On the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand, perched high above the Pacific Ocean sits Cape Kidnappers, a 2004 Tom Doak creation easily among the most dramatic golf courses on earth. I arrived at the gate on a stunning December morning and pressed the button to call the Pro Shop and have them buzz me in.

Drive safe?! Huh? From the gate to the clubhouse?

Soon, I realized. Twisting turns over mountainous terrain and around streams and canyons continued for several miles until green grass mercifully appeared. At multiple points I wondered if there was a turn that I had missed. This video is from 

The pictures of Cape Kidnappers have been circulating in golf magazines for years. Chances are that you’ve seen the ubiquitous overhead shots of the cliffs at some point and not even realized it. Doak offered up the following summary of his first impression:

“When I arrived in Napier, they picked me up in a helicopter and flew me across to meet Julian, so the first time I saw the site was as you see it pictured in the magazines, from the air rather than on the ground. We spent all day on the ground, and then at the end of the day, we went back to Napier via an old two-track road, for miles and miles with a bunch of stream crossings. All I could think was, this entrance road is going to cost more to build than the golf course!”

Doak was referring to Julian Robertson, the owner and developer of both Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs up the coast. Mr. Robertson was insistent on routing the back nine out onto the narrow fingers along the cape and found an architect in Doak who was up for the challenge. The fingers sit 400 feet above the South Pacific Ocean, which shimmers below with a blue tint reminiscent of the Caribbean.

The cliffside holes are certainly the main attraction and the reason why you come. Heck, for $360 USD (for an international guest in the peak season) you better leave feeling like the views and experience were worth it. And you do.

With that in mind, I was genuinely shocked when I looked back and wondered whether I enjoyed the front nine even more than I did the back! While it doesn’t offer the same dramatic views offered by the back, the front makes up for it with intriguing land movements and shots that I wanted to play over and over again. Perhaps it helped that I knew next to nothing about the front nine before teeing it up, but Doak clearly paid particular care to this part of the property to ensure that the cliffside holes were not the only memory golfers take away from the day.

For example, the blind tee shot on the par-5 4th was a thrilling swing (photo cred: 

A small post serves as the aiming point, and while seemingly narrow from the back tee, the hole surprises as you crest the ridge to a wide fairway. There is also a speed slot on the left side that enables a look at getting home in two.

The front nine is not entirely inland, as you do get a taste of the views to come on several holes. As views go, the par-3 5th was among the highlights. The hole plays over a ravine to a green a protected by a cliff on the left side:

Yet another indelible shot was the approach into the par-4 7th, which trundles down a hill to a perched green guarded by bunkers on the left side:

Moving from the 9th green to the 10th tee, the ambiance and energy of the course certainly shifted. I knew I was about to play one of the most extreme nine hole stretches in the world. Heck, at that point I wasn’t even sure the land was suitable 

 a golf course. The wind got much stronger, and was beating dead-in off the ocean on that that particular day, which meant the holes out on the fingers would be even more challenging.

As it played dead into the wind for me, the 10th was beast at 475 yards and totally exposed to the elements. Thankfully the vistas helped distract from the score I carded.

The 11th is a par-3 that comes back inland before the 12th sends you right back out into the breeze. Similar to the 10th, the view from the 12th fairway makes the green look like it sits directly against the ocean horizon on an infinity cliff. This shot was one of the most thrilling of my entire trip to NZ:

The 13th allows groups to catch their breath a bit, however that doesn’t mean it was any less memorable. The tiny par-3 is the only hole on this side that plays along the coast (rather than back and forth from the coast), and typically plays with a cross-breeze.

Doak offered the following regarding the 13th hole:

Moving along the coast, after the short par-4 14th, the next stop is the 650 yard par-5 15th. It comes with a warning:

 is the hole you’ve undoubtedly seen pictures of. Aptly named Pirate’s Plank, the behemoth rides along a cliff to the left of the fairway and stops as far against the coastal wall as possible, with yet another infinity green against the horizon. Any shots left and long may fall for a 

Here’s one more look at the 15th (center) from way out over the ocean:

Playing into a stiff breeze, it genuinely felt like this hole wouldn’t end. There was nowhere to hide and it demand three solid shots. When I finally got to the green it it offered up the best vista of the entire property. This is the view of that sticks with you, demonstrates how special the property is, and truly illustrates how high above the ocean the course sits.

The tee on the short par-5 16th sits as far onto the cliff as physically possible and is buffeted by the most extreme wind on the property. Players walk 120 yards from the previous green back to this tee box. Doak ensured that players of all skill levels experience the scene by laying out four different sets of tees along the small sliver of land. I loved this stretch, as the back to back par-5’s are routed in opposite directions, ensuring a distinctly different wind on each.


Continuing the theme from the front nine, the two finishing holes that come back inland towards the clubhouse are two of the more interesting and strategic holes on the back side. The approach into the 18th green is nearly blind, and features a punchbowl green. In the context of an exceptionally unconventional course, an off-the-wall finishing hole just works.

I travel to play courses that provide a different experience than what I get at home. Cape Kidnappers achieved that objective better than just about anywhere else I’ve ever played. While the best golf courses in New Zealand are spread out across vast distances, I highly recommend carving out the time to get to Cape Kidnappers, exploring the country’s non-golf offerings along the way, and budgeting plenty of time.

Cape Kidnappers

After a week spent between the Melbourne Sandbelt and the coast of Tasmania, I had 11 days to spare before my family arrived for our scheduled Christmas vacation. This was my first ever time down under, and with that much free time on hand, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it.

Even as a kid, I remember seeing pictures in magazines of Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers in the far off land of New Zealand. To a teenager that had never been outside the U.S., these courses might as well have been another planet. The concept of seeing them in person and playing them had never been on the forefront of my mind until I started traveling the world, and started realizing just how feasible it is to see places that you want to see.

American billionaire Julian Robertson is the man responsible for the development of both Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers on the North Island of New Zealand, which are consistently ranked in the top 50 courses in the world. Kauri Cliffs was designed by American David Harman, and the actual golf course itself is just a fraction of what the resort offers – helicopter tours, quad biking, farm tours, barbecues, and a spa. The peak season rate for an Owner’s Cottage (accommodating four adults) is equivalent to about $7,500 USD (!). It’s the epitome of a luxury resort.

But I’m here for the golf and the golf only, so I’m staying at a $40 Airbnb tonight. International Greens Fees run about $360 USD during the peak season. Is it worth the price of admission? Let’s see…

(You’ll notice significant differences in the lighting in some of these pictures. I arrived the night before and spent a pristine evening on the course photographing the course in the best possible light. Our morning tee time greeted us with a bit of a drizzle before fortunately clearing up for the all-world closing stretch.)

The setting of this golf course is one of the most magnificent pieces of property I’ve ever seen a golf course built on. The course was seemingly built with the intention that you should never lose sight of the ocean, which is nearly true with views on 15 of the 18 holes. The scene photographs incredibly well, surpassed maybe only by some of the other courses I would later play along this same eastern coast of New Zealand. The cliffs are perched high enough to provide a dramatic view all the way down the coastline to the south. Even if there wasn’t a golf course here, the destination would still be worth visiting and soaking up.

The land movement throughout the entire property is extreme. While I’ve never been to the Plantation Course at Kapalua, this is almost exactly how I would picture it. Jurassic Park + Pirates of the Caribbean, and golf carts are a necessity for all but the bravest souls (though I managed to link up with the only two gentlemen that dared to walk the layout on this December day). Despite the drastic elevation changes, the actual holes themselves don’t play 

 severely uphill or downhill, as many of the tough traverses are between holes. Harman did an excellent job of using the slopes to the benefit of his resort guests, with many downhill tee shots. It’s mountain golf without the annoying extremes and gimmicks. The fairways are wide and undulating, often inviting players to swing away without fear off the tee, and to use the contours to position their ball on the proper side of the fairway.

A look at the 6th, one of the few uphill holes (and one of the many forced carries):

The par-3 7th was easily the most memorable hole on the front side. The tee shot is one of the more thrilling shots on the course. From this tee it was 165 yards to the front hole location. This hole is the first time you encounter the coast and the carry definitely gets the heart rate up quickly.

For us, the pin was front right. But you can see in the flyover below that the player has options on what lines to take off the tee. The green is actually carved out of a hill, and you can use this bumper just left of the green to nudge your ball onto the green when the hole location requires it. A right miss here is completely dead so providing the left bumper as an option is crucial.

The par-5 8th, playing downwind on this day, could be reached with a solid drive and a mid-iron. The slope to the right of the green serves as a kicker for approaches played up the right side, and is one of the more fun shots you’ll play on the front side. Here’s a view of the 8th hole from behind:

A highly elevated tee box greets you after making the turn to the drivable 10th. From there, you descend to the only part of the property from which you cannot see the ocean. The 11th requires a challenging forced carry to reach the putting surface, and the 13th is easily the most intriguing hole of the non-view bunch. You’ll want to consult your yardage book before this tee shot, as you’re encouraged to take your drive up the right side to provide a better angle from the green. But from the tee box, you see nothing ahead that would discourage taking a direct line at the hole (see the far right of the photo below):

The par-3 14th kicks off the rollercoaster finish. The tee ball is played directly out towards the crystal blue ocean, and on the most exposed part of the course the wind is almost always an issue. On this day, it’s coming off the left. With the pin placement on the left half, and certain death to anything that misses left, it’s one of the most challenging shots of the day with a mid to long iron.

The 15th is a friendly par-5 that reminds me of an inverted version of the 5th at the aforementioned Kapalua Plantation Course. This is the start of three cliffside holes that bend from right to left to make the best use of the playable land. Anything left of the fairway is unplayable, and there’s not much room to bail out to the right either. It’s one of the most demanding drives at Kauri Cliffs, but you’re more likely to remember the view than where your ball actually ended up.

Here’s a quick video that gives perspective on the setting:


On a stretch of golf that’s full of them, I suspect many would call the 16th the signature hole on the course. From the back tees it plays 350 yards, but as the crow flies, it’s a much shorter carry to the green. With a breeze slightly behind and just 300 yards to reach the front it’s very tempting to give it a go, especially knowing you have all of the room in the world to bail right. For those less enthralled by the prospect of carrying the native vegetation on the left, alternative options abound: anything from a mid-iron to a fairway wood are viable choices. The further you play back from the tee, the less of a risk you run of hitting it into one of the many bunkers. However, the further you lay back the worse the angle gets and the longer the approach. Definitely a good risk reward hole.

Like the end of a tube of toothpaste, Harman squeezed every last bit of the cliffside real estate into the routing, culminating with the stretch from 14-17 during which it feels like you’re dangling off the side of a cliff. Look closer, however and there’s actually a decent amount of (unusable) land that runs off steeply to the actual cliff edge. The place is a case study in infinity greens. The 16th green serves as a good example:

After two half par holes on the easy side, the 17th is a beast. Similar to the two previous holes, both play downhill to a fairway bending to the left and nowhere to miss. Looking back at the pictures now, the fairway looks way wider from the air than it does from the tee. Here it is:


The 18th is an uphill par-5 that puts your back to the ocean, and brings your memorable day to a close. I was lucky enough to spend the day with two Kiwis whose candor and humor greatly added to the experience, and made me feel less like a tourist. I’m grateful to have enjoyed their company.

As much as I enjoyed the layout and the views, the number of forced carries on what is a resort course was a bit troubling. Almost all of these carries are of no worry to a low handicap player but are a huge detriment to a high handicapper. While there are myriad teeing options, ranging from 5,500 to 7,100 yards, I did play with an older gentleman who simply did not hit the ball very far. These carries (particularly the large hazard in front of the 11th green, and the canyon on 18) caused him great difficulty and hindered his enjoyment of the course as there was no option to play around them. There were obviously limitations on what could be done to mitigate these elements (native areas, extreme slopes, soil composition, etc.), but it is worth noting if you are planning a trip and thinking of playing this course.

Circling back on the question on whether or not I felt like Kauri Cliffs was worth the price of admission, I can confirm that it was. If you can afford to travel to New Zealand for a vacation then it’s worthwhile to spend your money on a golf course like this. The setting is glorious, the views are among the best in the world, the conditioning is superb, and the layout is fun and coaxes you into heroic shots. The inland holes are full of intrigue, and the cliffside holes will stick with you for a lifetime.

Kauri Cliffs

Doing things a bit differently for this review since Tara Iti is too dope for WordPress. For the hole-by-hole course summary of Tara Iti, please visit the accompanying 

. This post accompanies the photo essay and delves into the backstory of the course, translates the ethos of the club and describes the experience beyond the course in detail.

The driveway is nearly unmarked and Google Maps doesn’t work for it. I had to use the satellite view to drop a pin on what I believed to be the clubhouse, then followed the blue dot as it moved. From there the drive entails a gravel road long enough to make you question whether you’re going the right way. Finally, a small sign points toward the clubhouse and to the course beyond.

Tara Iti is an intimate private club (that 

 possible for you to play! More on this later). Located about an hour and a half northeast of Auckland, Tara Iti hugs the east coast of New Zealand. After inquiring through the website about the possibility of taking a look at the course that 

 with a top 50 world ranking, I was lucky enough to receive an invite to stay, play, and get the full experience (and pay, for the haters out there).

When Los Angeles-based financier Ric Kayne bought 570 acres of beachfront land near the town of Mangawhai in 2012 (at the recommendation of his business partner, John Darby), it was nothing but a forest of non-indigenous pines. Kayne hired Tom Doak to design and build the golf course – no small task considering the density of the forest, and the difficulty of removing the stumps and underbrush.

I rolled up to the course the night before I was scheduled to play in order to take a tour of the grounds. My host was a gentleman named Jim Rohrstaff, and his enthusiasm for the club was evident from the beginning. He’d played 18 earlier that day, and was jacked up to take advantage of the beautiful weather by grabbing some clubs and showing me around a few holes. Jim was mid-sentence telling me a story when I saw 

 for the first time. He saw the expression on my face change, and realized I hadn’t seen the full setting yet. He stopped, realizing the shock I was going through: 

With temperatures in the 70’s and the best possible sunlight, this was easily the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course without officially 

. Armed with a couple of red Solo cups, some range balls, a six iron, and a putter, we went for a memorable walk. We hit all manner of shots from a variety of yardages, putted around the punchbowl third hole, and toyed with the contours of the layout, which define the experience of the course.

I’ve been fortunate to see some truly amazing places, but this course spoke to me in a way that I can’t remember any other place (much less course) coming close to. The ocean is so blue that if you’d told me it was dyed I would’ve believed it. The color of the sand dunes juxtaposed against the infinite backdrop of waves makes the setting pop, but it is the 

 of the waves that makes it ethereal. Tara Iti is how I envision golf heaven.

Photos can give you a sense of what the course is like from a visual perspective. It’s as beautiful of a setting as you could imagine, and the land looks like it was destined to be a golf course. Beyond the imagery, the general ethos of Tara Iti instructs the entire experience. It’s like someone came up with a vision of golf’s perfect playground, put it in the most ideal setting you could envision, and sent you on your way.

Digging deeper into the ethos, Tara Iti is the opposite of stuffy. Make no mistake, it is a private members’ club that is made up of the elite of the elite and is the ultimate luxury experience. Membership is extended via invite only. The club goes by a code of, “we have no rules, but if you break one, we’ll let you know.” Many of my questions were answered with a, “Well, we don’t really share that information,” followed by a slight smirk.

One point that Jim stressed throughout the visit was how important it was for members to treat the staff well, as if that was one of the primary criteria for membership. Jim claimed that he knew all 62 staff members by name, and it was clear that he had a certain rapport with everyone we encountered, from the caddies, golf staff, and grounds crew to the servers in the restaurant. The staff was remarkably personable and friendly, yet seemingly never kissing your ass. They struck the perfect balance, and were truly invested in providing an authentic experience for members and guests alike.

Before arriving, I knew that Tara Iti did not get a lot of play. Even then, I was surprised at how there were barely any cars on site. Then I rolled past the putting green, which was surrounded by 

, and it all made sense. It would appear that the majority of members and visitors arrive to the course by chopper from Auckland, and the sound of helicopters taking off and landing would litter the air throughout my 24 hours on site.

I checked into my room for the night. As you would expect, it was incredible. The clubhouse is relatively modest (see below). Classy, airy, and simple, it struck a perfect chord with the rest of the property. Along those same lines, jeans are a common sight.

When you think you’ve already found the best place on earth, you find something else remarkable and unique. 

Oh hey, a cool wood fire oven attached to the back of a truck? Sweet, a garden that provides all of the vegetables for the compound? Cool, a traveling halfway house! LOL, alpacas and mini-ponies!?

Standing on the fifth tee box during that initial walk, Jim pointed out what appeared to be a sand dune between the fairway and the ocean. Except, it wasn’t a sand dune. Rather, it was an ocean suite complete with one of the most ridiculous views on earth, an outdoor hot tub, and a wall sized sliding door that can be opened up to the elements.

Sweetening the deal is a three hole whiskey loop that wraps around the clubhouse and never pushes you more than fifty yards from the bar. The first hole on the loop is a pitch from turf just off the 18th green to the practice green, where you play to the one full-sized flag on that green. The next pitch takes you from the first tee to the ninth green. Finally, you hit from the clubhouse patio back to the 18th green, right back to where you started.

The food menu was not extensive, but I soon learned that the off-menu options were the play. The staff knew Jim’s favorites, and he didn’t have to order dinner, it just sort of appeared. The most memorable part was the Hokey Pokey, a Kiwi desert consisting of vanilla ice cream with small chunks of honeycomb toffee.

When the sun set, it was time for a change in scenery and we headed over to the man gender-neutral cave containing a simulator, trackman, putting green, full bar, and a big screen television. Jim (after walking 18 holes earlier in the day and then playing host for another couple hours) fired up the simulator and we pounded balls into the screen as we sampled (and sampled, and sampled…) the beverage options.

Notice how long I’ve gone on talking without even mentioning the course? That’s how much of an impact this place had on me beyond the golf holes.

To (unnecessarily) sweeten the deal, golf can be played in this part of the world twelve months a year, with winter temperatures bottoming out around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. There are no tee times since the course doesn’t receive enough play to require the formality. If you want to go play as a sixsome, you can go play as a sixsome. And, while this isn’t really relevant to the experience most visitors will have, when I asked if I could stay after the round to shoot some more sunset footage, they could not have been more hospitable.

In a way, Tara Iti kind of ruined golf for me because I don’t think I’ll ever see anything this great again.

– Option 1: Get invited to be a member. Good luck with this one.

– Option 2: Get invited to be the guest of a member. More likely, but still tough. Your best option is going to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen regarding access to a private club…

– Option 3: Use your once-in-a-lifetime pass. You can cash in a once in a lifetime trip to Tara Iti (provided that you have a letter of recommendation from your club) to visit, (and pay handsomely, though consistent with other top courses in NZ such as Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers) to stay at the property and play the course. To get the process started, simply to go the 

, and Jim will review your application and get back to you (note that the club is able to accommodate visitors more frequently in the April to November timeframe).

New Zealand

Writing

Cape Kidnappers

Kauri Cliffs

The Tara Iti Experience