Posh golf club and iwi combine, hoping to find the next Ko, Fox or Campbell

The Remuera Golf Club and iwi initiative might find the next Michael Campbell. Photo / HSBC

One of Auckland’s oldest golf clubs has partnered with a local iwi to encourage their youngsters onto its hallowed fairways, greens, and driving range.

Remuera Golf Club and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei are working together to deliver a holiday education programme which could see New Zealand’s next Lydia Ko, Ryan Fox or Michael Campbell having their first taste of golf.

The framework for the joint initiative came from a hui between the club and senior leaders from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei last year – looking at ways the two pillars of the community could forge closer links. These include collaborating on the aligned kaupapa for the environment.

The golf club is committed to sourcing native plants from NWO social enterprise nursery Pourewa to establish shared planting days, and potentially employ graduates from the NWO employment readiness programme run at Pourewa.

Additionally, the club will host tamariki, rangatahi, and kaumatua golf programmes, commencing with a ‘learn to play golf’ holiday programme at the club.

For four days over the coming school holidays, the club will host 32 Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei tamariki and rangatahi – teaching them the fundamentals of the game with the aim of giving participants enough confidence to take their first steps on the golf course, and potentially move up to playing a full round as their ability improves.

The 18th hole at the Remuera Golf Club in Auckland. Photo / Doug Sherring

The fifth day will see the participants invite members of their whānau to the club for a celebration, where they can show off their new skills and share their experience with other members of the iwi.

Remuera Golf Club membership director Karee Oates said the programme, to be known as Futures Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, was a way for club to welcome young people into its environment while ensuring that they felt supported and encouraged to enjoy the destination and its facilities - which are proudly open to all members of the community.

“The purpose of Futures Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is to increase golf participation amongst young members of the iwi – welcoming young people of all abilities, and increasing participation by creating opportunities to start and progress within golf through learn-and-play sessions,” Oates said.

“All golfing equipment, practice amenities, and professional coaching throughout the programme [is] being provided free of charge – thereby eliminating one of the barriers to learning and playing golf. It’s about providing a golfing and social environment that is safe, inclusive, welcoming and relaxed.”

Golf equipment and access to practice amenities will continue to be supplied to participants at the conclusion of the programme, to encourage an ongoing involvement with the club through weekly, free after-school sessions.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia chief executive officer Tom Irvine welcomed the opportunity for their young people to learn a new sporting and recreational activity which was much-loved by Māori – as evidenced by the New Zealand Māori Golf Association’s recent national championship held in Taupō, attended by some 260 players.

“Recreational activities which give our tamariki and rangatahi a pathway to participating in a sport which can be played virtually anywhere in New Zealand, by players of all skill levels and ages in a whānau-friendly environment, is a kaupapa we wholeheartedly support. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei see this as one of the many strands which will bind us together with Remuera Golf Club,” Irvine said.

In partnership with governing body Golf New Zealand, Remuera Golf Club is one of the main venues running coaching events for young people in the city. The club has Auckland’s foremost driving range, which operates along the lines of a licensed entertainment venue – serving chilled beverages and pizzas to participants in a bar/café style environment.

Auckland Council has contributed funding towards developing the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei/Remuera Golf Club partnership.