The Ladies Committee minute book starts on the 9th March 1926. Three years before the mens. That first meeting was at the home of Mrs Willis, and present was Mesdames Prater, Wilson, Dalzell, Cowie, Wood, & Misses Lance, Sidey, White and Willis. The committee appointed was ; Captain: Mrs Prater. Secretary: Miss Willis. Committee: Mrs Prater, Dr Wood, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Fahey, Miss Rutherford, Miss Willis. In March 1927 the secretary wrote to the Waikari golf club asking for suitable dates for a Club match, so the Waikari club was still operating, after the Hawarden Club was formed. It was moved at that same meeting that on Saturdays all ladies should bring a basket, and all single men to pay 6d. The following year this was changed to 5/- for the season. The men "burned the links" each year, while the ladies had a working bee in the pavilion. 1930, Ladies cards are not accepted for handicapping if signed by a man. No explanation for this is given. Helen Buchanan was the first player to score a hole in one on the course and the first member was Miss Mildred Wright (Mason) in 1936, followed by Mr Bill Mason, Mr C. Whalley, Fthr Murphy and Ged Earl. Electricity was put into the pavilion in 1939, with money lent to the club by the ladies. March 1940, 107- was put towards a wedding present for Miss Wright. There is a brush shelter at the 'creek' hole, by the ladies tee. In 1947 there were no completed scores on the ringer chart, so the rules were changed to allow two over par scores and three over on the par fives. In 1948 the entry for a club competition was a tin of something for "food for Britain" parcels. In 1958 a ladies room was added to the clubhouse, although it took ten years for it to be lined. The course limit set at 60 players. A rule change allowing balls striking the loading ramp or sale yards fence, to be replayed without penalty, and the Rutherford cup to be open to all handicap and non handicap players. 1966. Husbands initials to be used on the ladies cards, and "as golf balls were in short supply , Mrs A Ramsey donated two pairs of Witches Britches for the Raffle" The championship grades set at 0-29 and 30-36. Walker and Hall teaspoons were adopted as trophies. This was discontinued in 1978 due to the high cost involved. 1968. Mrs Sheridan had enjoyed playing at Amuri as everybody was so quiet, she wished that our members would keep their voices down around the course. Players charged 5 cents per card used to cover the printing costs of same. No 4 hole to be a "call up" hole. There was dissatisfaction with the five cents charged for biscuits provided at afternoon tea so no biscuits to be provided, Tea however , would be free. 1969. The 57 players in the open tournament, were all outside players, as all the local players were balloted out. The secretary was bought a new case. Cards handed in undated ,were automatically disqualified. Mown grass bunker behind no 2 green, changed to fairway. "Unearned" handicaps to be now known as non-handicaps. Club jerseys were ordered from Marshall & Co. Monogrammed, Red, and at $19. each. New drawers for the cups and plates were put under the serving bench by Mr B Davis for $152. The Ladies gave $800 to the new land fund in 1983. In 1984 the Hawarden Ladies Golf Club voted to dissolve itself and amalgamate with the Hawarden Golf Club. In the course of reading through the years of recorded minutes it is obvious of the huge amount of work the Ladies Golf Club have done behind the scenes for the Hawarden Golf Club. Not only have they taken in hand all the catering, running cake stalls, buying of trophies and prizes, etc., but they have donated funds to most club projects, bought trees and shrubs, and kept the club house up to its high standard. The bridges over the creek have seen some sights over the years. In the earlier years before the creek was formed, and the low lying areas raised, there was a large area of water, swamp and general "Merck" Everybody carried their clubs so the bridges were only wide enough to walk on. Mrs. Barbara Dalzell, (the Duchess), had a rather ungraceful swim, as did Mr. Ben Rutherford, with his hands still in his pockets as he hit the water. The mens and Ladies tournaments used to be two day affairs, so the whole district would be full with outsiders staying the night. One can imagine that Monday mornings, following a tournament, were somewhat slow. Before the advent of modern gang mowers the fairways and the rough were in a rather "natural" state. Lost balls were a big part of the game. Mr W.W. McRae had a retriever dog who could find 40-50 balls after a weekends golf. Balls would be returned to their owners, as the club had a ball marking stamp press, and players stamped their names on their golf balls. The men all wore "plus fours" and ties and the ladies "below the knee" skirts and ties .(certainly not trousers) Clubs were carried and consisted of hickory shafts with romantic names such as; Driver 1 wood Cleek 1 Iron Brassie 2 wood Mid iron 3 iron Spoon 3 wood Mongrel mashie 4 iron Baffle 4 wood Mashie 5 iron Mashie-Niblick 7 iron Wedge & Putter. Niblick 9 iron Most players however carried only five or six clubs at the most. Miss Totty Jones, who is one of the more famous characters of the club, drilled holes in the shafts of her clubs and filled them with lead on being told that her clubs were too light for her. Mrs Nance Bethell, who has played on the Waikari links, as well as Hawarden from the very early years, has many wonderful stories of the days when the conditions were very rough and the rules such as stymies made for high scores. She tells of playing with Mrs. McKeagen who managed a 35 on the first hole and they were only able to get to the 5 th hole before running out of energy, daylight and golf balls. There were shelter-belts that crossed the fairways on the park, that one had to play over or through. Maybe golf has got easier over the years. Dr Meikelham was a member for a time. A story is told of him turning up with a new set of clubs, still individually wrapped, the wrapping was duly removed, as required, as he made his way round the course. There was a report in the Christchurch Press of a golfer at Hawarden, renowned for the bird droppings on his golf bag, who was confronted by a fleeing starling when he opened the boot of his car. All was revealed on the first tee when, on attempting to remove a club he discovered it completely jamb packed with a nest and eggs. 1972 was a vintage year for the club. Not only did we win the Kaikoura cup, (Ged Earl was the individual winner of the gross, and Jim Warwick was the runner up.) but we also won the Templeton cup and the Ashley Berge trophy. These were against the nine North Canterbury clubs. The first 75 years of the Hawarden Golf Club have provided us with a host of characters, some weird and wonderful golf, and some very devoted members who have put an enormous amount of time and resources into the making of the club as we know it today. We are indebted to the pioneers of the club, and their stories that are passed on down, telling of the endless working bees, fundraising and all the fun times that make it all so worth while. May the next 75 years be as much fun as the last, and the stories be as worthy. |
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