Golf travel
Golf in New Zealand
New Zealand punches far above its size in world golf — a handful of jaw-dropping clifftop and coastal courses, led by Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers, in spectacular scenery.
Southern Hemisphere — best Nov–Apr; the Mar–Apr & Oct–Nov shoulders are ideal
New Zealand is a bucket-list golf destination out of all proportion to its size: a small collection of world-ranked courses in staggering settings, from Tom Doak's clifftop Cape Kidnappers on the North Island to Kauri Cliffs in the far north and the ultra-exclusive Tara Iti. Southern-Hemisphere seasons make it a summer escape when the north is frozen.
We cover the marquee pairing — Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers and its Robertson Lodges sister, Kauri Cliffs — the two North Island clifftop courses that between them define New Zealand golf travel, plus Jack's Point, the spectacular public course beneath the Remarkables near Queenstown that anchors a South Island trip.
Destinations
Hawke's Bay
Cape Kidnappers: golf on the cliffs of Hawke's Bay
Tom Doak's clifftop masterpiece above the South Pacific, home of the par-5 'Pirate's Plank' 15th. How to play it, when to go, and how to reach it.
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Northland
Kauri Cliffs: clifftop golf in New Zealand's far north
The Robertson Lodges sister to Cape Kidnappers — a David Harman clifftop course high above the Pacific in Northland. The course, how outside visitors play it, when to go, and getting there.
Read the guide