New look to 92-year-old tourney

Poverty Bay Golf Club member Tony Battistella is not one to turn down a challenge. So when his ball found the lake on the 16th tee during a tournament on Friday, the American decided he wasn’t gonna let a bit of water stop him. It did on this shot — the submerged ball moving about six inches. But inspired by the old saying “if at first you don’t succeed . . .” he gave it another go and advanced the ball about 85 metres, impressing playing partner Neil Mackie, who “got soaked in the process” of snapping this close-range shot. The lake between the third and 16th holes is sure to play its part in the Poverty Bay men’s and women’s opens next week on an Awapuni Links course that is shaping up to be in supreme condition for the nearly 180 players involved.

The 88th edition of the Poverty Bay Men’s Open tees off next week minus the reigning  champion but with a bold new course layout.

The order of sequence of holes is to be temporarily changed over the duration of the district’s oldest (first held in 1931) and most prestigious open tournament.

The first nine holes will start from the usual par-5 No.1 tee but the back nine will begin on the par-3 sixth hole in front of the pro shop.

The idea is so match starts can be marshalled in a more orderly way from the starter’s office.

But perhaps more importantly, it means matches that start on the back nine will end on what is currently the par-5 fifth hole near the clubhouse — meaning greater spectator viewing from the clubhouse area.

The first three holes remain the same order but instead of continuing on the fourth, players will shoot over to the current 13th hole and play the regular order of holes from there to the 18th.

The sixth will be the 10th. Players will continue with the current order of holes from there but once they complete the 12th (the  16th in the new sequence), they will head to the current fourth tee to complete the last two holes.

Members will get the chance to “test-drive” the new order.

Meanwhile, head greenkeeper and reigning Emerre and Hathaway-PB Open  champion William Brown will not be defending the title. Three-time PB Open champion Brown recently had a jaw operation and is unable to play.

The Open has once again attracted a capacity field of 112 players including a large contingent of outsiders from clubs ranging from Tai Tapu in Christchurch to Paraparaumu Beach in Wellington to Pupuke  in Auckland.

Players face 36 holes of strokeplay followed by four matchplay rounds in seven groups of 16.

The tournament runs from September 21 to 23 and is preceded by the Poverty Bay Women’s Open featuring 64 players.