New Zealand's North Island: a golf trip of dunes and cliffs

Three of the courses golfers fly to New Zealand for sit on the North Island’s Pacific coast: Te Arai Links in the dunes north of Auckland, Kauri Cliffs on the Northland clifftops and Cape Kidnappers on a headland in Hawke’s Bay.

They can be strung into one trip. The New Zealand summer runs from December to February, during the northern winter.

Late summer is the window

Tourism New Zealand gives average summer daytime highs of 20–25°C, with January and February the warmest months, and describes the north of the North Island as having “warm subtropical weather in summer”. Summer is also the busiest time, so the shoulder seasons are worth a look: spring (September to November) averages 16–19°C with a higher chance of rain, while autumn (March to May) averages 17–21°C with fewer crowds and often better accommodation rates.

Our pick is late February into March, when the sea is warm, the holiday rush has gone and the days are still long. Whenever you go, pack a rain jacket and serious sun cream: the national tourism body recommends sun protection from September to April.

Te Arai Links: two courses in the dunes

Start at Te Arai Links, the newest of the three, which the club puts 75 minutes’ drive north of Auckland city centre. The South Course, by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in October 2022; Tom Doak’s North Course followed a year later. Both made Golf Digest’s 2024 World’s 100 Greatest list, the North at 36th and the South at 40th.

The two play differently. The club says 16 holes on the South have ocean views and eight run right along the shore, while the North has more inland holes and is known for its unusual green shapes. Doak also worked on Tara Iti, Te Arai’s private sister club.

Te Arai Beach (2004). Photo: Avenue / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The practical bits. Te Arai is walking only, with no carts, and only spikeless shoes are allowed. At the time of writing, the international green fee is NZ$975 from October 2026 through to the end of April 2027, dropping to NZ$700 in the July–September winter window. Australian and New Zealand residents pay NZ$400–500 in season with proof of residency. Tee times open only 28 days ahead. Caddies cost NZ$225 for a single bag and should be requested in advance. Both courses close for several days of aerification each year, so check the published dates before you build an itinerary around them.

You can stay on site, from ocean-view rooms (NZ$590–1,250 a night) to cottages and villas, with two-night minimums over Christmas and New Year.

Kauri Cliffs: the big view in Northland

From Auckland, the second leg heads north to Kauri Cliffs, near Matauri Bay. David Harman’s course opened in 2000 on a coastal property of around 6,000 acres. Rosewood, which runs the lodge, says it plays as a par 72 of 7,139 yards, with Pacific views from 15 holes and six played along the cliffs.

Planet Golf singles out the all-carry par-3 5th and 7th, the long par-3 14th, which looks straight down to the Cavalli Islands, and the 17th, with a shelf fairway and the Bay of Islands behind. The par-5 4th was redesigned by Rees Jones in 2014.

Green fees are not published. Lodge guests on the Stay and Play package get unlimited golf each day, and anyone else should contact the pro shop (proshop@kauricliffs.com) for current rates and availability. Off the course, there is a spa in native bush and private dining on Pink Beach, a rare pink-shell beach on the property.

Getting there: Air New Zealand flies daily from Auckland to Kerikeri, scheduled at about 50 minutes, and the lodge says Kerikeri Airport is around 30 minutes’ drive away. The lodge also runs helicopter transfers from Auckland, about an hour’s coastal flight.

Cape Kidnappers: golf on the headland

The finale is on the other side of the island. Cape Kidnappers, near Te Awanga in Hawke’s Bay, was funded by the American investor Julian Robertson, the same man behind Kauri Cliffs. Tom Doak’s course opened in 2004, and Doak returned to oversee a renovation in 2022.

It plays to 7,187 yards from the back tees, with shorter sets down to 4,648 yards for higher handicaps. The holes run along sheer cliffs that Rosewood puts at around 150 metres above the sea.

Cape Kidnappers from the south (2022). Photo: Pseudopanax / Wikimedia Commons, public domain

As at Kauri Cliffs, green fees are not published. Lodge guests on Stay and Play get unlimited golf, and others should enquire with the pro shop (proshop@capekidnappers.com). The headland is also home to about 6,500 pairs of Australasian gannets, which the Department of Conservation calls the largest and most accessible mainland colony in the world. The best viewing is from early November to late February, and a commercial operator runs daily tours across the private farm.

Getting there: Air New Zealand flies Auckland to Napier daily in about an hour, and the course is around 30 minutes from Napier, Hastings and the airport.

A 10-day loop with two internal flights

A sensible route: land in Auckland and drive to Te Arai for two or three nights to play both courses. Return to Auckland, fly to Kerikeri for two nights at Kauri Cliffs, then fly back via Auckland to Napier for two nights at Cape Kidnappers. Allow a spare day for weather and jet lag.

• Book in the right order. Te Arai’s 28-day window means you’ll fix flights and lodges first, then lock in tee times the moment they open.
• Budget honestly. Te Arai’s NZ$975 fee is the only published one of the three, and the two Rosewood lodges sit at the luxury end.

If the budget only stretches to one stop, we’d make it Te Arai, for two courses on Golf Digest’s world top 100 in one place.

Sources

• Te Arai Links: Golf, green fees and booking
• Te Arai Links: Home and getting there
• Rosewood Kauri Cliffs: Golf
• Rosewood Kauri Cliffs: Overview
• Rosewood Kauri Cliffs: Location
• Planet Golf: Kauri Cliffs Golf Course
• Golf Business News: Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs offer first-ever golf package (2011)
• Rosewood Cape Kidnappers: Golf
• Rosewood Cape Kidnappers: Golf fact sheet 2024 (PDF)
• Wikipedia: Cape Kidnappers Golf Course
• Department of Conservation: Cape Kidnappers Gannet Reserve
• Tourism New Zealand: Climate and weather
• Air New Zealand: Kerikeri
• Air New Zealand: Napier