readied

for three-year-old races of the new racing season which begins on August 1.

Street, himself a keen golfer who played at Wairakei, had no hesitation in offering the prizes and commented on Fox’s horse Franco Nandor.

“Of course there are no guarantees with racehorses but this horse is looking promising,” Street said.

Fox got to see the horse recently at the Pukekohe stables of Ray Green and hoped his golf form would rub off.

“Hopefully he’ll have a bit of the form that I had at Wairakei,” Fox said.

“I’ve always enjoyed a little flutter on the horses now and again and to have a vested interest is awesome.”

Fox once had a small share in a galloper with Auckland businessman Gerard Peterson. That horse was named Five Off The Tee and the horse won twice in 2015-16. Fox also helped name another horse called Hosel Rocket.

The last time Fox came into close contact with a horse was about the age of 12 when he rode one which bolted on him. His mother also had to give up riding after badly breaking her shoulder in a fall.

It seems Fox will have the chance to see Franco Nandor race at least once this month before he heads back to England where it is hoped the European Tour will restart with the British

Masters scheduled for July 22.

Paddison’s horse Captain Nemo finished a good third in a recent trial race and trainer Ray Green has high hopes for him.

“He’s coming up really well,’’ Green said of Captain Nemo.

“He’s a big, powerful colt and this will be his year. I’m high on him and think he will really excel. He’s one of our big hopes for the three-year-old races.”

Captain Nemo and Franco Nandor had their first races for the new part-owners at Alexandra Park in Auckland on July 1. Captain Nemo finished fourth and Franco Nandor was fifth.

GOLF NEWS

Fox and Paddison become racehorse owners

Gareth Paddison with his standardbred pacer Captain Nemo. Photo credit: Lincoln Farms.

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Tour hosted by David and Sheree Smail

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July 2020

3

Ryan Fox romps home in Wairakei Invitational

By Neville Idour

GOLF NEWS 4

T

he inaugural Briscoes Wairakei Invitational ProAm was a big winner on every count.

Played at the beautiful Wairakei Sanctuary, north of Taupo, last month, it resulted in a runaway win for Ryan Fox and an estimated windfall of $250,000 injection for the Taupo economy. It was also, arguably, not only the first PGA event in New Zealand since the coronavirus lockdown with no restrictions and spectators allowed, but also probably the world.

Pacific Golf Management owner and the tournament promoter Richard Ellis would normally have been in Fiji during June running two tournaments there.

“With covid-19 preventing us from going anywhere, everyone I spoke to said for goodness sake please try and get something good organised so we can play golf,” Ellis said.

“So here we had an event organised at warp speed at beautiful Wairakei in the middle of winter with a prize pool of $35,000 for the professionals.”

Amateurs whose entry fees contributed to that prizemoney competed for prizes worth $9000.

The interest in participating was outstanding and the event was a sellout in four days with 28 of New Zealand’s top professionals and 104 amateurs involved. There was even a waiting list.

So to the golf. Fox was in a class of his own and probably played one of the best three consecutive rounds of golf in his career with scores of 63, 66 and 63, a total of 24 under par.

Fox rocketed out of the blocks with an eagle on

Wairakei Invitational principals from left to right Richard Ellis (tournament promoter), John Street (Lincoln Farms), Ryan Fox (tournament winner) and Rod Duke (Briscoes).

the par five third hole, eight birdies, with just one bogey on the 13th. Four shots back after the first round was Luke Toomey with a tidy 67 while Gareth Paddison and Jordan Loof were tied third on 68.

In the second round Fox extended his lead by one with an excellent 66 after a slow start. He struggled to sink several makeable putts on the first eight holes, but caught fire on the final 10 holes with several birdies.

“I played great again today,’’ Fox said after the second round.

“Probably better than yesterday tee to green but didn’t take advantage till the final 10.”

Good weather conditions saw Daniel Hillier from Wellington charge up the leaderboard with a brilliant eight under 64, five behind Fox. The experienced Dongwoo Kang was two further back after a solid 66,

July 2020

Paddison slipped to fourth, one ahead of the improving Michael Hendry and Toomey struggled with a 71.

It was going to take a sensational third round for anyone to catch Fox and he was in no mood to allow anyone the opportunity.

Fox simply left the field for dust with another brilliant round of 63 to win by 13 shots. He mirrored his first round with an eagle and eight birdies, although he had to reset his mindset after a bogey at the short second hole.

Fox was obviously a happy man afterwards.

“It is so good to be back although I did have a few butterflies on the first tee in the first round,’’ Fox said.

“It was quite outstanding the way Richard Ellis and the PGA got things together so quickly after going to level one (of the coronavirus situation).”

Paddison had the next best round of the final day, a 68, good enough for second, one ahead of Hendry who also scored 68. Hillier lost momentum with a battling 73 to finish fourth.

At the prizegiving Fox received a bonus to go with his winner’s purse. John Street from Lincoln Farms presented Fox with a 20 percent share in a standardbred pacer.

The event was such a success that it will become an annual event on the New Zealand PGA golf calendar and the dates for the next tournament will be announced soon.

TEAM RESULTS:

Teams stableford Josh Geary (pro), Rod Duke, Tom Phillips, John Bowring.

Teams gross Ryan Fox (pro), Gerard Peterson, Brad Heaven, Grant Smith.

Rick Harding won the 54 hole amateur gross.

Oliver Haydon won the 54 hole stableford.

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Former Players’ champion looks ahead to defining years of his career.

Adam Scott approaches 40th birthday with one thing on the mind

F

rom the outside, Adam Scott looks much the same as he did in 2000 when he opted to leave college and become a professional golfer.

He still has the same boyish good looks and perpetual smile. And his smooth, textbook swing remains the envy of aspiring youngsters around the world.

But Scott is no longer just another handsome guy who can square up a clubface as well as anyone in the world.

He has grown dramatically as a person and a player.

Now, as he prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday on July 11, the Australian has become one of the game’s international leaders, in words and deeds. He’s a family man with a wife and two young children.

Scott, with his continued success, has thrust himself into the conversation when it turns to inclusion in the World Golf hall of fame.

Right now, Scott is willing to let others determine his legacy. He is only interested in winning golf tournaments, particularly major championships.

“Winning tournaments is always my goal and we put a huge focus on the majors,” Scott said.

“Of course, I would love to win any of the other majors later this year. My goal is to keep my game in a spot where that’s realistic … I would like to get myself back quickly in that position and see if I can add to that tally this year.”

Scott was back in form earlier this year when he ended a four-year winless streak by claiming a two-shot victory at the Genesis Championship at Riviera Country Club, outside of Los Angeles. The win enabled the former Players’ Championship winner to climb back into the top-10 rankings after falling as low as 82nd in July 2018.

It was the 14th victory of his PGA Tour career – tied for 65th all-time – but his first in 74 starts. The only active players with more wins are Tiger Woods (82), Phil Mickelson (44), Dustin Johnson (21), Rory McIlroy (18) and Jim Furyk (17).

Scott admitted that the long drought – although not as serious as the bad stretch he endured in 2009 in the aftermath of a surfing-related knee injury — took a toll on him.

He cited frustration and said he was pushing himself too hard in the wrong direction. The Genesis victory acted as both as a salve and form of encouragement. The win helped point him back in the right direction.

“My big goal is to be a multiple major winner and I think the habit of winning is good for that,” Scott said.

Although his lone major championship remains his historic victory at the US Masters in 2013 – when he became the first Australian to earn the green jacket – Scott has an exemplary record in the big events. He has 19 top-10 finishes in 74 starts in majors.

In 2019 he tied for eighth at the US PGA Championship, tied for seventh at the US Open and won the Australian

PGA Championship for the second time in his career. He was trending in the right direction when the covid-19 pandemic forced competition to temporarily cease.

“I would like to think most of my achievements are still to come,” Scott said.

“For me it’s about winning major championships. That’s the measure of a career, really in this game, but it’s always the process of getting there. You don’t just show up and win majors randomly. Maybe it can happen once.

You can luck into one, but not multiple majors.

“To achieve what I want to achieve, I can’t leave it up to luck. There is a lot of work to get there, but I feel like I’m on the right track.

“There are lots of adjustments throughout my professional and personal life in the last few years. It took me some time to just figure out how to balance everything out. I think I’m on a good track now.”

Scott is tied with Bruce Crampton as the third-winningest Australian on the PGA Tour. Only Greg Norman (20) and Jim Ferrier (18) have more.

However, a second major championship would elevate Scott into a different sphere. There have been 223 major championship winners, but only 82 players – including Norman – have won multiple majors.

So how does that frame Scott’s credentials for eventual enshrinement in the hall of fame?

His current numbers mirror those of American Hal Sutton. Each has won The Players’ Championship and one major championship.

But Sutton had only eight top-10 finishes in 68 major championship appearances and endured an inexplicable stretch of nine consecutive winless seasons during the prime of his career. Sutton was a finalist for inclusion in the World Golf hall of fame’s class of 2021 and will almost certainly be inducted soon.

Sutton has one item on his resume that Scott does not – captaincy of an international team. Sutton was the captain of the losing 2004 US Ryder Cup team and is still remembered for the ill-fated pairing of Woods and Mickelson on the first day of competition.

Scott has not yet been asked to be the captain of the international Presidents’ Cup team – largely because he’s still pivotal in the team’s chances as a player.

He has made the team nine times and acted as an unofficial vice-captain for Ernie Els at the 2019 competition at Royal Melbourne. Scott was heartsick when the team squandered a big lead and watched the American team come back for a victory on his home soil. He is currently more concerned with helping the international team win the event than he is serving as captain.

“It will be incredibly disappointing if I played all these

NEWS

Adam Scott holds the trophy after his two shot win in the Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club earlier this year at Pacific Palisades, California. Photo credit: David Cannon/Getty Images.

and never won a Presidents’ Cup,” he said.

“I feel I’d be missing something. The last few years, I’ve put more of myself out there for the team, and so far it hasn’t yielded much of a result. It’s never fun leaving on Sunday with not having won the trophy.”

South African Trevor Immelman, also a Masters champion, has already agreed to be the team captain for 2021. Scott would likely be next in line to lead a team, possibly as soon as 2023.

In the meantime, he’s been helping add a touch of normalcy to his homeland during the covid-19 shutdown.

In May he hosted a live-streamed nine-hole match on instagram against local professional Wayne Perske at Maleny Golf Club in Queensland. The match – with a $5 wager in the balance – ended all-square when Perske missed a putt on the final hole.

The stakes will be higher when Scott returns to the PGA Tour later this northern hemisphere summer. The amended 2019-20 schedule will conclude at the Tour Championship, September 4-7 at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

He just wants to be in the discussion. And he’s ready.

“I have a sense of calm, which has always suited me on the golf course,” Scott said.

“I definitely walk on the course with a calmness. Maybe it’s confidence, but I say calmness.”

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$20 green fees. Phone: 03 578 4320

July 2020

5

Muriwai Open re-scheduled for end of July GOLF NEWS

T

he Muriwai Open is back on New Zealand’s Charles Tour after being postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus situation.

The tournament, sponsored by Autex, was originally scheduled for April but will now take place from Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2.

Dave Mangan, New Zealand Golf general manager for championships and golf operations, said the return of tournament golf on the New Zealand golfing calendar is exciting for the sport in the country.

“New Zealand Golf really appreciates that Muriwai Golf Club have been so proactive in getting the postponed Autex Muriwai Open rescheduled so quickly.

“We are fortunate that the Muriwai Golf Club is a great all year round venue and the turf quality in winter will still be very good.

“The July window will likely throw up some different challenges for the players and for us, but it’s something that we’re looking forward too. It’s great to have

tournament golf back on the horizon.”

Muriwai Golf Club general manager Andrew Jackson is delighted that the club’s flagship event is back on the calendar this year.

“We are very pleased to announce that the Autex Muriwai Open has been rescheduled,’’ Jackson said.

“The hard work that went into the postponed event due to the lockdown was not in vain.

“I would like to thank our sponsors for their patience and support during these difficult times. This is Muriwai Golf Club’s flagship event and both the club and Autex are extremely proud to support the Jennian Homes Charles Tour.”

One man with fond memories of the Muriwai Open is two-time winner Michael Hendry who is delighted tournament golf is back.

“The biggest thing now in the world we’re currently living in, is having somewhere to play and something to work towards,’’ Hendry said.

“Having events to play is such an advantage now as there is so few to play in with the world seemingly shut down.

“A strong side effect of tournament play in New Zealand getting back underway is having really strong fields, but when the world opens back up for the players heading back overseas, we’ll be better prepared and hopefully that means we’ll see some good results from Kiwi golfers because of the ability to be able to play in Jennian Homes Charles Tour events.”

Hendry is looking forward to the different challenge Muriwai poses in the winter.

“It will play a lot more difficult. Muriwai is a great golf course but when the wind is cold and potentially wet conditions the course will play quite long and tricky unless we get extremely lucky with the weather. It will be a challenge for sure.”

Hills pro-am added to New Zealand PGA calendar

By Neville Idour

T

he Hills pro-am is a significant addition to the New Zealand PGA calendar.

This is a bold step forward for a very popular event.

Tournament organiser Craig Palmer said: “Because we have run the event independently until now, avoiding clashes with other events to secure a suitable date has always been a challenge.”

The 2019 event had to be held in January of this year and was won by seasoned professional and perennial entrant Mark Brown.

Sir Michael Hill was the driving force in having New Zealand’s premier men’s PGA and then New Zealand Open events

re-born when they moved to his internationally renowned golf course in Arrowtown, central Otago, some years ago, despite some brief initial misgivings from tournament organiser at the time, Bob Tuohy.

“This year we have worked closely with the NZPGA and have reached an agreement that will see the event PGA sanctioned,” Palmer added.

While this is the case, The Hills will retain freedom to have significant input about which professionals play. The tournament has been scheduled for the weekend of December 19 and 20.

“Collectively The Hills and the PGA have produced a qualification/invitation process that will help ensure the strongest

possible professional field,” Palmer said.

The top 10 players on the PGA order of merit, at a date to be decided, will be joined by the PGA club professional champion and the PGA trainee champion. The remaining eight players in the 20 man field will be invited by The Hills.

Apart from the revised process for qualifying, very little else will change. It will re-

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main a fun relaxed weekend and end of year celebration. However, with that to look forward to and a prize pool of $50,000 and a field of 20 it has become a must for New Zealand professionals. It is now a major event on the New Zealand calendar.

The current titleholder Mark Brown is sure to be there again if possible even though he has retired from playing PGA tours.

are great deals available on green fees and a wide range of memberships – contact the staff at the Nelson Golf club, who will be only too delighted to explain all the options available.

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www.nelsongolf.co.nz 6

July 2020

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Australia’s Marc Leishman, a five-time PGA Tour winner, recounts the dark days when his wife Audrey fought for her life in hospital and how the episode led to the establishment of the Begin Again Foundation, which supports families experiencing medical and life crises.

NEWS

Leishman: Lying to my wife, and the hope that drove me toward it

By Marc Leishman

I

t feels like it’s been longer than five years, as so much has happened since 2015. Sometimes it feels like it happened only a year ago. It’s still vivid in my mind.

It was April, and I was in Augusta, Georgia, preparing for the US Masters.

Back home in Virginia, my wife Audrey felt like she was coming down with a bad cold. But her temperature didn’t relent after two days, her blood pressure had dropped and her heart was beating 140 aa 60 times a minute. Normal is between and 100.

We rushed her to the hospital as she was unable to breathe on her own. Doctors feared, and ultimately confirmed, that she had sepsis, which is essentially blood poisoning. It happens when an infection you already have somewhere else starts a chain reaction throughout the body.

There were a few moments that stood out to me after rushing back on the first flight home. I couldn’t recognise Audrey after doctors moved her from her stomach onto her back. She looked like a completely different person, her body and face completely swollen. I remember a number of antibiotic bags, with fluids being injected into her. That was probably when I thought the recovery would be a lot longer than I imagined.

When I first met the doctors, they told us there was a very good chance she wasn’t going to survive. I remember going back into the room where Audrey was intubated. She was still conscious and communicating on text message.

She asked if she was going to be okay, and I blatantly lied to her. I told her, “Yep, you’re going to be all right. But you’re going to have to fight.”

One of the biggest and most important things in life is hope. I think if I had told her how bad her situation was, she could very well have given up knowing how hard it was going to be, or how small her chances were.

I think by just giving someone hope, that’s a big thing. I did think about losing her. It was in my mind. There were three or four days when she looked like she wasn’t going to make it.

I hate to say this, but I was almost planning a funeral. When there is a small chance of survival, you do think about bad stuff like that. I was also thinking that if she didn’t make it, I would have to take the kids back to Australia and start a new life there and basically be a dad and a mum.

But things eventually turned around, which was amazing for a lot of reasons.

Having Audrey survive, I still have a loving wife who supports me as I’m living out my

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Australian golfer Marc Leishman with his wife Audrey, daughter Eva and sons Harvey (left) and Oliver.

dream as a golfer, husband and a dad.

We are certainly more grateful and appreciative with what we have now.

I’m grateful we are all healthy, including our kids. We cherish common moments more, and we soak that kind of stuff in.

I feel like maybe previously, there were moments we didn’t realise how good they were at that time.

We are so lucky, as our life right now is happy and healthy. But there are so many people going through things that we went through five years ago when Audrey fell seriously ill. A lot of people don’t make it. To read or hear those stories is a reality check on your perspective.

When Audrey fully recovered in 2016, we established the Begin Again Foundation. She has always been keen to help people, as I do, but she’s on a different level.

She’s always wanted to be a social worker, but that obviously didn’t end up happening when she met me and started travelling. Helping people is what her life is about. Once we started having kids, being a mum became a full-time job, but I think she had a void in her life.

I don’t know if the illness or sepsis chose her, and we certainly prefer to not go through the bad stuff, but it was kind of meant to be as so much good has come out from this experience.

We pretty much knew we were going to help people who are going through the

same thing. Audrey and I are lucky and fortunate her medical costs didn’t break us financially. However, it can do that to a lot of families. I can’t imagine trying to recover from a serious illness and then having to worry about paying your mortgage, rent or electricity bills. That’s why we decided to help people, so they can concentrate on getting better. The foundation has gotten bigger and better, and I think we’ve helped over 3000 people.

We’ve been fortunate to launch Leishman Lager, which has also helped support the foundation. Bay Back Brewery

July 2020

approached us a few years ago to produce beer to support a benefit we put on, and I guess the brewery didn’t realise how much I enjoy beer.

I got really involved with the taste and how it looked. It makes you nervous when you taste your own beer for the first time because you don’t want it to be horrible.

But that first sip was amazing as it tasted so good. That one month then turned into six months, and it’s now been over four years that we’ve been producing and selling Leishman Lager, which helps fund the Begin Again Foundation.

Through the foundation, we’ve seen both sides of life. We have been lucky to meet both survivors and families who have lost loved ones. Last year, there was a mother whose daughter passed away, and she came to our fundraising gala to share her story about the importance of knowing the symptoms of sepsis. It’s an emotional rollercoaster as you see what people are going through.

I think helping people has helped with my own perspective on golf. Obviously, I want to play great golf all the time, but unfortunately that doesn’t happen.

I feel like when things aren’t going well, you can look back on what some of these people are going through and it makes golf so much less relevant. I think that’s helped my golf exponentially, just having that perspective. When you’re growing up as a kid, you think about being successful and maybe one day becoming famous, having lots of money and winning trophies.

But to now have an impact on people, it’s been one of the coolest things I’ve done in my life.

Note: Australia’s Marc Leishman was named the 2009 PGA Tour rookie of the year and has gone on to win five times and played in four Presidents’ Cups for the international team.

$15 Fridays Phone: 06 344 4554 Email: admin@castlecliffgolf.co.nz Visit: www.castlecliffgolfclub.org.nz

7

GOLF NEWS

Annika Invitational New Zealand’s national postponed to next year academy named N T he second edition of the Annika Invitational Australasia has been postponed to next year because of the coronavirus situation.

The tournament was to have been held at the Royal Wellington Golf Club from November 12-14. It will now be held in 2021 from November 11-13 at the same venue.

The inaugural event was held at Royal Wellington last year and included the appearance of former world great Annika Sorenstam who after the tournament held a training show.

Dean Murphy, chief executive of New Zealand Golf said: “The large amount of planning and international travel associated with this event and with the huge uncertainty of our international borders as a result of the

covid-19 pandemic, we have decided it would not be appropriate to stage the championship this year.

“We would like to thank the Annika Foundation and Royal Wellington Golf Club for its support and understanding in making this decision and we will now look forward to working with the club and the Annika Foundation to stage the championship for the Asia Pacific’s top junior women amateur golfers next year.”

Sorenstam said: “While we were looking forward to another exciting event in New Zealand, we value the safety of all involved and will work with New Zealand Golf, Royal Wellington and The R&A to stage a wonderful championship.”

ew Zealand Golf’s national academy for this year has been named.

The national academy is divided into four categories with the top grade being phase four.

Players in phase four receive support for sourcing and maintaining sponsorship and assistance with international event invites and programme funding.

Wellington golfer Daniel Hillier, who turned professional last year, remains the only player in phase four.

Phase three is divided into tier one and tier two groups.

Tier two is for players who have shown great potential but may still have some way to go before representing New Zealand at senior level or turning professional. They have been identified as emerging talent but still

have developmental gaps that need to be addressed while they strive to improve their on-course performances.

Phase three, tier two players are Kazuma Kobori (Rangiora), Carmen Lim (Windross Farm), Vivian Lu (Royal Auckland Grange) ,Tyler Wood (Palmerston North), Jared Edwards (Royal Auckland and Grange), Sam Jones (Manaia), Mako Thompson (Maraenui), James Hydes (Gulf Harbour), Fiona Xu (Titirangi) and Darae Chung (Shandon).

The national academy will be invited to attend training camps, will have access to New Zealand Golf’s national services provider network to assist with their programme development and may be provided opportunities to compete internationally.

Asian Tour re-start considered for September T

he Asian Tour is targeting a September re-start for its 2020 campaign.

“There’s lots of planning and discussions going on in the background and we think we’ll be back around September,” said Cho Min Thant, chief executive and commissioner of the Asian Tour.

“I think what we’re experiencing everywhere is a slow return to normal in phases and it’s going to be no different on the Asian Tour.

“First of all, we’ve got to see countries opening up and then we’ve got to see sponsors willing to do business again and sponsor tournaments. Then finally, we have to be able to travel again.

“We’ve been talking to all the tours around the world about re-start plans … how we’re going to structure the seasons, when we start up. Are we going to extend this season? Are we going to stop this season and start over?

What are we going to do with members that have their cards this season? When is the official world golf ranking going to start again and what’s the eligibility into the majors that had to be rescheduled? There are weekly

conversations on these topics. I guess the new catchword in this time is fluid.”

Before golf was halted due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Asian Tour had staged four order of merit events, all worth more than $US1 million – the Hong Kong Open, the Singapore Open, the New Zealand Open and the Malaysian Open.

Cho added: “We got off to a flyer at the start of 2020 and were looking forward to the rest of the year. But it wasn’t to be. Now we want to continue this season … and we want to continue this season as soon as possible.

“It looks like we’ll re-start in September, if we’re lucky and people can travel. It looks like this season will be extended into next year, most probably April or May, making sure that the cardholders and members this year get a fair opportunity to play about 20 or 25 events. After that we start a new season.

“But it really depends on whether we can all travel.

If there are some people who can’t travel in the early months because of where they’re travelling from, then

we’re going to have to look at adjusting what we do with the season. So, it’s a work in progress.

“We’re planning to reschedule tournaments that we usually have so that we can stay in one country longer than just one week. We’re looking at places like Korea and India where we have multiple tournaments.

“It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of collaboration between the promoters and the sponsors. But we’re trying to make it so that we can stay in a country longer than a week because that will reduce the amount of travel our guys have to do.”

Cho said it was not only just about the golfers.

“It’s not just the players having a tough time, but the staff and non-playing officials. A lot of the rules officials, for example, are hired per event. We’ve got scoring staff, television staff. We talk a lot about the players because they’re a huge part of what we do, but the Asian Tour family is much bigger than just the players. It’s all the back office, front office, media staff and everyone involved in tournaments. We’re just raring to get out there and do our thing again.”

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The man who keeps on giving

T

he community coach of the year award is dedicated to the coach in New Zealand who is inspiring the growth of new players to the game and demonstrating innovation, community connection and generating visible and accessible pathways.

This year’s recipient was New Zealand Professional Golfers’ Association member, Stuart Thompson.

Throughout his golfing career, Thompson has jumped on board with as many community based programmes as possible.

Why? Simply because he likes helping people, and if that leads to introducing those people to the game of golf, even better. He’s all about connecting with others and believes the key to this is to treat everyone equally — one of his own personal rules to live by.

When asked how he feels about being this year’s community coach of the year, Thompson said he felt “extremely humbled”.

“It’s great to do what you do as a coach but even better to hear someone saying you do better than you thought did.”

Thompson proudly stated that he thinks of his job as a responsibility. He describes it as “not about the game itself, but as much as the community around it.”

Thompson’s aim is simply to know everyone around him and get them involved with the community.

He goes on to say he wouldn’t have been able to do any of it without the Professional Golfers’ Association, New Zealand Golf, Counties-Manukau Blind Foundation and everyone else he has collaborated with or worked alongside.

Over the past year alone, Thompson’s community involvement has been huge.

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

Stuart Thompson who was named community coach of the year.

Earlier in the year he was a part of the Hine Toa programme in association with the New Zealand Police. The Hine Toa programme aims to help at-risk youth to build their confidence and a better future for themselves.

Thompson had several sessions with the girls, getting them out on the golf course for first time.

“They teach me far more about life than I teach them about golf.”

When the New Zealand Blind foundation came to Thompson asking for help, he was all ears. He helped introduce 15 visually impaired people to the game, saying that for him it was more about inviting them to the club and creating a connection to the community with them than anything else.

Thompson’s passion for teaching all abilities shines through in both his words and this actions.

July 2020

NEWS

Reflecting on previous coaching, Thompson discusses his time with Special Olympics in south Auckland. He comments that in these sessions the participants taught him far more about life than he taught them about golf.

And what’s in store for the rest of the year — more schools, more kids, more programmes and more golf, Thompson said.

This includes have-a-go days alongside his trainee professional, Stacey, as well as anything else he can get involved in.

Ever the humble man, Thompson mentions he already knows who he’s voting for as next year’s community coach of the year, commenting that he couldn’t be happier to have won but any good community coach recognises another and that he wants to see as many as possible.

When it comes to schools, Thompson said it’s more about life skills and values that you can provide for the children and that golf was just a vehicle for that.

He currently has involvement in Auckland with Willowbank Primary School, where he sees over 300 children throughout terms one and two, as well as Ormiston Intermediate where he provides after school tasters for 27 kids who are brand new to golf.

Thompson said getting paid to do these sorts of gigs was a bonus and that for him it was not about the money, it was the achievement along the way.

It was from Special Olympics that he made a connection with one gentleman in particular, who he fondly refers to as Beechy. They met around 15 years ago and Thompson said they go out for a hit every week, whether they’re hunting for golf balls or playing 18 holes.

9

Song and Keh share $13,000 in golf scholarship A

uckland golf professionals Hanee Song and Wenyung Keh share the honours as joint recipients of the KFC golf scholarship.

The scholarship has awarded a total of $13,000 in funds for 2020 helping to further the golfing careers of young New Zealand women professional golfers. The scholarship aims to create opportunities to allow golfers to attend qualifying school, play on tour or develop their coaching career.

With both players competing on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour (CLPGA) in 2020, Song and Keh and will split the funds equally to compete throughout the season with the end goal of attending the LPGA qualifying school in August.

Song returns to the China LPGA this year following a successful 2019 season.

Finishing with a China LPGA ranking of 11th including four top 10s across the CLPGA and ALPG tours, Song aims to break into the top five ranking this year.

“I’m very grateful to be selected as a KFC golf scholarship recipient,’’ Song said.

“I’ve played in the New Zealand Professional Women’s Golf Trust tournament since 2016 and would like to acknowledge the positive impact this scholarship will have.

Hanee Song

“I aiming to build on my success in 2019. The scholarship will allow me to access high performance coaching and contribute towards entry costs for the major qualifying schools this year.”

Rookie professional Keh will be out to compete with the experienced professionals after gaining full status on the CLPGA this year.

Keh had an exceptional amateur career including being a member of the 2016 NCAA National Championship team with the University of Washington and finishing tied second at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2018.

“This is my first year as a professional and I’m looking forward to making an impact on tour,’’ Keh said.

“It will be a big adjustment from amateur golf particularly as I will be manag-

Golf is taking off

By Neville Idour

F

igures released last month trumpeted a huge increase in golf participation throughout New Zealand.

For the period June 1-15 there was an average 27.8 percent increase in the number of rounds played compared to last year. In actual numbers this means 180,047 rounds, up from 140,840.

This is more evidence of golf’s increasing status as the perfect sport in these troubled times for families and people

scholarship provides.

The funds will contribute to flights, accommodation, coaching and tournament entry fees and will allow both players to focus on their preparation and performance.

New Zealand Professional Women’s Golf Trust board member Kristin Farrell said: “Hanee and Wenyung are both working hard to establish themselves on the international stage and we’re excited to follow their progress this season.”

looking for change. It is an activity that can provide healthy outdoor exercise in often scenic environments plus the benefits of camaraderie and new friends.

This further cements golf’s growing popularity following the many increases in new memberships at clubs throughout New Zealand since the coronavirus rules were relaxed. Increases of 50 or 60 members were not uncommon.

The largest increase was recorded in Taranaki, a remarkable 49.5 percent. In real terms this is an increase from 4014

Wenyung Keh

ing my own schedule and logistics but I’m fortunate that my sisters will be on tour with me.’’

Keh is the second member of her family to benefit from the KFC golf scholarship with sister Munchin Keh being a joint recipient in 2017 and receiving the NZPWG Trust fellowship in 2018.

The NZPWG board know both players will benefit from financial assistance the members to 6003.

Other big movers were Wellington up 41 percent (11,962 to 16,970), Canterbury 38.8 percent (14,123 to 19,603), North Harbour 38.1 percent (17,367 to 23,983) and Auckland 34.3 percent (20,263 to 27,218).

Just four of 17 districts were between 10 and 20 percent in increases. Only one district, Aorangi, recorded a single figure increase while two were not represented.

These figures augur well for the future of golf. More than that they signal the importance for New Zealand Golf and all districts and clubs to seriously consider how best to continue building the momentum with proactive promotions and programmes such as the love golf programme, which has appealed to many women.

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Tournament formats could change on Asian Tour

T

hree-day tournaments, new formats and mixed events with women are among the new opportunities under consideration by the Asian Tour.

Cho Min Thant, chief executive of the Asian Tour, acknowledged that a fresh approach to selling and staging tournaments will be essential in the post covid-19 era.

“I think we’re going to experience a lot of changes,” said Cho, who is hopeful that the Asian Tour will resume in September, on the assumption that travel restrictions will by then have been lifted, or sufficiently eased.

“Now that we’re in a three, four, five-month lay-off, we’ve been able to look at the practices that we use in the industry at tournaments and see where we can reduce costs, make things more efficient,’’ Cho added.

“Perhaps we’ve been doing things the way it’s always been because we haven’t had time to look into how we actually do them.’’

Creative thinking and the ability to adapt to new requirements from sponsors will be crucial, especially while social distancing measures remain in place. Cho said this will inevitably affect hospitality operations at tournaments, traditionally a key element for sponsors in

entertaining clients and driving new business.

“Hospitality is one of the most important aspects when sponsoring a golf tournament,’’ Cho said.

“But we’re going to have to limit the amount of marquees and hospitality structures (at tournaments) and the wining and dining. That could mean we introduce a pro-am over the first three days – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – to try and incorporate that hospitality into a tournament where we can’t entertain them on the weekends in the marquee.

“If we’re not going to have those hospitality structures to get to their customers, there’s no reason why they can’t participate in a pro-am, and there’s no reason why they can’t come to the golf tournament, although they won’t be in a confined space like a marquee.”

“Doing a tournament back-to-back with the ladies, or the same week as the ladies, or with a local domestic tour event is very cost effective and economical. We’re looking into all of that and now that the season’s being constricted into a short period of time, we’ll definitely have weeks where we’re in the same country and the

NEWS

same area. So, there’s no reason why we can’t work together.

“I’ve also often thought and talked about three-round tournaments, especially on the Asian Development Tour, our feeder tour. The Japanese feeder tour runs three rounds as well. I think it’s very viable.”

Cho also does not discount a hybrid strokeplay/matchplay event, such as the World Super6 in Perth, Australia.

“The Perth Super6 is very valid. There’s a challenge every single day with a play-off at the end of the Saturday play to get into the match play. There was excitement built every single day.

“We’re lucky with our sponsors. A lot of them, such as Hero Motor Corp in India, have put their hand up and said: ‘We’ve gone through a tough period but we really want to sponsor the tournament when we can travel again. We want to support the Tour and we want to support the economy because we understand that golf travellers and golfers spend a lot more than your average backpacker’. So, they really want to help stimulate the economy by emphasising golf.”

Golf suited to survive coronavirus, says Asian golf leader

G

olf is better suited than many industries to be able to weather the coronavirus crisis, says Eric Lynge, chief executive of the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).

“Every industry will have some successes, less than successes and some failures,’’ Lynge said.

“In golf, there are some inherent strengths which will buffer the indus-

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try on several fronts and it can certainly emerge stronger from this pandemic.”

Like any industry, much will depend on the financial underpinnings of golf clubs and companies that operate in the industry.

Lynge continued: “It all comes down to their financial structure. If they’re not strong to start with then there’ll definitely be some issues. What we see around the region is that those private clubs that, either through ownership or membership, have more reserves are better able to weather the storm at the moment.

“But for private clubs that don’t have so many reserves, they’re going to have some issues and might have to restructure their business and their membership.

“The semi-privates, it depends again, on whether they are reliant upon the tourism dollars, the yield that they’re getting these days on their green fees and their maintenance fees. So, it’s all dependent on the finances again. I think the ones that are really suffering at the moment

are the clubs that rely on the tourist dollar because obviously people can’t travel and certain courses in that area are having problems financially keeping afloat.”

Lynge believes that the current crisis has underscored the need for golf club owners and operators to invest in further education for their key club management and course maintenance personnel.

“In North America and Europe they have developed a professional class of managers who are specifically trained in the areas of turfgrass management and club management. That results in owners and committees hiring these people based on their qualifications and then leaving them to do their job as they see fit to run the golf club like a business.

“Among golf clubs in Asia, the fundamentals of the business are being examined at this time. It’s the people who are hiring certified professionals and training their staff to be professionals, and recognising these individuals, who will come out on top.”

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PGAPARS

pga.org.nz

Golf providing the means for health, family and friends

By Dominic Sainsbury New Zealand PGA General Manager

I

t has been fantastic to see so many New Zealanders out playing golf over the past couple of months — and long may this continue.

Rounds played are up dramatically on this time last year and it seems that every club I talk to has new members joining daily.

It would seem that one positive to come out of this whole covid-19 pandemic is the realisation of what is truly important — our health, our family, our friends and making time for them.

It seems like before covid-19 so many of us put our work first at the sacrifice of health, friends and family. I used to hear people all the time saying they lacked time for golf as they were too busy.

The fact is we do have time and it is how we choose to spend that time that is the issue. It seems now we are prioritising the choice of health, friends, and family ahead of other things.

Golf provides a low impact workout and can be easily done while socialising

with friends and family. Now that we are past the shortest day of the year (June 21) with the evenings getting longer, twilight golf will be here before we know it and golf could take another leap forward.

Across the country we are hearing great success stories of people playing golf and having a great time with friends and family on the course.

Matt Davis from the Ashburton Golf Club is working throughout Mid-Canterbury with the Aorangi Golf Association selling the great messages of golf, offering primary school students in the district the opportunity to learn golf while at school, from year one through to year eight students.

These programmes have been delivered to six schools covering over 1800 students. All of those children have had a great experience as to what golf offers them. Matt has also been running golf gala days that attract both men, women and kids to learn the game of golf. All on the day got to compete in fun games with spot prizes and a barbecue.

David Keown and Skylah Pohatu at the Poverty Bay Golf Club in Gisborne

are welcoming everyone to the club with community marketing initiatives.

Jimmy Napier, Alex Petersen and Mark Brown at the Mount Maunganui Golf Club are running fun and exciting coaching programmes for new to the game, the experienced and weekend warrior golfers with great success.

Alistair Sidford, Brad Carter and Tony Sharp at Boulcott’s Farm Heritage Golf Club in Lower Hutt are providing a unique social experience from the moment you set foot at the club to the moment you leave, with great events, fun golf courses to play – both the championship 18-hole course and the entertaining nine-hole short course.

These are just some of the great PGA professionals across New Zealand who are supporting their local communities as we work through the stress that covid-19 has caused.

Golf is a great game and with PGA professionals leading the way and clubs embracing what most New Zealanders want from golf (fun and a great social experience), the perception of golf is changing, clubs are welcoming and delivering on

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Matt Davis from the Ashburton Golf Club delivering his junior golf schools’ programme and gala open day

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GOLFCOACHING

ianhardie.net

A quick chipping tip from Seve Ballesteros

By Ian Hardie NZPGA Professional

“I’d like to see the fairways more narrow. Then everyone would have to play from the rough, not just me.” – Seve Ballesteros.

Some time ago, I wrote a book called ‘The Little Book of Chipping’, which was based around the ideas and practices that I show people during my very popular ‘Chipping Workshop’.

While I was doing some research for the book and compiling the things I talk about in the workshop in written form, I began to reminisce about a golfer who inspired me greatly when I was young.

I’m not 100% sure whether it was due to the way he competed so fiercely or the fact that he had 91 professional tournament wins around the world, including five major championships.

Thinking back, it was probably more due to the fact that as he was seldom on the fairway but almost always able to extricate himself from all sorts of places, which meant that I was able to identify with his style of golf greatly throughout most of my golfing years.

Actually, maybe I learnt a little too much from him thinking about it now.

The golfer I’m talking about is of course the great Seve Ballesteros and rather than writing the book that day as I had thought I would, I began to search around the internet for some footage of

him playing golf to see if I could find a few clues as to why it was that he was so outstanding at chipping and the rest of the short game.

I managed to find some footage from The Open at Birkdale in 1976 where, unable to catch Johnny Miller who won the tournament, Seve plays a great chip and run shot between the bunkers on the 18th to finish second in a situation where most golfers would have tried to play some sort of lofted shot.

The comment from Johnny Miller afterwards: ‘Man I was very impressed, what a great chip shot on 18.’

After watching quite a few more videos I got back to thinking about chipping, or more specifically the difference between what the average golfer does, which is: approach the golf ball, while grabbing their usual chipping club out of the bag, take one or two quick practice swings, then fire off their chip shot, resulting normally in a shot that is poor to average at best.

Whereas, if you ever had the opportunity to see Seve Ballesteros (which I unfortunately never got to do in person) prepare and then play a chip shot, you would have seen a way of analysing and hitting that sort of shot around the green that was dramatically different from the average golfer.

Here is an overview of Seve’s basic routine that I gained from watching the old

footage: First, he spent some time studying the lie, which he always did standing next to the golf ball, focusing on how the golf ball was sitting on the grass itself and whether the lie was flat or sloping, uphill or downhill.

Why? Because he knew that all of those factors affect the starting direction and trajectory of the golf ball.

Second, he would look at where he wanted his chip shot to finish on the green, which was Seve’s way of getting a feel for the total distance he needed the chip shot to go.

Third, he would stand still and ‘see the shot’. Literally he would generate and watch a ‘video clip’ of how he saw the best possible shot happening based on the lie, slope, green speed and distance he wanted the chip to go.

If you don’t do that in your game currently, take a couple of minutes to think about how powerful that could be!

Fourth, he would rehearse the feel of the shot. Most often Seve would make right arm only swings back and forth without a club, to get a feel for the pace of movement he wanted in his arms and hands.

Then often, he would take a few practice swings with the same motion, also without having a golf club in his hands, before finally deciding on a club to play

the shot with.

Read that again to make sure you have it!

One of the biggest mistakes I see golfers make with a chip shot, is that the first thing they tend to do is select a club or have a favourite, which they then try to manipulate to make their shot work, regardless of what the ideal chip shot is.

Seve though, always chose his club after he chose his chip shot, which to me is one of the critical reasons that he was widely regarded as one of the best short game players of all time.

Using his approach (without holding anyone up of course), exactly as I have outlined above, can really help your chipping as well as the rest of your game.

As you can imagine, it’s something that I cover during my ‘Chipping Workshop’ ianhardie.net/the-chipping-workshop or if you aren’t able to get to one of those, I also put that bit into my book The Little Book of Chipping.

The Little Book of Chipping (you can find it here: gum.co/qezK) is full of simple, easy to follow advice that will improve your chipping, whether you are a golfer who is new to the game and wanting to learn the right way to chip, or an existing golfer who is struggling with your chipping, wanting to improve it or one of those many golfers who hates chipping – The Little Book of Chipping will help you.

Play well.

Ian Hardie is Golfer Pacific’s Golf Professional contributor. He is Club Professional at Omanu Golf Club in Mount Maunganui. Ian’s time is split between the pro shop at the club and helping people to improve, while enjoying their golf more as a result of his golf coaching. Over the past few years, in an effort to help as many golfers as he can, Ian has been sharing his common sense golf advice with golfers around the world through his website golfhabits.com. With over 500 articles to read, it’s a great resource for any golfer looking to improve their golf game.

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Your Local PGA Professional is ready to get your golf game back to full swing!

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WANT TO PLAY BETTER GOLF?

Many golf clubs have a Pro-shop and a Professional available to help. PGA Professionals are also available through the numerous golf driving range facilities throughout New Zealand. The cost of a session can vary depending on location and the experience of the professional. Group coaching can cost as little as $10 per session and is a great way to meet golfers at the same level as you. Long term coaching (not lessons!) can be a game changer to the enjoyment that you can experience through the game.

Only PGA Professionals have received the training necessary to improve your game – make sure you look for the PGA logo or ensure that the Professional you see is a member of the PGA of New Zealand.

www.pga.org.nz/find-a-pga-pro

F E AT U R E

GOLF IN THE WINTERLESS NORTH NORTHLAND GOLF CLUB

TREGHAN LUXURY LODGE Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri

Fairways perfectly groomed, stunning ocean views, wonderful scenery, sunshine and holes that offer a challenge or two!

A stay at the tranquil in Kerikeri, Bay of Islands will mean you enjoy some of the best golf courses in New Zealand, while totally relaxing off the course in secluded and elegant surroundings. Your play can include Kauri Cliffs Golf Course, Waitangi and Bay of Islands, Kerikeri.

And afterwards you can eat in or dine out in one of the award winning restaurants or vineyards the Bay of Islands has to offer. A perfect combination – golf by day, delicious food and luxurious sleep by night. » www.treghan.co.nz

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Western Hills Drive, Whangarei

SHERWOOD PARK GOLF CLUB Millington Road, Maunu

A secluded setting, situated beneath the Maunu volcanic cone in Whangarei. Its rich soil, sub-tropical climate and groves of native trees, complemented by stone walls and water hazards, give this course a unique atmosphere. The club hosted the inter-provincials in 2002, after the club had a full-course irrigation system installed at a cost of $250,000. The signature hole is the par-3 14th at 188m which plays over a couple of ponds is rated among New Zealand’s best holes.

Sherwood Park started life as a nine-holer. » www.sherwoodparkgolf.co.nz

Come and join in the fun at the friendly club! Located only 10 minutes north of central Whangarei, Northland Golf Club provides a scenic and challenging course for all levels of golf, all year round.

If you are looking to play and stay locally, go no further than Birchgrove Cottage, a modern standalone fully self-contained 1 bedroom holiday cottage situated right next to the golf course. Visit www.birchgrove.co.nz or call (09) 945 4236.

Visitors welcome and we provide full Clubhouse, onsite Café, covered modern driving range and Golf Shop facilities including carts, trundlers and clubs for hire. Contact the club on (09) 4351 777. » www.golfnorthland.co.nz

July 2020

WHANGAREI GOLF CLUB

Denby Cres, Tikipunga, Whangarei

This is the course where Sir Michael Hill first aquired his passion for golf, which ultimately led to the establishment of his fabulous course at Arrowtown, The Hills.

Originally known as Mt Denby, it is Whangarei’s oldest club (dating back to 1917) and is located on the road to Whangarei Falls and Tutukaka, only 5 minutes from the city centre. The course features bush-covered walkways and is a true test for any golfer. The club’s most famous landmark is the twin pine (split by lightning) aside the par-4 sixth hole. This is a beautiful course with tight driving holes. » www.whangareigolfclub.co.nz

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

PEPPERS CARRINGTON RESORT, NORTHLAND GOLF Maitai Bay Road, Karikari Peninsula

The golf course is the jewel in the crown of the Pepper Resort a 3000-acre resort with a 4km coastline of secluded white sand on the Karikari Peninsula.

Designed by noted American course architect Matt Dye and opened in 2003, the course, that varies from rolling vales to challenging water holes, features one of New Zealand’s longest par-5s (at 569m) and one of the shortest par-3s (at 113m).

The course is sited to provide a variety of vistas, with ocean views to the north and east, and hillside vineyards to the south.

It is a hilly, parklands-style course with natural wetlands.

The resort also offers a vineyard, winery, a Black Angus stud farm and a beach while the hotel features an infinity swimming pool. If you play Carrington, be prepared for the par-3 seventh, a challenging hole that plays over water and flax to a severely sloping green. » www.peppers.co.nz/carrington

WAIPU GOLF CLUB

MANGAWHAI GOLF CLUB

State Highway 1, Waipu

For a great day out on the golf course, or a stopover game on your way north, look no further than Waipu Golf Club.

Situated on State Highway 1, an easy 90 minute drive north of the Johnsons Hill Tunnel at Orewa, the course is an all-weather links style course playable in all conditions, with spectacular views over Bream Bay from all 18 holes.

The clubhouse is open from 8 am to 5 pm daily for hire carts, clubs and trundlers. Green fees range from $40 for 18 holes and $25 for 9 holes weekdays for affiliated members ($45 and $30 weekends). We also have our Thrifty Thursday special of $1 per hole for all. Enjoy breakfast or lunch at the Tee Café open from 8.30 am, with gluten free food a specialty.

If you need a place to stay, Ruakaka Beachfront Motel is a 10 minute drive away - phone 09 432 7166.

For more information or to book a tee time, call us on 09 432 0259 or email waipu@golf.co.nz.

Molesworth Drive, Mangawhai Heads

BAY OF ISLANDS GOLF CLUB, KERIKERI

Mangawhai is a true championship and consistently rates as one of New Zealand’s very best. Sand-based, always playable and making optimum use of natural terrain, the course is just over 1 hour north of Auckland’s CBD. Fairways are superbly groomed, the greens are famed for their pace and true roll, and every hole offers a different challenge for golfers of every level.

Fully stocked Golf Shop with carts and clubs for hire, spacious Lounge & Bar, quality catering and a spectacular coastal location … Mangawhai is truly unbeatable!

Email: golfshop@mangawhaigolf.co.nz for more information.

Just a few minutes from the bustling Kerikeri town centre, The Bay of Islands Golf Club, Kerikeri with its picturesque surroundings is a wonderful golfing experience in a sub-tropical climate.

This well-groomed and attractively tree-lined, 18-hole 6122 metre, par 73 championship layout provides the best in challenge or relaxation. There are also three 9-hole options available.

With panoramic views over the course, the superb clubhouse caters for weddings, private functions and business seminars.

Golfers of all ages and abilities are most welcome at this friendly club.

Phone the club on 09 407 8837 or email kerikeri@golf.co.nz

KAURI CLIFFS GOLF COURSE

WELLSFORD GOLF CLUB

» www.mangawhaigolf.co.nz

Golf View Road, Kerikeri

» www.bayofislandsgolfclub.co.nz

» www.waipugolfclub.org.nz

The Northland Golf Club is a par 71, 18hole course set in a peaceful rural valley with many native trees and bird life.

Matauri Bay Road, Matauri Bay

Try out our $12 Monday special if you’re looking for a way to iron out the wrinkles in your game, or just want to have a gettogether with your mates.

You just need to turn up, and the Golf Shop team will look after you. Please contact us first if you require a golf cart.

160 Pipiwai Rd, Whangarei | 09 435 0042 | facebook.com/northlandgolfclubinc

The Kauri Cliffs Golf Resort was designed by David Harman, ranks among the world’s top 50 courses. It isn’t a cheap outing, but what an experience. Fifteen of the holes view the Pacific Ocean with six of them playing along the cliffs that plunge to the Ocean. The beautiful inland holes wind through marsh, forest and farmland. The complex includes a world-class practice range plus putting and chipping greens. » www.kauricliffs.com

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"The Friendliest Club in the North" Less than an hour North of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, situated on SH 1 -- 2km south of Wellsford. Established in 1930, this scenic 18 hole course is regarded by many golfers as a "hidden treasure" offering a challenging test with some of the cheapest green fees in the region. A friendly country atmosphere welcomes visitors of all abilities.

Cart hire available together with club and trundler hire. Bar and Catering facilities available for Corporate and Group Bookings.

Come join us for an enjoyable day golfing. » wellsfordgolf.co.nz

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Go

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

For reservations contact richard@stonestorelodge.co.nz www.stonestorelodge.co.nz | Ph (09) 407-6693

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

Only 5 mins drive from Waitangi Golf Club!

2 Puketona Rd • Paihia • Ph +64 (9) 402 8660 info@gatewaymotel.co.nz • www.gatewaymotel.co.nz

July 2020

17

GOLF TRAILS

NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGIONS

NORTHLAND SHERWOOD GOLF CLUB RESULTS

Wednesday, 17th June 2020 Wednesday Men – Gross – Vance Alison (79); Ben Allcock (80); David Alison (80) Stableford – Vance Alison (39); Brennan Wyllie (39); Ken Stubbing (35) Twos – Matt Corry, Brian May, Brennan Wyllie Thursday, 18th June 2020 Rained out Saturday, 20th June 2020 Ladies – Stableford Aggregate R2 – Rained out (new date 11/07/2020) Men – Club Stableford – Rained out Sunday, 21st June 2020 Queen’s Birthday Gourmet Meats Tournament Ladies – Net – Linda Garner (74) Stableford – Ella Gunson (32); Alayna

Cox (32); Robyn Mulholland (31) Men – Div 1 – Net – Daniel Cotton (72) Stableford – Mark Dakers (35); Neil Newman (35); Ian Stopforth (34) Div 2 – Net – Errol Gray (73); Stableford – Mark Gilbert (34); Jos Groot (33); John Gavin (12) Twos – Paul Hick (2); Ineko Nakaizumi (2); Simon Ripley; Bill Williams; Terry Powell; Mark Dakers; Gary Fyfe; Gavin Ashwell Monday, 22nd June 2020 Monday Haggle – Stableford – Jos Groot (40); Dave Barrell (32); Pat Buckley (31) Twos – Dave Barrell; Neil Newman Tuesday, 23rd June 2020 Ladies Stableford Aggregate R2 – Sally Lornie (35); Robyn Mulholland (33); Dianne Algie (31) Twos – Robyn Mulholland 9-Hole Bev Beehre Net R1 – Ladies –

Pamela Barclay (37); Judy Parrish (39); Pat Smith (40) 9-Hole Haggle – Men – Graham Davey (35); Bruce Davis-Goff (37); Phil Redfern (37)

WHANGAROA GOLF CLUB REOPENING DAY

NORTHLAND NOTICEBOARD 11 Jul

Northern Wairoa

09 439 6599

Empire Liquor Teams Tournament

11-12 Jul

Waipu

09 432 0259

Mix Bream Bay Classic (Northland Rep Trial)

16 Jul

Waipu

09 432 0259

Northland Veteran Golfers Association

17 Jul

Northland

09 435 0042

Mix Vets 9 Hole Social Day

23 Jul

Waipu

09 432 0259

9 Hole Tournament

NORTH HARBOUR OMAHA MEN’S SENIOR MATCH PLAY FINAL Saturday 23 May saw about 30 people return to golf after a protracted lockdown. Those of us who could remember how to play won prizes, some won first prizes including Gillian Walker and Richard Stewart.

Faye Sherman with the Thursday Haggle with 35 points and John Jepson with 36 points.

The Men’s Senior Match Play final was played last month between Gordon Wylde and Kobus Joubert, with Kobus managing a well-fought win. Thanks to Blake Cowley for presenting the cup.

HUNTLY GOLF CLUB Inc

MONTHLY MIDWEEK MIXED OPEN Wed 22 July 2020 | Tees 9.30-10am | $15pp

FUN & VERY AFFORDABLE

Proudly sponsored by: SMITH’S GOLF WAIKATO https://smithsgolf.co.nz/

Full Playing Membership Special From now until the end of 2020 – ONLY $795

540 Te Ohaki Road RD1 TE OHAKI (exit SH1 at Rangiriri & Tainui Bridges) Club 07 828 8305, Manager 027 311 0256, Email: huntlygolf@xtra.co.nz

Only available to New Members who haven’t been a member at Helensville Golf Club at any time in the past 5 years.

2018 NZ GOLF CLUB OF THE YEAR

Harbour Road

Motueka

Tel: (03) 528 8998

Fax: (03) 528 8998

� Click to email us �

Harbour Road Motueka | Tel: (03) 528 8998 | www.motuekagolf.co.nz

18

July 2020

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

OMAHA GOLF CLUB RESULTS

Saturday 30th May Club Haggle Men’s Division 1 1st: Richard Sharples, 40 points 2nd: Shane Tate, 39 3rd=: Warren Best and John Kinley, 37 5th=: Garry Davie, Ian Cooper, Clive Sharp, Tony Gorton and Peter Cook, 36 Men’s Division 2 1st: Peter Green, 43 points 2nd: Mat Beder, 42 3rd=: Chris Allan and Hayden Butler, 41 5th=: Michael Schubert, 40 6th: Jon Lockyer, 39 Twos: Richard Sharples, Charles Urry, Benjamin Adam, Peter Green, Richard Middleton Wednesday 3rd June Afternoon Midweek Men’s Haggle 1st: Phillip Oxenius, 43 points 2nd: Bob Moir, 37 3rd=: Gary Cladwell and Rod Gavin, 36 5th: Peter Marsh, 35 6th: Keith Williams, 34 Twos: Phillip Oxenius, Bob Moir, Tom Berkovits Ladies’ Division 1st: Lynda Tate, 42 points 2nd: Gaye Muir, 40 3rd: Diane Pittman, 36 4th: Fran Munro, 35 Twos: Grainne Hillery-Lynch Tuesday 2nd June Ladies’ Haggle 1st=: Carolyn Cressey, Margaret Derbyshire and Lyn Williams, 36 points 4th: Aprile Everitt, 35 5th=: Judy Hart, Robin Franks and Susan Flint-Hartle, 34

Twos: Aprile Everitt, Judy Hart, Fran Munro Saturday 20th June Club Haggle Men’s Division 1 1st: Steve Jurkovich, 39 points 2nd: Clive Sharp, 38 3rd=: Clive Derbyshire and Tony Gorton, 36 5th=: Ian Jackson and Richard Middleton, 35 Men’s Division 2 1st: Peter Wilkinson, 43 points 2nd=: James Gowling and Merv Watson, 40 4th=: Michael Dowd, Paul Elsden and Peter Marsh, 36 Twos: Ian Jackson, Tony Gorton, Merv Watson, Seamus Lynch (hole-in-one), Steve Jurkovich, David Frain Wednesday 24th June Men’s Midweek Haggle 1st: Grant Morris, 39 points 2nd: Phil Winstone, 36 3rd: Peter Marsh, 33 Ladies’ Division 1st=: Sandra Douglas, Kate McLean and Ann Marie Elsden, 36 points 4th=: Toshie Sharp and Anne Wilkinson, 35 Twos: Suzette Eastmond Tuesday 23rd June Ladies’ Haggle 1st: Kate McLean, 34 points 2nd=: Dawn Maxwell, Pam Whaley and Debra Phillips, 32 5th: Susan Flint-Hartle, 31 6th=: Sala Bishop, Toshie Sharp and Rosemary Hargrave, 30 Twos: Sala Bishop

WAIKATO 2020 MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP PENNANTS COMPETITION WRAPS UP

From Left to Right: Tane Robson, Scott Oliver, Jordan Rangihika, Greg Bell, Rob McLeod and Brendon Seidel The Waikato Golf Men’s Championship Pennants Competitions have concluded with three of the four division finals being hosted across the Waikato on Sunday 21st June. Unfortunately due to severe over-night rain (57 Mils) at Whangamata on Saturday evening, the 3rd Division never got to tee off and has been postponed with a new date to be rescheduled in September. The 3 other Divisions were hosted by Ngaruawahia (Div One), Hamilton (Div Two) and Raglan (Div Four).

In Division One the semi-finals saw Ngaruawahia 1 vs Walton 1 and Hamilton 1 vs Matamata 1. Ngaruawahia were too good for Walton winning 5 – 1 and Hamilton breezed past Walton 5.5 – 0.5 setting up a blockbuster final between the two best performing teams this season.

Ngaruawahia got off to the perfect start in the final with Rob McLeod and Scott Oliver both picking up wins. Hamilton showed some fight back drawing the

next two matches but a win from Jordan Rangihika over Thomas Alderson sealed it for Ngaruawahia and crowned them the 2020 Men’s Championship Pennants Division One Winners.

In Division Two the semi-finals saw Hamilton 2 vs Riverside 2 and Ngaruawahia 2 vs Pirongia/Pouri. Riverside beat Hamilton 4 – 2 to book their spot in the final against Ngaruawahia who had a tough battle with Pirongia/Pouri where they won 3.5 – 2.5.

The final was a closely fought contest that after 6 matches was all squared at three wins each. A countback was needed to declare Riverside the winners and secure them promotion to Division One for next season.

In Division Four the semi-finals saw Raglan vs Matamata 2 and Taumarunui vs Walton 2. Both Raglan and Walton made easy work of their matches to make it through to the final.

The final came down to the wire, after 5 matches it was all square at 2.5 each.

Scott Klaver used his home course advantage and stayed calm under pressure to win the final match and secure a monumental win for Raglan who will spend next season in Division 3.

2020 MEN’S HANDICAP STROKEPLAY WINNERS

Coromandel wins the 2020 Men’s Handicap Strokeplay competition.

Played over 27 holes at the Ngaruawahia Golf Club on Sunday 14th June. The final proved to be a close contest and following the 18-hole morning round there

Another of the Great Walks

Situated next to spectacular Lake Te Anau and surrounded by the Fiordland National Park, the Te Anau Golf Club is a hidden gem and one of New Zealand’s most picturesque golf courses.

Ph: +64 3 249 7474 | Email: teanaugolf@xtra.co.nz

Winter Golf at Tasman

“New Zealand’s most scenic golf course”

Tasman Golf Club at Kina Cliffs

Where spectacular views are par for the course TEE UP THIS WINTER AT TASMAN GOLF CLUB For an unforgettable golfing experience you really will enjoy! Play 9 undulating and interesting holes

with some of the most beautiful views of mountains and sea in the Nelson area. Green fees just $25 for as much golf as you want to play. Clubs and trundlers available for hire, 10-round concession books too at a great price. All players welcome. Kids under 12 play for free.

Interested? Then come on up! For more info: Call Lyndal on 03 526 6819 or check out our website.

Tasman Golf Club - 128 Cliff Road, RD1 Upper Moutere, Nelson teeup@tasmangolfclub.com | www.tasmangolfclub.com

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

www.queenstowngolf.co.nz

July 2020

|

+64 3 442 9169

|

proshop@queenstowngolf.co.nz

19

were four teams within nine shots of the lead. The afternoon 9-hole round also proved to be a very close contest with the Coromandel team score of 147 providing them with a 3 shot cushion over the runner-up team Riverside Golf Club.

This is the first time in 25 years that Coromandel have won the Men’s Handicap Strokeplay Competition.

From left to right: Norm Gilbert, Ross Mudgeway, Craig Dudson and Max McLean

WALTON GOLF CLUB

Ladies 9 Hole Golf Although the Handicap Champs were interrupted by the lockdown, this did not phase eventual handicap champion Alison Mitchell and runner-up Lorraine Mettam. In the Handicap Plate competition the winner was Jan Parry with runner-up Carolyn Osborne.

Ladies 18 Hole Golf Now that club competition has resumed, joining the ranks of the ‘Golfers of The Week’ are Glenda Bentham (66 nett) and Karen Sweeney (73 nett).

WAIKATO NOTICEBOARD 4-5 Jul

Matamata

07 888 6109

Ruth Middleton

8 Jul

Walton

07 888 3731

Midweek Open Tournament

9 Jul

Waikare

07 826 3574

Mid-Week Tournament

10 Jul

Walton

07 888 3731

9 Hole Teams Event

11-12 Jul

Cambridge

07 827 6381

Cambridge Masters

16 Jul

Hauraki

07 867 3197

Hauraki Mid-Week Open

17-19 Jul

Narrows

07 843 6287

Waikato Winter Strokeplay

17 Jul

Pirongia

07 871 9880

Waikato King Country Lady Vets Tournament

24 Jul

Te Awamutu

07 871 5661

Mid-Winter Teams Tournament

26 Jul

Pirongia

07 871 9880

Mixed Open Tournament

26 Jul

Cambridge

07 827 6381

Patti La Trobe Open Tournament

HAWKE’S BAY “FORE!”

A newly raked bunker and a freshly cut green The Fairways are all mown – Boy I am in a dream A virus arrived – so into lockdown we went

Cannot go out or spend a red cent Cooped up at home sure ain’t much fun A putt on the carpet or go for a run Swinging a club out back – the odd chip or two Should keep us fit and see us all through With our finely tuned bodies just raring to go The Tigers and Arnies now ready to show The little white ball is in for a fright The Driver – New Grip – its goin outa sight Back with our buddies, down the fairway we go The balls goin straight – we have a good flow A few holes later old habits creep back The swearing and hacking will keep us on track So when the Pro is back in his store New balls, new gloves will be to the fore The gears not at fault – it cannot be us Any other explanation – RIDICULOUS So enjoyment for all, we’re out in the sun The horrible virus at the end of its run We’ve beaten the bugger, we’re now full of cheer So sit down beside us and have a cold beer.

TeAwatoto Laureate HAWKE’S BAY NOTICEBOARD 2 Aug

Porangahau

06 855 5029

Porangahau Mixed Foursomes

6 Aug

Maraenui

06 835 8273

Crossman 4

15-16 Aug

Napier

06 844 7913

Kapi Tareha 72 Hole

21 Aug

Waipukurau

06 857 7905

18 Hole Foursomes

18 Sep

Book Now! www.titirangigolf.co.nz or on DotGolf

Women’s Spring Tournament and Denbigh Cup

ROYAL WELLINGTON 125TH JUBILEE

L-R Caleb Symes, Sam Jones, Paul Hunn & Caleb Andreoli

INGLEWOOD 2 - WINNERS 2020 HANDICAP PENNANT

L-R Andrew Castles, Shaun Gower, Paul Spurdle, Matt Soffe, Russell Hamilton, Trevor Schrider & Richard Barlow TARANAKI NOTICEBOARD 12 Jul

Manukorihi

06 754 4771

3 Person Ambrose

MANAWATU-WHANGANUI MANAWATU-WHANGANUI NOTICEBOARD 26 Jul

Feilding

06 323 4553

Feilding Open 36 Holes

16 Aug

Foxton

06 363 8160

West Coast Men’s Foursomes

20 Aug

Pahiatua

pahiatuagolf club@gmail. com

American Foursomes Women

Royal Wellington celebrate their 125th Jubilee this year and in conjunction with Paraparaumu Beach and as part of the Jubilee celebrations, are excited to host the WGI U19 Championships from 14th 16th July.

The Strokeplay Championships will be held at Royal on Tuesday 14th, 2 divisions over 36 hole and 1 division for 18 hole participants, Boys and Girls, gross and stableford. The Matchplay Championships will be held at Paraparaumu on Wed 15th - Thursday 16th, the top 16 from the stroke play in the Boys, championship and plate, and in the Girls the number to qualify will be determined by the stroke play entries.

Entry fee is $40 for the 36 hole stroke play, $25 for 18 hole, and includes lunch at the Strokeplay and entry to the match play.

The winners and runners up in both events will receive complimentary entry to the WGI 72 Hole Strokeplay courtesy of Royal Wellington, in addition to their prizes. A wonderful prize list is on offer to help celebrate 125 years of golf at this great venue and in partnership with the superb links that Paraparaumu Beach offers, this will be 3 days of golf not to be missed.

Midweek Meat Pack Mixed Open - 23rd July

MEN’S PENNANT FINALS DAY

MANAIA - WINNERS 2020 SENIOR PENNANT

06 323 4714

WELLINGTON

TARANAKI The 2020 Men’s Pennant Finals were completed on Sunday 21st June at Te Ngutu GC. The golf was played in a brisk South Easterly wind, but was dry overhead. In the Senior Final the Manaia beat New Plymouth White 5 1/2 - 1/2 to claim their first senior pennant title. It also ended the New Plymouth team’s hold on the trophy after winning the previous two years. In the Handicap Pennant Inglewood 2 were able to complete a hat trick of titles beating Stratford 6-3 in a repeat of last year’s final.

Feilding

4th Thursday of every month | 10:00am-11:30am | Entry $25 Visitors welcome

Bookings available online NOW or call Pro-shop to book on 07 863 8678

Winter Membership Deal

Check these great membership prices out.

Membership Category

Deal Price

18 Hole Full Playing*

$695.00 +gst

9 Hole Full Playing*

$499.00 +gst

Intermediate (20 – 23 years old)*

$349.00 +gst

Junior (up to and including 19 years)* Junior Beginner

$35.00 +gst

Junior 9 & 18 Hole

$55.00 +gst

Junior Full Playing $105.00 +gst 6 Month 18 Hole*^

$450.00 +gst

Social Member (Clubhouse Membership)

$10.00 inc gst

Offer valid from June to September 12 month memberships^

Location Address 1337 Whangaparaoa Road, Army Bay Whangaparaoa 0930 Email Address whangaparaoa@golf.co.nz Telephone Number (09) 424 5441

*Only available to players who have not held a Whangaparaoa membership within the past 2 years ^All except the 6 month 18 hole option are for 12 months from date of purchase

20

July 2020

WWW.GOLFERPACIFIC.CO.NZ

CARTERTON GOLF CLUB

By Wendy Wills A good frost last month made for a nice day although a bit chilly to start with.

The move to level 1, was encouragement for a big field of our members to come out and hit the fairways. The men played a par competition for round 1 of the Clareville Trophy with the following results: Lance Sayer 2, Nigel Bain 2, Cameron Coutts 1, Graham Hutchby 1, Peter Woodcock 0, Bill McLinden 0, Alister Murrell 0, Craig Wilson 0, David Wills -1.

The best gross for the day went to Troy Shaw with 70.

The ladies played a stableford competition for round 4 of the Captains Trophy.

Results were: Val Edwards 36, Vicki Bain 35.

The day’s nearest the pins went to: Lance Sayer, Alistair Smith and Vicki Bain with 2.

Twos for the day went to: Ross Collings, Val Edwards, Nigel Bain, David Wills and Alister Murrell.

It has been great to be back playing golf for all our members, the enthusiasm to get out and play and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow golfers is good to see.

Our course has been quite busy with green fee players coming out to enjoy a few holes and families playing footgolf.

WELLINGTON NOTICEBOARD 14 Jul

Royal Wellington

04 528 6900

WGI U19 36 Hole Strokeplay

18 Jul

Manor Park

04 563 8558

Lansdowne

22 Jul

Riversdale

06 372 3416

Women’s 27 Hole Foursomes

“Picturesque & Tranquil One of the finest 9 hole golf courses in the South Island”

TASMAN

al player from within New Zealand. With so much sport having been disrupted over the last 3 months with COVID-19, we are fortunate that golf has been less affected, and are very confident our course will be presented in its usual pristine condition to be enjoyed by all.

WHITEHAVEN WINES MARLBOROUGH PRO-AM

TASMAN NOTICEBOARD 18 Jul

Rarangi

03 570 5709

27 Hole Speights Greensome

19 Jul

Awatere

03 570 5399

Fairhall Cup

19 Jul

Blenheim

03 578 4320

MacDonald Cup

20 Jul

Picton

03 578 7646

Marlborough Vets

23 Jul

Greenacres

03 544 8420

DOD

23 Jul

Motueka

03 528 8998

9 Hole Pink Lady

25 Jul

Nelson

03 528 8998

Turf Classic

CANTERBURY

Pictured above: Jonti Philipson, Director of Golf Hub Marlborough, and Sam White, Whitehaven Wines Cellar Door Customer Relationship Manager.

The Whitehaven Wines Marlborough Pro-Am Committee are pleased to announce that the Pro-Am is programmed to go ahead on Thursday 24th September in conjunction with the NZPGA. This is possible because of the support of our Platinum Sponsor Whitehaven Wines and from local businesses who have agreed to being a Gold Sponsor. We plan on having 30 teams made up of 1 professional player and 3 amateur players. This day creates a great opportunity for the top local golfers to play with a profession-

SIZZLING SCORING AT CANTERBURY 4BBB CHAMPIONSHIP

The temperature was not but the scoring was hot at the 2020 Golf Warehouse Canterbury 4BBB Championship held in June at Waimairi Beach Golf Club.

The best field ever seen at the tournament did not disappoint and it was a testament to the quality of the course preparation that players were able to prosper in the calm but cool conditions.

Greenkeeper Andrew Grimes and his team set some challenging pins to try and mitigate the length of course but because the greens were running pure, the top players were still able to make many putts of length on the undulating greens.

Although a teams championship there were some outstanding individual scores.

The men’s field was topped by Matt McLean who shot a brilliant nine under 63 with Zach May and Jordon Latter close behind shooting 65. This was matched by Momoka Kobori for the women who also shot 63, closely followed by Amelia Garvey on 64. Momoka shot an astonishing 29 on the front nine.

In the Men’s Championship there was a four-way tie for the title at nine under par. It was shared between Jordan Latter and Kris O’Neill, Zach May and Hayato Miya, Matt McLean and Willie Hamilton, and Reid Hilton and Peter Brinsdon. Players scored well on the front nine with the leaders going through the front nine at five and six under par. The back nine proved more challenging, particularly the par three 12th hole where the pin was tucked in a nasty position just over the front bunker. More bogeys than pars were made here, including a couple of the teams that tied for the title.

In the Women’s Championship it seemed that Amelia Garvey and Maddie May would be unbeatable and for a long time in the clubhouse after they had finished, their 62 looked like it would street the field. However in the fading light, the last group on the course containing Momoka Kobori and her young partner Zaria Bourne on a 24 handicap came in, and Momoka’s 63 came up one shot short of sharing the title. In third place were Canterbury Reps Catherine Bell and Olive Tapu with 67.

Totaradale 03 541 8030

Labour Weekend Open

THE ELIMINATOR

October 24th & 25th 2020 36 Holes Gross, Net & Stableford

Totaradale Golf Club, Pigeon Valley Rd, Wakefield, Nelson. www.totaradalegolf.co.nz Email: info@totaradalegolf.co.nz

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July 2020

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CLEARWATER APPOINTS NEW CEO & GM

Clearwater Golf Club has appointed Luke Taylor (CEO) and Aiden Berry (General Manager) to its management team.

Kevin Simcock, board chairman, said that to be able to employ two people of the calibre of Luke and Aiden is incredibly exciting for the club and its future.

“Luke’s area of responsibility will cover Management and Leadership, Finance and Governance, Communication, Brand and Profile and relationships with Clearwater Residents Owners Association, Peppers hotel and other key parties.

“Aiden’s focus will be golf centric and include the Course, Member Experience, Club Events and Golf Promotion,” he said.

When the club started advertising for a general manager it was in the pre-Covid era.

Now the world has changed completely.

“Extensive American research of golf clubs post the Global Financial Crisis showed that the ones that prospered focused on creating value for members and visitors while those that embarked on a cost-cutting exercise either treaded water or went backwards.

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“The board is adopting the former and wants to create greater value for its members while also enhancing considerably the experience at Clearwater.

“Luke’s preference to work a three-day week means we are able to employ both within our budget, yet be able to provide club members with a far broader range of business and golf management skills,” he said.

Aiden, as general manager at neighbouring Pegasus Golf Club, is already well known to many Clearwater members while Luke’s immediate background is in tourism, hospitality and food and beverage.

“Clearwater is more than just a golf course. We are an integrated resort that includes a hotel and a community. We need to build on this philosophy,” Kevin Simcock said.

Luke Taylor – a former member of the Defence Force, Luke was the youngest Commanding Officer and youngest ship captain of HMNZS Taupo, as well as a Lieutenant Commander (Strategic Commitments) in the Defence Force HQ, in Wellington.

On leaving the Defence Force, Luke was Operations Manager for Real Journeys,

one of New Zealand’s largest tourism companies, General Manager (Australia) for Magic Memories, a supplier of innovative photography content to the tourism and theme park sector, and most recently, General Manager for Go Orange, New Zealand’s fastest growing and most dynamic adventure tourism business (Kiwi Discovery, Queenstown Rafting, Fiordland Wilderness Experiences, Thunder Jet and Go Orange Cruise).

CANTERBURY NOTICEBOARD 13 Jul

Avondale

03 388 8203

Canterbury Junior July Tournament

15 Jul

Culverden

03 315 8189

Midweek Mixed Open Stableford Tournament

17 Jul

Avondale

03 388 8203

CarpetDEALZ NZ Classic Pairs Tournament

22 Jul

Amuri

03 315 6036

Men’s Midweek Tournament

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Geraldine

027 842 2332

Teams Tournament

27 Jul

Pleasant Point

03 614 7304

Women’s Teams

1 Jul

Clinton

culbysc@gmail. com

Mid-Week Men’s & Women’s Tournament

12 Jul

Balclutha

03 418 2171

South Otago Championships

15 Jul

Chisholm Links

03 455 0565

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17 Jul

Otago

03 467 2096

Junior Open

22 Jul

Heriot

03 204 2006

Mixed Mid-Week Tournament

26 Jul

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03 455 0565

Weekend Tournament

22-23 Aug

Lake Dunstan

03 449 2729

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8 Jul

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03 203 8427

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9 Jul

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03 202 5886

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17 Jul

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03 206 4919

4BBB Stableford

25-26 Jul

Te Anau

03 249 7474

Fiordland Classic

Otago

Aiden Berry – has been involved in every aspect of golf operations, starting as a trainee golf professional based at Harewood through to General Manager of the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club. Since late last year he has also been acting course superintendent.

In his 10 years at Pegasus, Aiden was involved in every aspect of the club’s business, from coaching and club fitting through to providing strategic direction and execution to financial planning and management. He was particularly successful in boosting Pegasus’ club membership as well as strong growth in their retail sales.

July 2020

Southland

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Ruetenbach 10:8 and Huntly’s Pat Northcote beating Jim Ruiterman 9.5: 8.5. That left the final match which was a battle between two ladies, Huntly’s Maggie McMinn and Awhitu’s Linda Alan. This match went down to the eighteenth hole where Linda’s win of the hole, saw her win her match and the Challenge Cup for Awhitu.

COVIC Shield Round 2 Results from Awhitu GC The next round of the COVIC Shield will be played at Hauraki Golf Club on Wednesday 8th July 2020. Extras will be welcome so should your club’s members be interested in playing COVIC golf, please contact Tim Howard on 021 155 4113.

A

stunning winter’s day saw 65 golfers make the trip to the picturesque Awhitu Golf Course. Located on the Awhitu Peninsula that separates the Tasman Sea from the Manukau Harbour, golfers are entertained with magnificent views from the top of the aptly named Cardiac Hill.

Top scores of the day and the Claret Jacket went to Tim Smyth with 36 points.

He was followed by: Alan Young 35; Bret Choposki 34; Pat Northcote and Jude Buchanan 33; Dave Thomas and Keith Saunders 32; Andre Ruetenbach, Cliff Hobbs and Danny Meanata 31. Tim Smyth and Jude Buchanan both scored twos.

The Shield Club placings and aggregate scores were: 1st Awhitu 130; 2nd Waiuku 125; 3rd Wattle Downs 122; 4th Clarks Beach 120; 5th Onewhero 119; 6th Hauraki 118; 7th Maramarua 115; 8th Huntly-Waiterimu 110; 9th COVIC

A stunning view of the Manukau Harbour behind the Par 5 5th hole at Awhitu Golf Course.

Photo: A stunning view of the Manukau Harbour behind the Par 5 5th hole at Awhitu Golf Course.

Extras 101; 10th Pukekohe 100. The new table positions (and points to date) are: 1st Awhitu (6); 2nd= Hauraki and Onewhero (8); 4th Huntly-Waiterimu (9); 5th=

Maramarua and Waiuku (10); 7th Wattle Downs (11); 8th Clarks Beach (12); 9th= Pukekohe and COVIC Extras (16).

In the net medal matchplay Challenge

Cup challengers Awhitu took it off Huntly-Waiterimu in a very close match by 37 points to 35. The teams were locked up at 26.5 points each after the first three matches with Awhitu’s B Wilson winning over Huntly’s Keith Handley 11:7; Huntly’s Danny Meanata beating Andre Ruetenbach 10:8 and Huntly’s Pat Northcote beating Jim Ruiterman 9.5: 8.5. That left the final match which was a battle between two ladies, Huntly’s Maggie McMinn and Awhitu’s Linda Alan. This match went down to the eighteenth hole where Linda’s win of the hole, saw her win her match and the Challenge Cup for Awhitu.

The next round of the COVIC Shield will be played at Hauraki Golf Club on Wednesday 8th July 2020. Extras will be welcome so should your club’s members be interested in playing COVIC golf, please contact Tim Howard on 021 155 4113.

New Members & Visitors Welcome

GOLF OMANU

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in heartland Waikato

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CARTS AVAILABLE BY ARRANGEMENT PH OR EMAIL • GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WELCOME

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July 2020

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DISCOVER OUR VERY OWN KIWI BACKYARD .

We have put together five New Zealand golfing mini-breaks for you and your golfing buddies to enjoy. You can also choose to include cycling the Otago Rail Trail or Fly-Fishing in Turangi before our Queenstown or Taupo Golf Escapes.

Check out golfencounters.co.nz for all the details.

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FREEPHONE OR VISIT GOLFENCOUNTERS.CO.NZ Golf Encounters - Travel Encounters t/a Golf Encounters. Travel Encounters Ltd is an approved Travel Broker for the Travel Managers Group Ltd. The Travel Managers Group is a bonded member of IATA.

TAUPO

NOV/DEC 20