June 20, 2025 • 6 mins
One of the most popular personalities in the Canterbury golf game joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat, in association with Elmwood Trading Company.
Mike Gainsford has been a professional golfer for many years, has taught the game to hundreds, and has trained many of today’s professionals in the Canterbury region.
He’s currently the manager at the Hanmer Springs Golf Club – a popular course in New Zealand.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
News Talk said, be it is twenty six away from
nine o'clock. Well, Mike Gainsford has been a professional golf
of so many years he might tell us how many.
He's taught the game to hundreds of golfers and has
trained many of today's professionals around Canterbury in Currently, Mike
is the manager of that beautiful golf club up at
Hannah Springs.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Mike joins us, good morning, good morning guys, see you
get one good thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
What's it like up at Henmah if you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
What the truth, it is raining. That's not that plason
up there to day and after a beautiful day yesterday
it's fifteen degrees and today it's raining. I've got three
people on the golf course and carts, but I think
that my last's about there too long as you're there.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Actually, your golf course is open every day of the year,
isn't it, And.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's three hundred sixty five days of the year. Yeah,
I've had snow on the ground here a fort and
ago to close to the course, but other than that,
she's pretty pretty placeful up here and at the game
anytime you like and just roll up or take a pee.
Booking and where we go fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
It's certainly when people are going up there, may be
for the hot pools. They know there's a really fantastic
golf course. They've got other things up there as well,
and it is a very big part of the economics,
if you like of Hemmer.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Oh correct, Yeah, yeah, the hot pulse here obviously in
drawer card and there's other activities. People can do a
lot of cycling up here on the tracks and pushing
and hunting that way in climbs and and and other
wise you're playing golf. It's perfect. A lot of shops,
retail shops, and it's all great there.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, how long have you been a professional golfer? Mike?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, in the game of golf, there's two things. A
golf professional and a professional golfer. Now, a professional golfer
is a guy like that two players they like your
Macarroys and Ryan Foxes, et cetera, et cetera. Then you've
got the club pro, which is what I am on golf,
a club professional. I turned pro when I was aden,
which is forty forty four years ago. Now I've been
(01:55):
around for a while, and yeah, a few shortcuts in
the game and what to do, where to go and
what to do? Yeah, So it's but goal to my
bins be here, That's all I know. I left school
early and got a chance to a prior apprenticeship at
Rusty Golf Club in christ Church. I then left there
after I started playing when I was ten nextually and
(02:19):
I left there and when I was eighteen golf crob
at eighteen. Left there in twenty two, went to another
shop in town and Economy gold House and from there
I went up to Nelson and then I was up
there from ninety two to ninety six and got the
hit job at Hereart Golf Club in christ Church and
I'll be there for twenty years. Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
So who have you taught? Who are some big names? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Jason Kelly is he He was my trainee at herewith
and he's pinched on there and he's full time coaching
at the cry Church Golf Club. And he's one of
the guys that was Aidan Barry. He come a work
from me for his time with me hereward and then
he went out to Krainga from there and started his
own thing and then from there he went to Pegasus
(03:06):
and then to clear Water and now he's in Australia
working so yeah, yeah, so that's the two main boys
I've had. That's well, my love. There's a lot of
part time staff. That's it's a theme with me. But yeah,
the two main guys that really got me on my
feet and mentored and got them going in the band
of golf would be not going in the van of
(03:27):
golf doing work in the hard yards with Jason and Aidan. Yeah,
that were two best but I've ever had year befare fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So going back to Hannah, how many club members have
you got there?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
We've got one hundred and soe many members up here
and we probably get about twenty to thirty on a
Saturday here playing golf. We've got twenty per cent of
that would be locals and they from either christ Church
come to the West Coast and some from else Yeah.
So yeah, do you have to.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Book if you're coming up, just say, you know, play
a green fee no.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Monday to Friday. I need the book. You can roll
up sed day Defney book and public holidays Dipney book
and not too busy on a Sunday, so you know
you can just roll up and play normally prime times everything.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So how much do you play these days? What's your handicap?
Do you have one?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I do at the moment on plus one, which
is not too bad.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I guess I'm playing and still that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Still get it round, okay, Yes, but when I go
to Torments, you know, it's like than anything when you're
when you play golf with the club members here on
a Saturday, you know, you get the big fish. When
you get out on the tour. You're the same size,
specially ever now, so it's it's daunting. You know, it's
pretty tough life unless you're playing a lot of golf.
So I've just been away playing and I'm going to
(04:53):
look more prams this year, play this year coming up,
and yes, hopefully keep my golf aren't good and where
we'll go again?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Fantastic. Well, look, that's amazing, and I know that when
you drive into him, you can't help but go past
the golf club. That's correct, and it just always looks
so pristine and well manicured.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Well, we've got a very good green keeper here. Stephen
Hill has been in the game and he does a
very very good job of this golf cours and got
a great team behind him. And we all talk and
it's great and we've asked me some of I sometimes
and I get him some of I sometimes, and we've
we move forward from there. That's pretty good at mine
(05:33):
and actually be here.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, it sounds like they're lucky to have you, Mike Gaines.
So'd interested in the rugby final tonight.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
If preside us all the way?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
What do you think school was?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Every close game? I reckon probably twenty two fifteen some
of that.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Okay, yep, we'll keep you to it all right, Okay, Well, look,
we've loved talking to you, Mike, and stay warm and
dry up there. I think you're getting what we've had overnight,
so I think up there, but hopefully it's gone from here.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It's going to be cold, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
That's not good. But yeah, that's going to be hopeless.
Comes right soon.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, well it's winter footy, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
That's right exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, you're a good man, and that is Mike Gainsford
from the Hemmer Springs Golf Club. Gosh, it does look
lovely when you drive past it, and it makes it
almost as enticing come in and play it, saying for
more from News Talks ed B Listen live on air
or online, and
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcast on iHeartRadio
News Talk said, be it is twenty six away from
nine o'clock. Well, Mike Gainsford has been a professional golf
of so many years he might tell us how many.
He's taught the game to hundreds of golfers and has
trained many of today's professionals around Canterbury in Currently, Mike
is the manager of that beautiful golf club up at
Hannah Springs.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Mike joins us, good morning, good morning guys, see you
get one good thanks.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
What's it like up at Henmah if you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
What the truth, it is raining. That's not that plason
up there to day and after a beautiful day yesterday
it's fifteen degrees and today it's raining. I've got three
people on the golf course and carts, but I think
that my last's about there too long as you're there.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Actually, your golf course is open every day of the year,
isn't it, And.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's three hundred sixty five days of the year. Yeah,
I've had snow on the ground here a fort and
ago to close to the course, but other than that,
she's pretty pretty placeful up here and at the game
anytime you like and just roll up or take a pee.
Booking and where we go fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
It's certainly when people are going up there, may be
for the hot pools. They know there's a really fantastic
golf course. They've got other things up there as well,
and it is a very big part of the economics,
if you like of Hemmer.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Oh correct, Yeah, yeah, the hot pulse here obviously in
drawer card and there's other activities. People can do a
lot of cycling up here on the tracks and pushing
and hunting that way in climbs and and and other
wise you're playing golf. It's perfect. A lot of shops,
retail shops, and it's all great there.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, how long have you been a professional golfer? Mike?
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, in the game of golf, there's two things. A
golf professional and a professional golfer. Now, a professional golfer
is a guy like that two players they like your
Macarroys and Ryan Foxes, et cetera, et cetera. Then you've
got the club pro, which is what I am on golf,
a club professional. I turned pro when I was aden,
which is forty forty four years ago. Now I've been
(01:55):
around for a while, and yeah, a few shortcuts in
the game and what to do, where to go and
what to do? Yeah, So it's but goal to my
bins be here, That's all I know. I left school
early and got a chance to a prior apprenticeship at
Rusty Golf Club in christ Church. I then left there
after I started playing when I was ten nextually and
(02:19):
I left there and when I was eighteen golf crob
at eighteen. Left there in twenty two, went to another
shop in town and Economy gold House and from there
I went up to Nelson and then I was up
there from ninety two to ninety six and got the
hit job at Hereart Golf Club in christ Church and
I'll be there for twenty years. Yes.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
So who have you taught? Who are some big names? Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Jason Kelly is he He was my trainee at herewith
and he's pinched on there and he's full time coaching
at the cry Church Golf Club. And he's one of
the guys that was Aidan Barry. He come a work
from me for his time with me hereward and then
he went out to Krainga from there and started his
own thing and then from there he went to Pegasus
(03:06):
and then to clear Water and now he's in Australia
working so yeah, yeah, so that's the two main boys
I've had. That's well, my love. There's a lot of
part time staff. That's it's a theme with me. But yeah,
the two main guys that really got me on my
feet and mentored and got them going in the band
of golf would be not going in the van of
(03:27):
golf doing work in the hard yards with Jason and Aidan. Yeah,
that were two best but I've ever had year befare fantastic.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
So going back to Hannah, how many club members have
you got there?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
We've got one hundred and soe many members up here
and we probably get about twenty to thirty on a
Saturday here playing golf. We've got twenty per cent of
that would be locals and they from either christ Church
come to the West Coast and some from else Yeah.
So yeah, do you have to.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Book if you're coming up, just say, you know, play
a green fee no.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Monday to Friday. I need the book. You can roll
up sed day Defney book and public holidays Dipney book
and not too busy on a Sunday, so you know
you can just roll up and play normally prime times everything.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So how much do you play these days? What's your handicap?
Do you have one?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Yeah, I do at the moment on plus one, which
is not too bad.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I guess I'm playing and still that is amazing.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Still get it round, okay, Yes, but when I go
to Torments, you know, it's like than anything when you're
when you play golf with the club members here on
a Saturday, you know, you get the big fish. When
you get out on the tour. You're the same size,
specially ever now, so it's it's daunting. You know, it's
pretty tough life unless you're playing a lot of golf.
So I've just been away playing and I'm going to
(04:53):
look more prams this year, play this year coming up,
and yes, hopefully keep my golf aren't good and where
we'll go again?
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Fantastic. Well, look, that's amazing, and I know that when
you drive into him, you can't help but go past
the golf club. That's correct, and it just always looks
so pristine and well manicured.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Well, we've got a very good green keeper here. Stephen
Hill has been in the game and he does a
very very good job of this golf cours and got
a great team behind him. And we all talk and
it's great and we've asked me some of I sometimes
and I get him some of I sometimes, and we've
we move forward from there. That's pretty good at mine
(05:33):
and actually be here.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Well, it sounds like they're lucky to have you, Mike Gaines.
So'd interested in the rugby final tonight.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
If preside us all the way?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
What do you think school was?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Every close game? I reckon probably twenty two fifteen some
of that.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Okay, yep, we'll keep you to it all right, Okay, Well, look,
we've loved talking to you, Mike, and stay warm and
dry up there. I think you're getting what we've had overnight,
so I think up there, but hopefully it's gone from here.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Thanks very much.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It's going to be cold, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
That's not good. But yeah, that's going to be hopeless.
Comes right soon.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Yeah, well it's winter footy, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
That's right exactly.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, you're a good man, and that is Mike Gainsford
from the Hemmer Springs Golf Club. Gosh, it does look
lovely when you drive past it, and it makes it
almost as enticing come in and play it, saying for
more from News Talks ed B Listen live on air
or online, and
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcast on iHeartRadio
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