11 Te Ara Whenua Miharo Kotiti,
Tomarata, Auckland Region 0975
The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland and pine forest alongside the Pacific Ocean.
Designer:
Tom Doak
Above distances are for the North course. Also at Te Arai is the 18-hole South course (par-72; 6843 yds from back tees) and "The Playground", a two-acre practise putting green.
-36.179203
174.654601
21 km SE of Mangawhai / 90km SE of Whangarei / 92 km N of Auckland.
Te Arai Links (North)
Te Arai Links (North course): like several other of the newer top-end golf locations around the world, here at Te Arai Links you can choose between playing a fabulous Coore-Crenshaw designed layout, and an equally splendid Tom Doak creation. Both are oceanside links gems. Both offer access to green-fee payers, although very much at the upper-end of New Zealand green fees.
Te Arai's North course, like the South, has its fair share of spectacular ocean-facing holes. But also accentuated here are the inland holes. For example, the 4th, 6th, 7th and 9th greens sit in a shared bowl amongst the dunes. Meanwhile the green of the par-4 5th sits high on a ridge, alongside an ancient Māori Pa, or hill fortress. Here you are atop the largest dune on the property.
Pick of the holes: perhaps the most dramatic holes on the course are the par-5 11th and par-4 13th. The former is a long hole played to an elevated green. Sitting seven metres below and to the right of the green is a "whirlpool" hazard. The 13th is also a long hole, with its green at the edge of a huge natural bunker, somewhat reminiscent of Pine Valley in New Jersey.
Stay&Play at Te Arai: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends. The North and South courses alternate daily between one being a members' private course, and the other a resort course for resort guests and green fee payers. As a resort guest/green fee payer you cannot play both courses on the same day.
Must book in advance.
Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play rates, etc. [Last updated: 2024].
Non-metal spike facility. Both North and South are walking-only courses; no golf carts. Caddies and forecaddies available.
Excellent
Golf at Te Arai was inspired by American billionaire and private equity investor Ric Kayne. He had already seen the potential for golf on the Te Ārai coast, having already built the nearby Tara iti course. Kayne is now the owner of three world-class links courses on this stretch of coast ... the private Tara iti development and the two green-fee accessible courses of Te Arai.
Te Arai Links takes its name from the local Te Ārai community, beach and Regional Park. The park includes a highly sensitive dune and lake ecosystems, wetlands, coastal broadleaf forest and regenerating forest, as well as access to the stunning coastline and beaches. Te Ārai Beach is the exact antipode (polar opposite location) of Gibraltar.
11 Te Ara Whenua Miharo Kotiti, Tomarata, Auckland region 0974.
+64 (0)6 883 4600
Visit websiteThe accommodation options at Te Arai Links blend seamlessly into the natural surroundings. You have the choice of one or two bedroom luxury suites, two-bedroom Ocean Cottages and four bedroom villas.
Te Arai (North and South courses).
No
Tara Iti; Mangawhai.
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
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.
