Sports editor Hayden Meikle meets the tournament promoter.
Bob Tuohy bustles along the tussock-lined path beside the containers that are his base at the New Zealand Open this week.
It is raining but Tuohy leans forward with an optimistic look on his face and a spring in his step. You expect that of a promoter, of course.
It is his job to be buoyant, to ignore the dark clouds and predict four days of sunshine just around the corner.
Tuohy's enthusiasm is not forced, though. He believes the Open will be bigger and better second time around at The Hills.
He points to the form of the New Zealand golfers at last week's PGA, the strengthened field thanks to the link with the Nationwide Tour, and the buzz the tournament created last time.
Then there is what he calls the "Lee factor".
"It's like having the Tiger Woods of New Zealand playing here," Tuohy said of amateur star Danny Lee.
"The cub is here. He's a super athlete and he is an outstanding young golfer.
"But there are a heap of other exciting young players. This young Australian guy, Michael Sim, is going to be a world-beater.
"Kurt Barnes is one of the new breed of great young players.
"Then you've got your great elder statesmen like Peter Senior and Craig Parry and Peter O'Malley. That's very exciting."
Tuohy's company has been running the New Zealand PGA for years but only got behind the Open when it moved to the Hills in 2007.
New Zealand's premier tournament was in a rough state, having bled money when it was held at Gulf Harbour in 2005-06.
Tuohy took responsibility for the tournament, found a naming sponsor and host in Michael Hill, enlisted volunteers and took the plunge.
The result was a tournament that most agree exceeded expectations.
Now, with the novelty factor of the Hills and the Open rebirth reduced, Tuohy's task is to give the event another push.
"I think in some ways it's more exciting. It's definitely more challenging.
"We've tweaked a lot of things. In 2007, we had a lot of unknowns, particularly about the volume of people and traffic management and on-course requirements."
The Open attracted a crowd of about 35,000 across four rounds last time and Tuohy said that created the odd hospitality issue.
Main Street, the stretch of tents, bars and lounges near the 18th green, has been extended to cope with demand.
"If we get the same sort of crowd, I'll be delighted, considering the state of the economy, the cost of air travel to Queenstown and some corporate cutbacks."
Tuohy said Hill had underwritten a "fairly large" sum of money to secure the Open.
However, when the tournament changed its sanctioning agreements, the contract was void.
A new one had to be negotiated for "considerably less money" to secure the Open for this year and the next.
Tuohy Associates is a family affair: Bob is tournament promoter, son Ben is tournament director and wife Sue is financial manager.
TA Golf has run nearly 170 events on men's and women's golf tours.
Bob Tuohy played professionally and is a former New Zealand PGA champion.
