Gisborne bathes in the glory of being one of the first places in the world to greet the sun and the first landing place of the famous explorer Captain Cook. Far from exhibiting signs of poverty, the area is blessed with a generous allocation of sunshine hours and fertile plains that produce fruit and wine of the highest quality.

The region has some fine golf courses, which are uncrowded at most times and provide a pleasant interlude for golfing travellers making their way around the East Cape tourist route. The full list is outlined below and a brief description is given of some of the notable ones.

Poverty Bay’s Awapuni Links is a championship course of 6,115 metres, par 72, which calls for precision putting on the broad, undulating greens. Fairway irrigation ensures that the course remains in good condition during the invariably hot, dry summer season and the clusters of wicked bunkers test even the most experienced players. Some of the back nine holes are difficult par-fours so you need to hold on to a tight score in the early part of the round.

Gisborne Park club in Cochrane Street south of the city, is a very pleasant, flat, tree-lined course within the Public Park Domain. Locals joke that teeing off in the No.1 slot in the morning, gives you the honour of being the first person in the world to play golf that day.

Te Puia Hot Springs club is located between Tokomaru Bay and Takapau on the main East Coast touring route. This well manicured country course offers the traveller a relaxed round with the added incentive of a soak in a thermal spa at the end of the day.

Ruakituri is a quiet country course in the centre of rugged hills inland from Wairoa. The nearby Ruakituri River is well known as an outstanding trout fishing mecca.

Poverty Bay/East Coast Region Golf Courses

  • Gisborne Park, Cochrane Street, Gisborne
  • Patutahi, Wharekopae Road, Patutahi
  • Poverty Bay, Lytton Road, Gisborne
  • Ruakituri, 651 Mangaroa Road, Wairoa
  • Tahunga Club, Tahunga, Gisborne
  • Te Puia Hot Springs, S.H 35, Te Puia Springs
  • Tolaga Bay, 1 Banks Street, Tologa Bay
  • Waikaremoana, S.H 38, Waikaremoana, East Coast