Waitangi Golf Club

Preparation is underway for the 2018 Pro-Am, which will be held on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of March.

Most of our sponsors from previous years have signed up again, recognising the opportunity to showcase their business whilst giving their customers an enjoyable day out.

We are anticipating 32 teams will take part, which means 32 of New Zealand’s finest young Pro golfers will be  coming to Waitangi to try to tame the course. Several of the Pros are return visitors, determined to put their mark on part of what has been deemed “ The Northern Swing” – a fortnight of Pro Am tournaments held at five different Northland courses.

This year we are being assisted by Riki Kinnaird, from Duke of Marlborough Hotel, Russell, in our marketing and fund raising endeavours. Riki is arranging a Gala dinner on 21^st March at the Duke, where the guest speaker will be Steve Williams of caddying fame. There is a raffle being held in conjunction with the dinner, with prizes in excess of $10,000.

As Steve has his own charitable foundation, which is connected with Starship Children’s’ Hospital, our own auction and raffle held at the Welcome function will donate all funds raised to his foundation.

The preliminary programme for the Pro – Am follows the formula used in previous years, which has proved both popular and successful.

Thursday 22nd March:

Shootout – Pros play the first nine holes to qualify for a skins type back nine, with players dropping off after each hole. In the event of a tie, the players will play No 9 until a winner is declared.

Welcome Function – a performance by Te Pito Whenua, meal for Pros, Sponsors and Team members, auction and raffle, drawing of the individual Pro for each team.

 

Friday 23rd March:

18 holes of golf by the teams consisting of one pro and three amateurs.

Prize giving at the end of the day, expected to be approx. 4.00pm.

This event raises funds for our club, and gives members an excellent opportunity to see Professional Golfers at close range. Anyone willing to volunteer to assist on the day as Starters, Spotters etc. should contact Merle Tipene or Alison Taylerson.

Harcourts BOI Naming Right Sponsor

Duke of Marlborough Hotel Joint Major Sponsor

Scenic Hotel

Law North

Pacific Motor Group

Jimmy Jacks

Media Works

That Coffee Bloke

Fullers Great Sights

Nerds Computers

Kerikeri Colour Centre

 Admiralsview Motel

House of Travel Kerikeri

Swanair

Alex Bonnington Golf Professional

Northland Forestry Nursery

Pioneer Apartments

Warren and Maritza Nelson

David Reid Homes

 

 

Jewlz Handmade Jewellery

Colin Tayler Painter

Coastal Plumbers

Caltex Waitangi

Placemakers Kerikeri

Fell Engineering

It’s great to be back home in New Zealand, after spending three weeks in China, attending my youngest son’s wedding.

Despite the weather this year’s Pro-Am, was a huge success again, with the strongest field of Professionals we have ever had. The decision to increase the prize money by 50% proved to be a good one and we must thank all of our sponsors for their support in particular Harcourts BOI, &  new Joint Main Sponsor The Duke of Marlborough Hotel, with support from Scenic Hotel.

The top ten teams were 1^st Stiff Shafts 127points, 2^nd Admiralsview Lodge, and That Coffee Bloke 124 points, 3^rd The Duke of Marlborough Hotel 124 Points, 4^th Harcourts No3 121 points, 5^th Harcourts No2 120 points, 6^th Mick Jones No1 120 points, 7^th Nerdy’s Lot 120 points, 8^th David Reid Homes 120 points, 9^th Harcourts No1 118 points, 10^th Pioneer Apartments 117 points.

The four hole play-off added to the excitement of the Professional result, with Josh Geary winning from Dongwoo Kang, both shooting 66, 2^nd was Luke Toomey on 67, fourth equal were Mark Brown, and Fraser Wilkin on 68, tied for 6^th on 70, were Hayden Beard, Steven Han, Richard Lee, Pieter Zwart.

We were able to raise $2100 towards an imaging camera and a hand held GPS for the Paihia Fire Brigade who were our chosen charity this year.

Thank you all for your support of this great community service.

The Harcourts Waitangi Welcome Function, sponsored by Harcourts BOI, was the best ever. 140 people attended, which included almost all of the Professional’s. An amazing performance by Te Pito Whenua, courtesy of The Waitangi Treaty Grounds ensured the evening was a success.

The Pizza night on Tuesday night was very popular with the Professionals and committee members who attended. We would expect the number of attendees to grow should it be considered for next year. Thank you to Charlottes Kitchen for putting the evening on.

The Harcourt Waitangi Shootout was a great success; despite the weather doing everything it could to ruin the occasion. A shortened event went very well, with Shaun Jones winning from David Klein.

Promotion wise, the sponsorship board at the front of the Waitangi Golf Club house, was up for about a week, which resulted in many viewings from Club Members and Visitors.

All your signage, and flags, looked great around the course, and were up for about four days, once again resulting in many viewings.

Special dedicated page on our Waitangi Golf Club website, for the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am, annual hits approximately 750,000, and this page has been up for all of the last year, and will be up for the coming year.

Promotion was sent to all Northland Newspapers, an online social media via Facebook, with Harcourts BOI’s help we had a two page spread in the Chronicle, and Northern News, plus a quarter page in both. Full page Far North Real Estate paper. We also had a story which ran just prior to the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am in the Northland Age, plus there was a result article, and photos in the Business Paihia Newsletter, The Focus Paihia Newsletter. We are planning one more media release.

All Sponsors were personally thanked by the Tournament Convenor, at The Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am Prizegiving, and the people present were asked to support all sponsors.

Both major sponsors had the opportunity to speak at the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am.

The feedback concerning The Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am, has been amazing, which can only reflect well on you all.

There was considerable radio coverage on Media Works, throughout Northland, in the week leading up to the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am.

The NZPGA sent coverage of the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am to various News outlets, and put an article on their website, plus the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am has been listed on their website for the last six months, and is still there, with results.

With most teams wearing a Team shirt, this gave great publicity to sponsors, and a reason to be very proud.

All members of the Waitangi Golf Club, approximately 450, were advised of all of the sponsors, via our club update, and asked to support all sponsors.

Every sponsor will receive a framed thank you Certificate in the next few days,

The Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am has become a major event on the BOI calendar over the past four years, and brings visitors from all around New Zealand, and this year, even Australia.

Once again thank you all, for your support, the Harcourts Waitangi Pro-Am couldn’t happen without it.

Kind Regards

Dave Winslow

Tournament Convenor

And my amazing committee.