The New Zealand Golf awards were presented during the New Zealand Open with many New Zealand Golf stakeholders gathering at the Millbrook Resort, near Queenstown, for the ceremony.
The Motueka Golf Club featured by claiming the honour of Holden club of the year with its 23 percent growth on membership in the past three years, anchoring its success. The club also promotes the growth of the game by supporting a local professional to visit all schools in the region and to deliver after school coaching sessions once a month.
Representing the Motueka club at the awards was Peter Johnson who said: “We are incredibly proud of this award and we didn’t think we had too much of a chance until we started putting together the application, then things started sounding pretty good all of a sudden.
“We have been working very hard and will have champagne ready to go for everyone as they walk off the golf course today.”
The Motueka club has actively grown sponsorship, nearly doubling 2016 levels in 2017, and it has executed a she loves golf programme which had generated 20 new members since its inception.
Allen Forrest was a popular winner of the Holden volunteer of the year award for his efforts and contribution to the game of golf. Better known as Forrie, he has been involved with the Hawke’s Bay association for more than 30 years.
Forrest lives a two-hour drive from where the majority of his golf meetings are held and is required to take this journey three to four times a week to fulfil his impressive duties.
After a superb year on the European Tour, Ryan Fox can add another trophy to his cabinet after taking out the men’s player of the year title while his coach Marcus Wheelhouse was named the coach of the year as he continues to produce amazing results in all areas of golf and more importantly, at all levels and ages of the game.
Lydia Ko won the women’s player of the year award as she continues to show consistency on the biggest stage in women’s golf, the LPGA Tour.
One of our newest professionals, Nick Voke showed why he was named amateur of the year by finishing as the top Kiwi at the New Zealand Open, which comes on the back of a hugely successful college career at Iowa State in the United States. Julianne Alvarez, who also took up a scholarship in the United States, was awarded the women’s amateur of the year prize.

The 2018 award winners were:

Disabled golfer of the year: Wayne Eder
Club: Waimari Beach Golf Club
GMANZ administrator of the year: Sue Falconer
Club: Lakeview Golf & Country Club
Holden volunteer of the year: Allen Forrest
Club: Porangahau & Waipukurau
Holden club of the year: Motueka Golf Club
District: Tasman
PGANZ professional coach of the year: Marcus Wheelhouse
Jennian Homes amateur golfer of the year (male): Nick Voke
Club: Windross Farm
Jennian Homes amateur golfer of the year (female): Julianne Alvarez
Club: Manor Park Golf Sanctuary
Professional player of the year (male): Ryan Fox
Royal Auckland and Grange
Professional player of the year (female): Lydia Ko
Club: Pupuke
GMANZ manager of the year: Chris Davies
Club: Remuera Golf Club
Community coach of the year: Grant Boyd
District: Otago.