Check out the photo gallery.  If you are interested in sponsoring next year’s event, please get in touch today!

Thanks to everyone that attended the second Grower2Grower Golf Day held on the 15^th of September 2023 at the Pukekohe Golf Course.  There was an amazing turn out of growers and suppliers.  It was a great day that even a few showers couldn’t spoil.

Marie and I would like to thank all the sponsors that made the event possible.

Major Sponsors: Horticentre

Drinks Sponsor: Apex Greenhouses

Breakfast Sponsor:  Yara NZ

Hole Sponsors:

• Lefroy Valley
• Gellerts
• Signify
• Zonda Bees
• Educhem
• Franklin Law
• Ecomix
• ANZ

Some sponsors also donated prizes for the games they had on their holes.  The big winners were the 22 players that won a Gellert’s competition- ‘Putt the Marshmallow’ the prize for which was a beautiful house plant.

Congratulations to Kate Miln, from NZ Gourmet, for winning the huge Franklin Law hamper (apparently, she had to call her mum to help her get it into her car).  Dinah Cohen won the Lefroy Valley ‘guess the number of seeds in the jar’ with an amazing $ 250 Mitre 10 voucher.  Thanks to Grant Beare and the Educhem team – lots of growers went home with containers of HuwaSan and Silifert P.  Zonda kindly donated their beehive that was won the following day at the Karaka School Ag Day.

Check out the quick montage above

Special Mentions:

Congratulations to the teams on the day that competed for the Trophy, just winning again this year was the Educhem Bandits over the two Gellert Nursery teams.

A special mention to Dinah Cohen, Business Manager from Tomatoes NZ, who joined the Grower2Grower event management team for the day, a great help on the registration desk, and delivering drinks around the course.

Well done to Marcus Beare who braved the elements the entire day at hole number 10 without a tent to keep him dry.

PHOTO GALLERY:

Above the Wicked Westies representing Horticentre Massey.  Some SUPERB HERB shots from the West Aucklanders.

Above Team Apex Greenhouses – Hack Attack.  A huge thankyou to James from Apex for keeping our golfers refreshed!

Welcome breakfast above and below.  Thanks to Yara NZ for sponsoring the welcome breakfast.

The big breakfast muffins went down a treat – thanks to Karen and the team at Pukekohe Golf Club for the amazing service and great food.

Team Par & Bar from Gellerts were just pipped at the post finishing second on the day.  Well done to Mitch on winning the longest drive.

Above – The (NZG) Gourmet Waiuku Bashers representing Zonda Beneficials.  This year finishing well up the leader board showing they had a lot more STING than last year.

Above – The Golf Warriors representing Horticentre Pukekohe.  Some great representation from legends of greenhouse tomato growing.

Above – Team Smile representing Horticentre Drury.  Great to see tomato growers all enjoying the day with JP from Horticentre.

Above – The Eco-Warriors representing Ecomix.  Sadly, let down by the player with hands in his pockets – better luck next year team.

Above and below – Team New Morning representing Horticentre.  Your not seeing double, well done to JP for playing in two teams or was that your twin!

Above Martin Vadakekuttu Director from Ecomix Australia (Winner of the best stand and a big help in setting up the club rooms on the day) Thanks for making the special trip from Australia for the Grower2Grower Golf Day!

Above and below – Team, Make Tomatoes Great Again, representing T&G Global.  Head Grower, Nilesh Patel from the GER site in full swing below.  I am sure that is Luke Dillon (ex NZHH) in that photo!

Above Kerry van Tiel from Bokay Flowers caught trying to drive of with the Apex drinks cart!  Below – Jacob van Teil, tees off in style.

Above team Tee & Gee representing T&G Global

Above – Team Growiththepros represented by Signify and Powerplants (Thanks for making the trip from Australia Aart Slobbe.)

Above Team NZ Hothouse – The guy with the PING hat looks like he may be a professional to me!  Well done on the longest drive Kirsty!

Above Team Lefroy – Well done ladies – those two guys behind you could have done with some practice!  Luckily, they grow some amazing cucumbers and capsicums!

Above Team Franklin Law – rightfully pulled me up on an incorrect call – I knew I didn’t have a legal leg to stand on.

Above Team ANZ – They were BLOOMING good with the numbers.

Above Team Potato Diggers representing Wilcox.  Pity about the Newcastle Knights Scott Rimes- Up The Wahs!

Above and Below – Par-Tee-Farmers representing Horticentre.  None of this team had played Golf before and performed amazing on the day.  I think Grant was happy to make it to the 19th hole!

Above the team from Vegetables NZ.  It was great to have the industry support on the day.  Below, Daniel Sutton was not celebrating a hole in one but his shot of the day, one that managed to make it on the fairway! (Sorry to the groundskeepers)

Above – Team ‘Nailed It’ from CHEP.  They looked very blue this year.

The Young Horticulturists Team above had a great day discussing who would win this year’s Young Grower of the Year Competition.  Also pleased to announce they finished while there was still daylight this year!

Above – a big congratulations to the Educhem Bandits for winning the tournament for the second year in a row – no pressure for the threepeat team!

Below – the prize giving, and raffle draw was full of laughs and a good time had by all.  Thanks to all the staff at the Pukekohe Golf Course and the members for hosting the Second Annual Grower2Grower Golf Day.

If you are interested in sponsoring next years event – you can secure your spot now!  Contact stefan@grower2grower.co.nz for more details.

As part of the day, we are also raising money for charity.  The Givealittle page is still open.

Many of our colleagues in The Hawkes Bay have had their growing operations devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle, so choosing the charity to support this year, was an easy choice – The Hawkes Bay Fruit Growers Association Charitable Trust.

If you cannot make the golf but wish to make a donation, please scan the bar code below or via our fundraising page Grower2Grower Golf Fundraiser – Givealittle