The Gulf Harbour Country Club, north of Auckland, has 50 new golf carts, which is the first obvious change under the club’s new management.
Gulf Harbour was previously operated by an executive board selected from the club’s members. Previously the club’s members leased their membership from the club’s owner but that leased has since expired.
Operation of the club has returned to the owner, a Chinese businessman, who has installed a new management team.
Purchase of the new golf carts from Yamaha Golf was the first of several changes in the pipepline, said Gulf Harbour director of golf Frazer Bond.
“Changing the carts is step one,’’ Bond told Golfer Pacific.
Bond said the club would also have access to a further 30 carts for major corporate golf days when there would be up to 160 players. All the carts have GPS (global position system) units.
Yamaha’s Auckland Dealer Principal , Steve Dally of Eagle Distributorssaid that “ Eagle Distributors and Yamaha Golf Cars are extremely excited and proud to be a new partner with Gulf Harbour Country Club. This club has been in the top echelon of New Zealand clubs for many years and has proudly hosted the 1998 World Cup of Golf and two NZ Open tournaments.
The opportunity to provide the latest golf car on the market, the Yamaha Drive 2 with all its new innovations and improvements and to have the first ones released in New Zealand at Gulf Harbour is exciting.
We look forward to partnering with Gulf Harbour over the next few years in providing an improved experience for the members and guests. Member feedback has already been very positive as they have noticed and enjoyed the new and improved smooth drive of the Yamaha cart”.
Step two was the purchase of new John Deere equipment for course maintenance. The course had previously been maintained by contractors but Gulf Harbour now hired it’s own green keeping staff and had purchased new equipment.
There had been rumours the course was to close down but Bond said these latest moves had clearly debunked them.
“There is no sign of the club shutting down or anything like that,’’ he said.
Bond said drainage work on the course was about to be undertaken with emphasis on little disruption to golfers.
Bond said Gulf Harbour, the venue of two New Zealand Opens, was in an ideal position on the Whangaparoa Peninsula, about one hour’s drive north from Auckland.
“It’s amazing up here. Some days I don’t want to go home.’'

For more information contact:
Stephen Dally
Eagle Distributors Ltd
3 Honan Place, Avondale
Auckland, New Zealand
Phone +649 837 7749
Mobile +64 21 816 780

Gulf Harbour taking a new direction - with Yamaha Golf Cars