MEN’S CLUB COMPETITIONS

Know the background to all the New Plymouth Golf Club’s men’s competitions?  Here’s what they are all about...

DON POOL CUP
This cup was donated in 1980 by former Club Captain and Vice-President Don Pool to stimulate summer golf – hence the competition being the first of every season. It is combined net medal by any two men members over one round. Partners must be declared before commencement of play.

FARR CUP
These are Fedex Cup-style competitions – one for Saturdays and another for Wednesday s – which are played  throughout the year, with the top 30 players from each competition going through to two-week playoffs at year end.

CLUB  STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
This event is played over three rounds, with divisions determined by course handicaps off the white tees on the day of the first round. Divisions are Senior 1-7, Intermediate 8-13, Junior 14-18, Limit 19+. Seniors play off the blue championship tees, the other divisions off the white club tees. Two of the three rounds will count as qualifying for the Club Matchplay Championships.
Senior: For the J Armstrong Trophy, presented by 1987 by former Club President John Armstrong.
Intermediate: For the Shell Trophy, presented by Shell New Zealand Ltd in 1987.
Junior: Keith Hay Cup, presented by Keith Hay Homes Ltd in 1987.
Limit: Wales Bank Trophy, which replaces the original trophy, the Dalgleish Cup, which was presented in 1970 by club member Ian Dalgleish and which cannot be located at this time.

SHOOT-OUT
Qualifying for this competition runs from late February to late October, with an entry fee of $20 per competitor. Each player’s best 12 Saturday stableford scores over this period will count. Qualfiers will be the 19 competitors with the best stableford totals. The shoot-out final will be played on a Sunday in late November. All 19 finalists tee-off together, with handicap strokes taken where they occur. One player is eliminated after each hole.

JOHNS NGAMOTU
This trophy was presented in 1952 by Life Member FS Johns, who early last century helped negotiate the lease of the land which is now the site of our Ngamotu course. Mr Johns was a former Club and Taranaki champion, Club President, and NZ Golf Association President. The Johns Ngamotu competition is two rounds aggregate nett medal.

PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
This trophy was presented in 2002 by former Club President Neil Wolfe to replace the original trophy which is now permanently displayed at the 19^th. It is single stableford over one round.

CLUB MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Divisions for these championships are the same as those for the Club Strokeplay Championships, which are determined by course handicaps off the white tees on the day of the first round of the strokeplay.  Divisions are Senior 1-7, Intermediate 8-13, Junior 14-18, Limit 19+. Seniors play off the blue championship tees, all other divisions are off the white club tees.  Senior, Intermediate and Junior play is off the stick, Limit matches are handicap events. Finals are over 36 holes for Senior and Intermediate divisions, Junior and Limit finals are over 18 holes.
Senior: For the Dr EA Walker Memorial Cup, presented in 1940 in memory of Dr Walker, a Life Member who was Club Captain several times from 1896 and President for 28 years from 1912 to 1939.
Intermediate: For the Bill Fuller Cup, presented in 1956 by Mr WH Fuller of Urenui.
Junior:  For the Tarurutangi Cup, purchased in 1956 using funds received from the Tarurutangi Golf Club when it went into recess, with many members then joining this Club.
Limit: Taranaki Electronics Cup, presented in 1996 by Club member Graeme Keen.

BRENT LAHOOD MEMORIAL TROPHY
Competition for this trophy began in 2009 as single round net medal, but from 2019 it was changed to a handicap matchplay event, the trophy replacing the Coltman Cup which was retired. Mr WHC Coltman had been a Club member for just three months in 1927 while relieving manager at an insurance office, and he donated the trophy on his departure.

Brent Lahood represented Taranaki in both cricket and golf, and at the time of his death in 2009 aged just 51 he had  been involved in Club administration for a number of years and Board Chairman for five years.

MEDLEY CUP
This trophy was presented in 1912 – the year the current Ngamotu course was officially opened  - by Mr JSS Medley who was Club Captain at the time. Competition is single round par.

JEFFERY CUP
This event is a partners matchplay competition, in which combined nett scores count on each hole. Lowest handicapped player in each four goes to scratch and other players’ handicaps reduce accordingly. Draw is done by the Match Committee by lot. During the competition a substitute player may be used once.

The trophy was presented in 1975 by Life Member Jim Jeffery, who enjoyed almost legendary status for his golfing ability. He was Club champion six times and Taranaki champion seven times between 1937 and 1966. One famous accomplishment was in 1938 when he halved an exhibition match against South African professional Bobby Locke using just five old hickory shafted clubs – one bound up with insulation tape. Locke was so impressed that after the match he donated money to allow Jeffery to purchase his first proper set of clubs.

TOP DOG
Four-ball matchplay, open to the first 32 pairs entered. Draw done by the Match Committee by lot. During the competition a substitute player may be used once.

The trophy was presented in 1938 by Sir Herbert Austin, founder of the Austin Motor Company. It is understood that Sir Herbert donated a number of such trophies to prominent golf clubs throughout New Zealand and Australia.

STANDISH CUP
This competition is aggregate nett medal over two rounds. The trophy was presented in 1912 by Mr Arthur Standish who was Club president from 1896 to 1912. Mr Standish, a lawyer, was one of our Club’s principal founders – during his time as president the Club moved from its original nine-hole course overlooking the port area, to his own farm property on land where Yarrow Stadium is now located, and finally to our current location.

Mr Standish, who was appointed a Crown Solicitor in 1863 and who also served as New Plymouth’s first Mayor from 1876 to 1878, was made a Life Member in 1902.

ARTHUR WHITE MEMORIAL
This trophy was presented by the family of Arthur White, a Club member who drowned in a boating accident off Pukearuhe. It is two ball best ball par by any two men members.

FRANKLIN WHITE TROPHY
This Wednesday Club competition is open to men aged 55 and over.  It is single stableford over one round. The trophy was presented in 1935 by Mr FK White, a Hawakes Bay farmer who joined the Club when he retired to New Plymouth.

BOB THOMPSON TROPHY
Canadian foursomes differs from standard foursomes in that on each hole each pair chooses which of their two drives to play, and then play standard foursomes from there.  The trophy was donated in 2019 by Life Member Bob Thompson who for many years has been one of Taranaki’s experts on golf rules.

WESTON TROPHY
This trophy was presented in 1929 by Mr Claude Weston, who left New Plymouth in 1931 to become Judge Advocate General in Wellington.  Competition is combined stableford by any two men members over one round. Partners are to be declared before commencement of play.

CLUB CAPTAIN VS GENERAL MANAGER CHRISTMAS TEAM CHALLENGE
This is a fun Christmas challenge, with all men players on the day selected to one of the teams, and the winning team being the one with the best stableford total. Competition is for the Big Club, which was donated by the Simpson family and is on display in the 19^th.

DON ANDREWS TROPHY
This trophy goes to the player who cards the best stableford score on the final Wednesday Club competition day of the year. It was donated by the family of the late Life Member Don Andrews. The trophy was initially offered to the player with the lowest score playing a ball between the 1^st tee and the 14^th green, and was then transferred to the Wednesday Club event.