Golf was first played in New Plymouth in 1893 on a property between the railway line and Breakwater Road in the present Whiteley Street area, near Ngamotu Beach hence the name of the present Club.
By 1896, membership had grown to 70 men and ladies when the Club Captain was Dr EA Walker and President Mr A Standish. Dr Walker was a wonderful servant of the Club, as the longest serving President when he retired in 1939 after 25 years in the position.
Shortly after the turn of the century, the course was enlarged to 18 holes and when the lease ran out in 1902, the Club moved to the Whitiora course at Westown, now Rugby Park. This area was on a yearly lease and in 1911, the present site was leased from the Trustee Newton King, with the name on the course reverting to "Ngamotu".
The course of the twenties was attractive and well groomed but lacked modern features and was too short. A group of members strongly advocated modernisation and extension, and after plans were made in 1930, the course was redesigned by 1933 with the help of architect, CH Redhead. These changes meant that Ngamotu became one of the country's leading and most attractive courses, with Bobby Locke naming the 13th hole in "Among the eighteen finest".
The course length for the 1936 National Championship was 5659 metres. A major lengthening programme began in 1990 and the course now measures 6086 metres from the blue tees.
National Senior Titles have been won by New Plymouth members on three occasions, Glennis Taylor, Joe Holden and Grant Moorhead with Taylor, Moorhead and Tom Jeffery representing New Zealand at a senior level.