Takaka Golf Club is the only public golf course in Golden Bay, on Boyle Street in Clifton, near Pōhara Beach. It is a nine-hole links course with a full 18-hole layout, cut from coastal dunes, with panoramic views of Golden Bay and the mountains. The website describes the greens as undulating and tricky, and says the course suits golfers of any ability. Visitors can play a relaxed round on holiday or at the weekend, and membership gives access to attractive rates and the company of other golfers. One hole is only 100 metres long, and the fourth is a par 4 of 263 metres.
The club dates from 1946, when it formed at East Takaka, and moved to its current site in 1961. Its own history says the greens were sown straight onto the sand, and that the course took years to establish. It hosts the annual Golden Bay Open. The website quotes one player who called it a real pleasure to play, while a former professional was less complimentary. Our pick in Clifton for a links round on the Bay's coast.