![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/The-passing-of-Chris-McAlpine.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTAURANGA \u2013 Golf New Zealand and Bay of Plenty Golf have announced the passing of Chris McAlpine, a long-serving administrator who spent two decades at the helm of regional golf operations. Known throughout the sporting community by the nickname \u201cFridge,\u201d McAlpine passed away on the morning of April 27, 2026.<\/p>\n
McAlpine served for 20 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Bay of Plenty Golf. He was a Life Member of both the regional association and the Tauranga Golf Club, where he was recognized as a \u201ctruly significant contributor\u201d to the wider golfing community.<\/p>\n
A Legacy of Service and Mentorship<\/p>\n
In a joint statement, Golf New Zealand and Bay of Plenty Golf acknowledged his role in \u201cshaping and strengthening the game across our region in ways that will be felt for generations to come\u201d.<\/p>\n
The organizations highlighted his multi-faceted impact on the sport:<\/p>\n
Leadership: His commitment helped \u201cmould the landscape of golf in the Bay of Plenty\u201d and increased opportunities for players and administrators.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advocacy: He was described as a \u201ctireless advocate for the sport\u201d who was passionate about every aspect of the game within the region.<\/p>\n
Mentorship: Officials noted he served as a \u201cgenerous mentor who helped countless people through their personal and professional development\u201d.<\/p>\n
Community Impact<\/p>\n
Beyond his administrative duties, McAlpine was noted for his \u201cunwavering support\u201d and \u201cgenerosity\u201d toward the game and its people. Tauranga Golf Club stated, \u201cHis presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are grateful for Chris\u2019 achievements, his passion for the game, and the care he showed to so many over the years,\u201d the national body stated.<\/p>\n
McAlpine had recently retired from organizing long-standing international golf tours after decades of professional service. Arrangements to commemorate his life will be shared with the community once confirmed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TAURANGA \u2013 Golf New Zealand and Bay of Plenty Golf have announced the passing of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":644467,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-644466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=644466"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/644466\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/644467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=644466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=644466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=644466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}