The best golf courses in New Zealand

Tara Iti Golf Club, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2015, is a world-renowned private links set among natural dunes on New Zealand’s North Island coast. Its pure links design, dramatic ocean panoramas, and meticulous conditioning have earned it high praise and consistently top-25 world rankings. Exclusivity and exceptional service define the club experience.

Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, designed by Tom Doak, sits atop dramatic cliffs above Hawke's Bay. Celebrated as a modern marvel since 2004, it features deep ravines, cliff-edge fairways, and stunning seaside views. The layout merges strategic interest with bold visuals, making it a bucket-list destination for discerning golfers.

Te Arai Links South Course, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2022 on New Zealand's stunning North Island coastline. This par-72 links masterpiece spans natural sand dunes with fescue turf, offering 16 ocean-view holes and eight directly bordering the Pacific. Ranked among the world's top 100 courses, it blends strategic variety, generous fairways, and breathtaking coastal scenery for an unforgettable golf experience.

Te Arai Links North Course, designed by renowned architect Tom Doak, opened in October 2023 as a public-access links masterpiece on New Zealand's pristine coastline. Featuring fescue fairways, dramatic inland dunes, and a thrilling oceanfront finish, it contrasts sharply with its sister South Course.

Kauri Cliffs Golf Club, designed by David Harman and opened in 2000, is a world-renowned resort course perched above the Pacific Ocean in Northland, New Zealand. The par 72 links-inspired layout features 15 holes with dramatic ocean views, rolling terrain, and a blend of coastal forest, farmland, and cliffside vistas. It has earned numerous accolades and regularly features in top global rankings.

The Hills Golf Club in Arrowtown, designed by John Darby, is New Zealand’s most exclusive championship course. Set on dramatic undulating terrain with exposed rocky outcroppings, it offers breathtaking alpine views and world-class conditions. Owned by Sir Michael Hill, the modern design incorporates artistic installations and strategic interest, regularly hosting the New Zealand Open.

Jack's Point Golf Course, designed by John Darby, offers one of the world's most spectacular visual golf experiences. Set among tussock grasslands and rock outcrops at the foot of The Remarkables and overlooking Lake Wakatipu, this championship-caliber course delivers a challenging yet memorable round for golfers of all abilities. Frequently ranked New Zealand's top South Island layout.

Titirangi Golf Club is Auckland’s premier golf destination, designed in 1927 by the legendary Alister MacKenzie. Set amidst native bushland between the Waitakere Ranges and Manukau Harbour, the course is known for its strategic bunkers, undulating greens, and thoughtful design. It is the only MacKenzie course in New Zealand and consistently ranks among the nation’s top venues.

Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary is a world-acclaimed, 18-hole, par 72 course designed by John Harris and Peter Thomson. Set within a fenced, pest-free wildlife sanctuary, the course combines championship-caliber golf with a significant conservation initiative, offering a rare blend of challenging play, native bushland, and thriving birdlife.

Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, designed by Alex Russell in 1949, is renowned as one of the finest true links courses in the Southern Hemisphere. Modeled after the classic links of Britain and Ireland, it features undulating terrain set amidst dramatic coastal dunes just north of Wellington. The course has hosted 12 New Zealand Opens and is celebrated for its strategic layout and pure golf experience.

Royal Wellington Golf Club, founded in 1895 and redesigned in 2013 by Greg Turner and Scott Macpherson, is a renowned parkland course set in the Hutt Valley north of Wellington. This private club is famed for tree-lined fairways, strategic water hazards, and beautifully contoured bentgrass greens. The club has hosted multiple national championships and maintains a stately, historic clubhouse.