History

Remuera Golf Club is often described as the product of three golf clubs all built on the same piece of land. Today's course - established in 1974 - emerged from two earlier courses.

The original 18-hole course was carved from the scrub and bush in 1934, east from what was once Lake Waiatarua, a place popular with the boating public. In fact, the current 17th hole lies "within the lake." A few years later, just before the outbreak of WWII, the course evolved into two facilities when a number of the holes were turned into a public course, and additional holes were built to create an 18-hole "members' course."

In 1974, after a period of delicate but succesful negotiations around land, leases and town planning issues, the current course was established.

The visionary who started it all was a Mr W.S. Ralph who secured a 54-year lease on 280 acres of land in 1934 - in the name of St John's Trust. Several prominent Auckland businessmen became guarantors for a limited company to develop the course.

Times were lean and many of the founders took on multiple roles. Ralph, for example, was also responsible for the design of the course. In recognition of his untiring effors, the dogleg 5th was named Ralph's Pride. Virtually all of the work was done by "unemployment relief" labour.

A clubhouse and amenities were built between 1935 and 1939, and membership expanded apace - fuelled perhaps by the fairly cavalier approach to membership. A Mr Nat Gould recalled the conversation about his entrance fee and introduction: "Give me a couple of quid Nat and you're a member of the Remuera Golf Club."

Course conditions were tough: for many years there was no way of watering the greens. In summer, cracks would appear in the greens and occasionally a ball would disappear down one.

Disaster struck the fledgling club in 1945 when a fire destroyed the clubhouse, all the records, many sets of golf clubs and the entire contents of the 19th. Rebuilding was a major task. In the last year of the war, building restrictions were in force and materials hard to come by. Locker rooms and the necessary materials for the equipment sheds were purchased from War Assets.

Work on the current course commenced in the mid-60s, with the design tackled by JASMAD - a leading architectural firm. Some fairways were far too narrow, however, and a noted local golf course architect - Harold Babbage - was called in for a spot of remodelling.

Today - in a graceful, woodlands setting - Remuera is one of Auckland's premier golf courses, and a glowing tribute to those early enthusiasts. Perhaps fittingly, with new greens and tees being added progressively, their search for perfection lives on.