KEY POINTS:
Only time will tell if this year has been a new beginning or the rising of a false dawn for golf in this country. The most significant developments were the appointment of Bill MacGowan as chief executive of New Zealand Golf and the success of the New Zealand
Open at The Hills.
But they are merely building blocks. The New Zealand Open is extremely fortunate to have a generous benefactor in Michael Hill who, without discussion, gets my vote as golf's Man of the Year. While the tournament is not yet a net contributor to the coffers of the national administration, it is no longer a drain on them. That means the levies rank-and-file club members pay can be used for things other than propping up the showpiece event.
MacGowan's appointment raised a few eyebrows because of previous issues at New Zealand Soccer and the Warriors. But he came from a job in golf at the North Shore club and, as a long-standing member there, was well aware of likely obstacles as he tried to change the system.
His first few months in the job could not have been more impressive. MacGowan has presented a plan for the future where he wants more players, fewer administrators and New Zealanders competing successfully on the world's professional circuits. All the publications accompanying his strategic plan feature only pictures of young people from numerous ethnic backgrounds - as if to say golf is a cool and thoroughly inclusive game you can play all your life.
My totally unscientific research around golf people suggests his ideas have hit surprisingly little resistance. What people are grateful for, especially those outside of a few bulging inner-city clubs in Auckland, is that head office is showing some interest in trying to boost their flagging membership and keep their club solvent.
The future of the game at club level will always be closely aligned with the success or otherwise of New Zealand players at international level. This year there has been precious little success. No New Zealand professional won a 72-hole tournament outside this country or the Pacific Islands. But there were some encouraging signs.
David Smail quietly achieved on the Japan Tour and at the Australian PGA Championship before comfortably finishing the year as the country's top player.
Mark Brown had a raft of top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour as well as the New Zealand PGA Championship and finally has enough money and playing status to allow him to realise the huge potential we saw more than a decade ago.
Gareth Paddison and Tim Wilkinson, the two standout New Zealand players from the generation that unleashed Adam Scott and Aaron Baddely on to the world stage from Australia, finally won playing privileges on major tours. Those struggles in a lower place will hopefully inspire them to stay at the highest level.
Then there's Cambo. And the worst thing of all about this most enigmatic of characters is that he's losing credibility among his fans. There are still thousands of us who desperately want him to play well, but we just wish he'd stop talking about it and get on with it.
After numerous anni horribili in the earlier years of this decade, we might call 2007 annus optimus for New Zealand golf. The future won't be easy, but things might have taken a swing for the better.
