June 7, 2025 • 9 mins
This week we go to the northern most golf club in the Canterbury area, Cheviot Golf Club, and talk to John Prebble in association with The Elmwood trading Company
The course is situated five minutes west of Cheviot township. This unique 12-hole course is set on flat land with views to the Kaikoura Mountains. It is beautifully landscaped, with many trees and a small stream running through it, which comes into play on several holes.
Like most country clubs, the membership is small, but the 98 members up there are a friendly bunch and there are a number of tournaments that the club puts on over the year, that welcome visitors.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your award winning station new stalks, there be newstalks. W'd
be twenty five away from nine o'clock and as promised
an association with the Elmwood Trading Company, let's go up
to the Cheviot Golf Club and catch up with John Preble. John,
good morning, Good morning, Leslie. Keeping nice and warm?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh trying to It's pretty rough, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
It is? Well, I think we're sending it your way,
aren't we.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You are? Indeed, so conditions a lot of rain, rain
all night, let the snow around the hills. But it
was a rain sort of melting it away. Awey. But yep, yeah,
a lot of rate.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So would it be right to predict there may not
be a lot of action on the Chivoate Golf Club
courses today.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I don't think there'll be any all weekend, quite frankly right,
there certainly won't be today.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, it's a pretty unique golf course, isn't it? Tell
us a little bit that? First of all, it's very picturesque.
It's got a stream running through it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It has it's but it's got what they call the
crystal Brook Stream and that joins up with the main
the Creek River that feeds through to the coast out
of all day. But it comes into into play on
about six of our holes. Actually, if you don't hit
(01:18):
it straight, and if you do don't hit it correctly,
you can be in trouble. So six out of the
twelve holes. Yeah, it comes into play. It can come
into play. So that makes it quite quite exciting and
quite challenging.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Indeed, so is the levels high and that stream does
it with the.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Not normally right, Okay, it's normally pretty dry, but times
like this of course, and in the winter it will
come up. But I mean we only get a really
flood once and you know, a real downpour, so it's
not so bad.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah. Be beautiful views of the Kaiklda Mountains though.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Right, beautiful ever is there ever? It's just idyllic. Really,
it's amazing place. You know. We're three three k's from
the township, so we're out in the open there, we
but we've got hills all around us basically, and it's
just it's just beautiful.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And there's a bit of a vibe around Chiva, doesn't there.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, it's going ahead. We've got you know, Harris Farms
have upgraded there their retail shop and and chevo it
and enlarged it and made it more of a a
butcher shop, come Gallicum Cafe, well bakery. So you know
(02:42):
there's a bit of a bit of involvement, a bit
of money going in.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, So what's your club membership like, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Was sitting in the nineties at the moment, which which
is which is up from about or four years ago.
We probably were in the seven So yeah, there's been
a bit of a surge there.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
And are your members locals or they come from around
the district?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yes, they all are basically locals, but locals asn't farmers
and all farmers wives probably eighty percent and then yeah,
probably twenty percent from the village, the workers from the
village or retired people.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And because you used to be here in christ you
didn't you hear it in Templeton?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I did. I did. Indeed, I've been in golf for
sixty one years. I joined her here with in nineteen
sixty four and then Templeton in nineteen seventy one. So
we moved up to Chiva in nineteen seven night sorry
nineteen ninety six. Because I was a grocer for in
(03:59):
the grocery industry since leaving school, so forty eight years
in that and we were able to purchase the four
square up here, a dream of the always had, and
we retired eight and a half years ago. I'm not
sure what retirement means or what that word means at all.
(04:20):
Doesn't seem to happen, does it.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
No, Well, you don't want it to, really, do you?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
No? So, no? What are You're? Right? Yeah? I always
say retirements better than an expirement. So we've been here
twenty nine years roughly now, and I've been a like
member of the club for about eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Do you have any any paid staff or are they
all volunteers? We have.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
We're very fortunate here we can afford to pay a
part time greenkeeper. Everybody else is corres volunteer. We're very
fortunate because most of the other three courses around, you know,
just solely rely on volunteers to do the work. But
we're very very fortunate, and in doing so, we can,
(05:12):
you know, keep our course the standard that we think
we have, which we yet commented on about the great
standard of our course and particularly the condition of our
greens and our course actually in nineteen seventy two was opened,
which is fifty three years ago. Forty seven years before that,
(05:34):
it was on three different farms and the farmers let
them use. Of course, our course was designed by a
well known Canterbury greenkeeper, mister Murray Stanley, and Murray was
the Shirley Christis Golf Club Shirley greenkeeper for many years.
So we've got a good quality golf course, well designed,
(05:57):
well laid out. Okay, it's just a shame only twelve holes,
but it's one of three. I think we're very got three.
In the South Island there are twelve whole golf courses,
and I'm not sure how many in the total of
New Zealand. There's probably only five or six in total,
so it's pretty unique in that respect.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So what about what about yourself? What do you play well?
Have you got a handicap?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I do play. I play not as much as I
used to, mainly from sort of all yes, how reasons
in that, but yes, I do play. As I said,
I've been playing sixty one years. Yeah, was on a
low handicap for for a lot of years, probably probably
forty years of standard probably four five and six probably
(06:47):
the last five or six that's gone out a bit.
But hey, that's that's no problem. I'm still able to
be out there exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And how ca what a gorgeous little golf course it
sounds like as well. And it's not really it's not
that far away. I mean especially it's not far away
from kay Colder. It's what only about fifty minutes maybe max?
Maybe fifty minutes yeah, ye, and then decent drive, I
guess if you want to go up for they always
have a nice little stall on the side there, don't
(07:19):
they little market.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, they have a little market on the outside the
school up there on the main road. Yeah, in the
summer most Sundays.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So yes, Oh well, you do a grand job. We
love the volunteers and the people that do all the
work to keep all these not only the golf clubs,
but any sporting club really alive and progressing.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, that's right, and thirty way it can work, yeah,
others you know, everybody loses out too.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Right yep. Yeah, Well, John Prebble, it's been an absolute
treat to find out a little bit more about the
chivat golf club and you'll part in it. And also,
as I did mention during the chat, there is a
real vibe around Chiviot and there is an energy at
the moment which is really cool.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yes, yes, I think what's helping is like there's you know,
there's a lot of a lot of travelers. You know,
there's a lot of tourists around, but also a lot
of the New Zealanders that are out and about in caravans
and motor homes. And we welcome them to stay over.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, we love it. And when we love them have them.
There's a motor home Association members. It adds a wee
bit of income, but more so it adds security to
our to our premises. Absolutely, and they actually love it.
And a lot of people come back when they're coming
through any time. They stay over again. And some of
(08:48):
them don't play golf, and that's fine. Others play golf
and of course they love the course so they come back.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Indeed, Yeah, we're all the better for finding out about
the Cheviot Golf Club. John Preopile, you go and keep
war and the sooner this cold spell runs through, although
I think we're in for a bit of a week
of it. But anyway, that's the way it rolls.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That's good as goal.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Thank you very much, Thank you very much. Good job
Thank you, John Preble.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
Your award winning station new stalks, there be newstalks. W'd
be twenty five away from nine o'clock and as promised
an association with the Elmwood Trading Company, let's go up
to the Cheviot Golf Club and catch up with John Preble. John,
good morning, Good morning, Leslie. Keeping nice and warm?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh trying to It's pretty rough, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
It is? Well, I think we're sending it your way,
aren't we.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You are? Indeed, so conditions a lot of rain, rain
all night, let the snow around the hills. But it
was a rain sort of melting it away. Awey. But yep, yeah,
a lot of rate.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So would it be right to predict there may not
be a lot of action on the Chivoate Golf Club
courses today.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I don't think there'll be any all weekend, quite frankly right,
there certainly won't be today.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, it's a pretty unique golf course, isn't it? Tell
us a little bit that? First of all, it's very picturesque.
It's got a stream running through it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
It has it's but it's got what they call the
crystal Brook Stream and that joins up with the main
the Creek River that feeds through to the coast out
of all day. But it comes into into play on
about six of our holes. Actually, if you don't hit
(01:18):
it straight, and if you do don't hit it correctly,
you can be in trouble. So six out of the
twelve holes. Yeah, it comes into play. It can come
into play. So that makes it quite quite exciting and
quite challenging.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Indeed, so is the levels high and that stream does
it with the.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Not normally right, Okay, it's normally pretty dry, but times
like this of course, and in the winter it will
come up. But I mean we only get a really
flood once and you know, a real downpour, so it's
not so bad.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah. Be beautiful views of the Kaiklda Mountains though.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Right, beautiful ever is there ever? It's just idyllic. Really,
it's amazing place. You know. We're three three k's from
the township, so we're out in the open there, we
but we've got hills all around us basically, and it's
just it's just beautiful.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
And there's a bit of a vibe around Chiva, doesn't there.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, it's going ahead. We've got you know, Harris Farms
have upgraded there their retail shop and and chevo it
and enlarged it and made it more of a a
butcher shop, come Gallicum Cafe, well bakery. So you know
(02:42):
there's a bit of a bit of involvement, a bit
of money going in.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, So what's your club membership like, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Was sitting in the nineties at the moment, which which
is which is up from about or four years ago.
We probably were in the seven So yeah, there's been
a bit of a surge there.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
And are your members locals or they come from around
the district?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yes, they all are basically locals, but locals asn't farmers
and all farmers wives probably eighty percent and then yeah,
probably twenty percent from the village, the workers from the
village or retired people.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And because you used to be here in christ you
didn't you hear it in Templeton?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I did. I did. Indeed, I've been in golf for
sixty one years. I joined her here with in nineteen
sixty four and then Templeton in nineteen seventy one. So
we moved up to Chiva in nineteen seven night sorry
nineteen ninety six. Because I was a grocer for in
(03:59):
the grocery industry since leaving school, so forty eight years
in that and we were able to purchase the four
square up here, a dream of the always had, and
we retired eight and a half years ago. I'm not
sure what retirement means or what that word means at all.
(04:20):
Doesn't seem to happen, does it.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
No, Well, you don't want it to, really, do you?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
No? So, no? What are You're? Right? Yeah? I always
say retirements better than an expirement. So we've been here
twenty nine years roughly now, and I've been a like
member of the club for about eighteen months.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Do you have any any paid staff or are they
all volunteers? We have.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
We're very fortunate here we can afford to pay a
part time greenkeeper. Everybody else is corres volunteer. We're very
fortunate because most of the other three courses around, you know,
just solely rely on volunteers to do the work. But
we're very very fortunate, and in doing so, we can,
(05:12):
you know, keep our course the standard that we think
we have, which we yet commented on about the great
standard of our course and particularly the condition of our
greens and our course actually in nineteen seventy two was opened,
which is fifty three years ago. Forty seven years before that,
(05:34):
it was on three different farms and the farmers let
them use. Of course, our course was designed by a
well known Canterbury greenkeeper, mister Murray Stanley, and Murray was
the Shirley Christis Golf Club Shirley greenkeeper for many years.
So we've got a good quality golf course, well designed,
(05:57):
well laid out. Okay, it's just a shame only twelve holes,
but it's one of three. I think we're very got three.
In the South Island there are twelve whole golf courses,
and I'm not sure how many in the total of
New Zealand. There's probably only five or six in total,
so it's pretty unique in that respect.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So what about what about yourself? What do you play well?
Have you got a handicap?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I do play. I play not as much as I
used to, mainly from sort of all yes, how reasons
in that, but yes, I do play. As I said,
I've been playing sixty one years. Yeah, was on a
low handicap for for a lot of years, probably probably
forty years of standard probably four five and six probably
(06:47):
the last five or six that's gone out a bit.
But hey, that's that's no problem. I'm still able to
be out there exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And how ca what a gorgeous little golf course it
sounds like as well. And it's not really it's not
that far away. I mean especially it's not far away
from kay Colder. It's what only about fifty minutes maybe max?
Maybe fifty minutes yeah, ye, and then decent drive, I
guess if you want to go up for they always
have a nice little stall on the side there, don't
(07:19):
they little market.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, they have a little market on the outside the
school up there on the main road. Yeah, in the
summer most Sundays.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
So yes, Oh well, you do a grand job. We
love the volunteers and the people that do all the
work to keep all these not only the golf clubs,
but any sporting club really alive and progressing.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, that's right, and thirty way it can work, yeah,
others you know, everybody loses out too.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Right yep. Yeah, Well, John Prebble, it's been an absolute
treat to find out a little bit more about the
chivat golf club and you'll part in it. And also,
as I did mention during the chat, there is a
real vibe around Chiviot and there is an energy at
the moment which is really cool.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yes, yes, I think what's helping is like there's you know,
there's a lot of a lot of travelers. You know,
there's a lot of tourists around, but also a lot
of the New Zealanders that are out and about in caravans
and motor homes. And we welcome them to stay over.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, we love it. And when we love them have them.
There's a motor home Association members. It adds a wee
bit of income, but more so it adds security to
our to our premises. Absolutely, and they actually love it.
And a lot of people come back when they're coming
through any time. They stay over again. And some of
(08:48):
them don't play golf, and that's fine. Others play golf
and of course they love the course so they come back.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Indeed, Yeah, we're all the better for finding out about
the Cheviot Golf Club. John Preopile, you go and keep
war and the sooner this cold spell runs through, although
I think we're in for a bit of a week
of it. But anyway, that's the way it rolls.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
That's good as goal.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Thank you very much, Thank you very much. Good job
Thank you, John Preble.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio
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