Sam Tipene attracts big turnout, sees hole-in-one

IN FORM: Sam Tipene Memorial Cup winners Carol Lett (left) and Ray Crawshaw are congratulated by Tipene family matriarch Bunny Crawley.

The annual Sam Tipene Memorial Mixed Open at the Mangawhai Golf Club once again attracted a full field of golfers and Tipene family members. 

Some 150 players took to the immaculately groomed course on Saturday January 12, men playing in two divisions and women in one.

Yet another magical Mangawhai summer's day brought a certain relaxed pace to the round, as the heat kicked in and many golfers found their own form of trouble either side of the manicured fairways.

Scoring was excellent – verging on being sensational for some – and the honest toilers with their to-the-handicap 36 stableford points were left well out of the prize hunt. More than a quarter of the field scored 40 points or better which is quite remarkable for a course of Mangawhai's noted degree of difficulty. The course is currently set up for the holiday visitors and local members took great advantage of that to charge home with a barrage of scores that needed double-checking.

A major highlight of the day – and his golfing life – was the hole-in-one scored by club president Mike Howard on the par 3 17th.  His cries of delight were heard by most on the course and he is doubly chuffed that his first-ever “ace” was scored on a hole named “The Ruby”, Ruby being the name of his first grandchild.

In the Men's Division 1, Robbie Newman came in with 47 points, closely chased (as they played together) with young James Finlay whose 44 just couldn't quite match the old master.

In Division 2, Ray Crawshaw matched the Newman numbers, also returning 47 points. Terry Dowson and Bill Mabey chased hard but their 45’s fell short of the target.

In the women's group, the scoring was a little more modest. Carol Lett, one of our returning Canadian visitors, showed solid form to come in with 39 points and win on countback from Tally Moorhouse and Barbara Chitty.

At the well-attended prizegiving, Bunny Crawley presented the two Sam Tipene Memorial cups to Ray Crawshaw (beating Robbie Newman on countback) and Carol Lett. Mangawhai Golf Club greatly appreciates the generous input from the Tipene family and members are great supporters of a major event on our annual golfing calendar.