Substantial cash prize pool for inaugural artificial turf putting competition

Caption: One of the holes at the Smallgusta golf putting course in Tauranga.

New Zealand’s most lucrative golf putting tournament – being played on the country’s only full-size landscaped artificial turf putting course – is set to attract some of country’s top amateur golfers, thanks to a large cash prize pool.

The New Zealand Putting Masters (NZPM) tournament is being held over 54 holes at the purpose-built Smallgusta putting golf course in Tauranga over the weekend of April 5-7, with a maximum of 432 players competing.

It has been scheduled to be one week before the Augusta National Masters in the United States, and between the Easter break and term one school holidays.

A first prize of $4000 is on offer to the tournament winner while the second placegetter will nab $1850 and third place $750. Negotiations are currently underway to have the final round of the tournament live-stream broadcast.

The competition format will comprise two days of qualifying – with the field being sliced to 108 players for the second round, and then a further cut of 54 players qualifying for the final day’s putting over the par 35 course which features bunkers, rock hazards on the edge of the fairways, angled sloping greens and deceptive breaks to truly test golfers’ skill in the game.

NZPM director Dave Agnew said that while the cornerstone of the tournament’s format was very much founded on the social element of golf and encouraging groups of friends/family to enter, the tournament would be conducted under a competitive format – with official scorers recording players’ strokes on all holes to enable live website scoring and broadcast graphics.

“It’s definitely going to be a fun, festival atmosphere –- we will have our garden bar open throughout with music and an MC (master of ceremonies) for the final day,’’ Agnew said.

``We’re fortunate to have a beautiful large lawn space with grandstand views of the course so fans will be able to get very up close and personal with players as they make their way through the final holes on the course.

“New Zealand has had several mini-putt championships before – played on the stereotypical crazy golf novelty style courses that people would recognise – but nothing at this level, and certainly nothing with this much prizemoney on offer. We aren’t far behind the prize pool of 5000 euros (about $NZ9000) at the World Champs.”

“The Smallgusta hole format and course design is to encourage real golf course strategy where play is aimed at replicating the roll and speed of a grass putting green, rather than the likes of hitting your ball through a windmill or a clown’s mouth. Risk-reward is at the heart of the design and course management is really crucial to score low.”

Agnew also said that despite the challenging layout, Smallgusta was the ultimate leveller and strongly encouraged amateur female players to sign up.

“There’s no advantage at all being a male at Smallgusta – I would go as far to say many boyfriends and husbands leave Smallgusta vanquished by their partners – it’s an absolute leveller and many women have vowed to take up golf,” Agnew said.

Smallgusta – located on the hillside outskirts of Tauranga – opened in September last year, and in addition to the landscaped golf course, features a thermal hot pool complex and licensed food and beverage hospitality amenity, both of which will be incorporated into the party atmosphere of the NZPM golfing tournament.

Caption: The second hole at Smallgusta which is a par four.

Entries for the NZPM opened at the beginning of the month, and Agnew said interest had already been strong with top New Zealand’s mini-putt golfers James McCarthy, Matt Ansley, and Cam Couper booking accommodation in anticipation.