Venture's failure costly for golfers

Cale Golf is in the rough. Photo / Thinkstock

The sudden failure of a company which sold golf packages has cost one player more than $2000.

Akarana Golf Club member Brian Lough paid the now-collapsed Cale Golf $2300 for vouchers to use at Formosa Golf Resort, Lakes Pauanui Golf Resort and three Hawkes Bay courses, including Cape Kidnappers.

Mr Lough bid on the vouchers at dinners following Srixon Pairs tournaments that were promoted by Cale Golf.

The collapse of Cale Golf was reported in the Weekend Herald, and sole director Ewan Cameron is believed to have gone to ground in Invercargill.

Mr Lough tried to contact Mr Cameron last month, but his email went unanswered.

Mr Lough's plight is far from unique.

New Zealand Golf was forced to send an email out to its affiliated clubs warning them that the company was no longer trading and would not be honouring its vouchers.

The Herald has received emails from several angry golfers.

Vern Pere, another Akarana golfer, paid $2500 for an accommodation and golf package to the Gold Coast.

And golfer Brian Browne said he, too, had paid more than $2000 for vouchers to Australia.

Three days before he left, he received an email from Mr Cameron saying no vouchers would be redeemed across the Ditch.

As Mr Browne and his friends had non-refundable flights booked, they decided to try their luck anyway.

On arrival at Kirra Beach in south Queensland, they were told they would have to pay again for accommodation.

The four golf clubs they had been booked to play also required payment as Cale Golf had advised them it had no money to honour bookings.

Otumoetai golfer Lyn Heyes is heading to Dunedin on Wednesday, having booked flights after successfully bidding for accommodation and golf packages to play at St Clair following another Srixon Pairs tournament.

Last month, she discovered an email from Mr Cameron saying no vouchers could be redeemed and that if she wanted to continue with the holiday, she would need to meet all the costs.

Cale Golf had four equal shareholders: Mr Cameron, his wife Alison, New Zealand Golfer publisher Lance Murray and Colin Harrison.

Mr Murray said he had left the company in 2009 and told the Herald he had tried to contact Mr Cameron to find out the extent of the mess, but his calls had not been returned.