Harkins Point has played an important role in the development of the Auckland region. In 1871 local Maori and Irish work gangs began the task of building a railway through to Helensville with Harkins Point serving as the Southern terminal for what would become a vital link through to the Kaipara communities.

There was a colourful history attached to the lower reaches of land overlooking the upper Waitemata Harbour. For six years from 1875 to 1881 ferry passengers landing at Harkins Point were able to catch a train to continue their journey north to Kumeu. Then in 1904 the land was used as a sanitary depot for dumping night soil. Eight years further on a section of the Pacific [telephone] Cable from Australia was laid along the eastern boundary.

In 1907 Auckland City Council purchased land in the area, which was eventually used to raise and run Clydesdale horses ACCs main transport. Harkins Point then featured in the country’s early communication as a link point for the first direct telegraph cable connection between Auckland and Sydney. The route was from Sydney to Bondi Beach, then across the Tasman to Muriwai and overland to Harkins Point. From there it again took to the water down the Waitemata to Auckland city.

The Creation of Huapai Golf Club (Huapai) was the inspiration of one man, the Kumeu GP, Dr Merv Simpson Harris and supported by his committee of Lance Kerr-Taylor, William Rodger, St John Hill, Major Edward Johnstone, John Triggs, Bruce Clarke and a band of committed volunteers, he created not one but two golf courses in the space of three years.

At a general meeting held in a Kumeu packing shed on 19 April 1938 the following motion was put and carried unanimously:

Proposed by Dr Harris and seconded by Mr. [Albie| Lambden that a Golf Club, called "THE HUAPAI GOLF CLUB" be formed on the property of Mr. Arnold Smith, that a rent of £10 be paid for the use of the ground and that the annual subscription of members be fixed at £1 and 1 Shilling (a Guinea)

Within two months golfers, mainly local farmers, orchardists and business people along with their wives, were enjoying their first rounds of golf on land which today verges on the eastern boundary of Huapai township.

As 1939 was drawing to a close it had been realized that an 18 hole course was unable to be accommodated on the existing site to meet the demands of a growing membership - 120 members. Steps were taken promptly to acquire the current land around Harkins Point from Auckland City Council for £1,900 - a vast sum of money in those days. The Club paid a deposit of £200, and the Council agreed to £1,600 being amortised over 16 years by £100 pa. The shortfall of £100 was provided by a then unknown benefactor but now understood to have been Dr Harris.

On taking possession of the newly acquired property swift progress was made in transforming the existing terrain into a golf course. Today's course is vastly different to Dr Harris' initial creation, but many features of his original design still remain including holes 1 (Plantation), 2 (Hare Krishna), 4 (Deception), 9 (Lone Pine) and 15 (Newtons Bush).

The original course was very basic and was created by first removing fences previously dividing the farmland into paddocks, cutting the long grass before mowing with a gang mower to establish fairways. Greens were created using a roller and reel mower.

Without the benefit of costly, modern day earth moving equipment fairways merely followed the land's natural contours with greens being located in the flattest spots.

Waitemata County Council and/or Public Works Department graders were provided to shape and contour some greens.

Following establishment, the course was maintained by Club members, often assisted by their families.

The Club however went into recess during World War II as a large percentage of members had volunteered for military service and therefore were no longer available to maintain the course. Once regular play resumed after the war membership grew steadily and there were soon fresh demands for further vital amenities including a proper clubhouse to replace the old draughty shed and a greens irrigation system.

Members rallied together and by 1958 had:

• Assisted with the construction of a clubhouse "comprising 3,000 square feet with good sanitary facilities [changing rooms, toilets and hand basins], a well equipped kitchen and good living quarters.
• Installed thousands of feet of water piping and fittings ranging from ¾" to 1½" in diameter. The very large job of installing and burying these pipes leading to every green was done entirely by members and in addition to repair and deepening of the dams’ entailed weeks of work and loan of equipment resulting in a saving to the club of hundreds of pounds.

There were no water storage lakes or ponds or dams on the course until after 1952 when dams were created in front of the green on hole 4a and on the left of the ninth hole (Lone Pine). This lake next to the 9th Fairway will hopefully be re-instated at some point in the future.

The original clubhouse was built in 1950’s and subsequently altered and remodeled with a second level added in the 1960’s until it was replaced with the clubhouse we now enjoy was which was planned and built in the 1990’s - officially opening on 12th April 1998.

The Club’s focus on essential redevelopment work was heightened in late 2000 when Auckland Regional Council signalled their intention to enforce their limit on our bore water consumption to 12,000 cubic metres (one cubic metre equals 1,000 litres). Their mandate coincided with several long, hot dry summer months when of necessity the Club was drawing off over 20,000 cubic metres to ensure the greens remained playable.

Plans were then prepared for the creation of new storage lakes to supplement the bore supply. This extra water also facilitated the upgrading of the greens to sand-based sub-surfaces. The most significant changes to the golf course have occurred over the last thirty years during which time there have been at least five different course layouts, but none were as substantial as those following approval of Jeff Asche's Course master plan in 2001.

In 2004 and 2005 significant development took place to solve the water supply problems and to renovate the greens:

• The lakes next to hole 4 and hole 13 were built which when filled to capacity, provide approximately 20,000 cubic metres of water for course irrigation.
• holes 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11 12, 13 and 18 either partially or wholly reconfigured.
• The 16th hole was created - providing a spare golf hole to reduce disruption for golfers during development work and balancing the front and back nine with par 3’s.
• Ten greens were upgraded to sand based sub-surfaces.
• Hundreds of aged pine trees were removed.
• The replacement and upgrading of the irrigation system including computerised water programming.

In excess of $3m was expended on these improvements funded by the Bank of New Zealand, Waitakere Licensing Trust, ASB Bank Community Trust, Kumeu Plumbing Limited and Grundfos Pumps.

The Club was in financial difficulty by 2015, with the debt of the course developments still hanging around and costing the club with a heavy interest burden.

In 2016, A new plan was put in place to bring in-house the Greenkeeping staff which required new course equipment and to continue to develop the course by improving drainage around the course. The Bar and Café operation was also brought in-house in 2016 followed by the Golf-Shop in July 2020 so that now all staff working for the Club are part of a team that works to support a thriving and growing golf Club.

The surge in golf popularity since 2017, driven also by the post-Covid 19 golf boom has put Huapai Golf Club on a firm financial footing which has enabled the Club to continue to develop and improve its Golf Course and facilities for the enjoyment of its Members and Guests.