Three-time champions Bay of Plenty have angered tournament organisers in Southland by giving this weekend's national teams strokeplay championship in Invercargill the flick, opting instead to send an extended elite squad to a training camp in Taupo.
It is the first time in the 35-year history of the Southland Invitational Bay of Plenty hasn't competed, with Bay Golf executive officer Chris McAlpine saying their priority was winning back the national interprovincial title in December (ironically they were beaten by Southland in last year's final). A teams strokeplay event didn't fit within their player development framework.
Instead, coach Jay Carter and manager Aaron Walsh will take the region's elite squad - Brad Kendall, Landyn Edwards, Sam Davis, Craig Hamilton, Andrew Stewart, Victor Janin, Hayden Beard and William Howard - to Kinloch and Wairakei this weekend, with McAlpine saying two days in Taupo would be far more beneficial than anything on offer in Invercargill.
"We've had misgivings about the timing [of the Southland tournament] for some years and have made our feelings known at national level ... selecting a one-off squad to take to Invercargill has little significance with where we should be heading in October [when the rep programme kicks in]," McAlpine said.
"In the old days, when this tournament was set up to tie in with oyster season, all managers seemed to want to do is ensure they came home with punnets of oysters. Our golf has moved on from there, it's not where we're at with our management or our programme."
McAlpine said there was also a significant financial consideration, with the Invercargill trip costing $8000 for five players and a manager, whereas the Taupo camp was less than $2000 for eight players, a coach and manager.
"Two of our leading players, Landyn [Edwards] and Sam [Davis], are working and it would be costing them to take time off, going down Thursday and back Monday. Our kids never get to play Kinloch so it wasn't even a decision in their minds."
Bay of Plenty were last year chastised by tournament organisers for sending a development team to Invercargill, with its leading players at a squad training camp in Melbourne.
The decision this year to opt out completely has been met with anger and disappointment, with organising committee chairman Peter Sim questioning Bay's motives and the supposed high costs of getting to the South Island, which he said were more perceived than reality. North Harbour was also a no-show this weekend, saying it couldn't field a strong enough team, with its best players unavailable.
Sim, also on the board of Golf Southland, said New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy is flying to Invercargill to talk to organisers and ensure all 15 provinces are there next year.
"We're pretty gutted about it really. Last year Bay chose to send their third team with their best 12 players to Melbourne, and it's certainly not a financial consideration because I understand they're pretty well financially based. Poverty Bay are coming and they're not flush with money or players.
"We're a grade one New Zealand event, the tournament is run by NZ Golf and they're pretty pissed off as well, I understand, because it's a kick in the teeth for them too. We can't force people into it, and as keen as we are to get Bay and North Harbour back next year, we're not bending over backwards to change [the timing or format] because they want it."
Bay of Plenty won the SBS Invitational in 2001, 2003 and 2006 but McAlpine said staying in their own province playing and training at two of New Zealand's best courses would serve a far greater purpose.
"Our strategic plan is to develop golf here in the Bay not to appease Southland and their tournament simply doesn't fit in with our goals at this time."