Royal Auckland and Grange

The verdict

Royal Auckland and Grange is the product of one of golf's boldest mergers. In 2015 two of Auckland's oldest clubs, Royal Auckland, founded in 1895, and the neighbouring Grange, voted to join forces, and on their shared Middlemore land south of the city they built a single 27 hole course to a Nicklaus Design plan. The rebuilt layout, with its three returning nines named Grange, Tamaki and Middlemore, opened around 2019 and quickly took its place among the most exclusive golf in the country.

It is parkland golf of real scale and polish: broad fairways rolling over gently moving ground, SubAir greens that hold firm and true through a wet Auckland winter, and a striking modern clubhouse by architect Andrew Patterson watching over the property. Each 18 hole combination plays to a par of 71, from about 6,128 yards across the Tamaki and Grange nines to roughly 6,194 yards on Grange and Middlemore. This is a private members club that takes only a limited number of visiting groups each year, so a round here is a planning exercise as much as a golfing one.

The holes worth the trip

The genius of the 27 hole routing is variety. The three nines, Grange, Tamaki and Middlemore, can be paired into three different championship layouts, so members and the occasional visitor rarely play the same 18 twice in a row. Nicklaus Design moved a great deal of earth across the old Middlemore ground, shaping wide, tumbling fairways and tying the bunkering and water into the contours rather than bolting it on.

The greens are the heartbeat of the course. Built over a SubAir system that pulls moisture from below, they stay firm and quick even after Auckland rain, asking for control of spin and a clear plan for where to leave the ball. The bunkering is bold and well placed, and several of the strongest holes ask you to flirt with water off the tee to open up the ideal angle of approach.

It is a course that rewards thought over brute length. Each nine builds to a closing stretch that returns near the modern clubhouse, and the par 71 combinations stay in the 6,100 to 6,200 yard range, so position and the short game matter more than raw distance. For the travelling golfer it is a chance to play a thoroughly modern Nicklaus Design course inside a historic, very private club.

Where to stay nearby

Most visiting golfers base themselves in central Auckland or on the waterfront, a short drive north of Middlemore and well stocked with hotels, restaurants and the harbour life of New Zealand's largest city. From an Auckland base you can pair Royal Auckland and Grange with the resort courses to the north for a full North Island tour.

For a bucket list trip, build the days around the great clifftop and links courses within a couple of hours of the city: Tara Iti and the new layouts at Te Arai to the north, and the dramatic Kauri Cliffs further up in the Bay of Islands. Royal Auckland and Grange makes a polished, very private opening or closing round on that itinerary.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Auckland.