
South Head Course
South Head Golf Club

About this course
South Head Golf Club occupies a remote coastal setting on the Kaipara Harbour's southern headland, approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Auckland. Established in the early twentieth century, the course was laid out by Jack Eccles, a New Zealand golf architect who designed several layouts across the country during that era. The club serves a small rural community and visiting golfers willing to make the journey to this isolated corner of the North Island. The course plays across rolling duneland and pasture with views extending over the harbor entrance and surrounding farmland. The routing takes advantage of natural contours and coastal winds that can significantly affect play, particularly on holes closer to the water. The layout reflects a straightforward, traditional design philosophy typical of early New Zealand golf courses, where the land's existing features dictate strategy rather than extensive earthmoving or artificial shaping. South Head represents a category of rural New Zealand golf clubs that maintain modest facilities and unpretentious character. The course offers a genuine links-style experience in a setting far removed from urban centers, appealing to golfers who value natural terrain and solitude over modern amenities. Access requires careful planning, as the location's remoteness means limited services nearby, but the journey rewards those seeking an authentic encounter with New Zealand's coastal golfing heritage.
Quick facts
- Location
- Auckland, NZ
- Access
- Private
- Year built
- 1969
- Designer
- Jack Eccles
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 73
- Difficulty
- 70.6/119
Getting there
The journey to South Head Golf Club begins at Auckland International Airport, the gateway to New Zealand's North Island, followed by a striking ninety-minute drive northwest along State Highway 16 toward the wild Kaipara Harbour coastline. The route traces the edge of the Waitakere Ranges before descending into the rural Rodney District, where rolling farmland gives way to windswept headlands and the vast expanse of the Tasman Sea. As the road narrows and civilization recedes, the final approach delivers you to one of the most remote and dramatically sited clubs in Australasia - a links carved into the dunes at the very tip of the South Head peninsula, where isolation and raw coastal beauty define the arrival as much as the golf itself.

FAQ
Common questions about South Head
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
South Head was designed by Jack Eccles.
South Head is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at South Head is 73.
The slope rating at South Head is 119.
South Head is a 18-hole course.



