Golf Club Reviews! Whakatāne Golf Club and Ōhope Beach Golf Links
Pete Thornton, a golfer from Auckland visited two of our local golf clubs in November 2024 and here's what he had to say!
Whakatāne Golf Club
I have fond memories of the Whakatāne Golf Club. Many years ago, when I was working for Golf NZ, we ran the Women’s Interprovincials here in 2011.
It was special that year as a young Lydia Ko was in her prime as an amateur. Auckland took on North Harbour in the final with Lydia meeting her teenage rival, Cecilia Cho. Lydia won that battle, but Auckland took home the trophy, winning 4-1 for their 20th Interprovincial crown. By that stage, we all knew that Lydia was something special and on her way to greatness.
Now thirteen years later I am back and playing Whakatāne for the first time. Their club manager Lee-Anne Clark-McGregor offered me this advice ahead of our round: “Be careful or you’ll get hooked and want to come and play here every week.”
She was right. The conditioning of this place is superb and it’s easy to see why it has been a regular tournament host for national and regional events.
The par 70 layout measures 5,676m from the whites and there’s several par fours that measure the best part of 400m. It’s a good challenge and the sort of club you’d love to be a member at.
Pure greens, relatively forgiving from the tee, and friendly members. If you are in the area this summer pay the Whakatāne Golf Club a visit, you won’t be disappointed. At $55 for affiliated golfers this layout is great value for money and an awesome experience.
Ōhope Beach Golf Links
There is nothing quite like playing a golf course for the first time. I had high expectations for the Ōhope Beach Golf Links, and it didn’t disappoint.
One of New Zealand’s greats Greg Turner describes Ōhope Beach as one of the best links courses in the country. He is right. It’s an awesome course.
It is a short layout at 5,437m from the green (middle) tees, but the size and subtle slopes on the greens make it a real challenge. When the wind gets up here, it can be brutal. But it’s an incredible piece of land. The course runs across a peninsula with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Ohiwa Harbour on the other.
At $70 for affiliated golfers, Ōhope Beach is great value and a must play course. If you are in the region, make sure you book in a round. You’ll love it.
