They need to make sure their phones are charged, too.
The time-honoured tournament will feature lots of familiar faces and one all-new element as it will be the first time the Otago Golf Club uses the Golf Genius electronic scoring system.
Hard-copy scorecards are available, but players will be asked to use the electronic scoring app on mobile phones so the whole field — and interested family and friends — can track the 54-hole tournament.
"It’s really exciting and a cool new way to keep track of the scores," Otago Golf Club general manager Shelley Duncan said.
Craig Palmer, the former general manager at The Hills, will be at Balmacewen in his role as Golf Genius sales manager to monitor proceedings.
Golfers at Balmacewen will give the app a trial run at the Deloitte tournament today.
The men’s side of the Otago strokeplay should again be fiercely contested.
Defending champion Ben Patston has been honing his game over summer as he seeks back-to-back successes at his home club. Patston is looking forward to another battle with rising Canterbury star Cooper Moore, the teenager he beat in a playoff a year ago.
Moore and fellow fresh-faced Christchurch golfer Yuki Miya will both be at Balmacewen after having played the Australian Master of the Amateurs tournament earlier this month.
Otago No1 Will McLauchlan, who made a promising start at the recent Australian Amateur before missing the cut, provincial team-mates Callum Judkins and Jacob Bellamy, and crafty veterans Chris Snow and Duncan Croudis will all be eyeing the top prize.
Then there is Southland great Matt Tautari, who won the Otago matchplay at Balmacewen in October, and the resurgent Phil Bungard, who was superb on his return to interprovincial duties.
Wakatipu’s young-but-experienced double act will highlight the small women’s field. Sumin Kang and Yoonae Jeong will be challenged by the rising Anahera Koni, Russley youngster Junie Chang and Rangiora starlet Sora Kishida.
