New Zealand Golf has angered or confused the Chamberlain Park faithful by appearing to support the redevelopment. But the way New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy explains the situation, NZG suspects the writing on the wall, and wants to influence proceedings should the course be slashed. NZG may even see this as an opportunity to bolster golf via a revolutionary approach.
The 18-hole defenders - led by a group with a grey power look - are trying to marshall resources. But the Chamberlain Park club membership has dropped from 400 to 250, the private operator quit the lease last year, and prospectors are circling.
"We might blockade the road," club treasurer Tony Henbrey tells the Herald at an event organised by the Albert-Eden board to showcase proposals which range from a junior golf programme to art installations.
Retired accountant Richard Quince, who leads the golf club fight, says: "I was feeling pessimistic ... you don't fight city hall. But we are getting more support and I am feeling much happier about defending the course.
"They say there is a lack of open space in Albert-Eden but we are surrounded by parks like Western Springs, Cornwall Park and Keith Hay Park on the boundary."
Quince says Chamberlain is a haven for older sports people who don't get much recognition in general, and the course is favoured by Maori and Pacific Island players. He suggests existing grounds could be utilised more. Conspiracy theories abound, as they often do when citizens take on city planners.
One report, using the number of scorecards submitted, estimated 9000 rounds are played on Chamberlain per year. This error was a rallying point for the protest, but Albert-Eden chairman Dr Peter Haynes sweeps it away.
"We know that figure is wrong - we are using 51,000 rounds," he says.
Haynes was a senior university business lecturer who acknowledges there is a danger in being led by statistics which don't acknowledge the importance of tradition and other more mystical elements. Ultimately though, cost-ratios etc. dominate modern society. Haynes unfurls a map which shows a particular lack of open space south of the golf course. Albert-Eden has the worst ratio of open areas to residents in Auckland, and the surrounding wards are nearly as bad, he says
"Cricket alone tell us they need 12 new pitches ... and the population is growing," he says. "There is a decline in golf and there is a debate about what is good for the game. I know New Zealand Golf is thinking very carefully about the future."
He rubbishes claims the course will be used for housing.
"With the lack of open space, why on earth would we do that," he says. "If there is a substantial subdivision, I'll chain myself to a tree."
The redevelopment proposal includes SNAG, which stands for Starting New At Golf. It's a programme developed in America to attract kids via easier-to-use giant-headed clubs and soft, oversized balls.
Golf has been slow to react to changing times. In recent days, world No 1 Rory McIlroy has urged golf to take a hard look at itself, to consider major adjustments to attract young players and help the game survive. New Zealand golf needs to adapt, and Chamberlain Park might represent a turning point.
