7 Day New Zealand North Island Golf Itinerary
The North Island holds some of the most spectacular golf on earth: Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers running out along the Hawke's Bay cliffs, David Harman's Kauri Cliffs above the Bay of Islands, and the new Coore and Crenshaw and Doak links at Te Arai north of Auckland. This is a bucket list week built around them, with the inland gem at Wairakei and an easy opener at Gulf Harbour, plus indicative 2026 green fees and the transfers that shape the route.
Photograph: Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is a bucket list week for the golfer who wants the world's most dramatic clifftop golf and will travel far to find it. The North Island spreads its best courses from the Bay of Islands in the far north to Hawke's Bay in the east, so the trip rewards a group happy to drive scenic distances or to take a short internal flight to compress them. It suits a serious foursome, a milestone trip or a couple pairing the golf with vineyards, wildlife and some of the finest lodges in the southern hemisphere.
Two things shape the plan. The first is access: Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs belong to Robertson Lodges and keep their tee times for lodge guests, while Tara Iti, the country's number one, is a private members club closed to visitors. The second is distance, with the marquee courses a long way apart, which is why we slot in an internal flight to Hawke's Bay and build the route to flow rather than backtrack.
The 7 day plan
Gulf Harbour Country Club
Shake off the flight forty five minutes north of Auckland at Gulf Harbour, a Robert Trent Jones Jr course on the Whangaparaoa peninsula that once hosted the World Cup of Golf, with the back nine climbing to clifftop holes above the Hauraki Gulf. A fair, scenic and accessible opener that eases the group into the trip. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 140 to 200 New Zealand dollars. The most convenient first tee on the island.
Te Arai Links, South Course
North to the Mangawhai coast and Te Arai Links, where the South Course by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw opened in 2022 on rumpled, sandy ground above the Pacific. It is a thinking golfer's links of wide fairways, bold greens and the wind off the sea, and it has rocketed up the world rankings since it opened. Indicative 2026 green fees are a premium, so confirm at booking. About ninety minutes from Auckland; a modern links of the highest order.
Te Arai Links, North Course
Stay put for the newer North Course at Te Arai, a Tom Doak design opened in 2023 that runs closer to the dunes and the shore than its sister and gives the resort a genuine two course draw. Next door sits Tara Iti, also a Doak design and ranked the finest course in the country, though as a private members club it stays off the visitor sheet. Indicative 2026 green fees are a premium, so confirm at booking. A second day of world class links without moving base.
Kauri Cliffs
On to the far north and David Harman's Kauri Cliffs, opened in 2000 above Matauri Bay, where fifteen holes look out over the Pacific and six play right along the cliffs. A Robertson Lodges course given firmly to lodge guests, set beside one of the great lodges of the world. Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 500 to 700 New Zealand dollars for international visitors by season. About three and a half hours north of Auckland; stay the night at the lodge to be sure of the tee.
Wairakei Golf and Sanctuary
Track south to Taupo for Wairakei, a 1970 parkland by Commander John Harris with Peter Thomson and Michael Wolveridge, reborn as a fenced wildlife sanctuary where native birds share the fairways. Long a fixture in the country's top tier, it is a beautiful, tree framed change of pace from the coast. Indicative 2026 green fees are around 270 New Zealand dollars. A natural midpoint on the long run from the north down toward Hawke's Bay.
Cape Kidnappers
The centrepiece, Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers, opened in 2004 on a ridge of fingers running out hundreds of feet above the sea in Hawke's Bay, routinely named among the most spectacular courses ever built. Another Robertson Lodges course held for lodge guests, beside a lodge to match. Indicative 2026 green fees are a high premium, so confirm at booking. A short internal flight from Auckland to Napier saves the long drive; stay at the lodge to lock in the round.
Hawke's Bay, off the course
Keep the last day light. Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's great wine regions, with cellar doors a short drive from Napier and the famous Cape Kidnappers gannet colony to walk out to. A spare day is also your insurance against a clifftop course closing for wind, and a window to add a second round if the group wants one before the flight home. A fine, unhurried close to a long way travelled.
Green fees, access and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Harbour | Around 140 to 200 NZD | 45 minutes from Auckland; public access |
| Te Arai Links, South | Premium, confirm at booking | About 90 minutes north; Coore and Crenshaw |
| Te Arai Links, North | Premium, confirm at booking | Same base; Tom Doak, 2023 |
| Kauri Cliffs | Around 500 to 700 NZD | Bay of Islands; lodge guests first |
| Wairakei | Around 270 NZD | Taupo; public access, wildlife sanctuary |
| Cape Kidnappers | High premium, confirm at booking | Hawke's Bay; lodge guests first |
Green fees and access verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and lodge listings; they vary by season and the exchange rate and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a North Island base.
When to go and how to travel
Play the trip in the New Zealand summer and early autumn, November to April, for warm settled days and the firm clifftop turf at its best, with December to February the busiest and the spring and autumn shoulders quieter and often cheaper at the lodge courses. The courses sit a long way apart, so a self drive in a comfortable car suits those who want to see the country, while a short internal flight from Auckland to Napier for the Hawke's Bay leg saves the better part of a day. Book the lodge stays at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers and the Te Arai tee times first, since they are the constraint, then build the rest of the week around them.
Plan your North Island golf week
We secure the hard to book rounds, arrange the lodge stays at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, slot in the internal flights and transfers, and pace the week so the long distances feel easy. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
New Zealand North Island golf itinerary questions
What is the best 7 day golf itinerary on New Zealand's North Island?
A week on the North Island can take in the country's two most famous cliff top courses and a clutch of fine inland and coastal layouts. Ease in at Gulf Harbour near Auckland, play both the Coore and Crenshaw and Tom Doak courses at Te Arai Links north of the city, drive on to David Harman's Kauri Cliffs in the Bay of Islands, then head south to Wairakei at Taupo and Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers in Hawke's Bay. The cliff top lodges and the long transfers shape the route, so an internal flight to Hawke's Bay saves a day. Always confirm current tee times and access directly before booking.
How much does a North Island golf trip cost in green fees?
The marquee courses are dear by New Zealand standards. Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, both Robertson Lodges courses, are largely reserved for lodge guests and carry premium green fees, with Kauri Cliffs around 500 to 700 New Zealand dollars for international visitors depending on the season. Te Arai Links is a similar premium, while Wairakei is around 270 and Gulf Harbour around 140 to 200 New Zealand dollars. A week of green fees can run well past 2,000 New Zealand dollars before lodging. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Can you play Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs as a visitor?
Both Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs are owned by Robertson Lodges and tee times are given firmly to lodge guests first, so the surest way to play either is to stay at the lodge. Limited outside play can sometimes be arranged through the resort or a tour operator, subject to availability and at a premium green fee. Tara Iti, ranked the best course in the country and next to Te Arai, is a private members club and is not open to visitor play. Always confirm current access and rates directly before booking.
When is the best time for golf in New Zealand?
The prime season is the New Zealand summer and early autumn, roughly November to April, when the North Island is warm and settled and the cliff top courses are at their firm, fast best. December to February is the warmest and busiest, while the spring and autumn shoulders, October and April to May, are quieter and often offer lower green fees at the lodge courses. Winter, June to August, is cooler and wetter but cheaper. Always confirm current seasonal rates and availability directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.