Otago Golf Club

The Otago Golf Club is New Zealand’s oldest golf club and sits on a great site overlooking the city and harbour.  Often called “Balmacewen” or simply “Balmac” in Dunedin offers a distinctly rich golfing experience: steeped in history, beautifully scenic, and challenging in a way that rewards precision more than sheer power.  The golf club was established on another site in 1871, but the club holds the title of the oldest golf club in the southern hemisphere and exudes that heritage in every facet.

The course is a traditional membership golfclub so while not long is quite testing. With only three par 3’s and three par 5’s.  The par 4’s are a variety of length and with the undulating land the golf course flows across ensures they can be quite challenging.  Some par 4’s are nearly driveable and others you struggle to hit in two depending on how aggressive you want to be off the tee or the direction of the wind on the day.  

The fairways are tree lined so straight driving is an asset.  The greens require the golfer to be conservative with their approach shots as the rejection of a bad shot can heavily penalise the golfer. The course is very playable for players of all abilities but taking a cart to beat the hills is probably advisable. Also keep your eyes open as you play for all the native bird life enjoying the variety of native bush around the golf course and the neighbouring reserve.  

After your golf take your time to enjoy the clubhouse and taking in the history and looking at the golfing memorabilia.

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