Ohope Beach Golf Links (previously known as Ohope International) is hosting its time-honoured Ohope 10,000 Men’s Open 36-hole Tournament over Labour Weekend, accompanied by the Toi Moana 36-hole Women’s Open. The latter tournament is a joint initiative between the Ohope and Whakatane clubs and will be played at the Whakatane Golf course on the Saturday and Ohope on the Sunday.

The Men’s Open has already attracted a capacity field of 120 players. In fact, so popular the tournament has become the field was filled by the first week of September. The Women’s Open is also expected to attract a maximum field.

Ryan Maxwell, an Ohope club member, won the men’s tournament last year (pictured with the tournament trophy which was presented by Club Captain, Doug Marra). Ryan, who also won the title back in 2010, is entered to defend his title and will be facing a particularly strong field of visiting golfers this year. Stepping up to the tee, will be Hastings visitor Stu Duff, already a four-time winner (2014-2017) of the tournament and a previous winner of the NZ Men’s Senior Open. Popping across from Ngaruawahia is Jordan Rangihika, a three time winner of the tournament, his first win dating back to 2008. Joining this trio will be four other golfers who play off a scratch handicap or better.

Visitors to the tournament will notice a lot of changes to the club’s profile and to the course’s facilities when they arrive on Labour Weekend. As well as the change to its branding, to Ohope Beach Golf Links, to more accurately reflect where the course is and what it is – a links course by the beach.

There have been a number of course improvements. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the local business community, new tee-signs, 34 in total, with a hole pictorial and the hole length information, are being installed on or about the tee blocks and most will be in place by Labour weekend. Thanks also to generous donations from club members, 2metre-wide concrete pathways are replacing the current walkways to and from the tee blocks. The longest of these pathways will be completed by the time of the two tournaments. The club’s Haed Greenkeeper, James Rawsthorne, and his small team have also been busy with course enhancements, particularly noticeable being the revetting of some of the bunkers.

Next year will be a momentous occasion for the club. It will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Back in the late 1960s the tip of the Ohope Peninsula was an untamed wilderness of sand hills and scrub of every variety. Thanks to the back-breaking toil of hundreds of hardy volunteers over the next few decades this wasteland has been transformed into a rolling terrain deservedly recognised as one of the premier links courses in this country and best described by NZ Golf Digest as a ‘hidden gem’.