History of the Akarana Golf Club
Akarana's beginnings were in the late 1920s when a group of enthusiasts founded the club on the Winstone farm in Mount Roskill. The course has remained on the same site since the club's formal incorporation in 1927.
There are suggestions that the great course architect of the era Dr Alister McKenzie may have run an eye over the site when he visited New Zealand and Australia in 1927 after finishing his work at Royal Melbourne and playing a part in the layout of Titirangi.
However what Dr McKenzie may or may not have advised has been enhanced by one his disciples Chris Pitman in the three new holes he built for Akarana in 2003.
The evolving course layout based on the Master Plan by Chris Pitman
The course has never been one of great length nor does the club own much land in Auckland's bustling inner west so the great feature of Akarana has always been its compactness.
The club's land has been further encroached upon with Transit New Zealand planning to build the extension of State Highway 20 through what was the old second tee, the back of the first green and the practice fairway. What was supposed to be underway in 2002 finally got under way in 2006 - the club has been proactive with Transit and completed a fine course and clubhouse redevelopment in 2003.
Akarana now has two distinct nines. The shorter inner loop with a par of 34 has one of the great holes in Auckland golf, the par three 8th which measures 176 metres from the blue tee to a narrow green with bunkers on the left and water on the right.
The longer outer nine, which has out of bounds on the left of six holes, has the two longer par fives, two demanding par fours in the 13th and 15th, the testing par three 16th and an exciting short par 4 to finish which produces many birdies.
The full layout measures around 5800 metres from the back tees but the course rating is over par at 70.6 and the slope is 124.
Since the new layout was brought into play in December 2003, the best score on the championship course, without placing, is just four under par, a 66 from Joon Sang Chung from Redwood Park in the final round of the 2005 Auckland Anniversary Championships.
The new layout and the condition of the course drew high praise from many visitors during 2004 including Bob Glading, the former New Zealand Open and PGA champion who was a guest of the club for the Dewar Cup in December. The club was delighted that Bob took the time to write the club after his day at Akarana and was very praiseworthy of the new look layout.
Akarana has featured some of the great names in Auckland golf during its 78 years. One of the most famous was Jim Bissett, after whom the premier interclub competition trophy is named.
The most prolific club champion has been Vic Pirihi, whose 12 victories started in the 1970s and were very nearly added to as recently as 2001 when he lost the final. The Pirihi name remains one of Akarana's most famous. Vic, at the age of 68, is still a regular, still competitive and has been close to shooting his age in recent weeks. He was a member of the New Zealand Seniors team (over 55) to the Asia Pacific Masters in Singapore last year. His son Mark has also been a club champion, Auckland's Champion of Champions and a provincial representative, while another son Carl is a member too.
Among those to have achieved national honours are P.G.F (Pax) Smith who was a national amateur champion in the 1930s and Bruce Rafferty, a four time club champion and one time professional, who was in the New Zealand amateur team in 1967.
In 2004 Akarana changed its constitution to a structure whereby a board of directors set the policy for the club's direction and that policy is enacted by the staff led by the General Manager Stephen Hackett. Working with Stephen are the Golf Manager Peter Collins and Course Superintendent Bevan Houghton.
| |  Players can now warm up only metres from the first tee. |
The club likes to consider itself progressive and forward thinking and has installed a
“Tiger Target” driving range on the old first fairway. The club will always be short of land for a full sized practice area so this covered mini range is the ideal compromise for both warming up before a round or for more in depth practice or a lesson with our
PGA teaching professional Peter Hay-McKenzie.
Akarana is one of the closest quality golf courses to the middle of Auckland and has a busy and involved membership. The clubhouse, opened in 1994 and open 7 days a week, is one of the busiest in Auckland golf and famous for its daily conviviality.
But membership is constantly evolving and as some leave, vacancies are created and the club is always welcoming of new members at a subscription rate that is extremely competitive compared to other clubs of similar size and quality in the city. Akarana invites you to come and visit soon.
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Here are some significant dates in this club's long and proud history;
- 1927 First AGM. Three year lease of land from G. Winstone
- 1936 Provision made for Life members. MrC.M.Cox made first honorary life member
- 1942 Ladies granted weekend playing rights during the war. Course rental reduced
- 1950 The club buys the golf course and clubhouse.
- 1957 Clubhouse extensions completed
- 1964 More extensions
- 1968 Anniversary Tournament replaces The Akarana Winter championship
- 1969 Extensive course earthworks
- 1971 Club hosts the NZ Ladies Open
- 1977 Golden Jubilee 1992 Old Clubhouse must be replaced
- 1994 New Clubhouse opened
- 2003 Significant course changes (Motorway)
- 2008 Senior Men's Pennant team win Bissett Shield
- 2008 Senior Men win NZ Interclub title in Ashburton
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