Situated less than 3.5km from the Tauranga city centre just across the Tauranga Harbour Bridge is Otumoetai Golf Club. “Peaceful Waters” is the literal translation for this part of the world, which was mainly orchards in the 1950’s.
In 1957 the golf course was the fruit of the labour of some local golf enthusiasts. The Tauranga Borough Council converted a dairy farm into a golf course called Bureta Park Public Golf Course.
The council at some point were keen to convert the course into parks with a lake on the land, but golf won the day and the Otumoetai Golf Club was formed in 1964.
The course in on park-like grounds, the course is generally flat and a good test over the 9 holes.
The history of golf here is one of struggle and working bees. The course was a swamp due to the land previously being once a shallow estuary. Not easy to get a functioning golf course operational. But drainage was put in and the course blossomed. The members could now drive the ball up in the air instead of low running shots to avoid the mud.
There is a sense that the past members and committees struggled to get their golf course to the place it is in today. So if you play here tip your hat to the folks that have gone before to drain and irrigate their course for you to play on over the last 50 plus years.
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