The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland alongside the Pacific Ocean.
Designer:
Tom Doak
-36.126904
174.616592
5 km SE of Mangawhai / 68 km SE of Whangarei / 100 km N of Auckland.
Tara Iti
Tara Iti Golf Club: Laid out alongside a pristine beach, ninety minutes northeast of Auckland, Tara Iti is hailed by many in the same way as several other modern retro-links style layouts. Its comparator list (including other notable Doak designs) includes the likes of Barnbougle Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Cabot Cliffs and King Island's Cape Wickham. One big difference, however, is that Tara Iti is a private golf club. Unless invited to play by a member, outside visitors are not able to sample this very special Tom Doak design.
It took the clearing of a former pine plantation to restore the site to native duneland. It then took a further two years for Doak to meticulously craft the gently contoured holes, sculpt the rugged dunes and create all those bumps and hollows around the large and indistinctly defined greens. The overall impression produced is that the wind shaped this course, and nature took care of the rest.
Beyond Tara Iti's rolling undulating fairways there's plenty of sand, but no bunkers (you can ground your club anywhere). Doak's open links-style layout, with holes inspired by Cypress Point and the great links of Britain and Ireland, offers stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf, offshore islands and the spectacular Pacific Ocean beyond.
Limited access: this private course is generally playable only by members and their invited guests.
Private club - guests may only play if hosted by a member.
Excellent
Tara Iti GC is named after the New Zealand fairy tern, a bird species that has spent several decades on the country's critically endangered list.
Tara Iti was inspired and is owned by American billionaire and private equity investor Ric Kayne, who saw the potential of developing golf on the Te Ārai coast, south of Mangawhai. This was inspite of several treaty ownership interests of local Maori iwi (people or tribe). Kayne has also built two further courses called Te Arai, just south of Tara iti. Te Ārai Beach is the exact antipode (polar opposite location) of Gibraltar.
New Zealand's No.1 course (Australian Golf Digest, 2023/24).
World's 20th best course (GOLF Magazine 2023/24) and 13th best public access course (Golf World, 2025).
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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