Smokin` Mountain 2007
& the North Island Disc Golf Championships
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Story by Bob Gentil
The word was that Des the TD of the Smokin Mountain NZ Tour event was planning something special to mark the 10th year of this National Park event. On top of that we’d also been invited to a surprise 50th Birthday celebration for Pete Boyle’s wonderful wife Corynne on the Saturday night, plus the ‘ACE Kitty’ had reached an all time high of well over $450, so the weekend was shaping up to be something rather special.
On arrival at the Boyle residents in Taumarunui late Friday afternoon we hardly had time to catch our breath and say hello before we were out the door and on our way down to the Polo-cross Grounds for a game of Doubles. Always a good way to start the weekend!
Saturday morning and the 40 minute drive down to National Park saw us looking closely at the weather and hoping for, at the very least, a dry couple of days. The forecast was all good but they’ve been known to get it wrong before. As it was the wind did stay from the south which meant it was coming directly off the snow capped cones of National Park. It would be fair to say there was a nip in the air and thermals were definitely the order of the day!
The format for the weekend was the two rounds on the Saturday would be the ‘Smokin Mountain’ event. The two rounds on the Sunday would be the ‘North Island Champs’ and your accumulative score over the 4 rounds would be where the final tour points for the year were up for grabs.
The course was in fantastic condition, the grass was short, the pin placements were testing and the ‘Ace Kitty’ was there to be had on numerous holes. Des and the Lost Tribe crew had done a brilliant job getting it looking and playing so well.
As the cards came in after the second round One Tree Hill golfer Marty de Haas had taken out the Smokin Mountain Title along with the Masters Trophy, Local Blair Joins 4 shots adrift had the Open and the GM a further 1 shot back took the Grand Masters. The woman’s competition was interesting as Des has installed shortened tees on all but 3 holes on the course which seemed to suit local Cherie Blackburn’s game as she come out on top of Ming Menzies by 2 shots. [But the best was yet to come from Cherie].
Once again it was great to have a woman’s field of 5 contesting the silverware along with Cherie and Ming - the Joynts were there in force with Allie, Robyn and Mum Jenny playing in her first event.
After a fantastic surprise birthday on the Saturday night for Pete’s wife Corynne at the Mahoe Motel it was back to ‘Hotel Boyle’ for a decent nights sleep, getting up early to catch the Kiwi’s / GB Test not to mention to start the day off with the birthday girl's full cooked breakfast for 6 .. Thanks’ once again Corynne and Pete!
Wow! What a day, not a cloud in the sky, not a breath of wind and the three volcanic mountains on Tongariro National Park covered in a dumping of new snow, set off against the crystal clear blue sky. The vistas as we drove towards National Park were spectacular.
Today was a whole new event, the ‘North Island Champs’ and of course today’s scores would be added to the ones from yesterday for the all important tour points. PLUS the ‘Ace Kitty’ was still very much alive!
It was half way through the first round on the Sunday when it happened, a huge smash of the chains followed by woops and yahoos’ from the direction of hole #1. A visiting golfer from California Calib Gribi had been convinced to put $2 into the Ace kitty just before starting, and it turned out to be a great investment. His ace was witnessed by the foursome in front which made it all the more appealing, not to mention noisy. Good skills Calib! There were one and a half rounds to go for someone to split it with him, but it didn’t happen and our visitor from the States took over $460 for his shot.
At the end of a brilliant day of Disc Golf the GM had taken out the North Island Title along with the Grand Masters with rounds of 51 and 57. Another Grand Master Pete Boyle was just 2 shots back in second with Calib Gribi and Marty de Haas tied for third overall but taking the Open and Masters titles. The North Island Woman’s title went to Cherie Blackburn who impressed with an amazing 52 in her opening round backed up by a solid 59 in the afternoon. The J18 boys went to local Taumarunui Disc Golfer Bruno Whale and the J16 Woman’s champion is Robyn Joynt.
As far as the tour points are concerned the winning 50 were split by Bob the GM Gentil and Marty de dev de Haas.
Congratulations to all who made the effort and played the 10th anniversary ‘Smokin` Mountain’ tour event, and well done to TD Des Cooper who made sure everyone got a players disc and an impressive array of prizes as well. Also it needs to be noted that Marty 'de dev' de Haas just pulled off his first win on the New Zealand Disc Golf Tour, so there will be no more mention of the ginger crumble ever again.. Good skills Marty!
Calib Gribi from Northern California made his trip down under worth his while picking up the $460 plus Ace Kitty on hole number 1 at National Park.
Hole #1 was a picture. Here Blair Joines plays up hoping not to roll down the other side.
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Marty, Pete, The GM and Blair take time out during the first round on the Sunday.
What a backdrop! The top group on the Sunday morning on the hole 8 tee.
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Allie Joynt all concentration as she lines up her up shot.
The impressive back drop of National Park dwarfed the group about to tee off on hole #8.
Blair Joines makes it stick on the newly reconfigured hole 3.
Hamilton golfer Josh Smith tentatively putts at basket 7. With this sort of backdrop it was hard to stay on task.
Victor, Bazz, Paul C and Ming wait on the second tee and take in the surroundings.
Taumarunui side arm Legend Pete Boyle on the 17th green in front of Discovery Lodge.
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Last year in the juniors for local Bruno Whale as he waits on the tee with Calib, mum Cherie and Andrew Taylor from Tauranga.
Josh Smith in the woods
Lunch under the trees.
Calib Gribi scores another hole in one. Sadly this one wasn’t paying, just causing troubles on the 18th fairway.
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The GM gets the scores down. What an office eh!
Putting out on the 17th wasn’t easy with views like these.
The final players meeting ahead of heading to the course for the last time for 2007.
A group plays out hole 12 as the weather starts to close in on the Saturday afternoon.
TD Des Cooper shows the style that took him to Worlds in Wisconsin earlier in the year.
Shane Te Wiki drives hole number 17 along side the state highway. [you’d never guess this guy’s a local.
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Smokin` Mountain 2007
& the North Island Disc Golf Championships
Click here to see your standings in the New Zealand Disc Golf Tour 2007
| Psn |
Player |
Division |
Round 1 |
Round 2 |
Round 3 |
Round 4 |
Total |
| 1 |
Marty de Hass |
M |
58 |
55 |
55 |
58 |
226 |
| 2 |
Bob Gentil |
GM |
61 |
57 |
51 |
57 |
226 |
| 3 |
Pete Boyle |
GM |
62 |
58 |
55 |
55 |
230 |
| 4 |
Blair Joines |
O |
61 |
56 |
56 |
58 |
231 |
| 5 |
Calib Gribi |
O |
63 |
57 |
56 |
57 |
233 |
| 6 |
Josh Smith |
O |
62 |
57 |
60 |
54 |
233 |
| 7 |
Cherie Blackburn |
W |
66 |
58 |
52 |
59 |
235 |
| 8 |
Andrew Taylor |
O |
64 |
58 |
58 |
59 |
239 |
| 9 |
Bruno Whale |
J18 |
66 |
57 |
61 |
56 |
240 |
| 10 |
Ming Menzies |
W |
63 |
63 |
58 |
58 |
242 |
| 11 |
Baz Keane |
M |
65 |
62 |
61 |
60 |
248 |
| 12 |
Des Cooper |
M |
66 |
62 |
59 |
62 |
249 |
| 13 |
Paul Cohen |
GM |
64 |
64 |
60 |
61 |
249 |
| 14 |
Victor Kereopa |
O |
65 |
62 |
61 |
63 |
251 |
| 15 |
|
M |
70 |
60 |
62 |
60 |
252 |
| 16 |
Martin Galley |
O |
68 |
65 |
61 |
59 |
253 |
| 17 |
Shane Te Wiki |
O |
68 |
66 |
61 |
63 |
258 |
| 18 |
Allie Joint |
W |
67 |
66 |
76 |
72 |
281 |
| 19 |
Nigel Barnwell |
GM |
103 |
63 |
64 |
63 |
293 |
| 20 |
Robin Joint |
J16 |
81 |
69 |
75 |
75 |
300 |
| 21 |
Jenny Joint |
W |
81 |
81 |
80 |
86 |
328 |
| 22 |
Tony Hall |
O |
81 |
69 |
124 |
124 |
398 |
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Click here to see your standings in the New Zealand Disc Golf Tour 2007
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