A coveted junior golf scholarship set up by the late great Stuart Jones once dubbed “The Emperor” has been transferred to Hawke’s Bay Foundation to ensure it continues growing in perpetuity.
The SG Jones Junior Fund was launched thirty years ago as a legacy left to the Hastings Golf Club by arguably New Zealand’s finest ever amateur golfer. In life, as in passing, Stuart Jones had a passion for developing the game of the juniors.
Hastings Golf Club General Manager Michelle Campbell recalls Stuart even in his latter years, taking a keen interest in the younger generation of players coming through.
“He was such a lovely person who would always be watching the juniors and what they were working on in their game and how they were improving. He would regularly offer nuggets of advice so it’s no surprise that when he finally stepped away from representative golf, he would contribute back to the sport he loved.”
Having held the fund since Stuart’s passing eleven years ago, Michelle explains the time felt right for the Club to invest with the vision of growing the principal funds and distributing only the interest each year.
“Our reasons for doing so were twofold. Hawke’s Bay Foundation’s reputation has certainly grown and it’s a great way to keep the funds locally whilst maximising the Foundation’s wonderful community reach.
“I think its important that whilst we still honour Stuart’s contribution and intent for the scholarship, that it gives us an opportunity for the fund to grow with the advantage at Hawke’s Bay Foundation, for other donors to add to it – ultimately enhancing junior development within Hastings Golf Club.”
