Henderson Park is a 10-hole disc golf course in suburban Auckland, New Zealand. It’s a Par 3 course with two different sets of tee pads, some are turf and some are bricks). After the recent cyclone, the park is closed for remediation and the grass is long, however the disc golf layout is still playable. The cyclone knocked down some trees that were pretty vital to the disc golf layout so it’s likely that the layout will change slightly once the fallen trees are removed.
The park is a gorgeous slice of nature surrounded by a suburb. Inside of the park the buzz of cicadas and the sounds of birds accompanies the occasional sound of loud cars. The entire park is surrounded by a river which can get quite deep and presents a hazard for losing discs especially during the flooding season.
Hole 1 is a straight shot with the river in the background. Throw it too far and you’ll have to go for a swim like I did. The first couple holes are an open shot across a grass field that can get quite windy. We played two rounds and on round one it was calm but during round two the wind had picked up and made it a much touchier shot.
As the course progresses there is a mix of tight fairways with low ceiling and open field shots. For players that throw with 300 feet of power, the short tees are very scorable, although the wind conditions can make putting quite tough. The older style RPM baskets require accurate putts because they have thinner chain strands.
Near the end of the course there are some touchy woods shots that offer some more technical throws. If you’ve got a decent turnover forehand it is possible to get around some of the big trees and into good placement for birdies. The trees are very tall so big sky lines don’t usually work.
Overall this is a nice little course and a good break from the suburban life. If it’s en-route for your travels through the city it’s worth the stop by, crush a round in under an hour, and you’ll find yourself wanting to play even more.
