News, results from around Gisborne and East Coast golf courses

Waikohu Golf Club was humming on Saturday for the first round of the 2025 Endeavour men's interclub pennants involving eight teams from seven clubs. Photo / Chris Taewa

Poverty Bay

Tony Akroyd has won almost every men’s title at the highest level in Tairāwhiti golf.

On Sunday, he added another piece of silverware to the collection: the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout.

It doesn’t carry the kudos of the Poverty Bay Open, East Coast Open or King of the Coast — all of which Akroyd has won over an illustrious career — but it’s got history and prestige.

Akroyd, off a 5-handicap, joined forces with 9-handicapper Shannon Ratima for the 3x9-hole pairs net event played in awful weather.

For some, it rained almost every hole. That resulted in some pairs calling it quits after 18 holes and retiring to the comfort of the 19th.

Akroyd and Ratima did not have a clue they had won until their names were called at the prizegiving.

The format was nine holes of best-ball, nine of Canadian foursomes and nine of ambrose. The winners’ best-ball of 32 included what Akroyd described as a “monster” putt from Ratima for eagle-3 on the fifth.

They ended up with 27-hole net total of 95.125, over 1½ strokes ahead of runners-up William Aupouri and Eddie Brown Jnr.

Peter Hakiwai and partner Lou Kriel won the mixed pairs division with 96.625, and Debbie Kirkpatrick and Lynne Holmberg won the women’s section with 109.875.

Sub-80 is in Jak Rowe’s sights after his Stableford-winning performance last Thursday. Rowe carded 81-16-66, for 42 points, to top the Division 1 men’s competition.

Warwick Thompson won Division 2 with 101-31-70, for 38 points, off the blue tees, then repeated his division-efforts off the whites on Saturday with 100-29-71, also for 38.

WEDNESDAY - Nancy McCormick women’s foursomes net, round 2: M. Francois/M. Colebourne 76, G. Young/S. Spence 81, C. Nelson/B. Whyte 84.

Overall winners: M. Francois/M. Colebourne 151 from G. Young/S. Spence 157, C. Nelson/B. Whyte 161.

MONDAY - Nancy McCormick women’s foursomes net, round 1: M. Francois/M. Colebourne 75, G. Young/S. Spence 76, C. Nelson/B. Whyte 77.

SUNDAY - Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 27-hole net tournament, overall net: T. Akroyd/S. Ratima 95.125, W. Aupouri/E. Brown Jnr 96.875, M Huriwaka/C O’Neill 97, G. Clapham/J. Van Helden 97, C. Palmer/I Loffler 98.375, B. Holt/M. Greeks 100.625.

Mixed division: P. Hakiwai/L. Kriel 96.625.

Women’s division: D. Kirkpatrick/L. Holmberg 109.875.

9-hole best-ball: R. Fletcher/M. Van Der Velde 32, J. Finch/A. McIntosh 32.

9-hole Canadian foursomes: S. Jeune/R. Clark 33.25, E. Huriwaka/J. Sharp 34 on c/b.

9-hole ambrose: M. Christophers/B. Matoe 29.625, K. Sarich/D. Wilson 29.625 on c/b.

SATURDAY - Men’s Stableford, division 1: M. Jefferson 36, M. Callaghan 34, J. Situ 33, W. Donnelly 33.

Division 2: W. Thompson 38, B. Read 36, B. Simpson 36.

Twos: W. Donnelly, J. Situ, E. Wilson, A. Abrahams.

Approach: J. Situ.

THURSDAY (April 10) - Men’s Stableford, division 1: J. Rowe 42, N. Mackie 38, G. Udall 37, M. Lewin 36, C. Dean 36.

Division 2: W. Thompson 38, K. Goldsmith 37, G. Kemp 36.

Twoss: S. Jeune.

Approach: S. Jeune.

COMING UP: SUNDAY, April 27, Play the Course Backwards, 9am shotgun start, open to all golfers, fundraiser to repair trundler shed roof, limited to first paid 96 entries.

Shannon Ratima (left) and Tony Akroyd combined forces to win the Tom Shaw Memorial Awapuni Shootout 3x9-hole net tournament at Poverty Bay Golf Club on Sunday. Photo / Gray Clapham

Waikohu

Glasses will be raised to a Te Karaka great at the Terry Rutene Memorial tournament over Easter.

The 4x9-hole matchplay title is a much sought-after honour, and several Waikohu men’s players warmed up for it at the Endeavour interclub pennants hosted at the course last weekend.

Qualifying for the Rutene Memorial is on Saturday morning, followed by the first round of matchplay in the afternoon. Semis and finals are on Sunday.

SUNDAY - Men’s Stableford: R. Reeves 33, K. Tamanui 33, P. Milner 32.

Women’s Stableford: A. Reeves 33, E. Wynyard 33, A. Tamanui-Nunn 32.

COMING UP: SATURDAY/SUNDAY, Terry Rutene Memorial 4x9-hole matchplay tournament, net qualifying round Saturday morning (10am), followed by first round of matchplay (1pm), semifinals Sunday (10am), followed by finals (1pm), 18-hole Stableford for others on Sunday (11am), prizegiving to follow.

Patutahi

Ashley Hindmarsh’s best round of 2025 reaped rewards in Sunday’s Stableford.

Hindmarsh won the competition with 78-12-66, for 40 points, and iced the victory cake with a two.

SUNDAY - Stableford: A. Hindmarsh 40, A. Zame 38, D. Pohatu 38, B. McKenzie 37, T. Sharp 37, A. Brodie 36, G. Brown 36.

Twos: Beau Toa, A. Hindmarsh, B. McKenzie.

FRIDAY - Meat pack 9-hole stableford, division 1: L. Owen 21, G. Brown 21, P. Johnston 21, P. Summersby 21, J. Neilson 21.

Division 2: D. Skudder 23, L. Jamieson 22, D. Somerton 21, G. Roadley 20, R. Shannon 20 on c/b.

Electrinet Park

Park legend Karen Hay entered the winner’s circle yet again on Saturday with victory in the Women’s Handicap Cup final.

Hay has been in excellent form this year, highlighted by a brilliant even-par 73 at her home course on March 22.

Such form has her playing off a 5-handicap, and she had to dish out 19 shots to another Park stalwart, Sue Maisey, in their Handicap Cup final.

Maisey made Hay work for a 2-up win and was left in awe of her clubmate’s performance.

“She shot 76 off the stick...hitting 17 [greens] of the 18 holes in regulation. [It] was lovely to watch.”

Te Puia Hot Springs

Iritana Ngarimu and Ian Logan were the Sunday stableford winners. Logan also had a two in his 79-11-68, for 34 points.

SUNDAY - Women’s Stableford: I. Ngarimu 30, A. Cook 28.

Men’s Stableford: I. Logan 34, J. Forrester 34.

Twos: I. Logan.

Secondary schools

The Tairāwhiti Secondary School Golf Competition is being held at the Awapuni Links course on Tuesday, May 13.

It is open to students aged 13 to 18 and will feature individual 18-hole and 9-hole sections and a 6-hole ambrose for boys and girls.

Registration is at 8.30am on the day. Entry can be made at bit.ly/GolfSchools

Vets golf

John Aitchison had a good day out in Gisborne East Coast Veteran Golfers’ Tuesday competition.

Aitchison was in the money at Poverty Bay Golf Club with his 36 points, had two twos and won the raffle.

Andy Putnam, after getting chewed up and spat out by the Waikohu course in Endeavour men’s interclub pennants on Saturday, bounced back to win the GEC Vets’ Stableford with 38 points, alongside Neville Jenkins.

TUESDAY - Gisborne East Coast Veterans’ Stableford (at Poverty Bay): A. Putnam 38, N. Jenkins 38, P. Rickard 37, B. Rothschild 37, J. Aitchison 36, B. Read 36.

Twos: J. Aitchison 2.

TUESDAY (April 1) - Gisborne East Coast Veterans’ Stableford (at Patutahi): D Maloy 84-22-62, 44 from K. Ellison, D. Bush, R. Young, B. Rothschild, G. Pellett.

Women’s Stableford: K. McLatchie from L. Haisman.

Poverty Bay's David Hall lets fly off the tee of Waikohu's signature par-5 fifth hole during the Endeavour men's interclub pennants. Photo / Chris Taewa

Endeavour pennants

Waikohu and Te Puia Hot Springs put big points on the board as the Endeavour men’s interclub handicap pennants got under way at Waikohu on Saturday.

Conditions could not have been better, although the Waikohu track proved challenging for most. Only three of the 48 players — all from the home course — played under their handicaps.

Waikohu racked up four wins and a half from their six matches for 18 points. Winners were Percy Milner, Geoff Pari, Karauria Ruru and Frank Ngatoro, while Tama Brown had a half.

Te Puia chalked up the same record, courtesy of wins to Eruera West, Marc Paerata, Daryl Goldsmith and Ken Lewis, and a half for Neil Mackie.

Mahia had four winners — Bruce Maher, David Waihaki, Roger Bremner and Graham Shapland. Waihaki hit the pin with his second on the par-5 fifth hole, his ball ending 60 centimetres away.

Poverty Bay have two teams this year, and their No 1 squad racked up 16 points through wins to Frank Ball — back playing after a lengthy illness — Colin Simpson, Carl Carmody and Kit Goldsmith.

There was distance back to the remaining three teams, each of whom had only one win for four points.

The whitewash savers were Peter Hakiwai (Poverty Bay 2), Kelly Spring (Electrinet Park) and Rongo Pomana and Watene Reedy, who had halves for Tolaga Bay.

The top Stableford scorers were Waikohu’s Milner (38 points), Pari (37) and Ruru (36). Lewis and Gary McLean (Tolaga Bay) had 35 points apiece, and Carmody 34.

Cloud rolls in at the end of a glorious day of Endeavour men's interclub pennants at Waikohu Golf Club. The host club ended the opening round joint top of the table with Te Puia Hot Springs. Photo / Chris Taewa