New Zealand
A northbound, coastal golf journey from Auckland to Te Arai and the Bay of Islands.
Auckland & Northland is New Zealand’s premium North Island golf route, pairing the twin links at Te Arai with Rosewood Kauri Cliffs on the Bay of Islands coast. The trip works best as a northbound journey from Auckland, with Tara Iti considered where private access can be confirmed.
Play Te Arai’s two contrasting links courses, seek Tara Iti access where possible, and finish at Kauri Cliffs.
Swipe to view all 4 courses
New Zealand · Course 1
The South Course is the Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design that established Te Arai Links as a global destination. It moves across natural coastal dunes in a traditional walking links format, with fescue playing surfaces, expansive sandy waste areas and Pacific views on every hole. The stretch from the seventh through the finish keeps the ocean in play visually and strategically.
New Zealand · Course 2
Tom Doak’s North Course is Te Arai’s more animated counterpoint: a par-71 links that starts and finishes at the ocean but spends more time moving through inland dunes and varied ground. The green contours are the story here, with bold internal movement and different angles of approach than the South Course. It is equally walkable, but distinctly its own round rather than a repeat of the original course.
New Zealand · Course 3
Tara Iti is Tom Doak’s private, members-only masterpiece on the Te Arai coast. Built on a remarkably sandy site beside the Pacific, it has the feel of a natural links despite being a modern course, with broad fairways, open running approaches and greens that invite imagination. It is one of the world’s most sought-after rounds, but it should be approached as an access-dependent addition to a Northland itinerary rather than a guaranteed booking.
New Zealand · Course 4
Kauri Cliffs is David Harman’s dramatic par-72 course at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, north of Auckland near Matauri Bay. The routing moves from inland marsh and rolling farmland to a sequence of holes along the Pacific, with six played beside ocean cliffs. It is a complete championship course rather than a pure links layout, and its lodge setting makes it the natural final stop on a Northland golf journey.
Use these routes as a starting point; every trip is tailored around access, tee times and the pace you prefer.
A 7-night northbound journey with an Auckland arrival, three nights at Te Arai Links and three nights at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs. Build around Te Arai North, Te Arai South and Kauri Cliffs, with a Tara Iti request considered only after private access is confirmed. JEL arranges lodging, tee times and the travel between each stop.
A 5-night coastal escape split between Te Arai Links and Rosewood Kauri Cliffs. Play both Te Arai courses and Kauri Cliffs, with an unhurried itinerary that leaves room for Matakana or a Bay of Islands day on the water.
This is a route for golfers who want the very best of New Zealand’s North Island in one purposeful trip. Start with Auckland, then head north to Te Arai Links, where the Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw South Course and Tom Doak North Course sit beside the Pacific and can be played on a resort stay. Continue to Rosewood Kauri Cliffs for David Harman’s clifftop course and a more secluded lodge finish. Tara Iti is nearby and among the world’s most sought-after golf experiences, but it is a members-only club; JEL will explore it only when an appropriate introduction or confirmed access route is available. Between rounds, the coast, Matakana food and wine country, and the Bay of Islands make this more than a golf-only itinerary.
Stay in central Auckland on arrival, then move north for on-property coastal lodging at Te Arai Links and Rosewood Kauri Cliffs. This keeps the golf close and makes room for the route’s beach, dining and Bay of Islands experiences.
Te Arai Links combines two walking-only courses with ocean-view accommodation, dining, a large putting experience and practice areas. Rosewood Kauri Cliffs adds lodge dining, a spa, practice facilities and a wide range of on-property outdoor experiences, making the route especially easy to build around two quality resort stays.
Combine a city arrival with on-property stays at Te Arai and Kauri Cliffs for the smoothest northbound route.
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Build in time for Matakana, coastal dining and the Bay of Islands rather than treating this as a fly-in golf stop.
Fly into Auckland Airport (AKL). Central Auckland is roughly 30 minutes away; Te Arai Links is about 75 minutes from the CBD, and Kauri Cliffs is best treated as a further northbound lodge stay. Private transfers or a self-drive itinerary both work well, with JEL coordinating the route around tee times and accommodation.
October through April is the most dependable window for a Northland golf trip, with long daylight and warmer coastal weather. March and April are especially appealing for fewer peak-summer crowds while the courses remain in prime playing condition.
Bucket-list golfers, couples and small groups seeking a luxury coastal route with exceptional modern links golf.
Useful planning details for building a North Island golf journey.
The core public-resort itinerary is Te Arai Links South Course, Te Arai Links North Course and Rosewood Kauri Cliffs. They make a natural coastal route north from Auckland.
Tara Iti is an exclusive members-only club. JEL can explore an access request where an appropriate introduction or approved route is available, but it should never be treated as guaranteed when planning the trip.
Six to eight nights is ideal: one or two nights in Auckland, at least two or three nights at Te Arai, and two or three nights at Kauri Cliffs. This avoids turning the route into a series of rushed transfer days.
October through April is the most reliable period for a coastal golf trip. March and April are particularly attractive for warm conditions, good daylight and a little less summer demand.
Both are viable. Self-drive suits travellers who want to explore at their own pace; private transfers make the multi-stop itinerary simpler and allow the group to relax between rounds. JEL can arrange either approach.
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand / Aotearoa
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