Stan Williams, left, Ruth Miners, Ray Friend, Brian Friend. Photo / David Haxton
Stan Williams, left, Ruth Miners, Ray Friend, Brian Friend. Photo / David Haxton
There's always some interesting yarns when you've been involved with a golf club for many years.
On a cold wet day I ventured to the Kāpiti Golf Club to have a chat to four members, Brian and Ray Friend, Ruth Miners and Stan Williams, who have been with the club since the early 1970s.
The foursome and the rest of the club are getting ready to celebrate the club's 50th anniversary in October.
"There was a ladies' tournament and one of the players hadn't put the handbrake on her car in the carpark," Stan recalled.
"While they were playing the car rolled off the carpark and right down the first fairway, across the green, while people were on it, through a fence and down a steep bank into a stream."
"A tow truck turned up and the driver took one look, disappeared, and came back with a bigger truck," Brian added.
Ray remembers the ladies putting on a 'stove day appeal'.
"We didn't have a stove in the clubhouse so the ladies decided to invite the men to play in a stove day appeal. That was October 1974 because it was when I got my handicap. My playing partner Jim Jackson and I ended up with the most stablefords. I got 44 and he got 40. And we didn't know we were partners."
Ruth remembers when club member Billy Ven was murdered at home in Leinster Ave and some burly detectives came to the club to interview people.
"They were offered a beer [which was declined] but we didn't have a licence to sell alcohol."
Throughout the years club members have played a big part in looking after and enhancing the course, especially Dad's Army volunteers.
"In spring it's one of the prettiest courses in New Zealand," Brian said.
Picturesque Kāpiti Golf Club.
A major highlight was the construction of a new clubhouse in 2004 with special praise going to club member Graeme Fraser who finished the job after the builder tasked with constructing it got into financial difficulty.
The club has always been socially strong with lots of fun involved such as when Jack Opie wore a ringer mop on his head, to look like a judge, before dispensing fines after tongue-in-cheek complaints.
Or memorable games of 'skinners' where players, who might have had a drink beforehand, had one shot to get closest to the green.
Mystery weekend tours, organised by Stan and his late wife Margaret, were enjoyed after months of saving money.
Stan also introduced a shootout tournament after watching the golf channel on television and seeing a group of pros play.
"That would be the first time that was ever played in New Zealand.
And if there's ever a quiz about where and when business house sport started, here's your answer: at the club in November 1987.
"We were the first people in New Zealand to play business house sport of any kind because it was the first year of daylight saving."
The club's origin dates back to when the landowners Tom and Judy Gillman, who farmed the land until the end of the 60s when the town milk supply ended for them, decided to convert the land into a nine hole golf course and let the public play on it.
An old homestead, which the couple occupied, served as the place to pay green fees of about 50c.
In 1971 a small group of players were keen to form a golf club and by July the club was born.
Enjoying a round at Kāpiti Golf Club.
A section of the nearby woolshed was made available as the clubhouse.
The land changed hands before it was bought at auction by the Crown in 1979 and invested in the New Zealand Electricity Department who wanted it for some proposed works.
By the early 90s the land was passed to the Department of Survey and Land Information who were authorised to dispose of it.
It led to the club buying the land, after entering a sale and purchase agreement in August 1993, for $236,409 plus GST.
A nine hole anniversary tournament, which is open to all current and ex-members, followed by a celebration lunch, will mark the club's 50th on Saturday, October 9.
Inquiries to Paul Minnoch 022 430 5962 or kapitigolfclub@gmail.com.
