From the many local golf clubs we sponsor across the country to the New Zealand Open – we support grassroots participation to elite amateurs and professionals. The idea of ‘golf for good’ came from our desire to combine the sport kiwis love with a meaningful way to give back.
Craigs Road to the New Zealand Open
Throughout the country, Craigs Investment Partners branches are involved in and run numerous Charity Golf Days each year. Craigs Road to the New Zealand Open was created to encourage more participation in these charitable golf days and help raise funds for charitable community causes.
The Craigs Road to the Open competition gives players competing in eligible Craigs sponsored regional golf events the chance to win one of two prizes:
- entry into the Pro-Am Division to play alongside a professional on the field (open to players with a handicap of 20 or less)
- a VIP guest experience
Both prizes include travel, accommodation, and hosting in the Champions Lounge. It’s the best view of New Zealand premiere golfing event in front of or behind the ropes.
This years winner Rob Stewart- McDonald had the experience of a lifetime making it through to the Saturdays play.
Road to the New Zealand Open 2026 entry T&Cs here.
Craigs at the New Zealand Open 2025
This year Craigs Investment Partners and the New Zealand Open worked closely together to leverage golf for good and to raise money for well-deserving charities throughout the tournament. See below to find out how.
Craigs Birdies for Charity
There was a significant step change for the 2025 Craigs Birdies for Charity. This year Craigs donated $10 to a pool for every birdie recorded by professionals and amateurs on both courses across all four days of play and members of the public could also contribute through a $3 text message donation and a Birdies for Charity Givealittle page.
A huge total of 2,416 birdies were scored, which together with public donations raised $26,000 the was shared between two remarkable charities — Cure Kids and the Acorn Foundation.
“This is such a fantastic way to add extra excitement to the tournament. Every birdie made not only helps the players in their quest for the New Zealand Open title but also drives real support for two incredible charities.” says New Zealand Open Chairman, John Hart.
Craigs Closest to the Pin
The ‘Craigs Closest to the Pin’ raised $5,000 for Lakes District Air Rescue Trust (LDART) on the Saturday and Sunday of the tournament. Located on the Remarkables 14th hole – in return for a donation to LDART, spectators had two attempts to hit a golf ball closest to the pin. The person with the closest shot on each day received $3,000 prize money and a PowerShot GOLF laser rangefinder donated by Canon Oceania.
The winners were Jimi Ramsay from Queenstown and Matt Morrison from Geraldine who also generously donated some of their winnings back to LDART.
Craigs support amateur golfers
New Zealand’s top top three amateur male and female players have once again recieved scholarship donations from Craigs to help in their journeys on the world stage.
Cooper Moore, Josh Bai, and Robby Turnbull as well as this year’s Queen Sirikit Cup team, will all receive scholarship donations into their player trust accounts. These scholarships will assist with expenses such as travel, and coaching, easing the financial pressures typically faced by amateur golfers.
Golf New Zealand’s High-Performance Manager, Gregg Thorpe is thankful to Craigs for their ongoing support “Receiving an invite into the New Zealand Open or being selected to play for New Zealand at the Queen Sirikit Trophy are special milestones for our young players. Both events provide a valuable opportunity for some of our very best amateur players to test and showcase their skills, and are important steps toward their ultimate goals,” said Thorpe.
Proud to support She Loves Golf
Craigs is now an Official Partner of She Loves Golf, Golf New Zealand’s national initiative encouraging more women to give golf a go. Earlier this year, Craigs supported She Loves Golf activations at both the New Zealand Open and International Women’s Day, helping to increase visibility and participation. This aligns with Craigs commitment to empowering women through its Craigs Womens Wealth programme and this new agreement formalises and expands that support, creating even more opportunities for women to connect through golf nationwide.
With more than 18 years of experience running Craigs Women’s Wealth, Craigs has empowered Kiwi women with the tools, education, and confidence to take control of their financial futures. Supporting She Loves Golf builds on this commitment to enhancing women’s wellbeing, participation, and success.