Lakeview Golf Club President Alan Deverson. Photo / Andrew Warner.
Lakeview Golf Club President Alan Deverson. Photo / Andrew Warner.
It's been three months since the Lakeview Golf Club's clubhouse burned to the ground taking 50 years of history with it, as members watched.
And despite the two-month Covid-19 lockdown between now and then, the club is making good progress with its recovery.
Club president Alan Deverson said they werebuilding a temporary clubhouse and toilets while figuring out where to build a permanent clubhouse and what it would look like.
Firefighters battling the fire at Lake View Golf Course clubrooms in February. Photo / File
"Hopefully before the end of the year we will actually see some work."
The club's insurance claim had been accepted, though the value had not been finalised, and the burned building had been demolished.
"I would have like us to have a new clubhouse already but there are a lot of processes to go through," Deverson said.
Firefighters battling the fire at Lake View Golf Course clubrooms in February. Photo / File
"We've been a little frustrated by the lockdown but we've done a lot of work on the computer talking to our broker, talking to the assessors and getting quotations from them.
"Covid-19 might have caused a little bit of delay but in actual fact, it gave us a lot of time to spend on planning." The clubhouse caught fire about 1pm on February 15. Six fire engines and two tankers, as well as police and St John, were called but the building was destroyed.
Honours boards full of names of past members, treasured trophies and decades of memories were lost.
Deverson said he had digital records of the honours boards so they could be recreated.
"But there were other trophies we lost and things, some dated right back to when there was a golf club in Mamaku ... that's the type of thing that's irreplaceable."
Deverson said two positives had come from the fire: no one was injured and it was a chance to modernise the club.
"It gives us an opportunity to do better and we are trying to create something that is community-orientated," Deverson said.
Firefighters battling the fire at Lake View Golf Course clubrooms in February. Photo / File
"We feel that golf clubs are missing a huge opportunity if we don't involve the community. There's a desperate need for little meeting rooms where committees meet or maybe even functions like weddings. We want to be in a position to be able to do that."
The fire, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, has hit the club hard.
"There's been no revenue, it's as simple as that," Deverson said.
The club reopened in a limited capacity at level 3 and had been welcoming more players since level 2 began.
"We're getting quite a few people turn up, but even from level 3 it was surprising how many people were frustrated and wanted to get out and come up and play," Deverson said.
Lakeview Golf Club president Alan Deverson after the fire that destroyed the club's clubhouse. Photo / File
"We've been monitoring very carefully who comes up."
Deverson has one message: "We're definitely open for business."
The club was also running a deal for those involved in team sports such as netball, rugby and soccer, unable to play because of Covid-19.
Lakeview Golf Club President Alan Deverson. Photo / Andrew Warner.
"If they haven't played golf before or would like to try a game they can come and play six times for $90, which is very reasonable. Normally the green fees are $40 or $50. If they like the sport then we will take that $90 off their first membership.
"We've had quite a few people take us up on that. There's a group of five or six netball girls coming up."
Insurance won't cover the full cost of rebuilding the clubrooms but members started fundraising shortly after the fire and there were hopes that would resume.
As for when a new building would be ready to go, the sooner the better for Deverson.
"When we initially started everybody asked how long, and we said it could be up to 18 months, but we're hoping to make it much shorter than that."
The clubhouse housed two offices, a kitchen and bar, changing room facilities and general club space.
Firefighters battling the fire at Lake View Golf Course clubrooms in February. Photo / File
Witnesses told the Rotorua Daily Post at the time they watched helplessly as the clubhouse was obliterated by the flames.
Investigators determined the fire started in the kitchen.
