Hayden Keast, who had a bold vision for the Poverty Bay Golf Club, has died.
Keast served the Poverty Bay Golf Club with an infectious enthusiasm and an extraordinary work ethic. Club members frequently found him working on projects, practicing his swing, or walking his dog around the course while stopping to fill divots with sand. His goal was straightforward: to make the Poverty Bay Golf Club the premier provincial golf club in New Zealand.
In a social media post on August 28, Keast highlighted the culture of the Poverty Bay Open, expressing pride in the tournament’s entrants featuring fathers and teenage sons playing alongside one another.
Representing Tairāwhiti in Cricket and Football
Beyond his contributions to golf, Keast excelled as a talented representative cricketer and footballer. Last year, he made his national interprovincial debut for Tairāwhiti. During a brutal week of matches, he scored a crucial half-century against Waikato that saved the province from enduring six 5-0 whitewashes.
Reflecting on his time representing the team, Keast noted the strong camaraderie. “We came together as a team, enjoyed each other’s company – that’s the cool thing about it,” he said, adding that he intended to keep going and improving.
He also played a key role alongside close friend Reece Witters in Poverty Bay’s interclub pennants campaigns, forming part of a brotherhood of players known locally as the "Linksmen."
Funeral Arrangements
A celebration of Hayden Keast’s life is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 pm at the House of Breakthrough. Following the service, he will be laid to rest at Taruheru Cemetery.
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