Australia vs New Zealand for Golf
A long way to fly, and worth every hour. Australia gives you the Melbourne Sandbelt, one of the densest concentrations of world class golf anywhere, plus the Barnbougle links on the Tasmanian coast. New Zealand answers with pure spectacle: Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers and Tara Iti, and the clifftop drama of Kauri Cliffs. Here is the head to head, verdict up front.
Photograph: The Australian Golf Club, Jimmy Braithwaite, via Google
The verdict
For depth, Australia wins. The Melbourne Sandbelt, with Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath and their neighbours, is arguably the finest cluster of courses in the world outside Britain, and a short flight away the Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm links sit among the best modern courses anywhere. No single country in the southern hemisphere offers more great golf in more variety.
For spectacle and ease, New Zealand wins. Tom Doak built two masterpieces here, the public Cape Kidnappers above the Pacific cliffs and the private Tara Iti on the dunes north of Auckland, and Kauri Cliffs completes a trio of jaw dropping clifftop golf. The country is compact, the scenery is relentless, and a week delivers a tighter, more visual trip. Pick Australia for the Sandbelt and the breadth, New Zealand for the most dramatic golf and a simpler journey.
Head to head
| Australia | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|
| Signature courses | Royal Melbourne and the Sandbelt, Kingston Heath, Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm, Cape Wickham on King Island, New South Wales | Cape Kidnappers (Tom Doak), Tara Iti (Tom Doak, private), Kauri Cliffs, Jack's Point, The Hills |
| The headline | The Melbourne Sandbelt, a cluster of heathland courses widely rated among the world's very best | Tom Doak's clifftop double act, Cape Kidnappers and Tara Iti, plus Kauri Cliffs |
| Style | Strategic Sandbelt heathland and firm Tasmanian links; variety across the trip | Dramatic clifftop and dunes golf with huge scale and ocean backdrops |
| Green fees, flagship | Indicative 2026 broadly AU$150 to AU$350 at Barnbougle and public Sandbelt access; some clubs need a member introduction | Indicative 2026 premium at the resort courses, often NZ$500 plus for non guests at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs; Tara Iti private |
| Best season | October to April; Melbourne and Tasmania superb in spring and autumn | November to April; North Island courses at their best in the southern summer |
| Getting around | Large country; expect internal flights between Melbourne, Tasmania, Sydney and beyond | Compact; the marquee courses sit within reach of Auckland and a short hop to Hawke's Bay |
| Beyond golf | Melbourne dining and wine, Tasmania's food and scenery, Sydney; a big, varied trip | Queenstown adventure, Hawke's Bay wine, Bay of Islands; scenery in concentrated form |
| Who it suits | Golfers wanting maximum great golf and variety, Sandbelt devotees, longer itineraries | Scenery seekers, shorter trips, those chasing Doak's clifftop courses and easy travel |
Course designers verified June 2026; indicative fees and access vary by season and guest status, so always confirm directly before booking. Tara Iti is a private members club. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Australia if
You want the most great golf you can fit into one trip. The Melbourne Sandbelt alone justifies the flight, and pairing it with the Barnbougle links in Tasmania or Cape Wickham on King Island gives you a fortnight of world class variety. You enjoy a big, food and wine rich itinerary, and you are happy to take a couple of internal flights to reach the best of it.
Pick New Zealand if
You want the most dramatic golf on earth in a compact, easy package. Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs deliver clifftop spectacle few places can match, the country is small enough to see in a week, and the scenery between rounds, from Hawke's Bay vineyards to Queenstown's mountains, is as good as the golf. Ideal if scenery and simplicity matter as much as the courses.
Plan your Australasia golf trip
Australia, New Zealand or a combined tour across both. Tell us who is travelling and roughly when, and one concierge handles the tee times, the access introductions, the internal flights and the bases, costed to the head, with no obligation.
Australia vs New Zealand questions
Is Australia or New Zealand better for golf?
Australia has far more depth, led by the Melbourne Sandbelt, one of the greatest course clusters on earth, plus the Barnbougle links in Tasmania, so it is the stronger golf trip overall. New Zealand counters with sheer spectacle at Tom Doak's Cape Kidnappers and Tara Iti and at clifftop Kauri Cliffs, and it is far more compact. Choose Australia for breadth and the Sandbelt, New Zealand for jaw dropping scenery in a smaller package.
Is golf expensive in Australia and New Zealand?
Australia is generally better value, with the Barnbougle courses and many Sandbelt rounds reasonable by world standards, though some clubs require a member introduction. New Zealand's flagship resort courses, Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs, carry premium green fees, and Tara Iti is private. Both are indicative 2026 figures that change with season and the exchange rate, so always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Australia or New Zealand?
The southern summer and autumn, roughly October to April, is best for both. Melbourne's Sandbelt and Tasmania play beautifully from spring through autumn, while New Zealand's North Island courses are at their best from November to April. Both can be cold and windy outside that window.
Can you combine Australia and New Zealand in one trip?
Yes. A three hour flight links Melbourne or Sydney with Auckland, so a longer tour can pair the Sandbelt and Barnbougle with Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs. Given the travel distances involved in reaching the region, many golfers make the most of it by combining both. We build the routing around the courses and the access.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.