May 10, 2025 • 7 mins
This week Lesley Murdoch spoke with Jack Oldridge, President of the Kaiapoi Golf Club.
It was established in 1907 – a compact but pleasant course a short 20 minutes drive from Christchurch.
Kaiapoi has produced some golf notables including the 'Godfather' of Canterbury golf, Tom Whittaker, and more recently Amelia Garvey, a junior product of the club.
With thanks to Elmwood Trading Company.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A healthy serving of sports Canterbury's All Sport Breakfast with
Leslie Murdock and Mina ten Meker supporting local proudly q
WE owned and operated.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
News Talks b Newstalk said, be trying time to go
in association with Marty Fuller's team and the Onward Trading
Company to golf. Jack Aldridge is the president of the
Kaipoy Golf Club.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Jack, good morning, Yeah, good morning Leslie.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
How are you very good? Be pretty lovely out there
this morning, wouldn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah? Always this a bit of sunshine and not too
much wind. I guess there's a few on the course already.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh yeah, it's only twenty minutes away from christ doesn't it.
I mean, what are the wonderful features of the Kaipoy
Golf Club?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh? Look, look in short, I mean I thought about
this the other day. But in short, it's about the people. Really.
We've got passionate people who are not frightened to put
a week bit into the club, which is so important
to us. We've got an office lady and Mary Fanning
who has been there for about eighteen months now, but
(01:00):
she has the personality and the willingness to support our
members and visitors alike. So look, look, you know, without
the people you can have it. You can have a
golf club, you can have a course, you can have everything.
But if you haven't got the people to support that
and to help it grow and to give it a
(01:20):
name in terms of the public, well, you know, I
guess you might be struggling a little bit. But we
we're very fortunate and I'm very very privileged to be
in a position to be able to work with people
like we have at Kyapoy. We I guess there's a
few other things that are important to her club where
if if we have got people who are with any
(01:41):
financial hardship at all, we in any members or prospective members,
we make sure we look after them and we try
to tailor any packages that will help them. We're an
inclusive club in short, and we work very very hard
to let our values that we're welcoming club, We support
(02:03):
each other, and I think the club is in great heart.
So many people, as I've said before, though, want to
want to input in the club and our bot that
the volunteers of our club are very special. We've got
We've got dozens and dozens of people who some of
them are self appointed that just want to do stuff
to help us out, to support us in any way
(02:25):
going forward. And we're very, very very lucky. For me.
The people of the club are a source of motivation
and as I said, I'm very privileged to be in
the role.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I tell you what I'm I'm loving the passion that's
coming through in your voice, that's for sure. And you've
got a variety of members. Are they mostly Kaiapoi based
or do they come in from other areas?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Oh no, no, they're certainly not all Chaiapoy based. We've
got we've got people who come in from all over
North Canterbury. We've got people coming from town. A lot
of people coming from town. I think of Moreris Robertson.
You might know Morris yourself. He's the dad of a
young raiser who's got a sort of pretty high profile
(03:07):
job and Rodby at the moment. But Maurice he Key
comes from suddenly every week. We've got a variety of
other people though, who just as you say, it's twenty minutes, Leslie,
and it's not far. And if you come into a
course that provides a really good experience in terms of
the people and the course itself. Well, it's not a
(03:31):
major task to want to pop out and be part
of our club on our course.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, and of course the wonderful Amelia Garvey learned all
her golf out there now on the golf courses around
the world.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, Emelia has done very well for herself. I know
that the other day she had a seven under in
the first round in the EPSOM golf tournaments over in
the US. She's in Europe at the moment, but no,
she's a lovely young lady. She joined us when she
was around about eightish. I think it was eight years old.
(04:07):
Tom Whittaker, as you know Tom, he's a steward of
a club and a very high profile man in Canterbury Golf,
had a lot to do with Amelia in the early days.
But she's very loyal to the club when she gets back.
She's always part of a club, always wants to play
with our members and have fun and she's a great
(04:28):
young lady.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Fantastic Jack. What's coming up for the club this season
this year.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Well, we've got two or three things that are important.
The premiere event for this club, of course is our
Club Championships and there in July and through to August.
We've got our Chiapor Open, which was reintroduced about three
years ago. Now that's in September. And last year we
tried something a little bit different which was a PAS
(04:56):
three shootout, and we've got that again this year in Novembers,
just a fun day which is a little bit different
to me. We've shortened all our we've shortened all our
holes to be a path three and some pretty challenging
little places. We've got the new t blocks and what
have you. It's just a fun thing, so they are
the major ones. At the end of the year, we've
(05:18):
got Ambrose tournaments which are fun that all all the
members have a bit of fun playing and just to
finish off for the year.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
How long have you been a member.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I've been a member just on twenty years now. I
know it's not quite twenty because when you get the
twenty years we give all our members of ten percent
discount on these subs, but yet close on twenty years.
I've been involved more specifically with the club in terms
of boards and managements in the last thirteen and been
(05:54):
with some very inspirational people and yeah, I've enjoyed every
minute of it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have enjoyed hearing about the Kaipoy Golf Club, and
I guess you would have benefited quite a bit, did you.
After the youthquakes people went out north of the city.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That's an interesting one. I was talking to a couple
of our members yesterday actually, and yeah, there was a
bit of a bit of a difference going on there
in terms of Kypoy in the September earthquake lost it was,
it was severely damaged and we lost a lot of properties.
(06:30):
People had to relocate the many houses we read stickt
and what have you, and so my understanding at that
time was a wee bit prior to my real involvement
with the club. But we lost a lot of members,
up to about one hundred members, so we suffered a
major financial loss that over the next year or two
(06:53):
till we rebuilt. So I guess when people from town
had to relocate out here. Yes, we gained a little,
but there was a bit of a lull and a
bit of a void in terms of we were at
for a couple of years after the earth quake.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Sure. Yeah, well, look you've obviously done a fantastic job.
We've loved hearing about the Kaiapoi Golf Club. Keep up
the fantastic work and as you said, it is about
the people. The people, the people. Jack Aldridge, thank you,
have a wonderful weekend.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
You too, Thanks, Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Thank you excellent. That's one of the lovely things about
doing the golf, finding out about the different golf clubs
and hearing the passion and the care for what they're doing.
People like Jack Aldridge.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
For more from news talks that'd be listen live on
air or online, and
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcast on iHeartRadio.
A healthy serving of sports Canterbury's All Sport Breakfast with
Leslie Murdock and Mina ten Meker supporting local proudly q
WE owned and operated.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
News Talks b Newstalk said, be trying time to go
in association with Marty Fuller's team and the Onward Trading
Company to golf. Jack Aldridge is the president of the
Kaipoy Golf Club.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Jack, good morning, Yeah, good morning Leslie.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
How are you very good? Be pretty lovely out there
this morning, wouldn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah? Always this a bit of sunshine and not too
much wind. I guess there's a few on the course already.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh yeah, it's only twenty minutes away from christ doesn't it.
I mean, what are the wonderful features of the Kaipoy
Golf Club?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh? Look, look in short, I mean I thought about
this the other day. But in short, it's about the people. Really.
We've got passionate people who are not frightened to put
a week bit into the club, which is so important
to us. We've got an office lady and Mary Fanning
who has been there for about eighteen months now, but
(01:00):
she has the personality and the willingness to support our
members and visitors alike. So look, look, you know, without
the people you can have it. You can have a
golf club, you can have a course, you can have everything.
But if you haven't got the people to support that
and to help it grow and to give it a
(01:20):
name in terms of the public, well, you know, I
guess you might be struggling a little bit. But we
we're very fortunate and I'm very very privileged to be
in a position to be able to work with people
like we have at Kyapoy. We I guess there's a
few other things that are important to her club where
if if we have got people who are with any
(01:41):
financial hardship at all, we in any members or prospective members,
we make sure we look after them and we try
to tailor any packages that will help them. We're an
inclusive club in short, and we work very very hard
to let our values that we're welcoming club, We support
(02:03):
each other, and I think the club is in great heart.
So many people, as I've said before, though, want to
want to input in the club and our bot that
the volunteers of our club are very special. We've got
We've got dozens and dozens of people who some of
them are self appointed that just want to do stuff
to help us out, to support us in any way
(02:25):
going forward. And we're very, very very lucky. For me.
The people of the club are a source of motivation
and as I said, I'm very privileged to be in
the role.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I tell you what I'm I'm loving the passion that's
coming through in your voice, that's for sure. And you've
got a variety of members. Are they mostly Kaiapoi based
or do they come in from other areas?
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Oh no, no, they're certainly not all Chaiapoy based. We've
got we've got people who come in from all over
North Canterbury. We've got people coming from town. A lot
of people coming from town. I think of Moreris Robertson.
You might know Morris yourself. He's the dad of a
young raiser who's got a sort of pretty high profile
(03:07):
job and Rodby at the moment. But Maurice he Key
comes from suddenly every week. We've got a variety of
other people though, who just as you say, it's twenty minutes, Leslie,
and it's not far. And if you come into a
course that provides a really good experience in terms of
the people and the course itself. Well, it's not a
(03:31):
major task to want to pop out and be part
of our club on our course.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Absolutely, and of course the wonderful Amelia Garvey learned all
her golf out there now on the golf courses around
the world.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, Emelia has done very well for herself. I know
that the other day she had a seven under in
the first round in the EPSOM golf tournaments over in
the US. She's in Europe at the moment, but no,
she's a lovely young lady. She joined us when she
was around about eightish. I think it was eight years old.
(04:07):
Tom Whittaker, as you know Tom, he's a steward of
a club and a very high profile man in Canterbury Golf,
had a lot to do with Amelia in the early days.
But she's very loyal to the club when she gets back.
She's always part of a club, always wants to play
with our members and have fun and she's a great
(04:28):
young lady.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Fantastic Jack. What's coming up for the club this season
this year.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Well, we've got two or three things that are important.
The premiere event for this club, of course is our
Club Championships and there in July and through to August.
We've got our Chiapor Open, which was reintroduced about three
years ago. Now that's in September. And last year we
tried something a little bit different which was a PAS
(04:56):
three shootout, and we've got that again this year in Novembers,
just a fun day which is a little bit different
to me. We've shortened all our we've shortened all our
holes to be a path three and some pretty challenging
little places. We've got the new t blocks and what
have you. It's just a fun thing, so they are
the major ones. At the end of the year, we've
(05:18):
got Ambrose tournaments which are fun that all all the
members have a bit of fun playing and just to
finish off for the year.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
How long have you been a member.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I've been a member just on twenty years now. I
know it's not quite twenty because when you get the
twenty years we give all our members of ten percent
discount on these subs, but yet close on twenty years.
I've been involved more specifically with the club in terms
of boards and managements in the last thirteen and been
(05:54):
with some very inspirational people and yeah, I've enjoyed every
minute of it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have enjoyed hearing about the Kaipoy Golf Club, and
I guess you would have benefited quite a bit, did you.
After the youthquakes people went out north of the city.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
That's an interesting one. I was talking to a couple
of our members yesterday actually, and yeah, there was a
bit of a bit of a difference going on there
in terms of Kypoy in the September earthquake lost it was,
it was severely damaged and we lost a lot of properties.
(06:30):
People had to relocate the many houses we read stickt
and what have you, and so my understanding at that
time was a wee bit prior to my real involvement
with the club. But we lost a lot of members,
up to about one hundred members, so we suffered a
major financial loss that over the next year or two
(06:53):
till we rebuilt. So I guess when people from town
had to relocate out here. Yes, we gained a little,
but there was a bit of a lull and a
bit of a void in terms of we were at
for a couple of years after the earth quake.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Sure. Yeah, well, look you've obviously done a fantastic job.
We've loved hearing about the Kaiapoi Golf Club. Keep up
the fantastic work and as you said, it is about
the people. The people, the people. Jack Aldridge, thank you,
have a wonderful weekend.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
You too, Thanks, Thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Thank you excellent. That's one of the lovely things about
doing the golf, finding out about the different golf clubs
and hearing the passion and the care for what they're doing.
People like Jack Aldridge.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
For more from news talks that'd be listen live on
air or online, and
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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