1938
Woodward Cup interclub team match-play competition played for the first time and it remains Canterbury’s premier club championship. Russley was the inaugural winner but Christchurch, with 23 wins, is the most successful over all.
1941
The Canterbury Golf Assciation was formed. The Association was first known as the Christchurch Metropolitan Golf Association. Delegates from 12 clubs (Avondale, Charteris Bay, Christchurch, Diamond Harbour, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Rawhiti, Richmond Hill, Russley, Templeton, Waimairi Beach, and Waitikiri) met and mooted the formation of the Christchurch Metropolitan Golf Association.
1946
Blank Cup was started as an interclub competition.
1947
The Canterbury Provincial Golf Association replaced the Christchurch Metropolitan Golf Association as the ruling body of golf in the province.
1950
Tim Woon (Waitikiri) wins the New Zealand amateur championship, a title he retained the next year.
1951
First Interprovincial Team Tournament played at Shirley between February 28 and March 2.
1954
Sir Bob Charles caused a sensation on November 8 1954 when as an 18 year old amateur he beat a top international field to win the New Zealand Open at Heretaunga.
1957
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s inter-provincial team match-play championship (then Freyberg Rose Bowl) for the first time at Gisborne. The winning team comprised Colin Caldwell, Bob Charles, Ron Clements, Keith Foxton, Gary Scott, and Murray Stanley.
1962
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s inter-provincial team match-play championship.
1963
Sir Bob Charles becomes the first New Zealanader to win a major championship with his British Open victory at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
1965
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team match-play championship.
1971
Woodward Cup reverts to a team stroke-play competition for the first and only time. Russley, which had won the cup the previous five years, prevailed again and went on to establish a record nine successive titles.
1976
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team matchplay championship.
1980
Canterbury Golfer of the Year and Vardon Trophy awards presented for the first time with Simon Robinson (Christchurch) and John Williamson (Christchurch) the respective winners.
1983
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team matchplay championship.
1988
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team matchplay championship.
1989
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team matchplay championship.
Tony Christie (Waitikiri) becomes the first Canterbury golfer to take the New Zealand 72-hole stroke-play championship when he beats Grant Moorhead (New Plymouth) in a play-off at Taupo.
1990
World amateur team championships for the Eisenhower Trophy (men) and Espirito Santo (women) are held in Christchurch, at Shirley and Russley, respectively, with former Canterbury No. 1 Brent Paterson (Coringa) a member of the New Zealand team which finished equal second with the United States (whose team included Phil Mickelson & David Duval) behind Sweden.
1992
Mark Street (Russley), after representing Canterbury for 12 years, bows out of the New Zealand interprovincial team matchplay championship with a record 89 matches and 48 wins.
1997
Andrew Hobbs (Windsor) claims the Canterbury matchplay championship 20 years after his father, Fin, had won the same crown.
A 47-year drought ends for Canterbury when Chris Johns (Christchurch) wins the national match-play championship at Harewood.
1998
Canterbury wins the New Zealand men’s interprovincial team matchplay championship.
Karl Kitchingham (Christchurch) claims the New Zealand 72-hole stroke-play championship title at Paraparaumu.
2000
Canterbury wins the Tower National Inter-Provincial Championship. The Team was Eddie Lee, Issac Randell, Andrew Hobbs, Tim Evett, and Jay Davies. Bob Pirie (Manager)
2001
Canterbury golf finally has a permanent home with the official opening of the new headquarters by the Harewood Golf Club at McLeans Island.
2003
Inaugural Canterbury “Family of Golf” awards dinner to recognise people who have contributed to the game in the province is held at the Christchurch Casino.
2004
Brad Lee (Waitikiri) becomes the first player to win the Canterbury stroke-play and match-play titles in the same year since Geoff Saunders (Christchurch) in 1979.
2007
The Canterbury Golf Association and the Canterbury Women’s Golf Association amalgamate to form one organisation, “Canterbury Golf Incorporated.”
2008
Liz Douglas Trophy Introduced to compliment the CGI men’s Vardon Trophy. Nellie Tulisi from Waimairi Beach Golf Club is the inaugural winner.
2010
Canterbury Golf introduces the “Golf in Schools” Programme to engage primary school children and introduce them to golf by giving them swing fundamentals in a fun and enjoyable environemnt.
The CGI Tour Order of Merit and Hellers Junior Order of Merit are introduced to provide an incenitve for golfers to play in local tournaments and Canterbury Championships.
2011
Canterbury Golf’s management structure is changed from a Board of Directors and Management Committee to one governing body – an Executive Committee. The sub-committees are retained to ensure clubs have “a voice” into the management of Canterbury Golf.
Canterbury win the Freyberg Masters tournament for the first time with a clean sweep over all teams played.
2012
Canterbury Golf sets up a new Honours & Awards Committee to ensure that volunteers are recognised for their contributions. This results in the awarding of 21 services awards, 22 distinguished service awards and 15 life memberships in 2012. Note that no life memberships had been awarded for men since 2004 and prior to this, no life memberships had ever been awarded to women.
2015
The Canterbury Women’s Team won the NZ Toro Interprovincials played at the Ashburton Golf Club. The team was Momoka Kobori, Amelia Garvey, Catherine Bell, Juliana Hung, Hillary O’Connor, Jasmine Rou (reserve), Managers: Kate Johnstone and Rachel Thow.
Sir Bob Charles was awarded a Canterbury Golf Life Membership for his contribution to the game in Canterbury.
2017
Amelia Garvey won the NZ Stroke Play Title.
The Canterbury Junior Team won the Boys Interprovincial Title in Cambridge.
2018
Juliana Hung won the NZ Stroke Play Title.
Futures Canterbury Selwyn Hub was established with a focus on delivering regular, engaging golf experiences to young people and families to help grow participation. This model brought together a collective of golf clubs in the Selwyn District and the surrounding areas to form a Futures Hub that is promoted and administered by Canterbury Golf.
2020
Canterbury Men’s team wins NZ Interprovincal tournament at Whitford Park, first Men’s interprovincial win in 20 years. Team consisted of Zach May, Kazuma Kobori, Reid Hilton, Andrew Green, Mike Toeke, Matt McLean, and Mike Taylor (manager.)
Futures North-East Hub launched, following the model of the Selwyn Hub this time 4 clubs from the region’s North-East formed a Hub to deliver regular, engaging golf experiences to young people and families to help grow participation.
2022
Kazuma Kobori selected as NZ-team captain to compete at the 2022 World Amateur Teams Championship/Eisenhower in France in September. This was followed by his selection for the NZ team to compete in the Nomura Cup in Manila in November.
Cooper Moore selected as part of 4-man NZ u19 team to compete at Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan in late June.
2023
Kazuma Kobori selected as the NZ-team captain to attend the 2023 World Amateur Teams Championship/Eisenhower in October played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Led team to an overall 5th place finish and finished the tournament as the leading individual player of the tournament. Later this year Kobori turned professional.
Canterbury Girls team wins the 2023 NZ Girls Interprovincial tournament. Team consisted of Sora Kishida, Alisia Ren, Aroha Minhinnick, Mikana Suto, Vanessa Lim, Zaria Bourne, and Lexi Thompson-Hall.
17-year-old Canterbury representative Seb May wins the 2023 NZ Amateur Championship after beating Auckland’s Steven Van Heerden 6&5 in the 36-hole final at Hamilton Golf Club – St Andrews Course.
2024
16-year-old Cooper Moore selected as part of NZ team to compete at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course in Japan where he finished in a tie for 8th place at four under par.
Cooper Moore wins his maiden Men’s New Zealand Amateur Championship at Auckland’s Titirangi Golf Club in November. The 16-year-old is thought to be the second youngest to lift the trophy since the championship started in 1893.
Canterbury Golf launch their new district association website designed to promote the regions clubs as well as promote all of its development programmes, representative programme and it’s various interclub competitions and events. Canterbury Golf also enters into a new agreement with renowned golf software provider Golf Genius to continue to improve and expand its golf competitions delivery, with full integration into the new website, improving the user experience.
