New Golf Courses Opening in New Zealand, 2026
New Zealand is not opening a brand new course in 2026, but the year is far from quiet. The Hills near Arrowtown begins a major redevelopment by the team behind Tara Iti, and Te Arai Links hosts the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship.
Photo via Google.
A redevelopment, not a ribbon cutting
New Zealand's golf reputation has soared in the past decade on the back of Tara Iti and Te Arai Links, so the natural question each year is what comes next. For 2026 the answer is not a brand new course but a significant reinvention, as The Hills at Arrowtown enters a multi year redevelopment led by the same team that built the country's modern reputation.
Below is what is genuinely new and changing for the year, the redevelopment to watch and the championship that will train the world's attention on New Zealand golf, with the reminder that work of this kind reshapes a course over seasons rather than overnight.
New Zealand golf, 2026 at a glance
| Project | Where | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| The Hills | Arrowtown, South Island | Major multi year redevelopment by the Tara Iti and Te Arai team beginning April 2026, completing by 2028 |
| Te Arai Links, South Course | Northland, North Island | Coore and Crenshaw course hosting the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, October 29 to November 1, 2026 |
| New construction | Nationwide | No brand new championship course confirmed to open in New Zealand in 2026 |
What is actually new
The Hills enters a new era
The headline is The Hills, the spectacular Arrowtown course created by jeweller Sir Michael Hill on a former deer farm in the South Island high country. Jim Rohrstaff and Ric Kayne, the partners who propelled Tara Iti and Te Arai Links to global prominence, have teamed up for a multimillion dollar redevelopment. The work is slated across back to back winters starting in April 2026 and finishing in 2028, after which The Hills will operate as an upscale private club with limited memberships, in the Tara Iti mould.
Te Arai hosts the Asia Pacific Amateur
The other big 2026 story is competitive. The South Course at Te Arai Links, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, will host the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship from October 29 to November 1, 2026. The event carries an invitation to the Masters for its winner, which guarantees a strong field and puts one of the country's newest great courses on the world stage.
The wider picture
Beyond these two stories, New Zealand's pipeline of brand new championship courses is quiet for 2026. The strength of the destination remains its cluster of modern masterpieces, Tara Iti, Te Arai, Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs among them, which is why a 2026 trip is built on proven names while The Hills works through its transformation.
Our take
For the travelling golfer, New Zealand in 2026 is about the established giants rather than a new opening. The Hills redevelopment is exciting but will be a building site through the year, so plan around the courses already at their peak and watch The Hills for when it reopens as a private club.
Our advice is to anchor a trip on the modern classics of both islands. Our New Zealand destination hub, the best courses in New Zealand list and our New Zealand golf holidays page are the places to start, and our team can time a trip to the Asia Pacific Amateur if you want to watch.
Plan a New Zealand golf trip
Want a 2026 trip built around Tara Iti, Te Arai and the great courses of both islands? Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will shape the route, tee times and lodging, costed to the head, with no obligation.
New New Zealand courses, your questions
Are any new golf courses opening in New Zealand in 2026?
We could not confirm a brand new championship course opening in New Zealand in 2026. The year's stories are The Hills near Arrowtown beginning a major multi year redevelopment in April 2026, and Te Arai Links hosting the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, rather than a new opening.
What is happening at The Hills golf course?
The Hills at Arrowtown, the course founded by Sir Michael Hill, is entering a multimillion dollar redevelopment led by Jim Rohrstaff and Ric Kayne, the team behind Tara Iti and Te Arai Links. Work runs across back to back winters from April 2026 to 2028, after which The Hills will become an upscale private club with limited memberships.
Where is the 2026 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship?
The 2026 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship will be played at the South Course at Te Arai Links in Northland, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, from October 29 to November 1, 2026. The winner earns an invitation to the Masters.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. The Hills redevelopment by Jim Rohrstaff and Ric Kayne running April 2026 to 2028, and the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai Links South from October 29 to November 1, 2026, were compiled June 2026 from golf media; phasing and dates can change, so confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.