How the Playing side of our Programme works
Learning to play golf can be hard for kids! The most challenging part is the length of golf courses. Our goal is for young golfers to work their way through these tee blocks and see how fast you move up the course ladder.
All 3-hole players will start from 20 meters away from the green and must shoot par or better (12 shots or better over 3 holes) to advance back to the 50m marker. From here, the same will be repeated with players needing to shoot par or better to advance to the red 90m markers. Once a player completes the 3 holes off the 90m red markers in par or better (12 or better), they are now eligible to play 9 holes off the white 135m fairway markers!
9-hole players will start from the 135m white fairway marker and must shoot par or better (36 shots over 9 holes or better) to advance back to the purple tees. Once a player completes the 9 holes off the purple tees in par or better, they are now eligible to play 18 holes off the green tees!
This same process will continue until you reach the black tee blocks—our Championship tee.
With our great junior programmes, it is easy to see why we are the only club in New Zealand to boast not one, or two, but three PGA Tour players that have come through our programmes. Grant Waite, Craig Perks and Tim Wilkinson have all come out of our junior program, along with leading New Zealand women golfers Claire Dury and Susan Farron. Susan has gone on to become one of New Zealand’s leading teaching professionals in Auckland and President of the New Zealand Professional Golf Association. Combined with the likes of Josh Munn who is the only amateur to win two men’s professional golf tournaments, along with the New Zealand Amateur Championship. It is easy to see why the Manawatu Golf Shop’s junior programme is second to none in the country!