Amberley Golf Club more than 100 years old

By Neville Idour

Arecent first visit to the highly regarded Amberley golf course did not disappoint.

I was fortunate to be able to speak with Kathy Pepper who volunteers in the office. As it happened we felt we knew each other somehow. The penny dropped as we realised we dated back to the 1980s when squash rackets was our sport in Christchurch and we hadn’t seen each other since.

That is by the by and Pepper said Amberley was rated the best club in North Canterbury with 230 members.

“We have a good number of nine hole players. Men’s day is Wednesday but they also play on Fridays and about 30 turn up. Women play on a Thursday. We have equal rights for men and women so on Saturdays it is mixed. It is wonderful for couples who can enjoy apres golf together.”

The club has one full time greenkeeper and one part-timer who is paid for 20 hours but does “a hell of a lot more.”

“The rest of the work at the club is done by volunteers like myself collecting the green fees.”

The club has cracked 100 years?

“We were 100 years old in 2022 but we weren’t able to celebrate as the sea came over our road and blocked access,’’ Pepper said.

“With global warming and all the wonderful things happening we couldn’t get in. So when the road was a bit clearer we still couldn’t get in because of boulders and stuff. So we used to park before the bridge (about 250 metres away) and walk in, which we did for about three or four months. So now we are just waiting for the sea to come over and we will have to do it all again.”

No question global warming is a big problem?

“Both the council and a group from the club are working very hard on finding a short term solution to the road problem.”

One can only hope they are successful as the road in is very much off road.

A brief look at the club’s 100 years is worthwhile. Founded in 1922, a block of land was leased from Harry James south of the township on state highway one. Nine holes were formed in the sheep paddocks, a gully that resembled the Grand Canyon, with a par three over a steep bank and a long par five to finish. Apparently, sometimes after playing their tee shots on the par three and scrambling down the bank, some small boys would appear from the river bed grab their balls and disappear. Another classic tale is of a member who was frequently “helped” to get a hole in one.

Men wore plus fours, hats and always a tie while ladies wore long skirts, tie and a hat. A hand mower was used to mow a patch for the greens and a horse fitted with special rubber shoes so as not to mark the greens was used to pull a roller and spread seed or fertilizer.

By 1942 there were 63 members but the club went into recess in 1942 although six holes were formed on Amberley domain for social golf. New links were formed on land four kilometres west of the township with magnificent views of the sea and Mt Grey and opening day was in July, 1947.

In August, 1954, enthusiastic members were looking to the future and a special general meeting was called to discuss proposed links at Amberley Beach. It received a favourable response from local authorities but the first task was to form about 800 metres of road to give cars and machinery access to the area. A visit today reveals the work involved. Thirteen holes were developed and the course opened on April 23, 1955. Trees were needed for shelter from the easterly winds. Lupins were planted along the eastern boundary which allowed pine trees to get established and grow.

Two more holes were added in 1957 and in 1959 a new clubhouse was built and the course was extended to 18 holes. A full time greenkeeper was employed in 1963 and membership was growing fast. In 1970 the clubhouse was extended with an upstairs area of 2500 square feet including bar and toilet facilities.

A major move in 1974 saw excavation to form a pond on the 17th hole take place. This would be the answer to their watering problems. In the same year a very bad flood affected the whole course and washed out part of the access road. In 1975 they were back on track and by 1978 reached a membership high of 382.

The club can boast a very efficient computerised watering system which is some achievement for this progressive club. The excellent facilities mean they can cater for groups of up to 300 people while the clubhouse itself can cater for 150.

So what about the course playing wise? My partner and I were pleasantly surprised to find the course in excellent condition despite being the middle of summer with hot dry conditions. In particular the greens were pristine and a credit to the greenkeeper. The pace was very playable and even.

The first hole at 350 metres from the white tees was a not too testing introduction being straight and relatively wide. The second is a dogleg left par five while the par three third is a long testing 186 metres with trees to avoid. There are some bunkers on the course such as on the sixth, a par three.

The 11th, a par five, sports a big bunker short and left of the green while Nos 12 and 13 sport greenside bunkers. The 16th is a short 278 metres but a tee shot with trees to negotiate makes accuracy a challenge. The 17th, a 132 metre par three, is arguably the most attractive hole with that pond mentioned earlier and a tree or two to avoid providing a genuine challenge. The 18th, Journeys End a par four of 364 metres, provides a pleasant end to an enjoyable round.

Amberley is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area and better still the green fees will not leave a hole in your pocket.