The North Shore Golf Club is located on the upper fringes of the Waitemata Harbour, adjacent to the fast-growing Albany area. Features of this picturesque course are 27 tree-lined holes that offer the players the option of three different 18-hole layouts: Red, Blue and Gold. Each covers undulating terrain and demands good course management from players of all levels. The scenic aspect of the club encompasses rural views poised above the natural backdrop of the Lucas Creek escarpment.
The North Shore Club was established in 1931, first occupying what is now known as the Thomas Park Municipal Course in Takapuna. With little money but plenty of enthusiasm, the founding members employed their innate Kiwi "have a go skills" to turn farmland into an 18-hole course that provided golfers with a more than satisfying round.
In 1959, the Auckland Harbour Bridge opened and land development on the North Shore began to explode. This expansion saw the Government seek land for a new Northern Motorway and a Civic Centre - with the North Shore Golf Club sitting in the middle of their plans. While the Civic Centre never eventuated, the motorway proceeded, with a consequent reduction in availability of land to the club. Faced with an uncertain future, the members took the bold decision to develop a new course at Albany. This time, funds were available from a satisfactory negotiated settlement with the Government, which produced £181,000 to help the club relocate.
Since 1959 the North Shore Club courses have seen an ongoing programme of development and enhancement. New tees, greens, fairways and, in many instances, complete new holes have been introduced, resulting in an excellent layout. Not long by international standards, the course nevertheless requires clever shotmaking and an appreciation of the subtleties of accurate golf.
As the course is built on North Shore clays, playing conditions can change dramatically through the fours seasons. Comprehensive drainage has overcome the problems of wet winters, while the installation of fairway watering in 1995 has extended ideal playing conditions beyond the traditional outstanding spring and autumn periods.
Members and staff of the North Shore Club, past and present, deserve congratulations for the foresight, industry and expertise they have contributed to establishing one of the best-presented and rewarding courses in New Zealand.