Taupō will host a major new professional golf event in April when the Entelar Group Invitational comes to town as part of a national three-event series.
Played across Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary (April 19) and Kinloch Club (April 20), the tournament will feature 50 professionals and 50 amateurs competing over 36 holes.
The Taupō event forms part of the Cisco Series, a premium pro-am format designed to combine elite competition with high-quality visitor experiences at leading golf destinations around New Zealand.
The two other events will be held later this year at Te Arai in October, and Queenstown in December.
The professional field will include top domestic players, invited New Zealand professionals and selected international entrants, competing for a $125,000 prize purse.
Taupō’s inclusion reflects the standing of both host courses, with Wairakei and Kinloch widely recognised for their championship quality, contrasting layouts and strong destination appeal.
For Destination Great Lake Taupō general manager Patrick Dault, the championship is high level endorsement of the premium golfing available in Taupō.
“Wairakei and Kinloch are among New Zealand’s top golf courses so, naturally, we’re not surprised to see them hosting this new event.”
DGLT is excited about Taupō’s inclusion in the series, Dault says.
“Taupō is a really aspirational golfing destination, especially for our international visitors. I think our, our domestic visitors, maybe need a bit of a prompt and a little bit of a reminder, but overall, our international visitors, still rate, especially Kinloch and Wairakei International, as sort of the top golf courses in New Zealand.”
PGA of New Zealand Tournament’s Coordinator Peter Witton agrees.
“With two very different championship venues in the same district, Taupō offers something few golf destinations in New Zealand can match.”
Background provided through PGA of New Zealand suggests around 100 players will travel to Taupō for the tournament, with additional support teams and visitors contributing to local accommodation, hospitality and visitor activity.
“It is about creating a premium experience for players and amateurs, while also putting destinations like Taupō in front of golfers who may return again for their own trips,” says Witton.
The event sits within a wider period of golf activity for Taupō, with the TORO New Zealand Speedgolf Open and the New Zealand Men's Mid Amateur Championship also taking place across the same fortnight.
The event is another way to solidify the Taupō region’s position as a lifestyle destination, Dault says.
“So for international visitors that want to see Aotearoa, it's about coming to Taupō and making the best of our experience and sort of being in destination, compared to places like Rotorua, perhaps where they're looking for more a series of activities.
“But often what happens in Taupō is that we are that lifestyle, great food, and people are just in place… With things like golf and skiing and fly fishing, as an example, and mountain biking, our job at DGLT is to remind people how great our destination is.”
