Poverty Bay Golf Club is one of the oldest clubs in New Zealand marking its 131st anniversary in 2024.

The original golf course established at Gisborne in 1893 was first referred to as Waikanae Links. The game was played on private farmland on the landward side of the Awapuni Stream close to Waikanae Beach. Some 16 years later, in April of 1909, the golf club shifted to new grounds at Sandown Links, further to the west of the growing town, on land made temporarily available by R.J. Reynolds on his farm at Elgin known as "Sandown".

At the same time, members continued searching for a more permanent venue for the game that was growing ever more popular. Club officials had already begun negotiations to lease land close to the sea outside of the town area known as the Waiohiharore and Awapuni blocks. The Tairawhiti Lands Board eventually confirmed playing rights for a new course, which was officially opened as Awapuni Links on Saturday, May 3, 1913.

The Poverty Bay Herald of May 5, 1913, reported: “Numerous were the favourable comments passed regarding the new links, and the country traversed in going the round was voted to be splendidly suitable for the purposes of golf.”

The Poverty Bay Golf Club continued to develop through the first decades of the new century and in 1927 a major step forward was made when it engaged the services of golf course architect, C. H. Redhead, and the following year implemented his plans.

Irish by birth, the internationally-recognised golf course design expert emigrated to New Zealand at age 50 where he made a lasting impression on this country’s golfing landscape, planning numerous courses from scratch and remodelling a great many others, including our own. Charles Redhead's services left a lasting legacy at Awapuni Links with the Par 3, 2nd hole, named in his honour.

While the course layout would still be recognisable to its founding fathers, it has developed and evolved to become highly-regarded as one of the best provincial golf courses in New Zealand.

Now, well into its second century, modern-day golfers are invited to write their own chapters in the history book of this superb New Zealand golf course.