NEW GOLFERS WILL BE FORCED FURTHER AFIELD

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31128, 3 August 1966, Page 15

NEW GOLFERS WILL BE FORCED FURTHER AFIELD

vpHE burgeoning ranks of x Christchurch golfers threaten to fashion new habits for the week-end player before very long.

The popularity of golf knows no bounds, and prospective players are clamouring for admission to city clubs. But few of them have a chance of having their pleas answered, for, in general, Christchurch clubs’ memberships have reached saturation point. “Have dubs, will travel," must be the motto of the new wave of golfers. Certainly, the days of stepping out the back door for a round of golf are gone. Recently a Christchurch man on a visit to Sydney accepted the offer of a game and was amazed to learn that the trip to the course involved a drive of two hours. His Australian host thought nothing of this, but the Christchurch man could not help but Imagine the reaction of his fellow dub players to a suggestion that they drive as far ae Timaru —a two-hour trip—for 18 holes.

The situation in Christchurch will not become as drastic as this, but ft ap-

pears certain that the trend will be the same. Golfers will have to be prepared to travel some distance for their games. To a certain extent this is already taking place. Some Christchurch players have their week-end round at Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Lincoln, Tai Tapu or at one of the Banks Peninsula dubs. New Zealand has more golfers a head of population than any other country in the world, and the extent to which the game’s popularity has grown in Christchurch certainly bears this out Last year the membership of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association rose by 750 to a total of 4255. At the same time the Golf Foundation and the Junior Golfing Society are whipping up interest among young people; the foundation’s tournament for boys in May attracted 105 competitors. But where do these new devotees of golf play? Almost all the clubs in the city and its surroundings are overloaded. Cramming the new players into the existing only aggravates the problem.»

The Canterbury association recognises the need for action In this regard, and has appointed a three-man subcommittee to study the question and make recommendations. As the immediate past president (Mr G. V. Williams) observed at the last annual meeting in April, it is not the function of the association to build golf courses, but administrators cannot encourage people to play golf on one hand and ignore the lack of facilities on the other.

Mr Williams and his fellow subcommittee members, Messrs I. A. Munro and J. D. Tryon, have inspected land in the city area and their report is awaited with interest.

It is highly probable that one of their conclusions will be that the sites of future courses will be beyond the city boundary. Good land is available within the boundary, but the price would be prohibitive. Poor land is available, too, but the huge development costs involved would not make the construction of a course a good proposition. 1

The growth of the tourist industry and the consequent demand for more recreational facilities could contribute to the solving of the golf course problem. WTien he was in Christchurch last December, the noted golf course architect. Commander J. D. Harris, observed that there were wonderful opportunities for farsighted promoters to provide combined hotel and country club facilities to cater for tourists and local families. Tennis, riding and swimming could be provided as well as golf— and there would be no club membership. Such a development, however, lies in the future. It is now that action is needed to cater for the throng of prospective players which grows with each reel of “Big Three Golf.”

The opening of part of the Ascot municipal course later this year will ease the burden on clubs as far as green fee players are concerned. But the major problem will continue to cry aloud for the construction of new courses.