Manawatu - North Island - New Zealand

16th North Island - Best in Area 21st New Zealand Ranking
Manawatu Golf Club,
Centennial Drive,
Palmerston North,
New Zealand

  • +64 (0) 6 357 8793

Championships hosted: New Zealand Amateur, New Zealand Open, New Zealand PGA, New Zealand Women's Amateur

The course at Hokowhitu, home to Manawatu Golf Club, is reckoned to be the oldest New Zealand golf course in continuous use since it was established as a 9-hole layout in 1895 – it was subsequently expanded to a full 18-hole course ten years later.

The course has changed much over the years, primarily due to a C.H. Redhead redesign in 1928 and further alterations made in 1955 by H.G. Babbage. Manawatu Golf Club hosted its first national Open in 1922 and four more followed over time, the last of which was won by Bob Charles in 1973.

Manawatu is a very pleasant parkland course laid out on a compact, 110-acre site between a lagoon, Massey University College of Education, and the Manawatu River. Measuring a moderate 6,600 yards from the championship tees, it is no longer considered long enough to hold a modern Open competition but it is still a revered championship venue nonetheless.

The 363-yard 9th (“Totoras”) is a great par four hole to end the front nine. With out of bounds all the way down the right, a long iron or utility club is the preferred club off the tee at this left doglegged hole as a small dry culvert and then the road to the clubhouse cuts across the fairway 250 yards out to catch the unwary. The approach must not then be too big as the green slopes from back to front and a putting position from the back of the green is definite three-putt territory!

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Reviews for Manawatu

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Description: Manawatu is a very pleasant parkland course laid out on a compact, 110-acre site between a lagoon, Massey University College of Education, and the Manawatu River. Rating: 6.4 out of 10 Reviews: 5
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Zack D

A straightforward layout that is always impeccably maintained and well presented. No holes that truly standout as spectacular and the layout feels a bit repetitive at times (there are a lot of back and forth holes such as 1-3, 5-7, 13-15) but it is the best course in the area and definitely worth a play. The stretch of 9-12 presents four fantastic golf holes that are all very different and are four of the best which this course has to offer. The approach into 10 is really neat.

April 10, 2021
6 / 10
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Neil McGregor

It's been a while to be fair, and my game has moved on quite a bit so may see it differently now, but I remember it as a really nice layout mostly. A good golf challenge (everything was to me back then though) and a nice walk.

March 04, 2021
6 / 10
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Coran Turner

Impeccable condition for a club course. These greenkeepers deserve medals. Big fat medals.

It feels like the length of every fairway here is lined with massive trees. Not quite all of them actually are, but good God does it feel like it. I'd relish occasionally being punished some other way for slicing it other than repeatedly hacking it out from under a wall of majestic Pines/Totara. This is probably just a reflection of my ability and I should just get better at golf. Or become a vigilante arborist.

Despite that, this really is a good course. Arguments could certainly be made that all the trees need to be there to turn what would otherwise be a shorter layout into quite the challenge. And they'd probably be right.

Would rate 5 balls for conditioning, 3 balls for layout, so 4 balls overall. And that's enough talk of balls.

Review of the month September 2017

September 21, 2017
6 / 10
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Bruce
April 10, 2019

Agree re conditioning. I've played here quite a few times and after a while you start to appreciate that the trees are actually quite deceptive in places i.e. are not actually aligned with the fairway but trick you into thinking they are. Its a course where it is important to be on the "correct" side of the fairway for your approach and this is often the opposite of what you think standing on the tee the first time you play. The course definitely plays better off the back tees - it probably is a little short, but as you say, makes up for it by placing a premium on position.
Alastair Campbell
A course that is in great condition every day. Greens are consistently good
April 17, 2012
8 / 10
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simon Fowler
Manawatu whilst a parkland course that is long by modern day standards it has had recent developments on the 2nd, 5th and 17th to ensure you have to play well otherwise the course will bite back. The course is well presented year round and you will struggle to find better greens in the area. Most greens are well developed to ensure you have to think carefully about approach shots. They are protected by attractive bunkers to look at from outside but not from inside and the recent inclusion of fairway bunkers has made position and club selection off the tee a key requirement. Manawatu is great value and a challenging course if you travel through Plamy it’s worth the time to play it. Yes I am a member!
September 10, 2008
6 / 10
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