Waihī Ladies during the play for Pink Breast Cancer week where $1474 was raised. Photo / Rosalind Giffney
Waihī Ladies during the play for Pink Breast Cancer week where $1474 was raised. Photo / Rosalind Giffney
Waihī Golf
There was good news for the Ladies’ section when two of our club members had success at the Bay of Plenty ladies Bronze 2 and 3 championships held at Ōhope on Monday. Kathy Ashton won both the Bronze 2 Gross and Nett, while Megan Jowsey also won the Bronze 3 Gross and Nett. To top it off the Waihī team came second overall. A great result for the Waihī Ladies Section.
As all the club competitions have been completed for the year, the club held the annual closing day on Saturday, November 4 with a mixed stableford haggle, run in two mixed divisions. This was run in conjunction with the Top Cat and Top Dog competition.
A great field of 74 members turned out to compete, and in Division 1 the ever-reliable Allen Sarjant took the top spot with 38 points, with Richard Taitoko and Jackie Robson close behind on 37 points. Next, all with 36 points were Terry Gerbich, Tim Parish, and Chris Pilmer, while all with 35 were Tayla Turbull, Graeme Culton, Allen Smith, and Wendy Matutinovich.
In Division 2, having a great day was Mark Mora with 38 points (and a two), just heading off Peter Dagg and Peter Wright. Then Rex Knight had 36, Jill Morrison with 35, and Chris Hale, David Campbell, Avon Gordon, and Jane Wordley all on 34.
2023 Waihī 'Top Cat' Avon Gordon, and 'Top Dog' Mark Mora.
Run in conjunction with the closing day competition is the Top Cat (lady) and Top Dog (man) final, where all the winners of the daily haggles through the year are eligible to win the top spot based on the closing day haggle. The 2023 Top Cat is life member Avon Gordon, while the Top Dog is Mark Mora.
A sold-out women’s golf event in the Coromandel shows the region’s popularity within the leisure and resort golf market.
The Whangamatā Ladies Golf Masters is an annual event, a major fundraiser for the club and a welcome financial boost for the town heading into summer.
The field sells out within hours of opening, with many women from all over the North Island loving the course and the town.
After a frustrating three years, it was terrific to see the golfers back in town. The weather held for the weekend and the women played some great golf and had a couple of fun nights.
As always, it’s not all about winning, the prizes are spread over all divisions both in age and the different comps like Gross, Stableford, and Nett.
It’s a tough three days for these golfers and the competition is fierce. For many the three days on the same course wears them down. Whangamatā's best result was Jill Agnew coming in at seventh in gross.
Full and final results are available at the club.
The Men’s Masters isn’t far away - November 17-19. And again, that will be a full field.
Whangamatā Ladies Golf Masters is an annual event, and a major fundraiser for the club.
The final year’s tournament is the Paradise Coast Golf Classic, December 1 to 3 across Pauanui’s Lakes Resort, Tairua GC and Whangamatā. Entries are still open at www.whangamata.org.nz. A double pass was drawn at the Ladies Masters and Collen and Ngaire are locked in and ready to rumble on the three-course tournament.
Golf is becoming a major financial drawcard for the Coromandel.
Many golfers are retired and enjoy playing other courses. With the right support and organisation, golf can grow to become a valuable addition to our tourism dollars. Stay and Play destinations around the world are testimony to that.
Here’s hoping the peninsula’s clubs can work more closely together in the future and create what would be some world-class golf adventures.
Jacobson to stay with the Chiefs
The Chiefs’ dominant loose forward Luke Jacobson is the latest player who extended his contract with the club, as well as the Waikato Rugby Union and New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2025.
The 18-test All Black was a consistent starter for the Chiefs this year and a key element of their Super Rugby Pacific performances. He was also among the players named in the All Blacks squad to travel to the Rugby World Cup in France.
Jacobson said he was stoked to re-sign his contract.
“I love representing these teams and am very proud to be able to call myself a Waikato and Chiefs man and also an All Black. I’m hungry to succeed with these teams and tick off a few unticked boxes.”
Gallagher Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan said he was delighted to have Jacobson sticking around for another two seasons.
“Luke is an outstanding player; he’s a workhorse, a consistent performer and considered a real warrior within our group. Luke leads by example both on and off the field. He isn’t one to waste words and prefers to let his actions speak for themself,” McMillan said.
Whangamatā Mah Jong
Forty-five players. Friday’s results were:
1st with 45pts Nancy Gerrard, 2nd with 41pts Liz Routley, 3rd with 38pts Catherine Kidd.
