Chamberlain Park Golf Club is a parkland course in Mt. Albert. A public course which is great value for your money.

You turn up and get in the queue at Chamberlain. It was Father’s day and the course was packed with father son combos. We waited over half an hour to get our turn on the first.

I started my long and rocky golfing career on a municipal public golf course in Glasgow. Knightswood Municipal Golf course is 9 holes, you waited for your name to be shrieked out of the starter’s hut to announce your invitation to get on the tee box. It was a joker’s paradise using the name of a famous footballer or politician – many a Mick Jagger and Mohammed Ali were called up onto the tee. We had one golf club each and a putter between the 3 of us. I’m not sure were we got the golf balls.

Chamberlain Park Golf Club is under threat of extinction. The local council is attempting to carve up this course for other outdoor activities and maybe the odd development.

The movement to stop this ridiculous plan is vocal and extremely determined to save the park. This voice is being ignored by the council and others who don’t know better, their claim is that golf courses take up too much space.

Today there was not enough space for the son’s taking their fathers out for a bonding golf game. The winter sun was warm on this fine day. I met a friend who was out with his elderly father. The group behind us were bickering over the scoring on the 3rd tee, and then we heard “Happy Father’s day!” and a barrel of laughing. A great day in the golfing calendar.

Save Chamberlain Park Golf Club

I can only urge you all to visit the site Save the CPark and pledge allegiance to the course. On the site you will find out why it is vital we keep our golf courses. The history that these places carry with them, the value to the community are not to be swished aside easily. There is a climate change revolution happening right now. The council making less room for golfers and golf courses is not the what they should be focusing their time to. Their plan is to cut down acres of trees and add some concrete.

There has been no consideration of heritage or ecology in the proposed plan. The vision of some council members is truly fogged. This golf course is one of busiest in New Zealand. How can you be thinking that making it smaller is in the best interests of the people of Auckland?

This is a true public golf course. What does that mean? It is here for the general public to play a game with no airs or graces. All you need to do is take your clubs from the garage and head out to play. You don’t need a collared shirt or non denim shorts. The dress code of conduct suggest only that a shirt is worn at all times.

There was a group of 9 men all playing the same hole with 2 carts and a loud speaker to announce their arrival with music to freshen up the air.

A public course does not equal poor golf. Chamberlain has an interesting layout, with rolling fairways. It was playing well in the mid of winter. It is a course that all types of golfer can enjoy. And that my friends is what golf is for. We have a handicapping system that allows the best to play with the worst on a level pegging.

The day out at Chamberlain on father’s day was memorable because it was father’s day. Not so memorable was the number of times my son out drove me. No pocket money for him next week.

News Flash! Father wins the Father/Son Father’s Day Challenge!

I was playing well around Chamberlain until I hit 6 – 6 – 6 the number of the beast on 3 holes in a row. I sorted out my round on the back nine with a steady 39 this gave me a Father winning score of 84 for the day.