Our proud history - from the beginning……

Manor Park has a proud traditional history tracing its beginnings back to 1913 when it was first formed in Wellington City as the Karori Golf Club. A land sale forced the club to move from its original site but keen members overcame this setback in 1926 by shifting to its present site and to honour the gentleman leaseholder of the land a name change was initiated and the Manor Park Golf Club was formed.

The land was was harsh and frequently flooded, and members found themselves clearing gorse, gravel and boulders to enable the first four holes to be built. It was noted that at an early committee meeting it was proposed that club members ‘must’ work clearing stones for one hour on Saturdays and Sundays after playing.

By 1936 a full 18-Hole course was in play, and it was this year that Manor Park tasted golfing success when it won the Watt Cup for the first time. Our women members were also performing with distinction, winning the Mary Award Cup on four occasions between 1933 and 1940.

Manor Park has shown to be an equal opportunity role model from the beginning, with club records showing that almost half the original 96 members were women. And it was during the war years of 1940-45 that the club was kept going mainly by the efforts of its women members. They were also involved in sending parcels to members overseas, to the Moore Park Golf Club in England, and for raising monies for the Patriotic Fund Board. The Manor Park course was also very popular with members of the NZ Armed Forces as well as a number of US Marines stationed in the area.

In 1946 Manor Park was classified and a Major-A club by the Wellington District Golf Association and a team was accepted from Manor Park to compete for the Arthur Duncan Cup, which was won by the club in 1948. A Women’s Mid-Week club was affiliated to the Ladies Golf Union in November 1956, the foundation membership generated so much interest that this was extended to twenty four players within a month.

Since the club was formed it has gone from strength to strength, producing many prestigious players and hosting many National and Provincial golfing events, such as the National Interprovincial Championships, New Zealand Mixed Foursomes Championship and pre-qualifying rounds for the New Zealand Open Championship.

In 2010 the Club decided to utilise and enhance its natural surroundings, and id early 2013 following 3 years of preparatory work, it achieved an environmental planning certificate from the Audubon International Organisation and is now designated a sanctuary under its ‘Co-operative Golf Sanctuary Programme’. The programme is an on-going and continuous process involving management and enhancement of wildlife habitat, water resource management, a reduction in water and chemical use and a commitment to waste recycling, as well as plans to involve the community and the clubs membership to further these activities and initiatives.

Further information on the history or Manor Park Golf Club can be found on a number of historical and local websites.