When Jane Howard first got roped into running golf at the Zespri AIMS Games in 2008, the tournament was a relative walk in the park.

Then a Mount Maunganui Intermediate teacher, Howard was put in charge of 41 golfers entered, with 12 sporting codes amassing 2669 athletes.

Skip forward 18 years and Jane is lining up to help, once again – except this year, there’s a capacity field of 180 golfers, amid an extraordinary 14,506 entries for the week-long tournament.

And those numbers aren’t the only thing that’s changed.

“I remember when we first started, there was a lot of negativity about young ones on the golf course, and some of the older brigade felt they should’ve still been at school!” she laughs.

“But then it turned around and they’ve been really supportive – I know the Mount Veterans put up a trophy and were keen to be involved as starters and marshals.”

For perspective, current golf co-ordinator Sam Kendall, 27, played at Aims Games in 2011 and won the stableford competition – which made up for missing the 2010 tournament.

“The year before, I came off my skateboard a few days before Aims and broke my arm so had to withdraw,” Kendall said. “I was well back going into the final round and had a crazy day, with a ridiculous amount of points, and managed to take it out by a couple. It was certainly one of my golfing highlights and very unexpected.”

Another highlight came last year, when he beat cousin and former New Zealand representative Brad Kendall in the final of the Mount Maunganui club champs, over 36 holes.

But he realised early that his passion was on the administration side, rather than the professional ranks.

He started the Aims role when he joined Bay of Plenty Golf in late 2021, taking over from Mike Campbell.

In that time, golf has boomed in New Zealand – with Covid-19 a major and peculiar influence –reflected in the record numbers for Aims.

Aims golf is now played in two divisions – 18-hole and 9-hole – at six local courses, Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke, Ōtūmoetai, Ōmokoroa and Summerhill.

Through it all, Howard kept turning up to help, regardless of the job she’s needed for.

“I tried to move away but I got a call asking for help and I didn’t mind a bit because I love it,” she said.

“It’s a great atmosphere and it’s just really nice to see the kids and what they do. They’re really inspirational, and it would be lovely to see more people come out and watch, especially in those last rounds.”

Howard learned the game from her dad, then passed on her love of the game to son David Edwards, a provincial representative.

Now Edwards lives in the United Kingdom, and his 10-year-old son Louis has caught the bug.

“I played golf with my father and my son, and I played recently with my son and my grandson over in the UK. It might not happen because he’s so far away, but I’d absolutely love to see my grandson playing in Aims,” Howard said.

- Content supplied by Aims Games