History of the naming of our Holes

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Wanganui Golf Club was established on the 18th August 1894, making this one of the longest-running clubs that exist in New Zealand.

The course was initially situated in the Balgownie region of Wanganui however, fourteen years after its opening, the club relocated to its present location on the eastern edge of Springvale and the course, dubbed Belmont Links, was born.

Its first clubhouse an old homestead that was located on the site, was destroyed in a fire in 2001.

The following year, a new clubhouse was built offering unsurpassed views of the back eight holes of the course, out to the city’s iconic Bastia Hill water tower and eastern hill suburbs.  

Wanganui Golf Club has played host to a variety of national events including the New Zealand Open on seven occasions between 1911 to 1978.
The club played host to several other national tournaments, including the New Zealand Amateur for both males (six times) and females (also at least six occasions). 
 
With 6,597 yards (6,032 meters) at the rear tees, Belmont Links is an extensive course, even by modern standards. A few fairways are flat while others are in a sloping manner (resembling Links land) and the course is surrounded by sandy subsoil that drains nicely throughout the year.
There are some climbs to elevated tees which offer beautiful panoramas of the countryside and superb views of the Tasman Sea. 

There are only two five-par par holes on the course and a par of 70 points, Belmont Links is not a  golf course to be missed.
Four one-shot holes are noteworthy, with the most notable being the 140-metre 2nd hole - dubbed Seaview and the 195-metre 12th hole, also known as French Pass is a standout hole with a tight drive and out-of-bounds on the left.
The 12th has ruined a lot of golfers over the years, and remains a remarkably difficult one-shot hole. The hole that is home to Wanganui is known as Imlay is widely considered to be one of the most challenging closing holes for par fours in New Zealand. The course is renowned for the quality of its greens. 

The professional touring, Simon Owen, was born in Wanganui and was taught to play golf at Belmont Links. Belmont Links. Owen was the winner of in 1976 the New Zealand Open, which was played in Wellington Golf Club (now Royal Wellington Golf Club after it was granted the status of a royal after 2004). 
The late Bryan Silk, regarded as the country’s most outstanding amateur. At the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations, Silk was inducted into the NZ Golf Hall of Fame. 

The Honours Board in the club house lists notable names that have gone on to achieve great golfing achievements worldwide.

Praise for the course has come from some notables in the game, such as international course designers. Tom Doak said course highlights for him were 2nd green from its elevated tee shot dropping onto a green with a steep fall at the left front. “So too the tumbling par-4 5th, and the short 9th wedged into a little corner of ground with cows grazing on the hill behind the green.” 

Clyde Johnson said the Belmont links must rate as the North Island’s best provincial course “by a relative margin”. Johnson also talked up the second hole: “At the toe of a spur it’s bettered only by the up and over two-shot 10th. 

Belmont is ranked one of the top two courses in the Whanganui-Manawatu region. Apart from the holes Doak and Johnson mentioned, the course boasts five holes which offer blind tee shots. One of those is the 11th, a par 5 which starts with a blind tee shot from above a steep bluff. And then there’s the 18th - arguably one of the toughest finishing holes in the country, with the distance, a fairway ridge at the halfway point and the prevailing westerly winds. The course was rated among the top 25 courses by NZ Golf Digest.

Notable Players at Wanganui Golf Club 

Bryan Silk 

Simon Owen 

Steven Alker 

Josh Geary 

Riki Kauika