Club golf professional Josh Edwards, who runs the Four Stripes Golf Rotorua shop at the club, said the fire started after a deep fryer electrical fault.
The fault caused the appliance to continually heat up past a set level, and it eventually caught fire. The extractor fan sucked the flames into the roof cavity and within 15 minutes the building was engulfed.
The day the Lakeview Golf and Country Clubhouse was destroyed in fire. Photo / Stephen Parker
Once members got over the initial shock, they worked to rebuild the club using the insurance payout, community grants and a loan.
Edwards said they wanted to build a space for not only the 280 members who own the club and golf course, but also for the wider community.
Firefighters battle the Lakeview Golf and Country Club blaze in 2020. Photo / Stephen Parker
Edwards said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, golf was on the decline and councils around New Zealand were eyeing courses for housing space.
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But he said that had since turned around.
According to Golf New Zealand, golf is the nation’s most played sport, with more than half a million Kiwis playing each year at one of the 390 clubs throughout the country.
“Golf is now more of a young person’s sport. Its popularity has grown thanks to the likes of TikTok and Instagram, and it’s not just a stuffy old nana and grandad sport.”
The new space will be officially unveiled before invited guests at a ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow.
Club operations manager Rachel Beckett said it would be a celebration of resilience, renewal and memories.
She said the loss of the club was felt deeply by the members and the wider community.
Lakeview Golf and Country Club operations manager Rachel Beckett and golf professional Josh Edwards at the newly developed club. Photo / Kelly Makiha
“But from that hardship came a renewed spirit and a commitment to rebuild stronger than ever. The newly completed clubrooms not only replace what was lost – they represent a fresh start and a hopeful future for our club and the community we serve.”
She said while members and golf fanatics would always be attracted to the golf course, the driving range was proving popular among non-golfers.
“It’s all the new rage. They come out and have a beer and hit some balls.”
Beckett said she aimed to book events and functions at the club.
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“If we can get them to drive the five minutes from the Ngongotahā roundabout, they will see just how much of a cool place it is. Once they get here, they are just blown away.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.