The clock is ticking for Māori golfers wanting to enter the 2024 New Zealand Māori Golf Nationals in Wellington, with a quarter of the available spots already booked out.

Played over five days from January 8-12, 2024, the New Zealand Māori Golf Nationals embrace multiple match play and Stableford competition formats across various age and gender groups, allowing participation by players of all abilities, from semi-social golfers through to professionals.

Because of the volume of players who sign up annually to the championship, the youth and masters divisions will be held at the Te Marua Golf Club, while the men’s and women’s grades will be played on the fairways of Shandon Golf Club.

Playing numbers are limited to the first 300 registrations, with entries closing on December 15. The winner of the men’s senior grade is an automatic entry to the New Zealand Open in Queenstown.

Phillip Tataurangi is a former Māori New Zealand Championship winner. Photo / Photosport

The New Zealand Māori Golf Nationals were first played in 1932. Previous winners of the Māori title include such high-profile players as Michael Campbell and Phil Tataurangi, who both went on to successfully play professional golf on the global stage after winning the New Zealand trophy.

Māori Golf Nationals facilitator and New Zealand Golf Māori development manager Aroha Tito said she confidently expected the event’s playing register to be fully booked out before Christmas - with the final remaining spots being forecast to be snapped up once players confirmed their holiday plans in the lead up to the event.

“The Māori Golf National championship is not only a chance for New Zealand’s best Māori golfers to compete at a high standard amongst their peers, but also the opportunity for friends and whānau to catch up on the fairways for a spot of healthy fun-filled rivalry. And of course, the ‘after match’ gatherings are a legendary part of the camaraderie that players come back for year after year,” said Tito.

Entries for the 2024 New Zealand Māori Golf National Championship are $200 for rangatahi players, $285 for kaumātua playing at Te Marua, and $320 per person for those playing at Shandon. Registration can be completed through the Golf NZ Tournament page www.golf.co.nz/national-championships.