Maungakiekie

Occupying a compact 100-acre property outside Auckland, where golfers enjoy fabulous views across the course to the Waitakere Ranges and the Manukau Harbour Headland, Maungakieke Golf Club can trace its origins as far back as 1909.

The club was forced to vacate the lease of its property at Cornwall Park in 1943 and move to Mount Roskill. Sloan Morpeth, a former secretary at the club who was then secretary at Commonwealth GC in Australia, recommendeded C.H. Alison to design the new course.

Alison, who planned the Huntingdale course in Melbourne without leaving his office in England, accepted the Maungakiekie commission and used contour maps, along with wind, rain fall and humidity tables, to design the course which opened in 1946.

Occupying a compact 100-acre site, the course can extend to 5,700 metres, playing to a par of 70, with holes arranged as two returning nines. Front nine standouts include the only par three on the front nine at the 175-metre 3rd (“Parkside”), along with the slightly right veering par four 7th (“Outpost”).

On the back nine, highlight holes include the very short par three 13th (”Plowman’s Corner”) with the green located in the southern extremity of the property, together with the slightly left bending par five 18th (“Maunga”) which offers a decent birdie chance at the end of the round.