Waiatarua Reserve / Remuera Golf Course (Auckland, NZ)

 golf course, park

 Upload a photo

Waiatura Park: Saint Johns. To the south of Remuera Road lies Waiatura Park. This is a natural basin, prone to seasonal flooding. On several 19th century maps this was shown as a lake and referred to as 'Lake Remuera', 'Lake St John' or 'Lake Waiatura' although in reality it was largely an area of swampy ground in which a sheet of shallow water would appear sporadically in the wet season. In 1918 133 acres of this land was given to the City Council to create Waiiatura Park. As the surrounding farm land was transformed into suburban housing this area became problematic - although in theory the "lake" afforded a picturesque view for the new houses it was also a breeding ground for mosquitos. Moreover the basin was composed of a peat-like sustance subject to smoudlering fires which were difficult to put out. In 1929 a drain was bored through the hill to the south west enabling the water to be drained into the adjacent natural stream which feeds into the nearby Oraki Basin; this drainage system is still in place. In 1934 Fifty acres of the park were leased to the Remuera Golf Club and a course was laid out. The clubhouse was completed in 1935. In 1938 a new course was built around the original layout in response to members’ complaints about the course conditions. In 1968 the Course was redesigned by golf course specialist Harold Babbage and a new Club House built.
www.remueragolfclub.com/layouts/splash/Template.aspx?pa...