General Managers Message

 Allan Botha 

Dear Members, 

Our fairways and greens are looking fantastic as we head into a big week for the club, with both the Five Course Classic and the Omokoroa Open just around the corner. A huge thanks to the greens team for their hard work getting the course into such excellent condition. 

Course Update – Important Changes from Monday 19 January 

Starting Monday 19 January, we will move to playing the lie on all fairways, with one exception: 

• Hole 10: Mark, lift, clean, and tee up on the fairway. 

Yes — you read that correctly — the 10th is officially back in play from Monday onwards. Even better, it will revert to a par 4, and the scorecards will reflect this change. 

While the grass on the 10th fairway is coming along well, it is still bedding in. To protect it and ensure we maintain the best possible playing surface, a temporary local rule has been implemented allowing players to mark, lift, clean, and tee up their ball anywhere on the 10th fairway. This ensures we can enjoy having the hole back in action without compromising turf health. 

See attached updated Local rules.

Local_Golf_Rules.docx

Thank You to Our Volunteers 

A special thank you to our incredible volunteers: 
Stuart Rae, Jarvis Grainger (15-year-old), and David Ashton 
Your effort in cleaning up behind the greenkeepers has made a noticeable difference, and the course will look all the better for the visitors competing next week. 

Thank you also to the members who have put their hands up to help with the Five Course Classic. Your support keeps these events running smoothly and reflects the strong community spirit we’re so proud of at Omokoroa. 

Member Milestone 

Congratulations to Jesse Savage, who shot an impressive 90, once again breaking her age. She continues to inspire us all—be sure to read more about her achievement in the ladies’ section. Truly remarkable! 

Omokoroa Open – Entries Closing Soon 

A reminder that entries for the Omokoroa Open will close on Monday 19 January at 5pm. If you’re still keen to play, please make sure your name is down before the deadline. 

Thank you all for your ongoing support, enthusiasm, and contribution to our club community. We look forward to an exciting week ahead. 

See you on the course, 
Allan Botha 
General Manager 
Omokoroa Golf Club 

2026 Omokoroa Open 

Date: 24-25 January 2026 

Format: 36 Hole Strokeplay, Individual Nett, Gross and optional team of four event 

• $95.00 Entry fee 
• Two Women Divisions (Subject to entries) 

• Three Men Divisions (Subject to entries) 

$15K in prizes, including: 

• Best Nett prizes per division. 
• Best Gross Overall. 
• Best Combined Nett (Team of four) 
• Win your height in beer – Nearest to the pin prize 
• Win a Giant Chilly Bin – Nearest to the pin chipping competition 
• Auction 
• Raffles 
• Spot prizes 

The format for entering the Omokoroa Open is outlined below: 

1. Go to the Event Calendar on the Omokoroa Golf Club website to register and pay your individual entry. 
2. To enter a team, one team member will need to select “Yes” under Registration Options and pay the $100 team entry fee. 
3. Once registered, please email manager@omokoroagolf.co.nz to let Allan know who is in your team. 

Click Here - Register Now 

Or pay via bank transfer: 

Payment Details: 

• Account Name: Omokoroa Golf Club Inc 
• Bank: SBS Bank 
• Account Number: 03-1355-0508772-003 
• Reference: Omok Open 

Once paid, please email proof of payment manager@omokoroagolf.co.nz  

Weekly Member Drop-In Session 

In an effort to ensure accurate information is shared and to keep communication open, I will be making myself available on Tuesday 20 January in the Marquee from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. 

Feel free to grab a coffee and join me to discuss any issues, concerns, or ideas you may have. If I don’t have an immediate answer for you, I will make sure to follow up as soon as possible. 

Your feedback and questions are always welcome—let’s keep the conversation going! 

Most Improved Golfers

Month 15 December-15 Janurary

Congratulations to the Sasha's.  Both our Sascha's are sitting at the top of the list of most improved handicaps this month.

Sascha Apanui has dropped from a 12.6 to an 8 over the festive season
and Sasha Colbourne has also had some great rounds while on holiday, her handicap dropping from a 23.3 to a 16.9

 

9 Hole Men
Fred Hartley

Men’s Nine Hole Golf - Thursday 15^th  January 2026
Not everyone finished in the rain but some did. Top Ambrose team scores went to:

Thomas Hansen, Shaun Sutcliffe, Lawson Stewart, Gordon Lusby 29.5
Trevor Smith, Steve Crossfield, Tom Hansen, Bruce Baggenstos    31.5

Next week: Course unavailable - (5 course tournament)  

Caitlin Maurice
And while I am in bragging mode. I hope you all managed to see OUR Caitlin Maurice on TV last night. And yes, Omokoroa did get a mention and a video clip!
Caitlin has been selected in the NZ team to play in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships, to be held at the Royal Wellington Golf Club in February.

Caitlin is currently on a golf scholarship at the University of St Andrews doing her Masters, and playing in their golf team. She completed her Bachelors Degree on a golf scholarship at the University of Sacramento.

I contacted Caitlin yesterday to wish her luck. She says to say hello to everyone at Omokoroa and that if she has time, while in NZ, she will drop in. Hopefully we will all be able to watch her on TV at the Asia Pacific Champs, 12^th to 15^th February.

Twilight
 

PaR n.z. Twilight Update

We had a fantastic turnout this week, with around 80 players taking part in our combined stableford competition. Great to see so many of you out enjoying the evening golf.

Congratulations to our winners:

• Pairs: Emma Turner & Nicky Taylor claimed 1st place with an excellent performance.
• Individual: Emma Turner led the field and took top honours—well played!

Important – Start Time Reverts Next Week

From next Wednesday, 21 January, we’ll be returning to a 5:30pm shotgun start.

To keep things running smoothly, please follow these steps:

1. Book your game on DotGolf as usual.
2. Register on the day from 4:30pm onwards in the office—print your scorecard and pay your haggle.
3. Report to the starters, Kerry and Swampy, at the marquee no later than 5:10pm.
4. Head to your starting hole in time for the 5:30pm shotgun start.

Make a Night of It

Remember to take the night off cooking and support the Caddy Shack by grabbing your dinner there after golf. Great food, great atmosphere—it’s part of what makes Twilight such a fun weekly event.

Please click here to view the season leaderboard:

Format for next week:

Stringball (Bring a pair of scissors)

See you next week!

You Travel Friday Haggle
Terry Golder