History of REEFTON GOLF CLUB.

The course was designed and laid out on paper by Maurice Blank and construction started in 1959.(the same Maurice Blank won the 1970 Reefton Centenary Tournament with rounds of 67, & 70) Charlie Rainbird the manager of Highways Construction brought in two bull dozer's, himself and Bill Rainbird cut the fairways out plus anything else that was required. Joe Panckhurst plus a few other members laid all the drain pipes that are still around the course in various places today, to take water to the creeks that Bill and Charlie had dug with other equipment from Highways. Teams of members were organized with one member in charge of constructing each fairway and green.

Many voluntary hours went into this project, even the women members picking stones and doing other chores. The ninteenth hole was left to Bert Millar (Herby) and Andy Watson (Typo)to make as much money as they could, and in those days at sixpence a glass they did a fairly good job making around 200 pound profit a weekend.

1964 it was moved by Gore Porter, seconded by Bill Shroeder, that the club goes ahead and put awatering system in, which was approved.

by Wayne Murtha

Standing - Cis Slee, Jean Jones, May Naylor, Rose Yellowlees, Elsa Slee.

Seated - Lil Doyle.

The course was opened by George Williams, the Chairman of the Inangahua County Council, and is here shaking the hand of Anne Weir (who hit the first ball), the wife of Jack Weir who was the president of the club at that time.

From L to R - Doug Doyle, Duncan McVicar, George Williams, Mrs Williams, Anne Weir, Jack Weir, Bill (W. P.) Schroeder, Sadie Skelton, Clarice Millar (in doorway), Letitia? Lockington, Enid Panckhurst, Helen Blackmore, Barbara Heaphy, Flo Weir?, Edna Strachan.

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Joan Heaphy was in charge of the piano, and sometime late in the evening, after the rugby got a bit rough or Joan got sick of being hooker, or the toilet paper (ball) was kicked out the door or through the window, everybody would turn to the piano and think they were either, Kiri Te

Kanawa or Nat King Cole, and continue on until the small hours of the morning. (they were good days) from then on the club progressed because of the fact that all voluntary work and money spent was retained instead of being lost, as had happened in the past.

To keep subscriptions down and in an effort to build up a building fund the committee saw fit to farm sheep, and to this end the club was indebted to Ernie Patterson and Bill Williams who attended to the stock.

Now that job is in hand by Roger Hampton, with Linsay Kearns his off-sider. 1963 saw the first watering system installed on the Coast at a cost of 1200 pound ($2400). From here on the club consolidated and in 1967 a proposal was put forward by John Schroeder about building a new clubhouse, finally it was decided to go ahead with plans that were drawn up by John.

Ways of raising money were, raffling three Lambs every Friday night, dressed and skinned by Noel Farrell, dropped off at Gibellini Bros to myself, then John Schroeder Bill Rainbird and I would take them around the pubs selling tickets for $2 raising around $400 per night, those days we were getting $20 per lamb selling them to the freezing works, so we were gaining $340 extra per 3 lambs, plus Noel would send the skins away to be cured and tanned which we would give away at tournaments as prizes. John Schroeder constructed a barometer which he placed on the wall of the old clubhouse that went up to $12000.00 After a few years and a lot of sheep raffles plus other means of raising money, and the barometer reading $12000.00,

1974 seen the laying of the foundations by voluntary labour, the area being 3500 sq feet, consisting of a social room capable of catering for 200, kitchen, womens change room and shower, mens change room and shower,toilets etc. The club also catered for other interests with a dance floor, which can also be used for indoor bowls and the likes, out the front was to be made into a putting green, more than half the work was voluntary thereby cutting, their costs to a minimum and took two years to complete.

Over the past 50 years two players from the club have gained selection at the highes level for the N/M/B/W 5 man team, myself & Bill Rainbird ,Craig Ladner has represented the area in the 8 man team and Don Ladner was a member of the over 50s team. Probably most of the accolades would have to go to the members that bought or kept the course up to the standard that it is today, Ray (Sailor) Hill looked after the greens and Len Olson was the overseer of the fairways from around 1950 through to around the 80s, Ron Sutherland took over from him then Bruce Aitken followed by Loyd Brooker and at present Bruce Hunter is in charge of the greens. Between 1960 to around 1975 The course itself was divided up into the following, six members were given three fairways to look after so we had 24 members looking, after twelve holes, now Derrick Hawke and Hugh Hassan look after all, and I must say do a wonderful job.

The club today is pointed in the right direction by an astute, level headed president, in Les Stuart and a good workhorse as club captain, Brian Hampton. A big thank you must go to Ross & Malcome Moore for the use of their machines for some of the work that has been done around the course and to Barny Archer the operator, plus the latter for alway's maning the BBQ.

Some of the funny things that happened over that period were, Playing a Blackmore Cup event where you have a female partner and you play alternate shots, Rainbird drove No 1 green, on arriving at the green Bill told Raelene not to be short with the putt, so she hit it hard enough to make the ball go though the fence out of bounds. Should have been in the Guinness Book of records and read, on the green in one, out of bounds for two. Gore Porter hole-ing in 1 on the then number 4 in 1968, he hit the ball fair in the guts and it kept going towards the green, rolled on, up to the hole and went in, that night after a few beers the story was, it landed behind the pin and drew back into the hole. As Gore said it is not how, it's how many. Another thing that comes to mind was when Gore Porter had hit a ball so close to a tree that he could not take a stand, so he had to put one foot on the ground the other foot or leg he put up on the tree, just at that time Frank Rollerson walked past and went WOOF WOOF, Gore was not amused.

The first time Inangahua won the Dalgleish shield in the 60s, the team was W. Rainbird, W Murtha,D.E. McVicar,

J Schreoder, R Hill,, D.S.McVicar, Q Knudson, N Farrell.We actually lost it on the way home, leaving it in one of the many hotels we visited that night.

In the early 60s, number 11 green was holding a lot of water after we had a bit of rain, at a meeting of the club, Charlie Rainbird told the committee to put some gelignite down in the green and explode it so as to shake the ground and break the hard pan about 3 inches under the surface, he told McVicar and Schroeder to get 1 stick, cut it into 6 small pieces, place one piece in a hole at each corner of the green, the other two pieces half way through the green let them all off at once, and it should rectify the problem. Gore Porter was at that meeting and the next day took the problem into his own hands, only he never heard Charlie say about one stick cut into six pieces, He went down to Jack Blackmores shop(Forsyth & Masters), booked six sticks of gelignite up to the club plus one detonator, proceeded to number 11 green dug the holes put a stick of gelignite in each courner plus two in the middle and let them go. Number 11 green finished up about 40 yards away leaving a mound of rocks and rubble where it used to be. Sailor was not amused, Mind you, we never had trouble with that green after that episode. There are probably many stories that have happened over the last 50 years that I don't know but I am sure someone in here to-night will remember.

Bill Schroeder, Vern Newcombe, Jim O'Malley, Bevan Wealleans, George Crossman, Lester Woods, Don Ladner, Walter Braidwood & Jill Schroeder.

Back row - Edna Strachan, Maureen Cunniffe, ??, Enid Panckhurst, Clarice Millar, Maisie Rosanowski, Jip Archer, June Newcombe, ??, ??, Carol Cutbush, Vi Collis, ??.

Front row - Linda Schroeder, ??, Gwen Crossman, Marcia Archer.

Names are:___?,Helen Blackmore,___?,G Crossman,L Schroeder,F Weir,___?,Ann Johnson,M Archer,Claris Miller,N McVicar,Mrs Pankhurst,Mrs Inwood,___?,___?,L King,J Heaphy,J Archer,M Archer,L Blair.

From L to R - Edna Strachan, Marie Hallaran, June Newcombe, Jean Rollerson, Linda Schroeder, Jack and Anne Weir, and Anne Johnston.

Gore Porter and Duncan McVicar,

Connie McBeth, Vera Whitehead, Pat Wealleans, Joan Douglas, Gus Rosanowski, John and Betty Schroeder, Wayne Murtha, Bert Millar and Jack Collis.