Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on New Zealand for several days. The cyclone raged through part of the country from the 12th to the 16th of February this year. Among the many places that were affected was Waiohiki, a community in the Hastings District of New Zealand’s North Island. And in it, one particular place that took a hit was the Napier Golf Club. Unfortunately, the club suffered another tragedy soon after the natural calamity subsided!
The Napier Golf Club suffers back-to-back tragedies
The Napier Golf Club sustained heavy damage due to the cyclone. Of the 18 greens, 14 had been unearthed with chunks ripped apart. Many of the fairways are still flooded and mucky. Moreover, the club room too had taken a hit and was filled with silt. But alas, what followed all the natural disaster damage was far worse for the club!
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Following the aftermath of the cyclone, when the club was at one of its lowest points, people took to the club shop and looted it. Andrew Henare, Golf New Zealand’s professional coach of the year, was running the shop under contract and was devastated by the burglary. In his Facebook post, he described the thieves as having taken “whatever was left undestroyed.”
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Despite the back-to-back blows, Henare considered the club fortunate. “We are all good, we are so lucky compared to most with all the devastation and loss others are trying to deal with,” he wrote. But that certainly didn’t excuse the actions of the raiders. Their heartless actions had only sprinkled salt on the wounds of the already hurt club members.
How is the club coping with the wreckage?
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Ever since both the natural and burglar attacks on the club, the members have been doing all they can to help out. There are 920 members at the club, and many of them have banded together to volunteer and save the course. Head greenkeepers and professionals from other clubs have also joined the fight and are working towards bringing the course back to its former glory.
Riki Mitchell, the Napier Golf Club president, believes that the course, despite its “dire state,” is still savable. “If we’re able to save the greens, we’ll be able to save the course,” he stated in the New Zealand Herald on the 21st of February this week.
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The members certainly will cling to that hope and do everything they can to save their precious course! And the entire golf world stands with them in spirit.