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.
Kauri Cliffs is one of New Zealand's two world-ranked clifftop courses — the far-north counterpart to Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers, and its sister property in the Robertson Lodges collection. Opened in 2000 to a David Harman design, it sits on a 6,000-acre coastal farm at Matauri Bay in subtropical Northland, with 15 of its 18 holes offering Pacific Ocean views and six played hard along cliffs that plunge to the sea.
It's a luxury lodge course, but — unlike some of its peers — outside visitors can book tee times, not just resident guests. Here's the course, how to play it, when to go, and how to reach one of the most remote great golf courses on earth.
Where
Matauri Bay, Northland — far north of NZ's North Island
Course
One 18-hole clifftop course (par 72), David Harman, 2000
Nearest airport
Kerikeri / Bay of Islands (KKE) ~25–30 min; ~3.5–4 hrs' drive from Auckland
David Harman · 2000 · 18 holes · Clifftop / coastal · par 72
Long ranked among the world's top 100 (Golf Digest world top-40 at times)
David Harman's routing makes the most of an extraordinary site: rolling farmland that culminates in cliffs hundreds of feet above the Pacific. Fifteen of the eighteen holes have ocean views and six are played right along the cliff edge, with inland holes threading through marsh, forest and pasture. The par-3s over the sea and the clifftop stretch around the turn are the postcard holes, looking out toward the Cavalli Islands.
It plays as a walk-or-ride resort course — caddies and carts are available — and pairs beautifully with a stay at the lodge. Alongside Cape Kidnappers it forms the marquee luxury-lodge golf pairing in the Southern Hemisphere.
How to play Kauri Cliffs (access & booking)
Kauri Cliffs is the golf course of a five-star lodge (now Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, part of the Robertson Lodges collection founded by Julian Robertson), but you don't have to be staying to play. Outside tee times can be booked through the lodge, and resident guests get booking priority and a green-fee discount. Carts and caddies are available; the pro shop and practice facilities round out the day.
Green fees are tiered by season and are not published as a single figure — book through the lodge and confirm the current rate. If you can, stay: the golf, the lodge and the setting are designed to be experienced together.
Northland is subtropical — 'the winterless north' — so Kauri Cliffs plays year-round. The lodge's main season runs the New Zealand spring to autumn (roughly October to April), which brings the best conditions; the shoulder months are ideal for quieter, better-value golf. As a Southern-Hemisphere destination it's a natural escape when the northern hemisphere is frozen — the same trump card as our Barnbougle guide in Tasmania.
Getting there
Kauri Cliffs is genuinely remote, which is part of the appeal. From Auckland it's about a 3.5–4 hour drive north via SH1 and SH10, or a short hop by air — Air New Zealand flies Auckland (AKL) to Kerikeri / Bay of Islands (KKE), the nearest airport, around 25–30 minutes from the lodge. The lodge can arrange transfers and charter flights.
How to play it
The natural trip pairs Kauri Cliffs with its sister course, Cape Kidnappers, on the North Island's east coast — two Robertson Lodges clifftop courses that between them define New Zealand golf travel. Golf aside, the Bay of Islands on Kauri Cliffs' doorstep is one of the country's finest coastal regions for a non-golf day. New Zealand's other world great, Tara Iti, is strictly private.
What to pack
The kit this trip demands
Northland is sunny and subtropical, but a clifftop course catches the sea breeze — pack for sun and wind on an exposed, walkable layout:
Can you play Kauri Cliffs if you're not staying at the lodge?
Yes. Unlike some peer lodge courses, Kauri Cliffs takes outside tee times booked through the lodge. Resident guests get booking priority and a green-fee discount, but non-guests can play.
Who designed Kauri Cliffs, and when did it open?
It was designed by American architect David Harman and opened in 2000. It's the sister course to Rees Jones's Cape Kidnappers, both part of the Robertson Lodges collection.
What's the best time to play Kauri Cliffs?
Northland is subtropical and playable year-round, but the New Zealand spring to autumn — roughly October to April — brings the best conditions. As a Southern-Hemisphere course it's a great escape during the northern winter.
How do you get to Kauri Cliffs?
It's in the far north of New Zealand's North Island. From Auckland it's about a 3.5–4 hour drive, or a short flight to Kerikeri / Bay of Islands (KKE), the nearest airport, around 25–30 minutes from the lodge. The lodge can arrange transfers and charter flights.
How does Kauri Cliffs compare to Cape Kidnappers?
They're sister courses in the Robertson Lodges collection and the marquee New Zealand golf pairing — both dramatic clifftop layouts high above the sea. Kauri Cliffs (David Harman) is in subtropical Northland; Cape Kidnappers (Tom Doak) is on ridged farmland in Hawke's Bay. Play both if you can.
