Simon Ruri: Leader of the Christchurch Hackers Golf Group on the club

The largest golf club in Canterbury is not a traditional club. 

Simon Ruri is the ‘head honcho’ of the Christchurch Hackers Golf Group, a Facebook-based group of keen golfers with more than 1,500 members.  

They stage a golf tournament once a month at various venues, and Ruri joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about the club and its workings, in association with the Elmwood Trading Company.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hughes Talks EB it's twenty two away from nine o'clock
and a man who was very busy and we were
late getting to him, which I apologize to. Simon Ludy.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good morning, Good morning, how are you.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
I'm very good. Thanks? Well, the host with the most.
Of course, you are the head honcho at the George Hotel,
but you are also the head honcho at the christ
Church Hackers golf group. Now what is this about.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Oh, it's just a group of mates trying to have
a bit of fun.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
And a Facebook group. Though, I mean that's clearly a
bit different from Clubland.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Here it is, so I think we it was. It
all started with two brothers, Grant and Glean bunting Net
wanted to, I guess share some banter with the shoe
mates and they started that twelve years ago and here
we are today, still carrying it on, getting bigger and better. Yeah,
it's different. It's like you said, it's all run through

(00:53):
Facebook and a couple of emails between a full time committee.
So it it keeps us busy.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
So how many of you got on your Facebook group?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
One of fifteen hundred on our Facebook?

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Wow?

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, So it's I think people referred to us as
the largest golf group without a golf club for a
golf course.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
So you'd be in a bit of trouble if they
all tuned up on one course.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah, we are. We have to put it out on
Facebook and it's a first and first served basis, so
I think most courses can only really take one hundred
and twenty and that sort of fills out within three
days of us posting it up.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Oh, that's amazing. So how many of your fifteen hundred
golfers would also be members of another golf club?

Speaker 2 (01:42):
You would say around ninety five percent of us or
people that play would be official members of golf clubs.
There's a couple here and there that just doing in
for a bit of fun, but yeah, most of them
are active in the golf community.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
So Simon, does that mean that they don't. The only
thing they have to pay for being part of the
christ You Checkers golf group is green fees?

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Correct?

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, so you don't have the big sub.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Oh, we have a small sub of forty dollars and
that sort of covers everything. And then the guys just
put their name down and turn up and everything else
is done for them.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Sons Sons sounds like a very modern way to go
about it.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, it is. Yeah, we're very lucky. We've covered through
a whole lot of sponsors, every whole sponsor. We run
a points race, we've got three divisions, we've got twos
and eagles competitions. So yeah, extremely lucky for the generosity
of those sponsors.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
So how do you work the handicaps?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's an official handicaps, so we generally it's just an
honesty basis. So most people have a handicap, so they
go up to the board and write it down and
we sort of keep each other honest.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
It sounds fair enough, and we know that the traditions
within golf and the values are very high, so you'd
imagine that that wouldn't be a problem. So how how
do the other clubs view the Hackers group?

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, they were despite the name with the we're now
we're now renowned to how we run our competitions. Often
told that there were one of the most organized groups
that they host. So we handle everything, the sponsorships, prizes,
all of the closest to the pins out on the course,

(03:33):
and all the club really has to do is open
the doors and have the bar ready four hours later,
of course.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
So how many of you on the committee?

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Six full timers and then we've got a couple others
that help us out on each event.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Rank it's fantastic. Any famous members.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
From yourself, Yeah, a couple of gray stuff, mate, the
National's been out there, and then the legend Simon Mannering
often hids out there each year.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
See they'd be able to hit a big ball, wouldn't they.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
They pretend like they can.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
So where's your next event at and can new people join?

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yes, so anyone can join. They just jump on our
Facebook page and put their name down. Our next events
actually tomorrow at Amberley. So despite the sea hammering away
at the road there, I've had confirmation that the road
is accessible into the club, but everyone was prepared to
make that six hundred to get to their teethons if

(04:35):
we had to.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
Yeah, I won't do them any harm. They have to
walk around the course anyway, don't they.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Etch I did see that story during the week about
the road is shoe heading into the golf club there.
But I'm sure they'll get that worked out.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah they will. And everyone really enjoys playing Amberley golf club.
So we're all excited to get out there.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Oh fantastic. So how many different events do you organize
in a calendar year?

Speaker 2 (05:00):
So just we're so in a calendar we do one
one a month, so twelve twelve events we run, and
one of those events we do a charity event. So
we've been raising money for prostate and also for men's
mental health. So I think over the last five years
we've raised about fifty thousand dollars for those organizations, which

(05:24):
is great. And then yeah, every other event we lead
up to our big final, which is that clear order
every year.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
So I don't know how you fit it all in
with you your big job at the George Hotel.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Yeah, it keeps me busy.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, I bet it does. Oh look, it's a really
cool idea. I think you know that while everybody loves
clubs and being associated with something, I guess this is
just a different way of playing sport.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, it's a great opportunity for gus to just get
out there and have a chat with each other and
share what they want to share and have a bit
of fun.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
And do you get to play yourself?

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Yeah I do.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, we all get in there it's just a bit
of a mad rush between setting the club room up
and getting anyone organized and laying out the rules to
getting out on their tea box.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, fantastic. What's your handicap mine at the moment?

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Seven?

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Well done? Any holes in?

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well not yet. So we've played, I've worked it out
and I think we've just over ten thousand rounds that
we've played within our group. And that louseive hole in
one hasn't been struck officially on one of our rounds.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
Wow, okay, I'll let us know when it happens.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, well do ill.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
Fantastic, Simon. Thanks so much for joining us on the program.
We're all the better for knowing that. And just to repeat,
people can join your club, your golf hackers group.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, it's just labeled Cross hitch Hackers Golf group on Facebook.
And all they do is we put up a post
and say we're the next courses and we put the
details on and then people just jump on in and
say I'm.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
In right, I know correct, Cuz just added his name
to it. So here's another one. He's easy peasy, all right,
good stuff. Thank you so much for joining.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Us, Lizzie.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Thanks for having me, No, wonderful Simon Ludy there from
the what do you call themselves? Christich Hackers Golf Group. Yeah,
something very different, doesn't it. For more from News Talks
at b Listen live on air or online, and

Speaker 2 (07:24):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio