Grandstands and professional golfers arrive for the Hastings Golf Open

The signage is up, the grandstands are in place and a rather different breed of golfer is set to occupy the putting and chipping greens.

Yes, it’s not your ordinary week at Hastings Golf
Club, which has been transformed to host its first Charles Tour event.

The Wallace Development Hastings Open, to give it its official title, starts at the club on Thursday, featuring professionals such as Josh Geary and Amelia Garvey, along with a host of outstanding young amateurs.

It’s safe to say, some of the warm-up and practice routines are at a rather different level than you’d see on most mornings at Bridge Pa.

The Hastings Open has traditionally been an amateur strokeplay event, but it’s money that has attracted many of the professionals in the 109-strong field and allowed the tournament to attain Charles Tour status.

“The first thing is they have to have the ability to raise the $50,000 prize purse. If they’re able to do that, then we’re happy to come,” said general manager of championships and golf operations for Golf NZ, Dave Mangan, of how host clubs are chosen.

“We’re fortunate here that the Hastings Golf Club is one of the best member clubs in the country and you only have to go out there and see how pure the playing surfaces are. It’s just in fantastic condition.

“This club is one of the few in the country that could host a premier event week-in, week-out – the members are very lucky in that regard – and for a first-off event, we’ve been really pleased with the quality and the size of the field.”

Hawke’s Bay interest might focus on amateurs such as Mako Thompson – already a winner on the Charles Tour – and Zack Swanwick. The latter won the North Island under-19 championships by 14 shots a fortnight ago.

Players are off in three-balls over the first two days, with Geary and amateur Kazuma Kibori among the glamor groups on Thursday morning. Kibori has been ranked as high as 42 in the world and recently won the Australian Amateur Championship.

Uniquely, once the top 60 players make the cut on Friday night, they will be paired with club members for an additional best-ball competition for Saturday and Sunday.

At the sharp end, though, it’s all about winning the 72-hole strokeplay event and preparing for the bigger stages that hopefully await.

“While we want the best players we can play these events, what we really want is to see them on the European Tour and the PGA Tour and flying the flag for us overseas,” said Mangan.