Best Golf Courses New Zealand North Island

Cape Kidnappers Golf Course

Designed by Tom Doak, the spectacular Cape Kidnappers Golf Course par 71 course plays above the ocean atop the dramatic cliffs. But unlike Kauri Cliffs, where the shape of the land dictates play along the shoreline, this course runs to and from the edge. CapeKidnappers is built on a ridge-and-valley landscape with spectacular sea views. The par-3 sixth hole at CapeKidnappers is one of the great golf holes in the world as its location, design, and degree of difficulty make it so. The most stunning part of the course is the back nine which extends along several fingers of land separated by deep gullies which dip down to the sea. From these points you look beyond the cliffs along the shoreline across the wine country of HawkesBay and Napier. Ranked #13 on Golf Digest’s list of 100 Greatest Courses Outside the US.

Kauri Cliffs Golf Course

Designed by David Harman, Kauri Cliffs Golf Course is one of the most visually spectacular courses you will ever play. The par 72 championship golf course measures 7,119 yards and offers fifteen holes with views of the Pacific Ocean, six of which are played alongside cliffs which plunge to the sea. Situated high above the ocean, the course is immaculate and provides a fantastic golf experience with memories that will last forever. Ranked #25 on Golf Digest’s list of 100 Greatest Courses Outside the US.

The Kinloch Club

The 18 hole Championship par 72 Kinloch Club is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in New Zealand. Kinloch plays homage to the classic British and Irish style links, although it is as far away from the ocean as you can get in New Zealand. The holes blend into the natural landscape with views of LakeTaupo throughout the back nine. Kinloch upon opening in 2007 was rated as the top new golf course outside North America by Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine. Open for play Wednesday – Sunday.

Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club

Sent among the sand dunes behind the beautiful Paraparaumu beach with the sea on one side and forested mountains on the other, Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club is a superb layout that will test every part of your game. Designed in 1949 by Australian Open champion Alex Russell, this par 71, 6,474 yard course has been the host to the New Zealand Open Championship on 12 occasions. Laid out over naturally rolling topography, the well-drained fairways, fierce rough and intimidating bunkers combine with coastal winds to create a truly challenging golf experience.

Wairakei International Golf Course

The par 72, 7,047 yard Wairakei International Golf Course, located a few minutes from Lake Taupo, is considered to be one of the best inland courses in the country, providing everything one could wish for in a golf course. The signature hole is the 14^th named “The Rogue”, a very demanding hole and one of the longest and most challenging in New Zealand. This hole would be a serious test of golf if it were a straight, wide open fairway with a large, friendly green. But it has a monstrous pine tree in the middle of the fairway that, like one of those giant trees in The Lord of the Rings, seems to come to life by forcing players to go right or left with their second shot.