When you think golf travel destinations, so often Scotland and Ireland are at the forefront of the conversation. But there’s a new kid on the block. Prepare to be enthralled by the share epic pieces of property that the top courses in NZ are located. Mix in world-class accommodation and a bucket load of unique localised experiences and you have yourself the golf trip of a lifetime.
When to go: November - April
Price: From NZD$22,200 pp
Ideal length: 10 - 14 days
GOLF COURSES
Designed by the late David Harman, Kauri Cliffs is a par 72 championship course that was rated by Golf Digest (2014) as the 39th best course in the world. The first of two stunning golf courses from American native Julian H. Robertson, Kauri Cliffs holds a magnificent position, perched on a tabletop. Fifteen of the holes overlook the Pacific Ocean and having stunning views of the Cavalli Islands and the rugged yet gorgeous coastline of the Far North.
Location: Matauri Bay, NZ
Website HERE
Kinloch is the first course in New Zealand to have the great Jack Nicklaus as its course architect. Located amongst a mix of farmland and volcanic terrain, and overlooking the magnificent Lake Taupo, the course resembles something you would envisage out of the great Irish and Scottish links courses. In Kinloch, Nicklaus has crafted something very special, and we are thankful he graced us with his presence.
Location: Kinloch, Taupo
Website HERE
Imagine the experience of playing golf on a world-class championship course, immersed in the natural beauty of a wildlife sanctuary. This ambitious project is the brainchild of owner Gary Lane and has seen a dedicated fence installed around the entire course perimeter, to keep out predators, like rats, stoats and weasels. Around 25,000 native trees and five thousand exotics have been planted to encourage bird life, and further improve the park like surroundings.
Location: Wairakei, Taupo
Website HERE
Hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf, Cape Kidnappers features eighteen spectacular holes of golf. Designed by world-renowned golf architect Tom Doak, the course is built on a ridge-and-valley landscape and has stunning sea views, playing high above the ocean, atop dramatic cliffs. The course has received numerous accolades and awards including its current ranking among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World.
Location: Te Awanga, Hawes Bay
Website HERE
Regarded by many as one of the greatest links courses in the Southern Hemisphere, Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club has a world-renowned layout on the undulating duneland of the Kapiti Coast. Located just 45-minute’s drive from Wellington, the course has hosted the New Zealand Open twelve times – a record unsurpassed by any other course.
Location: Paraparaumu Beach, Kapiti
Website HERE
Royal Wellington Golf Club is one of New Zealand’s premier golf clubs. Perched beside the Hutt River, the club has hosted 7 NZ Open Championships since 1912 and in 2004 it became the first golf club in the country to receive royal status. Royal Wellington is noted as being among the finest parkland golf environments in Australasia. Rare native podocarp river plain forest is a backdrop to many of the holes. Its current par 72 18 hole championship course is a demanding test of golf for players of all levels.
Location: Upper Hutt, Wellington
Website HERE
Set amid a backdrop that could be straight out of the Lord of the Rings movie, Jacks Point is a truly remarkable course. Designed by New Zealand’s own John Darby, this course was carved from a former high country sheep station, and is a credit to the designer how it blends in with it’s natural surrounds. Rated as one of our country’s finest courses, Jacks Point is a must for any golfing enthusiast visiting New Zealand.
Location: Jacks Point, Queenstown
Website HERE
Arrowtown is one of the most popular club courses in the country. The front nine is very tight, weaving through the canyons and schist rock, making it a lot of fun for golfers of all abilities. Game management is a key and there can be some extremely challenging shots if you stray off line. The back nine is more open and built over rolling terrain where you can really take in the beautiful surrounding mountains. Playing the course in March or April is highly recommended as the autumn foliage is simply breathtaking.
Location: Arrowtown, Otago
Website HERE
ACCOMMODATIONS
Kauri Cliffs is a stunningly beautiful 5,400-acre estate, set on a remote plateau, high above the Pacific Ocean. It is home to one of the world’s most renowned golf courses, with most holes offering amazing views of offshore islands and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Besides golf, the estate provides many other activities, including swimming, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing and sailing. Kauri Cliffs is a sister property of Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri Lodge.
Website HERE
Founded in the 1920’s, Huka Lodge is considered the iconic New Zealand retreat. Sought by the world’s most discerning travellers, it enjoys an unrivalled riverside location and offers superb hospitality. Its 25 rooms are set in 17 acres of magnificently manicured grounds, nestled along the banks of the Waikato River. The rooms are split between 18 Junior Lodge Suites, one Lodge Suite and the two exclusive Huka Lodge Cottages. The Owners Cottage provides secluded accommodation for a maximum of eight guests in four bedrooms, and the superb Alan Pye Cottage has two bedrooms for four guests.
Set in the tranquil, 630-acre grounds of the Kinloch Club course, on the shores of Lake Taupo, The Lodge at Kinloch is modern, uber-luxury accommodation at its best. The brief for its design was to emulate its namesake Scottish castle, but with a modern 21st century twist. The main lodge, with local schist stone exteriors, features dramatic framed vistas of the sensational views of the golf course and the ever-changing lake. A short stroll from the lodge are the luxury one- and two- bedroom villas and one-bedroom junior suites, which are ‘quiet’ in design and harmonize with the magnificent natural setting of this 18-hole lakeside links course.
Set atop 6,000 rolling acres of stunning pastureland, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers affords spectacular 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean. The cluster of luxury lodges at Cape Kidnappers are suggestive of a working farm – a marriage of river stone and weathered wood – and are the perfect setting for relaxation, seclusion, or romantic breakaways. Inside, the lodges combine rustic and textured materials with comfortable modern furniture. The are 22 suites available on the property, as well as the Owners Cottage, which is also available upon request.
Click HERE for website
Opposite the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, is the quirky art-filled hotel Museum Hotel, an establishment popular with domestic and international guests, alike. Room décors range from classic to contemporary. Some have balconies or patios, and suites offer kitchens. All rooms feature 42-inch flat-screen TVs, free WiFi and iPod docks, as well as Nespresso coffeemakers. The hotel also offers a fine-dining restaurant with a cocktail bar. Other amenities include an indoor lap pool, an exercise room and a sauna.
Website HERE
Since opening its doors in late 2010, Matakauri Lodge has received rave reviews, including Conde Nast Traveler rating it in the top 124 hotels in the world. Matakauri is a small, boutique hotel, with lodge-style accommodation, that provides the perfect private hideaway just a 10-minute drive from Queenstown along the stunning shores of Lake Wakatipu. With views of the Remarkables and the lake, this luxury lodge has it all. Matakauri is a sister property of Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers Lodge.
Click HERE for website
In the late 1800’s Eichardt’s Private Hotel was born as a result of a rich vein of gold, that drew many prospectors and opportunists from around the globe to the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Over 120 years on, and this iconic hotel still commands a majestic position, right on the shores of the lake, in the center of Queenstown. Eichardt’s is split into three separate types of rooms: suites, apartments, and the residence. All apartments have stunning views over the lake and mountain ranges.
Click HERE for website
ACTIVITIES
Depart your Bay of Islands accommodation property or central Paihia for your 30 minute (approx) helicopter flight across to Omapere where you will be met by your Footprints Waipoua guide. Footprints is operated by local Maori on Northlands rugged West Coast. Let Kupe’s (NZ’s first discoverer) descendants take you on a guided walk of the largest kauri forest in the world and introduce you to their relationship with Mother Nature, both spiritually and culturally. A highlight of your experience with Footprints will be an introduction to Tane Mahuta – God of the Forest. (Forest Tour duration approx. 1.5 hours). From Omapere you continue to the Cape Reinga region via Northlands spectacular West Coast and of course the famous Ninety Mile Beach. Kauri Cliffs will prepare a snack pack lunch prior to your departure.
The sheer expanse of our property is hidden to many unless they take the Can-Am Tour. Inaccessible to a regular vehicle, this excursion will take you to the furthermost reaches of the property with views south towards Ocean Beach and Bare Island. With an experienced guide, you will be taken through the old creek bed, across expansive farmland and down to historic Rangaika Beach. This tour is ideal for all age groups and fitness levels. For the less adventurous the team can provide you with a four-wheel drive experience of the property.
Just 30 minutes’ drive from Wellington CBD is Boomrock Lodge, a 3000-acre farm perched on a cliff, 750ft above sea level. This stunning cliff-top location boasts spectacular views over the Cook Strait towards Mana, Kapiti and the South Island. Boomrock comprises three venues, The Lodge, The Track and The Bunkers. While there guests can enjoy stunning views and light-hearted activities, or opt for the adrenalin junkies’ dream – a variety of challenges and thrilling experiences including the chance to fly a helicopter, drive around a private car-testing circuit, or a 4WD all terrain park.
This adventure can only be described as incredible. Whether it’s a jet boat ride, or a kayak down this idyllic river, the team at Dart River Safari will make sure you have an experience never to be forgotten. Your Wilderness Jet trip will be an exhilarating and spectacular journey deep into the heart of the world-renowned Mt Aspiring National Park – one of the most stunning locations for jet boating in New Zealand. Take in this awe-inspiring opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the local landscape, as you power your way along the waters of the Dart River.
Described by Rudyard Kipling as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’, this experience is truly once in a lifetime. View glaciers, alpine lakes, rivers, forests, glacial valleys and ice-capped mountains. Fly over the fords and land on a remote West Coast beach, then stop off at an alpine glacier on your return to Queenstown. Simply breathtaking.
OTHER EXPERIENCES YOU MAY LIKE
When you think golf travel destinations, so often Scotland and Ireland are at the forefront of the conversation. But there’s a new kid on the block. Prepare to be enthralled by the share epic pieces of property that the top courses in NZ are located. Mix in world-class accommodation and a bucket load of unique localised experiences and you have yourself the golf trip of a lifetime.
Trek your way across this great country, playing some of the best courses in the world. Seven remarkable golf courses across three different states which all have their own unique flavour. From ocean wonders such as NSW GC to links heaven in Barnbougle, Tasmania and the widely heralded sandbelt courses in Melbourne. This is something special! This 14 day experience also includes fantastic local cuisine, and experiences across vastly different landscapes.
This is it! Our team of experts have painstakingly sat down and put together the very best golf courses both Australia and New Zealand has to offer. Not only that, but they have mapped out the perfect itinerary that gives the perfect blend of world class golf, unique accommodation, breathtaking experiences and the opportunities to meet the great characters that call these countries home. Enjoy this 15-night trip and make those postcard dreams a reality.