Te Arai Links South: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Te Arai Links has quickly become one of the most talked about golf destinations in the Southern Hemisphere, a pair of clifftop and dune courses an easy drive north of Auckland. Here is the 2026 picture on the South Course, including who built it, the season, the green fees in US dollars and how visitor access actually works.
The headline: a modern links you can play, beside a private icon
The key fact for 2026 is that Te Arai Links South is a course visitors can book, which sets it apart from its celebrated neighbor. Te Arai sits on the east coast of the North Island, roughly an hour and a half north of Auckland, right next door to the private Tom Doak gem Tara Iti, widely rated the best course in the country.
Te Arai itself has two eighteens, the South Course and the North Course, and a stay here is built around playing both. Where Tara Iti is members only, Te Arai's courses take resort and guest bookings, which is why they have opened up this stretch of coast to traveling golfers who could only dream of Tara Iti.
The course: Coore and Crenshaw on the coast
The South Course was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2023, a par 72 of around 6,843 yards routed through dunes and along the shoreline. It is the more recently completed of the two Te Arai layouts, and it has been warmly received for the same minimalist, ground game style that has made the Coore and Crenshaw name synonymous with the modern links revival.
The North Course, the work of Tom Doak, completes the resort and gives the property the rare distinction of pairing two of the most admired architectural teams in the game on a single stretch of coast. Together with Tara Iti next door, this short run of New Zealand shoreline now holds a concentration of world class links golf that rivals anywhere built this century.
Access and green fees for 2026
Te Arai takes visitor and guest bookings, and the smoothest path to a round is to plan accommodation and tee times together, as the experience is set up around staying on or near the property. The New Zealand golf season favors the warmer months, with the prime stretch running through the local spring, summer and fall.
Green fees are quoted in US dollars and vary by season. Indicative 2026 rates run from around 410 US dollars in the off season, roughly July to September, up to about 500 US dollars for the rest of the year, with discounted rates available to New Zealand and Australian residents. Those figures move, so treat them as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking, and reserve peak season rounds well in advance.
Our take
Our take is that Te Arai is the most significant thing to happen to New Zealand golf since Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs put the country on the map, and the fact that you can actually play it, unlike Tara Iti, makes it essential for a 2026 itinerary. The South Course is a genuine Coore and Crenshaw, and having a Doak course alongside it is almost greedy.
For 2026, build a trip around staying at Te Arai and playing both the South and North Courses, time it for the warmer months, and book early given the demand. Pair it with the older North Island clifftop courses and you have one of the great modern links journeys, all within easy reach of Auckland.
Plan your New Zealand golf trip
From a stay at Te Arai with both the South and North Courses to a wider North Island tour, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Te Arai Links South?
Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed the South Course, which opened in 2023 as a par 72 of around 6,843 yards through the dunes and along the shore. The sister North Course was designed by Tom Doak, and the private Tara Iti next door is also a Doak design.
Can visitors play Te Arai Links in 2026?
Yes. Unlike the members only Tara Iti next door, Te Arai's South and North Courses take visitor and guest bookings. The experience is set up around staying on or near the property, so the smoothest approach is to plan accommodation and tee times together and book peak season rounds early.
What are green fees at Te Arai Links South for 2026?
Green fees are quoted in US dollars and vary by season. Indicative 2026 rates run from around 410 US dollars in the off season, roughly July to September, to about 500 US dollars for the rest of the year, with resident discounts for New Zealand and Australia. Always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, season dates and green fees verified June 2026 from resort and golf travel sources; conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.