THE ORIGINAL SITE
When viewing and playing the excellent 18-hole and 9-hole courses we have today it is of interest to consider when and where the first course was located and how it came about.
A group, of mainly business and Professional men, met on 4 June 1892 with the purpose of forming a golf club, and on that day the Hutt Golf Club was founded.
Founding member D.B. Howden.
Messrs David Howden and C H Treadwell arranged a lease of the Wellington Racing Club grounds at Seaview, Lower Hutt and subsequently nine holes were laid out in the centre of the Racecourse. An adjoining section was purchased and a Clubhouse, measuring 14 feet by 12 feet (4.27 metres by 3.65 metres) was planned with the cost estimated at 30 pounds ($60.00)
The Club made rapid progress and by March 1893 there were 52 members, up from the 17 members who attended the inaugural meeting. It was also decided at the first meeting, after thirty members were signed up, further members would be obliged to pay an entrance fee.
By the time of the first tournament the nine holes were ready for play varying in length from 160 to 400 yards (146 metres to 365 metres). Development work exhausted most of the clubs funds and while there was room on the course for extra holes, any extension had to be delayed until funds were available. Notwithstanding the development already undertaken much work was still required and many obstacles to be overcome such as spongy ground, heavy rough and man-made problems such as debris and empty bottles.
Arrangements were made for sheep to graze the course, keeping down the grass and providing much needed revenue but unfortunately other animals were not excluded and the Racing people ploughed up the course with horses in training but did not give any assistance to repair the damage. It was a hard struggle for the club to maintain the course in good order and its suitability was put to a severe test during the third New Zealand Golf Championships in October 1895, the only time Hutt hosted the countrys premier tournament.
Players from the 1895 New Zealand Championships.
Although the 1895 Tournament was a success, the layout did not meet with total approval and there were complaints about crowding on Saturdays. However, the course was in great condition for the Ladies Amateur Championship in 1896 when a local Member, Miss Lilian Wilford won the first of her two successive titles.
Players from the 1896 Ladies Amateur Championships.
In 1897 the course was extended outside the area enclosed by the Racecourse and by 1902 fifteen holes were available although the ground was frequently sloppy and the greens inferior. Poor drainage meant rain left the low lying ground very heavy and prone to flooding. The area was still too small, particularly when Hutt Park became popular as a picnic ground on public holidays.
The members in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century were very dedicated to the game and determined to succeed in their endeavors notwithstanding all the trials and tribulations that faced them in trying to establish the Club.
Membership had only reached 80 by 1902, too few to cope with the demands of the enlarged Course and despite repeated requests neither the Hutt Park Trustees nor the Local Borough authorities responded with any assistance. It became obvious that a new site needed to be found and after looking at various options, including Gear Island, now the home of Shandon Golf Club, it was decided to look for some land north of Lower Hutt township.
THE CURRENT SITE
While the Hutt Golf Club has the distinction of being the first established in the Nth Island when it began life in 1892 on the old racecourse site, the search for a permanent home had begun.
New men were coming to the fore who had a vision for the clubs future and the tenacity to pursue it, despite the many difficulties. Names such as T M (Later Sir Thomas) Wilford, H P Richmond, A J Abbott and J R Callendar are familiar names to current Hutt Club members.
In late 1908 the club purchased 108 acres of river flat land for three thousand pounds. In an ideal location, bordered on both sides by bush clad hills with the Tararua Ranges as a backdrop. The land was basically flat, gently undulating but very stoney where the western boundary followed the Hutt river.
The loss of the Minute Books for 1905-1909 has left many of the details of the move shrouded in mystery.
Among the problems to be overcome was the risk of flooding, high winds and heavy rain. The players had escaped from horses and cows at the racing club site which were now replaced by sheep. Another much more immediate problem was the gorse that covered the property.
1909 saw the club complete its first season on its own links and the course was formally opened on 29 May 1909 with a clubhouse available for the event. The fairways and greens were very rough, at the beginning of the season, but by hard work and playing the course there was considerable improvement in the conditions, particularly the first nine holes. By 1910 holes 10 - 13 were gradually brought into play and 13 holes were being played regularly by 1911 but it would be another ten years before the full course was ready for play.
R.C Kirk speaking at the opening of the new links, 29 May, 1909.
Regrettably missing Minute Books for the years 1913 - 1921 leave a gap in the details of the progress being made in the development of the course.
The advent of the First World War caused disruption and distraction with the cancellation of most fixtures with other clubs and the clubs poor financial condition was also a major factor. The funds for the purchase of the site were raised by mortgage and the issue of debentures but a number of members were not convinced the move was a good thing and resigned their membership. Numbers dropped by about 20% when members were desperately needed to shoulder the financial burden.
Peace brought the promise of renewed golfing advances and improvements to the course and return to the club of previous members and an upsurge in new members created enthusiasm for further development and improvement to the course.
As previously mentioned, when the site was first occupied most of the ground was covered in gorse and there was a great deal of surface stone, particularly near the Hutt river, what is now the fourth fairway.
Development was difficult but by the early 1920s gorse and stone clearance had proceeded to the stage where mechanical mowing replaced sheep.
In 1924 the front half of the course was lengthened and in the same year it was connected to the Hutt Borough drainage scheme. There was some tension among members in 1925 between the need to improve the playing quality of the current holes or the desire to complete the full 18 hole layout. The club was still struggling financially.
In the following year and indeed right up to the outbreak of World War II in 1939 tree planting was undertaken by members and in 1926 alone some 4,000 pines and gums were planted on the boundaries and in 1928 committee members offered to plant trees on the course at their own expense. During this time the Hutt river was inclined to flood and wander over adjoining land, including the golf course and while the surface was not so easily disposed of as now there was a benefit of the layer of silt deposit.
In 1929 major alterations and improvements were made to the course by lengthening some holes, re-bunkering and laying water to the tees and greens. This work was completed over the summer and 8,000 pounds was raised to cover the cost which ran over budget.
The 1930s saw the first serious flood in 1931 and a second one in 1936 worse than the 1931 flooding. Boulders and shingle were uncovered and deposited widely over the course. As the contours of the river changed over the decade there was anxiety over when the next flood might occur and how much damage it would do.
All of these problems were exacerbated by the 1930s Depression. Membership declined, impacting on the financial state of the club following the recent expensive improvements. Nevertheless development continued and 1934 saw the first fertilising of fairways with the club using the scheme for the unemployed operated by the Lower Hutt Borough Council.
One of the prime movers in the purchase of the Military Road site was R C Kirk, Mayor of Petone who was a strong advocate of beautifying the new course. When he died in 1927 he was honoured by the erection of a pair of memorial gates at the club's entrance. Sadly the gates are no longer in evidence.
The Kirk Memorial Gates.
A major extension was made to the clubhouse in 1931 and in 1938 preliminary plans were drawn up for further building work but the Second World War intervened and plans were put on hold. During the War membership fell by half, staff numbers were reduced and barricades were erected on the Course. Once again there was an adverse impact on the club's finances but again the club survived.
Hutt members in 1935 with a view of the clubhouse in the background.
Petrol restrictions put the mowers out of action and sheep were re-introduced to keep the grass down. The fairways were in danger of becoming overgrown with weeds and by 1944 bunkers were in such a poor condition a local rule was instituted allowing a free drop.
After much pleading the Borough Council agreed to provide a horse-drawn mower.
In addition to the problems of maintaining the course and financial uncertainty, flooding continued and in March 1942 fire caused considerable damage to the clubhouse. Restoration of the clubhouse was not considered essential and some repairs were made, but not the alterations planned for in 1938.
With the end of the War efforts were made to improve the condition of the course and by September 1946 practically all the rough had been cleared. Membership rose steadily and in the same year membership was closed at 249.
By 1951 the club was in good shape with a total membership at 700. The 1950 Balance Sheet showed a deficit of 409 pounds following a surplus of 1,362 pounds the previous year, due to heavy expenditure on machinery, top dressing and course maintenance. A weed extermination programme removed most of the fairway weeds, fairways were top dressed and re-sown. Remaining areas of gorse were eradicated by spraying and an effort was made to lay on water to all parts of the course.
With the lifting of building restrictions in 1953 the much needed repairs and extensions to the clubhouse were completed. Further changes were made in 1960 which gave the Ladies a small lounge including toilets and a small office.
A major fire in October 1965 caused considerable damage. The Members subsequently voted for a rebuilding scheme and the present two-storey complex was built at a cost of $85,000 and officially opened on the Club's 75th Anniversary in 1967.
The boom in golfs popularity in the 1960s was evident at Hutt when membership rose to almost 1,300 by 1965 which enabled funds to be made available for clubhouse alterations and the water reticulation scheme. Consideration had been previously given to altering the course layout and in 1966 the old first nine became the back nine and the previous back nine were rearranged to make a new front nine. Several new greens were laid and a number of old bunkers were filled in.
Stuart Jones driving at the 1963 Freyberg Rosebowl Tournament played at Hutt.
In 1974 it was suggested the course layout be changed but nothing came of the proposal and the 1966 layout remains to this day. More recent changes have been the rebuilding of the 10th and 15th greens and the formation of the Ilott Lake in front of the 10th and 18th greens, officially opened in 1984. Subsequently the 18th green was rearranged to form multiple tiers and the surrounding area re-aligned.
In 1987 the decision was taken to install an the automatic sprinkling system to all greens, tees and fairways, the most ambitious project since the clubhouse reconstruction, with all 18 holes being completed in one operation. Through the entire course being fully watered, the Hutt members were able to enjoy year-round playing conditions through the summer period while other courses suffered from dry ground conditions.
With the Championship length Hutt course long being regarded as one of the best manicured in the country it has hosted many significant regional, national and international events over it's long and proud history. More recently the Club has hosted the Junior Tasman Cup (2006), and the NZ Secondary Schools Championships (2007).
In recent times significant improvements have been made to the impressive clubhouse resulting in the facilities being widely regarded as among the best in the wider Wellington region. Today the upstairs lounge is a modern conference and wedding venue, while downstairs members enjoy an open plan café and bar adjoining an expansive deck overlooking the 1st and 18th holes.
Since 1892 at the old Racing Club grounds, and then from 1908 at the current site, the Hutt Golf Club has certainly made its mark on the Wellington golfing landscape. The Club through establishing itself as a premier golf and leisure facility continues to stand out as a course of Championship quality with facilities to match.
