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 E 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 being hailed by some 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.
It took the clearing of a former pine plantation to restore the site to native duneland. It then took a further two years 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.
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.
World: 27th best course in the world (GOLF magazine, 2020/21).
New Zealand: No.1 course in New Zealand (NZ Golf Digest, 2020).
Chevron Championship: the first women’s major championship of 2023 is played for the first time in Texas, having been uprooted from its home of 51 years at the Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California.
Italian Open: the 80th playing of this prestigious European event will see many 2023 Ryder Cup hopefuls build their “local knowledge” of the Marco Simone course in Rome. (May 4-7). Ryder Cup (Sept 29-Oct 1).
Jon Rahm: dedicated his emphatic Masters Tournament win to the late Seve Ballesteros. “Rahmbo’s” victory came on the day his fellow countryman and golfing inspiration would have turned 66 years of age.
Steve Stricker: four-time senior major championship winner, chases a fifth title as he defends at the 34th Regions Tradition (May 11-14), the first senior major of 2023.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Costa’s "Cruise & Golf" allows golfers and their families to combine a unique golfing experience with the relaxation and fun of a cruise on board Costa Smeralda. Golf enthusiasts are offered a choice from 23 top-quality golf clubs; their chosen courses are played during the ship’s port calls in Italy, France and Spain. While the golfers are driving the fairways, accompanying non-golfers are able to enjoy the amenities and activities on-board, or explore wonderful places on day excursions organised by Costa. Read more ...
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