5th Newsletter July 2026

Taranaki – A Great Golf Destination

I'm not sure we've ever truly shared this message with the world, but perhaps it's time we did.

Taranaki is home to 18 golf courses, with three ranked among New Zealand's Top 50 courses. Combine that with our spectacular coastline, world-class parks, iconic mountain, vibrant arts scene, and welcoming communities, and you have all the ingredients of a fantastic golf holiday.

Golf travellers are also known to spend more than many other tourists, making golf tourism a real opportunity for our clubs, local businesses, and the wider region.

I've been fortunate to experience some of the world's great golfing destinations, including a Route 66 golf trip across the United States, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, the Dye-abolical Trail through South Carolina and Florida, and closer to home, Queenstown. Every destination offered something unique, but one thing was always the same—the golf courses were the centrepiece of the experience and the reason I travelled.

So why not Taranaki?

Over the past few months, we've been working with our clubs to gather information that allows visitors to quickly compare courses and begin planning their own Taranaki golf adventure. While still in its early stages, this new golf destination guide is now available on the Taranaki Golf website.

We're also excited to be partnering with the Novotel New Plymouth, whose expertise and reach into the visitor market will help us promote Taranaki as a golfing destination to travellers arriving in the region. We hope this is just the beginning, with more tourism partners joining the journey.

The Bayleys Challenge, which launched this month, is another important step. It encourages golfers to discover courses on their own doorstep while supporting clubs through additional green fee revenue. If we can inspire local golfers to explore more of Taranaki, why not extend that invitation to the rest of New Zealand—and eventually the world?

Taranaki has everything needed to become one of New Zealand's must-play golf destinations. Now it's time to tell that story.

Peter Harold

Taranaki Golf CEO

10% Rebate on every Taranaki Golf Club order

15% Discount on Dynasty Sport Website for all Golf Taranaki members.

CODE: TARANAKIGOLF2@25

Direct link with code already applied: Dynasty Sport x Golf Taranaki Discount

Strathmore

In June I had the pleasure of visiting Strathmore Golf Club, and what a great course it is.

Strathmore is a 9-hole layout that can be played as 18 holes thanks to different tee boxes and pin positions, creating a fresh challenge on the second loop. If you're looking for a round with a bit of adventure, this course is well worth the trip. It's well maintained, thoughtfully designed, and offers something different on almost every hole.

The signature Hole 3 (played as Hole 12 on the back nine) is a memorable boomerang-shaped fairway with a ridge running through the middle. You can take on the risk-reward line over the ridge to cut the corner but be warned—a large tree is waiting on the other side to punish anything offline.

The following hole is a short par 3 that demands a steep uphill shot to a small green perched on a hill. It looks straightforward but is far more challenging than first impressions suggest.

The variety continues throughout the course, with each hole presenting its own unique test. Another standout is the long par 3 measuring 144 metres from one tee and 161 metres when played as Hole 15, requiring an all-carry shot that demands both commitment and accuracy.

At just $10 for a round, it's hard to find better value for money. Strathmore Golf Club is a fantastic reason to get involved in the Bayleys Challenge Central Region and discover one of Taranaki's hidden golfing gems.

CHRIS HILL

TGA Staff

Congratulations to the winners of our Taranaki Age Group Championships who displayed their excellent skills and attitude over 36 holes at Ngamotu and Fitzroy. A massive thank you to Taranaki Golf Centre for their generous support of the event and to Fitzroy and Ngamotu for generously giving their time to the event.

Boys

U19 - Jackson Moorhead (New Plymouth) 68, 69

U16 - Levi Prince (Taupo) 72, 69

U13 - Ke Xu (Windross Farm) 82, 79

Girls

U19 - Lonasei Lolo (Royal Wellington) 80, 74

U16 - Yuri Lee (Remuera) 77, 68

U13 - Lindsay Fan (Howick) 72, 74

Congratulations to Calen Parsons for winning the South Taranaki Age Groups - Murray West 'Westy' Shield in a play off against Pupuke's Sam Macfarlane. Both young men shot 71 in regular play and then went to a playoff which took four holes to find the winner. It was awesome seeing the support out on the course watching the boys!

Leading Local Gross Scores

Calen Parsons 71

Jackson Moorhead 73

Divan Denton 74

Oliva Symes 75

Vivaan Chand 80

Leading Local Nett Scores

Cory Greenlees (Westown) 70

Coltan Parsons (Te Ngutu) 70

Oliver Smithson (Strathmore) 75

Greg's Golf Rules Guide

SITUATION: In our friendly game on a Sunday, our group all entered the stroke-play competition. We always play together so there's no issue when we give each other “gimmes” – putts that stop within 50cm (a couple of feet) from the hole, we pick up instead of holing out. That helps speed up play and is a good strategy.

True or False?

*Answer found later in newsletter.

The Bayleys Challenge is officially underway!

The Northern Exposure region is first cab off the rank, featuring Urenui, Manukorihi, and Waitara Golf Clubs.

From 1 July to 31 August, golfers will take on all three courses, with their best nett scores of each course deciding who will be crowned the conqueror of this proud region.

Haven't entered yet? There's still time! Register now and join the challenge. We look forward to seeing who rises to the top of Northern Exposure.

Here's your quick Golf Smart tip from Taranaki Golf and our friends at the Skin Clinic — because looking after your skin all year round is just as important as looking after your swing.

“When it's cold and you are wrapped up - it doesn't mean your face and hands aren't exposed. Slap sunscreen on!”

Skin Clinic Taranaki is offering an exclusive deal to our 5,000 Taranaki Golf members:

20% off your first appointment (for new patients who are golf members)

10% off all future skin check appointments (for both new and existing patients)

reception@skinclinictaranaki.co.nz

06 2811698

www.skinclinictaranaki.co.nz

We're thrilled to announce our new partnership with Juno Gin!

There's something special about partnering with a local brand that shares our passion for creating memorable experiences. Just like golf, Juno Gin has a way of turning the ordinary into something truly magical.

As the Official Gin Partner of She Loves Golf, Juno Gin will help us invigorate this programme with exciting new benefits, resources, events, and development opportunities for women across Taranaki.

We can't wait to bring this partnership to life and share what's ahead.

So next time you're choosing a gin, make it Juno Gin and support a local brand that's helping grow the game of golf in Taranaki.

Here's to great golf, great partnerships, and great gin.

ANSWER TO GREG'S GOLF RULES GUIDE

False. In stroke play, if two or more players agree to ignore any rule or penalty they know applies, they will be disqualified unless the agreement is made before the round and is cancelled before any player involved in the agreement begins their round. C1.3b(1)/1. Even if the players found out on the first putting green that their agreement would result in DQ, so they putt out, they are still disqualified because they agreed to ignore Rule 3.3c (Failure to Hole Out). If a player independently picked up their ball near the pin in frustration, said “put me down as a double bogey” and went and teed off at the next hole, they would be disqualified. R3.3C. You can concede strokes in match play and pick up. You are not disqualified in a Stableford competition if you pick up; you score zero points instead. R21.1c