2013 Open to be held in the Hawkes Bay

Great news golfing tragics, next years Open will be held in the Hawkes Bay at the mighty Cape Kidnappers and Napier GC. End of daylight saving weekend is booked and the format will be similar to 2012 i.e. Fly down, play Saturday, dinner on Saturday night at nice restaurant, play Sunday then back to town. Sweet.

The Stableford vs Net Score debate resolved at 2012 Open

Apart from the great golf courses and perfect conditions, another monumental debate was finally resolved at this years Open. For years Scott & Spid had complained that Stableford disadvantaged the lower golf handicap player. Equally the higher handicappers maintained that Net scores were an advantage to the low handicappers who avoid blowouts etc. Well this years Open exposed both of these viewpoints as a bunch of bollocks. The fact of the matter is that Spid won this years tourney on a Stabie count back from Marty, who incidentally would have won the tourney had it been a Net score tourney. Spid was playing on a handicap about 10 strokes below Marty. Enough said. So whatever the format for a tourney boys, whoever plays as close to his handicap as possible will usually do quite well no matter what the format. Now we can move on to arguing about more important things.....

History made at the 2012 Open

The seagull swoops and becomes the first ever two-time winner of the Open! Played in near perfect conditions at Wanganui and New Plymouth this years tourney was a great opportunity to get the business done on course. Spiddy certainly stepped up to the mark and took the title from Marty in a stabie countback.

Trev and Adi managed to tie for the 2012 HC Snatch award for most crap performances on course. Smith and Marty clearly won the award for best performance off the course with Smith in particularly fertile form at some of New Plymouths less salubrious venues....

Andre L'escargot gets full marks for an outstanding tournament dinner!

Apart from news feeding back of some participants clear inability to understand basic golf etiquette the tourney can be at this stage described as a great success.

Trevor to organise next years tourney, Kidnappers looking likely. Adi will be playing next year if his pychiatric rehabilitation has progressed enough.

Highlights of the tourney: Great restaurant, comfortable accommodation, excellent courses.
Lowlights: Bad sportsmanship/lack of etiquette, call it what you like, whinging and whining....

See you at the HIO!

Introducing The Open Shield!

Look to the right gentleman to see the new prize! Its of Ranfurly Shield proportions and should last us until at least the 2072 Open! Of course the prized Cambo shirt is still a huge Open honor, the Shield adds to the gravitas of this most august of events!

2012 Agenda

The Open – est. 2006

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty I am free to play in the Open”

Saturday 31^st March 2012

12.30 arrival for 1pm Tee-Off

Wanganui Golf Club (Belmont Links)

http://www.wanganuigolfclub.co.nz/contact-us

Clarkson Road

Westmere Wanganui

Green Fees $35 affilliated

5pm – 5.30pm depart for New Plymouth (approx 2 hrs)

7.30pm Check-in to Hotel

Quality Hotel Plymouth International

Cnr. Courtenay & Leach St.

New Plymouth 4312

Accommodation inclusive Breakfast $130

8.15 Depart Hotel for Restaurant (on foot)

8.30 Dinner

Andre L’escargot Restaurant

http://www.andres.co.nz/

10.30 After dinner is open, carry on or head back to hotel, individual choice.

NB: Turn your clocks back 1 hour for end of daylight saving.

Sunday 1^st of April 2012

8am Breakfast

9.15am Checkout and Depart

10am Tee-Off

New Plymouth Golf Club (Ngamoto)

http://www.newplymouthgolf.co.nz/welcome/index.mhtml

Fitzroy

New Plymouth

Green Fees $40 affilliated

2.30 pm Prize-giving

3.30 pm Depart to Airport

Conrad late scratching from the Open

The field is back to 9 with 10 days until Tee-Off in this years Open. Apparently putting food on his family's table is more important than golf with mates. There is just no figuring out some people....

15 days and counting down....

If you have left your campaign preparation late, now might be the time to dust off your weapons...

10 Contenders for Open Glory

We are now 10. Adi, Spid, Scott, Smith, Trev, Conrad, Steve, Simon, Marty, Ben. That equals 10. But as we know folks, when it comes to the Open there can only be One. Yes One winner. Early form suggests that Spid and Steve are going to be a massive problem. Thats on course problem I'm talking... both playing great golf, Spid due to his semi-professional campaigning with his doctor and Steve due to his unfeasibly favourable handicapp which belongs to a golfer far worse than he is. Adi's campaign is in tatters, his James Brown funky Tee Shots proving to be as unpredictable as they are accurate...

New Format to be trialled at this years Open!

For years there has been continued argument about what system is fairest, stableford or net score. This year we will be having the best of both systems. Details as follows:

One round will be played under stableford.

One round will be played under net score.

Wherever you place in each round you will be assigned a score between 1 & 9 (the number of players).

Your combined number after 2 rounds is your final position in the field.

The player with the lowest number wins the Open.

e.g. On day one player X hits 34 stabies and is in 3rd place. His score for the round is 3.

On day 2 player X hits a net 74 and comes in 5th place. His score is 5.

His combined score is 3 + 5 = 8.

Player Y hits 35 stabies on day one and is in 4th place. His score is 4.

On day 2 player Y hits a net 68 and is in 2nd place. His score is 2.

His combined score is 4 + 2 = 6.

Player Y beats player X.

Its new, its innovative and fresh. I'm sure some of you will hate it. At the end of the day, the best golfer wins.

In the event of a tie, a playoff hole will be played under stableford rules.

Trev late confirmation for 2012 Open

Great news that foundation Open player Trev Pye will be lining up in this years event.