The first organised golf club in Hastings was formed in 1898 and members played on a course at what is now known as Frimley Park.
Several subsequent moves were made by the club to Whakatu (1901), Southland Road (1907) and to the Irongate Road area (1909), before moving to theircurrent course in 1912, when part of Longlands was purchased from Mr E J Watt for the golf links.
The golf course in 1912 was described as a "nightmarish dust bowl," and its transformation into one of New Zealand's top courses was a slow process, hindered by the availability of water.
Although the official name of the club is the Hastings Golf Club, the course is known by many as "Bridge Pa", due to the area in which it is located.
The Wattie's sponsored professional tournaments held at the club saw Bob Charles win the first one in 1963 and he was a big draw card, fresh from his British Open win that year. Charles would go on to win four of the eight Wattie's tournaments held at Bridge Pa.
The club fittingly invited Sir Bob Charles to be guest speaker at its recent centenary dinner. No mention of the Hastings Golf Club would be complete without the mention of the "Emperor" Stuart Jones, who won the Wattie's tournament in 1965, in addition to many New Zealand and overseas amateur titles.
A centenary booklet called Hastings Golf Club: A 100 years at Bridge Pa is to be released shortly, and pre-orders are available at the club for $10.
