The 18th green at the Napier Golf Club, in the immediate aftermath of flooding. Photo / Paul Taylor
Looting has added insult to injury for Napier Golf Club management and staff.
The club shop, run under contract by Golf New Zealand’s professional coach of the year Andrew Henare, wasn’t just ransacked by the floodwaters from the Tutaekuri River.
Henare, in a Facebook post, said thieves had also taken “whatever was left undestroyed’' by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Speaking amid the continuing clean-up on Monday, Napier Golf Club president Riki Mitchell described the break-ins as “survivable” but still disheartening.
“Andrew unfortunately bore the brunt of that,’’ Mitchell said.
The clubhouse itself was also broken into, although that appears to have been by people attempting to find refuge upstairs in the bar, as water swamped homes at Waiohiki.
The club boasts 920 members, many of whom have been trying to salvage the course in recent days. They’ve been joined by volunteers from other clubs, including head greenkeepers and professionals.
“The course itself is in a dire state and our focus has been the greens. If we’re able to save the greens, we’ll be able to save the course,” said Mitchell.
Fourteen of the 18 greens have been unearthed, although many of the fairways remain under silt and the odd car - swept away in the flooding - still dots the course.
“People knew it was going to be bad but, until they got here, they had no idea what bad looked like. We’ve got two holes - off Links Road - that in some parts are 20 feet deep in water,” Mitchell said.
About 1.2 metres of water flooded the bottom story of the clubhouse, including the storage area where members housed their clubs, trundlers and golf carts. Those appear to be a write-off.
There are hopes that mowers and other machinery can be repaired, but the club is relying on loaned equipment at the moment.
“What we’re trying to save is jobs, the club and the history of Waiohiki and the connection with the Tareha family and the legacy of this area,” Mitchell said.
It could be months before the course is playable again and arrangements are being made for members and some staff to be accommodated at other Hawke’s Bay clubs.
“We’ll continue the club through the other clubs and concentrate on getting this up and operational,” Mitchell said.
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