Golf: Napier teams dominate competitions

Members of Napier Golf Club's champion women's teams. Triumphant captains with trophies are Sandy Hooper (left), Gael Roebuck, Raewyn Holloway and Pip McCarthy. Photo / Duncan Brown

Could the Napier Golf Club women's contingent be on the verge of producing a performance enhancing drink ready for export?

This question had to be asked after the club dominated Golf Hawke's Bay's women's pennants competitions this winter collecting four trophies in the process. But club co-ordinator Liz Stringer was quick to point out "it was just a case of good old club spirit and camaraderie".

"We're proud of the way our players are so keen to front up particularly with the regular bouts of inclement weather we had. Often a player would withdraw through illness on a Sunday of the week we were playing but there was no shortage of players putting up their hands wanting to take their place," Stringer said.

Napier's weekend women's top team, which includes three-time New Zealand Maori champion and this year's runner-up at the New Zealand Amateur tournament, Kate Chadwick, won the Crossman Cup and Golf Fanatics Fourball Matchplay Trophy, a first for the club in the same season under the new competitions format introduced two years ago.

Co-captains of the team, Raewyn Holloway and Pip McCarthy, were thrilled with their nine-strong team's unbeaten run in a five-team competition. They recorded six wins and two halves.

"Going into the last round we were one point behind Hastings but we did what we had to on a neutral course, Hawke's Bay, in miserable weather conditions," McCarthy said.

She praised club stalwart Kathy Mohi for her high levels of consistency throughout the campaign.

"We had three reserves who didn't play and that was another key to our success ... top-quality competition for starting berths," Holloway said.

The Gael Roebuck-led Napier Totara division two team finished first equal with Waipukurau after recording five wins, two draws and two losses.

"All of our players got an even amount of games and good team spirit and focus got us a share of the spoils," Roebuck said.

"Our last match against Combined was a down-to-the-wire affair but we secured the draw we needed in what is the toughest division in terms of numbers as most of the players have handicaps between 11.4 and 29.7. All of our players will be available again next year ... this is a sought-after team to be in," Roebuck added.

Captain of the club's weekday first division Napier Rimu team, Sandy Hooper, said "a never-say-die" approach propelled her team to title glory after five rounds of play.

"It was a good team effort, we were quite dedicated and all of the team will be back next year," she said.