Old golf course re-created

Richard Mee, former Becks resident and golf club member now living in Ashburton, returns to Becks...
Richard Mee, former Becks resident and golf club member now living in Ashburton, returns to Becks for a special round of golf on the re-created course and to take part in the district's 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold. Photo by Sarah Marquet.
Former Becks resident and golf club member Richard Mee, now of Ashburton, was one of about 20 people who teed off on a re-created golf course yesterday, as part of the Dunstan Creek 150th celebrations.

In 1956, a local school teacher and Mr Mee's father, Eric, teamed up to create the nine-hole course in a paddock of the Mee farm.

A small club house, with no electricity, followed and served to ''bring the whole district together'', Kevin Kane, of Becks said.

Rounds were played on a Sunday, so as not to interfere with other sports, and in teams of four - two women and two men.

The club folded in 2001, due to a lack of members, but the course has been re-created just for this weekend.

These days, that one paddock is fenced off into two and players had to jump two fences and navigate a creek to finish their games.

''There's a bit of nostalgia getting around the old course,'' former resident Greg Waldron, now of Geraldine, said.

On Thursday evening, cairns were unveiled in Cambrian and St Bathans, beginning the celebrations.

Today's events include a bus tour of Cambrian, Vinegar Hill, Vinegar Flat and St Bathans, an inaugural St Bathans Shepherd's Walk and a miner's dinner, followed by a ceilidh.

Tomorrow's events will include the opening of the Blue Lake walkway in St Bathans, a church service and a concert.

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