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'This one feels very targeted': Ransacking of golf club still recovering from cyclone

Author
Michaela Gower,
Publish Date
Wed, 21 Feb 2024, 1:27PM
Napier Golf Club was broken into overnight as burglars took no money but ransacked the clubhouse for "not a lot of reward". Photo / Warren Buckland
Napier Golf Club was broken into overnight as burglars took no money but ransacked the clubhouse for "not a lot of reward". Photo / Warren Buckland

'This one feels very targeted': Ransacking of golf club still recovering from cyclone

Author
Michaela Gower,
Publish Date
Wed, 21 Feb 2024, 1:27PM

The Napier Golf Club’s clubrooms have been ransacked, a year after its cyclone-ravaged buildings were looted.

President Riki Mitchell said the club’s staff had been left feeling “targeted”, and believed those involved were able to take their time.

Staff arrived at the Korokipo Road clubrooms today to find it had been broken into overnight, with windows and doors left badly damaged.

Napier Golf Club was broken into overnight as burglars took no money but ransacked the clubhouse for "not a lot of reward". Photo / Warren Buckland
Napier Golf Club was broken into overnight as burglars took no money but ransacked the clubhouse for "not a lot of reward". Photo / Warren Buckland

“We have had break-ins before, but nothing to the extent of this one. It is quite different from the usual opportunists, this one feels very targeted.”

He said it was a sad reminder that the site was vulnerable, with no housing around. A security team was looking through the footage.

“They have broken into pretty much the entire building, ransacked it, and done a lot of damage.”

He said there was a lot of destruction for “not a lot of reward”, as no money was taken and minimal stock was stolen.

Mitchell said the club had “99 per cent” completed repairs to the building after Cyclone Gabrielle swept through, and the burglary was an unwanted added cost.

The golf club was left badly damaged after the cyclone last year and then was looted in the days after.

The clubhouse itself was also broken into, although that appeared to have been by people attempting to find refuge upstairs in the bar, as water swamped homes at Waiohiki.

Napier Golf Club administrator Jan Clark at one of the doors smashed open during the break-in. Photo / Paul Taylor
Napier Golf Club administrator Jan Clark at one of the doors smashed open during the break-in. Photo / Paul Taylor

Mitchell said at the time the break-in was “survivable” but “disheartening”.

He said the latest break-in had brought back bad memories and was “just causing hurt and more cost to the golf club”, almost a year to the day after the previous break-in.

Police said they were alerted to the burglary at 8.20am and were looking into the incident.

The Napier Golf Club’s downstairs cafe is closed but the club aimed to reopen tomorrow. The upstairs bar is open but will only serve bottled beer today. It is expected the bar will be fully operational tomorrow and for the weekend.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.

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