Pahīatua golfer’s ‘amazing’ achievement

Raewyn Newman, from Pahiatua, was thrilled with her win in the NZ Golf Women's Home Links event.

Raewyn Newman was elated to learn she had been given a top golfing award.

Women’s Home Links events are played at certain times throughout the year at golf courses around the country and winners are determined by scores at a regional level and national level.

Raewyn, whose home turf is Pahīatua Golf Club, started playing golf about four years ago.

“I got into golf through my partner,” she says, adding that he would play LVA (Licensed Vintners Association) once a month.

She went along with him for a couple of rounds when he played at different clubs.

She started off playing 9-hole at Pahīatua Golf Club, practising and learning, then decided to try 18-hole.

“I was really keen to jump over and watch the other girls,” she says.

Raewyn reckons her golf isn’t the greatest, but she was determined to get to a certain point, where she could achieve a little bit more and partnered up with some of the other women.

“They just inspire me to keep going,” she says. “Win or lose, it doesn’t matter and it doesn’t matter whether my handicap goes down or not.”

Earlier this year, Raewyn took part in the Women’s Home Links event and that day, she says she couldn’t falter her game.

“I just thought, wow, this is amazing. I don’t normally play like that.”

Her score was good enough to get through to the Golf New Zealand Home Links competition results and she was named top of 15 players.

“I was very excited,” she says. “Just to know that I’d done something amazing.

“I was very elated when I got told that I’d actually won.”

Raewyn says the “girls” in the club are “so supportive”.

She says she watches them play and thinks that one day she’ll play like them.

“They’re just amazing.

“I just couldn’t believe the support and the congratulations I got for actually doing it, where they’re good players and I just had one really great day that day.”

While she’s won a few prizes this year, Raewyn says that might not happen next year.

“I might not get anything, but that’s okay. I’ve still opportunities to go to different tournaments.”

She has never had the feeling of not wanting to go back, no matter what kind of round she has and counts it all as a learning experience.

“I’ve still got a lot of learning to do. Different clubs and different ways of doing stuff but I’m keen to learn. Just keep going.”