Mangawhai to host top amateur interprovincial golf

One of New Zealand's biggest and most prestigious amateur golf tournaments will be played this year on Mangawhai's highly regarded championship course. The annual Toro Men's Interprovincials features teams from 15 provinces and will take place over six days, December 4-9.

This is a positive recognition of the qualities of the Mangawhai course, and the club's ability to host a tournament of such national significance.

“Mangawhai has always been known as a great challenge for golfers of all levels,” says club president Tony Vale. “It may not be the longest course in the country but it will provide lots of questions for these guys and they’ll need to balance length with the ability to hit precise shots into our undulating greens. Our second hole is rated by a lot of top golfers as being the toughest par 4 in New Zealand, so it’ll be interesting to see how these players handle it.”

The recent weather has provided outstanding growing conditions, resulting in lush fairways and greens that are exhibiting their legendary pace. Strategic rough and hazards create problems for wayward shots, and there's always the issue of the prevailing westerly to factor in.

With greenstaff and volunteers working long hours, the club is confident the course will be presented in immaculate condition through all rounds.

Teams play a practice round on Monday, which is followed by an opening ceremony, then competition begins on Tuesday morning with two rounds, morning and afternoon, played each day (except Thursday when only a morning round is played).

Semifinals are played Saturday morning and the 18-hole final to find New Zealand's top province will be played on Saturday afternoon. Once the final is completed the closing ceremony will be held outside the clubhouse, with all teams and their entourages participating.

Typically, Mangawhai members have volunteered enthusiastically to undertake the many roles that are required to make the tournament a success – from manning the on-course progress boards to overseeing the practice range, starting the fields, refereeing, controlling the carpark, security, course maintenance and general organisation.

Clubhouse staff will be organising catering each day, providing drinks and snacks, liaising with NZ Golf organisers and generally ensuring all runs smoothly.

A strong media presence is anticipated and TV coverage will be provided on the last day, all showcasing Mangawhai as a top golf destination, and outstanding holiday and recreational venue. With some 200 visitors involved over the six days, many local businesses will benefit as players and their support teams take the opportunity to see all that Mangawhai has to offer.

“This tournament really puts Mangawhai on the map as a leading golf location,” says club manager Steve Hinton. “Many of these players have visited our course before and we know they really enjoy it, and we can see a lot of first-timers – players and supporters – wanting to come back again. They love the course, but also the whole Mangawhai area offers so much, so we see real immediate and long-term benefits from us hosting the Toro.”

Visitors are most welcome to come and see these top players in action throughout the week. There's no cost for access to the course, although parking may be restricted. The course will be closed to other players through the week, so take the opportunity to see how leading amateurs cope with “unbeatable Mangawhai.”

Lush fairways and pacey greens will be just a few of the challenges for top interprovincial amateur golfers.