circa 1908

Long sought after, at last New Zealand Golf succeeds in staging the inaugural New Zealand Women’s Open Championship to be held on January 30th to February 1st at the beautiful Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch. The purse of $150,000 is made possible by the Women’s Golf New Zealand Fund which was established in 2005 during the amalgamation of Women’s Golf with the New Zealand Golf Association. This Open is the first professional golf tournament for women in the country since 1975 and is drawing top golfers Laura Davies and Katherine Hull to name but two.

A graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Australian Katherine Hull was the first world-class player to sign up for the Open. Greg Ford of the Sunday Star Times, the country’s national newspaper, reports that “Hull ‘fell in love’ with the South Island while on a road trip with her sister this year and needed no convincing when promoter Bob Tuohy asked if she’d return with her clubs. ‘It’s my favourite place on Earth,’ she said. ‘I’m serious. I hiked the Milford Track, visited Christchurch, Queenstown and Greymouth. New Zealand is beautiful. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to come back.’”

Katherine Hull - 2008 Canadian Women's Open Winner

Katherine wowed them at the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in August when she increased her lead to two strokes over threatening Yani Tseng then maintained her lead for a one-stroke victory over Se Ri Pak who challenged from behind to finish second with back-to-back birdies.  In her fifth year on the world’s richest tour for women this win was a breakthrough proving her determination to top the leaderboard. Katherine’s final score: 68-70-68-72=278, -10.

More world-class women golfers are lining up to participate in this inaugural event. “There’s no doubt,” says New Zealand Golf CEO Bill MacGowan, “the profile of women’s golf in New Zealand will benefit as a result and…will attract players from the Australian, European and US Tours, many of whom will be visiting New Zealand for the first time.” 

As well, the New Zealand Women’s Open championship will now be part of the Australian Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour, a four-tournament schedule which includes the New South Wales Open, the Australian Women’s Open and the Ladies Masters reports Christchurch City Libraries. And thanks to CC Libraries for the grand photograph of Kiwi, Miss Cowlishaw competing in the fashionable style of the day at Christchurch Golf Club’s Easter Tournament held at the Shirley Links in April 1908.

About Clearwater Golf Course and Resort

Extract from “Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing Around New Zealand“

A member of the prestigous The Best of Golf New Zealand, Clearwater Resort is only a fifteen-minute drive from Christchurch city and about seven minutes from the airport. This par 72, 6526-metre 18-hole course is playable 12 months of the year. Tee times are much in demand so it’s wise to book ahead. The course meanders around several spring-fed lakes and streams that teem with wild Brown and Rainbow trout. Designed by John Darby in consultation with Sir Bob Charles-World Golf Hall of Fame 2008 inductee, the cunning design manages to give players uninterrupted views of the Southern Alps. Fly fishing, tennis, cycling and strolling the Resort’s trails are all terrific alternatives to challenging this impressive golf course. 

Remember these dates and be part of this inaugural event: 30 January to 1 February 2009. Get tickets from www.ticketdirect. co.nz.  

To order my “Birdies” book go to www.wildwestcoastpublishing.com and click on “Order Here.” PayPal available.

Russley Golf Club has hosted many major tournaments over the years. Proudly several members have held their own against some of the world’s best golfers — Australia’s Peter Thomson and Ken Nagle, Kiwi Sir Bob Charles and Americans, Tom Watson and Corey Pavin to name just a few who’ve received a good challenge from the locals. General Manager, Rod Gordon shares some information about Russley’s early days from their anniversary book, Russley Golf Club, The First 75 years, 1928-2003.

To develop a golf course from what was once bare riverbed country took some doing. For a very long time, members made it a practice to pick up stones and place them in heaps before playing a round. A labour of love?

Junior programme breakthrough…

Junior development was a long, slow process, too for in the early days, young boys and girls were tolerated only if they kept well away from adult members. But finally, in 1955, 15-year-old Ray Atkinson was invited to play in the Saturday field, although complaints were many. Mark Holdsworth reports:

“By the following year (Ray) was on a 7-handicap and set a new course record, for that time — 72 off the stick: out in 30, home in 42, nett 65.”

Now there are over 100 boys and girls in Russley’s junior programme with a waiting list for the boys.

Women’s woes…

The women didn’t have it easy either, especially during the 1800’s. For a long time at most Clubs, they were restricted from entering men’s inner sanctum on the nineteenth. And those were the days when ladies wore hats that, to me, looked like tragically collapsed souffles. From what I read, the neck-to-ankles attire did not deter the fairer sex from big hits. And part of the equipment, a length of elastic to prevent the hemline of the lady golfer’s skirt from fluttering up on a breezy day, is so far removed the styles of  today. If a bit of ankle was unseemly and off-putting for serious and sensitive male partners in the olden days, what would they think of today’s poster gals in short shorts and low-cut shirts! My how things have changed.

Russley’s Helen Shirlaw recalls the days when those hemlines were shortened a bit but well before trousers were in fashion and acceptable attire:

“…hats or berets were worn to complement the tweed skirts. As we all carried our clubs, none with full sets of matched clubs, we were very happy with the leather attached to a belt which hung over the hip to protect our woollen skirt from the wetness of the golf bag.”

I’d imagine the pongy, unpleasant smell of leather did nothing to attract admirers on their bus ride back home.

A weird burial…

And who could forget this particularly unusual incident? Greenskeeper of the time, Bill Warwick remembers:

“…two strange women were digging a hole in the bunker in front of the 16th green…to ‘bury my husband’s ashes’ one of them explained. It appears her husband was from Canada on sabbatical at the university and (when he died), that was his wish! At the request of the (then) Secretary/Manager, I dug them up and (we held) a short service under a shrub behind the 10th tee.”

I’m especially pleased they moved the ashes because nor’west winds are known to blow bunker sand all over the place. This dear man’s ashes could have been scattered across the green, attached themselves to my ball, and ended up returning to Canada in my golf bag — certainly not the pleasant resting place he’d planned.

A peaceful place

 With so much history and tales to be told, nothing could be more interesting than to stop by the 19th hole to eavesdrop or even join in a conversation with the locals. Perhaps you’d hear the one about the time Russley had an illegal bar. Ben Mair recalls:

“It was operated with care to avoid complaints to the police, but for some years we had the advantage of a member being one of the Force. He had an arrangement to give us the nod to shut up shop when things hotted up at the police station over liquor at some clubs. Then after two weeks or so he would give us the all clear. The extension of liquor licences to sports clubs was a relief.”

No doubt!

Nowadays, this respectable, law-abiding par 72, 6074-metre 18-hole course is one of the finest in the country. It’s easy walking through park-like settings, but difficult water hazards tend to alter an otherwise good golf score. Only five minutes from Christchurch airport and minutes more from the city centre, what a great place to play a round. 

Photos contributed by Russley Golf Club

The above is an extract from my “Birdies” book. To order go to www.wildwestcoastpublishing.com and click on “Order Here.” PayPal available.