Griffin steps down as golf GM of Jack’s Point
John Griffin recently stepped down as golf GM of Queenstown’s Jack’s Point.
However, the personable 68-year-old stresses he’s only semi-retiring — and is presently volunteering two to three days a week, mainly on the greenkeeping side, at Dunedin’s Chisholm Links, formerly Chisholm Park, where he learned the game.
Griffin’s coached top Kiwis like Steve Alker and Phil Tataurangi, and been named NZ ‘coach of the year’, but just as impressively, through his involvement in Arrowtown’s Millbrook and The Hills’ formative years, and at Jack’s, he’s been a pioneer in Queenstown’s lucrative golf tourism industry.
Source: https://www.scene.co.nz/queenstown-news/local-life/leading-golf-pro-holes-out/
Famously, Griffin played with visiting US President Bill Clinton in 1999, first in a foursome and then, the next morning, just with him, ‘‘and obviously gave him a few pointers’’.
‘‘He played very well, actually.’’
In 2002, Griffin moved to Christchurch to help out Queenstown-based course designer John Darby at Clearwater.
Then, in 2004 he joined Darby in the development of Sir Michael Hill’s The Hills, through to its opening for the NZ Open in 2007.
In his latter stages there, he also helped out Darby with the development of Jack’s Point, moving there after the NZ Open.
Darby, he says, is ‘‘probably the understated hero of golf in NZ’’.
Griffin says the opening of Jack’s Point, another championship course, was vital to Queenstown becoming a golf destination.
‘‘What we found at Millbrook in the early days, to get people to travel from even Australia to play one course wasn’t enough product.’’
Meanwhile, Griffin also began a 13-year stint on the board of Southland Golf, representing it at NZ level, and also coached Southland men’s and women’s teams at national tournaments.
He says he’s finished at Jack’s as ‘‘it’s just time — look, it probably would have happened sooner if it wasn’t for Covid’’.
He’s looking forward to having more family time and, believe it or not, playing more golf — ‘‘I’ve only been averaging six to 10 games a year’’.
