Multi-course golf tournaments continue to be extremely popular with Kiwi and Aussie golfers with sell-out numbers participating in the fourth annual Hawke’s Bay 4-Course Classic. There was also a good contingency of Aussie golfers going into battle against the Kiwis to enjoy resort golf in Queenstown at the 17th annual Millbrook Masters.

The 2019 Hawke’s Bay 4-Course Classic was hosted by PaR nz Golfing Holidays in partnership with Hastings GC, Napier GC and Maraenui GC. New in 2019 was the addition of Cape Kidnappers in the four course line-up. Trinity Hill Wines were delighted to continue their sponsorship of the tournament.

To have a World Top 100 Course (Cape Kidnappers, which is ranked #17) had a huge impact on the tournament programme with many of the golfers experiencing the magic of the Tom Doak design for the first time. The weather played its part too with favourable calm spring conditions.

Competitors from over 82 different clubs played the four Hawke’s Bay golf courses over five days including a ‘rest day’ to allow golfers the opportunity to explore the region with options for Art Deco Tours, cycle tours, wine tours and aquarium visits. With the endorsement of Napier City Council, the event was designed to attract added tourism dollars and visitors to the region and to showcase local attractions.

The main competition was individual stableford in four men’s and women’s handicap divisions. The gross, teams and super seniors divisions introduced last year were again popular and hotly contested. Across nine divisions, winners were announced from the North Shore, Gulf Harbour, Otaki, Martinborough, Windross Farm, Manaia, Miramar, Monash, Waihi, Brisbane, Ngaruawahia, Onewhero, Royal Auckland & Grange, Cambridge, Waitemata, Raglan and The Hills.

Recognising the overall winners: Carolyn Koch (Manaia) won the Women’s 1st Division with 144 points on countback over runner-up Helen Baynes (Waihi). In third place was Angela Fong (Brisbane) on 143 points. In the Women’s 2nd Division, Sandra Thompson (Ngaruawahia) lead the field from Round 1 and finished with an impressive 158 points well ahead of second placed Colleen Smith (Onewhero) on 150 points on countback over Hawke’s Bay-born, Marg Simpson (Royal Auckland & Grange) in third place.

For the Men’s 1st Division, Gulf Harbour’s Christopher Smale was a clear winner on 169 points. In second place was crowd favourite Ljubo Bura (Otaki) with 149 points on countback over third placed John Warner (Martinborough). Bernie Leonard from Windross Farm won the Men’s 2nd Division on 156 points over Colin Koch (Manaia) on 151 points and Robbie Selwyn (Miramar) on 142 points in third place.

Gross winners were Jacqui Morgan (Monash) on 304 with consistent rounds of 79, 76, 77 and a 72 at Cape Kidnappers. Jacqui is a regular visitor to New Zealand and has won titles on both sides of the Tasman including the Australian Women’s Senior Championship and NZ Women’s Senior Championship. Jacqui will return to Taupo in February 2020 as part of the Australian team to play against the Kiwis in the Senior Women’s Trans-Tasman Cup. Men’s Gross winner was Daniel Kang (North Shore) with rounds of 81, 78, 80 and 81 (320).

The Women’s Super Senior Division was taken out by Margie Dash (The Hills) on 143 points over runner-up Christine Selwyn (Miramar). The Men’s Division was won by Cambridge’s Denis Clark on 151 points on countback over Keith Cullum (Waitemata).

The Teams Division was won by ‘The Wanderers’ – a team of friends from Raglan and Waihi – Sharon & Steve Meddings with Brian & Helen Baynes. Their winning score was 445 points.

In Queenstown at the 2019 Millbrook Masters, hosted by PaR nz Golfing Holidays, golfers played four rounds over five days with two rounds at Millbrook, experiencing all 27 holes and two rounds at Jack’s Point. The Millbrook Masters in one of PaR nz’s longest running tournaments and was designed to showcase the 5-star Millbrook Resort in a luxurious programme combining resort golf and award-winning food and wine. Both Millbrook, Jack’s Point and sponsor Akarua Wines lived up to their reputations.

The Millbrook Masters competition is individual stableford in handicap divisions. Women’s Division 1 was won by Christine Fleury (Waitemata) on 156 points, a clear winner over Barbara Bohdanowicz (New South Wales) and Helen Smith (Waitikiri) on 121 points in third place. Women’s Division 2 was won by Val Simmonds (Pakuranga) on 132 points over Sylvia Choi (Tauranga) on 125 points and Pat Davey (Manawatu) on 121 points in third place. 

In the Men’s Division, Te Puke’s Wade Hunkin after a slow start came home over the last two rounds with impressive scores to win on 148 points over Michael Burley (Elanora) on 140 points and in third place, George Khouri (Pacific) on 132 points.

The Mystery Pairs competition was won by Christine Fleury and George Khouri on 288 points. Winner of the putting competition was Jenny de Boer (Waitikiri).

Both the Hawke’s Bay 4-Course Classic and Millbrook Masters full results can be found on the PaR nz website www.parnz.co.nz/news.

PaR nz Golfing Holidays have set the dates for both tournaments in 2020 and expect their huge following of regulars to continue to support the events while attracting new faces as well.

Millbrook Masters: 25 October – 31 October 2020. 

Hawke’s Bay 4-Course Classic: 2 November – 6 November 2020.

Online entry will open early next year. For more information about the tournaments or other multi-course events managed by PaR nz Golfing Holidays please contact: 

Kim Buckley, PaR nz Golfing Holidays, kim@parnz.co.nz or phone 021 373 502