Member-led. Community-driven. Proudly Local.

Cromwell Golf Club is run by locals, for locals—and for everyone who loves the game. We’re a not-for-profit, member-led club that exists to grow the sport, care for our course, and create a welcoming community both on and off the fairways.

While the golf might be relaxed, our approach to governance is thoughtful and well-organised. We’ve got clear roles, a solid structure, and a group of good people making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.

How the Club Is Run

We follow a formal Constitution and a set of Bylaws & Policies—but in plain terms, here’s how it works:

The Board

The Board takes care of the big-picture stuff—finances, staffing, long-term planning, and compliance. It includes:

• Three elected Board members (3-year terms)
• The President
• One men’s and one women’s player representative
• The Club Manager and Director of Golf (non-voting attendees)

The Board can also bring in extra help if a particular skill is needed for a project.

The Club Committee

The Committee looks after the day-to-day club life—golf events, socials, and everything in between. It’s made up of:

• President and Vice President
• Men’s and Women’s Captains and their Deputies
• Board representatives
• Convenors from each subcommittee (like Match, Junior Golf, Social, Fundraising, Membership and Grounds)

Subcommittees are nominated each year and are open to any member keen to contribute.

Our Policies & Values

We’ve put together a helpful set of policies that cover everything from dress code and etiquette to how we handle complaints or guest play. They help keep things fair, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. These are available in our full Bylaws & Policies document (PDF).

Key policies include:

• Code of Conduct & Disciplinary Policy
• Golf Etiquette
• Hole-in-One Recognition
• Membership Categories
• Privacy Policy
• Guest Play
• Holding Membership for Medical Reasons

We don’t expect every member to know them by heart—but they’re good to be aware of.

Our Course Philosophy

We’re proud to maintain Cromwell as an inland links-style course—dry, fast, and natural, with a bit of grit and charm. Our Course Philosophy guides how we manage the landscape, water use, greens, trees, and hazards. It helps keep our course playable, sustainable, and true to its Central Otago character.

Overall Philosophy

Cromwell Golf Course is an inland Links style course. It will be maintained as such, in accordance with the limitations of its environment and the resources of the Cromwell Golf Club. The course is designed to be played comfortably from tee to green approaches, with the main challenge features being onto and on the greens. The course is maintained to a standard to provide an enjoyable golfing experience for club level players.

Aspirations

Overall Impression

The Club aspires to create excellent first impressions and lasting impressions of the course. Visitors and members should be impressed with the look of the course and the welcome area (course entrance, greens and fairways from the road, parking, ProShop, clubhouse putting and driving range) when they arrive at the golf club. When they leave the course they should take away good impressions about the whole ambiance of the club and the look and feel of the course itself.

Playability vs Challenge

The course is intended to be enjoyable to be played by its range of members, yet to provide a challenge for players of all ability levels. To achieve this the direction of the course’s development is to create an opportunity for players of all ages and abilities to reach the green surrounds comfortably, then be challenged by the approach shots and greens play.

Fairways

The fairways are as wide as can be economically and physically achieved, and fit with the capability of the irrigation system to adequately water them.

The intention of fairway hazards is not to penalize a bad shot, but to make the course more interesting and challenging. Situations of double-jeopardy will be minimized.

The fairways will not have defined edges. The cutting of fairways and semi rough will be done in such a way as to have as little clear definition of cut. Fairways will merge softly into rough areas as much as possible.

With the undulating surfaces on the fairways, and the effects of the environment, it is accepted that there may, from time to time, be patches of fairway that have poor or no grass.

Greens

The greens will have a consistent speed from one green to another.

Irrigation and Watering

Watering will be used only to keep grass alive and not to keep it green. Over watering is far more damaging than under watering. Too much water will encourage the wrong type of grass to grow, encourage disease and be much more costly to maintain.

Bunkers

Bunkers will be allowed to take on an eroded natural appearance. This will be managed in keeping with the overall nature of the surroundings, and over time it may be decided that the fairway bunkers can evolve into waste areas rather than be deemed hazards.

Trees

Trees are valued on the golf course and they should add to the beauty of the landscape without blocking outstanding views, draining the valuable water resource and adversely affecting the greens, tees and fairways. They should only cause a minimal hazard.

The location and type of trees are very important. Regarding the location the key questions are:

• Do they make the hole more interesting?
• Do they improve the appearance of a hole or the course?
• Do they create an unnecessary or unfair hazard?
• Will the tree damage or adversely affect a fairway or a green

Regarding the type of tree appropriate to the course the key requirements are:

• Wind tolerant;
• The roots don’t go searching for water;
• Slow growing;
• Hardy;
• Not too big;
• A single stem so they can be pruned up from the ground;
• Preferably, but not exclusively, evergreen;
• They will not damage the course maintenance equipment.

Rough

Dry sandy rough is in keeping with the nature of the course

Marram Grass, while being retained as an aesthetic feature of the Links style course, is not intended to be a hazard. If any area of Marram Grass becomes a hazard to players, in general play, then it will be mowed to a playable level or removed and replaced by fine grasses or sand waste areas. These areas will merge into each other.

Implementation of the Philosophy

Limitations of the environment

The course has a sand base. In summer the climate is hot and dry and for periods of the year there are strong dry winds. The winters are cold and limit the growing season to 7 – 8 months of the year.

The surface of the fairways are undulating creating high and low points.

Resources of the Club

There are around 700 members of whom a significant proportion are pensioners. Memberships provide around 33% of the club’s annual income. The club is able to sustain the maintenance of the course, excluding development, from annual income.

Water allocations to the Club restrict the amount of water that can be applied on a daily basis at critical times of the growing period. However, there is a more than adequate annual allocation of water available.

The club has a strong base of volunteer workers to support the work of the two full time grounds staff.

There is a good range of grounds equipment which is modern and regularly updated.

Changes to the course philosophy

It is acknowledged that over time the composition of club membership and aspirations for the golf course will change. Therefore, rather than having rules set in concrete about long term development, it is understood that the aspirations will evolve as the course and club change. Greg Turner has been instrumental in the development of the course and it is intended to continue to be guided by him as long as he is willing to participate. All changes in philosophy will be with the approval of the Board, in consultation with the Club committee.

Getting Involved

We’re a club that runs best when more people get involved. You don’t have to be a pro or a regular—just someone who cares. Whether it’s putting your name forward at the AGM, assisting with a fundraiser, helping the course volunteers on a Thursday morning, or joining a subcommittee, there’s always room to contribute.

Keep an eye on the clubhouse noticeboard and newsletter for upcoming meetings and ways to get involved. Or just have a chat with the Manager, President or a Committee member if you’re curious.