Waikohu players – (from left) Andrea Reeves, Audrey Tamanui-Nunn, Marg Tuapawa and Val Grace – have been in top form.
Māhia’s Trina Smith made the trip north to Electrinet Gisborne Park on Saturday a triumphant one.
Smith won the overall net title at the Fletcher’s Meat Treat women’s open tournament, which also featured the latest round of the Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants.
Smith shot 89-16-73 and won the net crown on countback from clubmate Maraea Wesche and Waikohu’s Marg Tuapawa, with another Waikohu player, Andrea Reeves, posting 74.
Park stalwart Karen Hay has dominated the gross at most of the women’s open tournaments this year, and her home-course tourney was no exception – 86 good enough to get the job done.
Other winners were Wesche, Shelley Robertson (Patutahi), Taina Paku (Wairoa), Andrea Reeves (Waikohu), Tina Duncan (Wairoa), Charlie Holland (Patutahi) and Audrey Tamanui-Nunn (Waikohu).
The Judy O’Rourke Memorial Cup challenge, played for between Poverty Bay and Park women, was also held on the day. The Park won. Judy would have applauded that.
SATURDAY - Fletcher’s Meat Treat women’s open tournament, overall net: Trina Smith 73.
Division 1, gross: Karen Hay 86 from Carney Pipi 93.
Net: Maraea Wesche 73 from Tracey Ford 76.
Stableford: Shelley Robertson 34 from Renee Hiko 30.
Division 2, gross: Taina Paku 96 from Elaine Westwood 100.
Net: Andrea Reeves 74 from Pat Johansen 76.
Stableford: Tina Duncan 34 from Teresa Lewis 31.
Division 3, gross: Charlie Holland 105 from Iritana Ngarimu 110.
Net: Marg Tuapawa 73 from Viv Kyle 82.
Stableford: Audrey Tamanui-Nunn 35 from Kathy Papuni 27.
Approaches: M. Francois, T. Paku.
9-hole division, Stableford: M. Tawera 19, R. Chesley 17, A. Tuari 5.
The biggest tournament on the Tahunga calendar is just days away.
The Tahunga Men’s Open is a must-play for regulars and should-have-done-that-a-long-time-ago for first-timers ... and Saturday’s edition will be no different.
On a fine day, the sights and sounds of the surrounding rural landscape are worth the entry alone and even the hour-long trip via tarseal and metal road is an experience.
Golf-wise, Tahunga, like so many off-the-beaten-track courses, has a few gems. The par-3 sixth, devastated when the Hangaroa River broke its banks during Cyclone Gabrielle, remains its signature hole – a shot of port preceding a shot off the elevated tee part of Tahunga Open tradition.
For the higher-echelon players, who are likely to be batting off handicaps with a plus in front of the number due to the course’s rating, a unique bourbon bottle trophy designed by long-time Tahunga supporter and former Poverty Bay-East Coast representative Brent Colbert is the reward for the best gross.
Colbert himself has won the title, while Patutahi’s Regan Hindmarsh goes in as the defending champion.
For those keen on a Saturday jaunt to 3285 Pehiri Rd, a morning tea at 10.30am will be followed by tee-off at 11am, with lunch and dinner provided in the $30 entry.
Inquiries to Mike Gibson 0279299205 or email tahungagolfclub@gmail.com
Take cash. The club does not have Eftpos.
Hamish Harris entered the red zone in Friday meat-pack 9-hole golf last week.
Harris went sub-par with a 1-under 34 for 23 points to win division 1.
Graeme Roadley’s 23 points topped division 2.
Shannon Toa (70), Gary “Bubba” Watson (69) and Kath McLatchie were the Sunday winners.
SUNDAY – Men’s net, division 1: S. Toa 70, Beau Toa 70, H. Brown 70, H. Harris 70, J. Brown 71.
Division 2: G. Watson 69, J, Blair 70, C. Brown 72, G. Holland 72.
Women’s net: K. McLatchie 74.
Eagle 3 on 10: H. Brown.
FRIDAY – Meat pack 9-hole Stableford, division 1: H. Harris 23, R. Waru 20, D. Wilson 20, J. Neilson 19, Beau Toa 19.
Division 2: G. Roadley 23, M. Broad 21, D. Niven 21, K. Dodgshun 20, K. Harrison-Allen 20.
It’s hard work as winter descends on the Awapuni Links course at the moment, but not for Paul Rickard last weekend.
The former Gisborne Herald photographer, now living the retired good life, had the round of the week on Sunday.
“Rick” fired 83-167-66, for 42 points, which not only won the division 2 men’s Stableford but cleaned up his “Sunday School” cohorts.
It wasn’t his best round this year. Rickard had an 82 early in February.
But as he would be the first to admit, you are only as good as your last round. Two days after Sunday’s performance, Rickard staggered to 98.
WEDNESDAY – Women’s Stableford: C. Skuse 36, R. Taewa 34.
Twos: J. Utting, V. Bell, G. Young, L. Holmberg.
9-hole women’s Stableford: S. McLaughlin 20, P. Shaw 20.
Nan Carmine Cup 9-hole women’s matchplay, round 1: J. Alderson def L. Plowman, M. Williams def W. Linton.
TUESDAY – Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers’ Stableford: R. Farmer 39, B. Rothschild 38, L. Foster 38, N. Jones 37, P. McKenzie 36.
SUNDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: J. Situ 38, A. White 38, J. Van Helden 36.
Division 2: P. Rickard 42, M. Karalus 40, G. Marchbank 37.
Twos: A. White.
Approach: J. Situ.
SATURDAY – Men’s Stableford, division 1: J. Van Helden 37, K. Marshall 37, S. Jeune 37, B. Anderson 36.
Division 2: R. Richards 37, S. Hihi 35, M. Lewin 35.
Twos: D. Croskery, S. Jeune, V. Richardson
Approach: S. Jeune.
THURSDAY (May 8) – Men’s Stableford, division 1: N. Mackie 36, G. Udall 36, S. Jeune 35, S. Andreassen 34.
Division 2: K. Goldsmith 37, M. Thomas 35, J. Bryden 34, M. Dodgshun 33, G. Clapham 33.
Twos: S. Andreassen, M. Thomas.
Approach: J. Rimene.
COMING UP: SATURDAY, May 24, Enterprise Foursomes 18-hole open, mixed, men’s and women’s pairs, gross, net and stableford, 12 noon shotgun start, enter at pro shop.
After a busy Saturday of men’s and women’s interclub pennants at the Patutahi and Electrinet Park courses on Saturday, it was a quiet Sunday competition for Springs members.
James Junior Forrester won the Stableford with a modest 104-35-69, for 33 points.
SUNDAY – Stableford: J. Junior Forrester 104-35-69, 33; I Logan 81-11-70, 32.
Murray Yates took advantage of a course primed for the Tairāwhiti men’s interclub pennants on Saturday to produce a winning round on Sunday.
Yates shot 77-12-65, for 39 points, to win the club Stableford.
SUNDAY – Stableford: M. Yates 39, P. Tuapawa 35.
Approach: W. Aupouri.
Tairāwhiti women’s interclub pennants glory for 2025 is a two-horse race.
Waikohu and Māhia finished 1-2 in round 6 of the series hosted by Electrinet Park on Saturday, and that is where they are sitting on the table too.
Waikohu won the round, a net competition, with an aggregate of 303, just one ahead of Māhia, and the difference overall between the two is even closer.
Waikohu are top of the standings on 34.5 points, with Māhia on 34 and Patutahi on 29.
Mathematically, Patutahi have a chance of snatching victory in the final round at Poverty Bay on May 21, although they would need maximum team points and other factors to go their way.
Wairoa are lying fourth on 23.5, Park fifth on 17.5, Te Puia Hot Springs sixth on 17.5 and Poverty Bay seventh on 12.
It is tight at the top and the bottom, with very little in the middle, in the Endeavour men’s handicap interclub pennants.
With one round to go, the top six of the eight teams (seven clubs as Poverty Bay have two teams) are separated by just eight points.
A sodden Patutahi hosted the penultimate round on Saturday, and the course was superb considering the heavy overnight rain – so good, some players were getting PGA Tour-like backspin on the greens.
By the end of the day, Waikohu had eked out a small advantage overall, courtesy of wins to Richard Reeves, Percy Milner, Karauria Ruru and Tipi Ruru.
With four points for a win and two for a half, Waikohu claimed top of the table on their own on 48 points, with Patutahi second on 44, Māhia third on 42, Te Puia Hot Springs fourth on 40, Poverty Bay (1) fifth on 38, and Electrinet Park sixth on 28.
With a maximum of 24 points up for grabs, it is all on for the final round at Park on May 25. Patutahi face Waikohu that day, so the door could easily be flung open for the chasers.
A 14-point surge by Poverty Bay (2) at Patutahi took them to 22 points, only two behind Tolaga Bay in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
Among the day’s highlights was Poverty Bay (1) team member Andrew Putnam‘s 38-point Stableford performance in his victory, and Te Puia Hot Springs’ Ian Logan chipping in on the last for birdie to snatch a half with PB (1)’s Andy Hayward.