by Denise Langdon, ParNZ

Omanu Golf Club in the Bay of Plenty will be the venue for the 2017 New Zealand Mid Amateur Men’s and Women’s Championship.
This is an excellent venue in the heart of Mt Maunganui – a popular beach and golfing destination.
Dates have been for January 13-15, securing a Friday-to-Sunday slot in mid-January in a similar fashion to this year's Mid Am in Mangawhai.
This scheduling puts it outside of most club and season opening times, and avoids clashing with other national events.
The summer dates are likely to attract players both nationally and internationally to a beautiful part of New Zealand that offers many top attractions and beaches for non-playing partners and families.
Omanu is a top venue that has hosted two national events: the 2010 NZ Men’s Seniors and a year later, the New Zealand Under-19s.
Often in the shadow of nearby Mt Maunganui and Tauranga Golf Clubs, Omanu is a relatively new course. It was registered in 1971 after a two-year period of development involving fund-raising and acquisition of land next to Tauranga Airport.

As with many new sporting bodies, cash was tight. Initial funds were raised through a series of debenture offers, including NZ$10,000 from five local investors.
The course was opened for play in April 1972, after the project succeeded ahead of an alternative land-use proposal for a children's park. Course designer Harry Dale worked on an initial 10 holes, and the first clubhouse was built in 1974. Re-working and further course design, including new holes, was completed in 1975.
The course is relatively flat, based on a sandy soil with a number of gentle undulations and a few water hazards. The course is known for its well-groomed greens, which are firm but smooth.
The current Mid Amateur format combines the previous NZ Men’s Mid Amateur and the Women’s Individual Masters Championship.  Play is over three days, a 54-hole gross challenge with prizes by age groups in addition to net and stableford prizes. Entry forms will be out shortly and available via www.parnz.co.nz or www.golf.org.nz.
Omanu means ‘nesting’ place or ‘resting place of birds’ – so we hope that the 2017 competitors find this a good omen for some top golf.