Why every golfer needs to visit New Zealand
There are myriad reasons why millions of visitors travel to New Zealand from all over the world. There’s captivating natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, an enviable food and wine scene and, dotted along its glorious coastlines, nearly 400 phenomenal golf courses. In this article we look at five reasons why every golfer simply has to visit.
1. Dramatic landscapes
More than anything else, New Zealand is famed for its exceptional natural beauty. There’s a reason it’s the film set of choice for so many; with 30% of the country covered in national reserve there is magnificence in every corner, from dense, verdant forests surrounding shimmering lakes in valleys formed by glaciers, to geothermal wonderlands filled with bubbling mud pools and steaming geysers. With 14,000 kilometres of coastline there are incredible beaches from the north to the south, from the relaxing soft white sands of Maitai Bay to the turquoise waters of Torrent Bay.
2. World-class courses
As one of the true homes of unspoiled nature, New Zealand’s fifty-mile-long beaches, dragon-back ridgelines and snow-capped mountains provide the perfect canvas for some of the world’s most spectacular golf.
Among the best courses in New Zealand, the North Course at Te Arai Links is the latest world-class golf development, the design by Tom Doak that opened in 2023 to add to the already incredible South Course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The North takes golfers on a tree-lined adventure from coast to forest and back again, with a dramatic three-hole coastal finish leaving you heading back to the clubhouse wanting more. And if more is what you want, there’s Tara Iti, another Tom Doak design a few miles up the pristine white sand coastline, where you’ll play and stay at a course nestled in the most tranquil of Oceanic landscapes, complete with jaw-dropping Pacific views.
The best golf around the country comes in much the same flavour, as seen at another Doak design 550 kilometres south at Cape Kidnappers. This course, which can lay a reasonable claim to being Oceania’s most photographed, retains its rugged feel despite expert crafting, its infamous ‘dragon’s back’ ridges making it a truly unique and challenging course to conquer. Having hosted PGA Tour’s Kiwi Challenge in 2008 and 2009, the par 71 Cape Kidnappers is a vast golfing expanse with long, challenging holes over 6,569 metres.
For a pure golfing test, few can match the challenge of Kauri Cliffs, but fewer still can match the views on offer at a course whose holes run as tight to the sea as the land allows, making the most of a 4,500 acre plot with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
3. Unique experiences
The appeal of being a tourist in New Zealand is intrinsically linked to the unique opportunities it affords its visitors. The natural wonders of New Zealand mean you can indulge your adventurous side; if you can imagine yourself bungee jumping off Kawarau Bridge, catching some big waves at Wainui Beach or taking off in a helicopter to see the Milford Sound fjord from above, New Zealand can fulfil your thrill-seeking desires. If you prefer to be guided around the country’s glorious landscape, you can head into the mountains for a tour of the grand glaciers or hop on a cruise to and from the extinct volcano on Rangitoto Island, the largest dormant volcano in Auckland, where you can hike around the world’s largest pohutukawa forest with its broccoli-shaped scarlet trees.
Providing a unique experience is also at the heart of golf tourism in New Zealand. The ‘Over the Top’ golf experience in Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world, will see you fly via helicopter to tee boxes nestled 4,500 feet in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. There you will attempt a hole-in-one on this truly exclusive par three, all with 180-degree views overlooking the magnificent Lake Wakatipu.
4. Māori culture
As a visitor to New Zealand, the importance of engaging with and seeking an understanding of the culture and history of the indigenous population cannot be overstated. Māori culture is very welcoming by principle, but gaining an understanding of its key principles before you leave is recommended; for example, researching the custom of ‘Tapu’ (sacred land where Māori believe spirits are present) will help you learn to respect their land and ensure you do not enter sacred areas.
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, the protected grounds where the first accord between the British Crown and the Māori people was signed, is New Zealand’s most important historical site. Take the opportunity to learn more about the origins of the land we now know as New Zealand, before visiting a Māori living village, like Ohinemutu in Rotorua, where you can attend ceremonial rituals and performances. You can also take advantage of the chance to engage with indigenous culture at New Zealand’s wide array of museums, like The Auckland Museum which has the world’s largest collection of Māori artefacts and the Okains Bay Museum which provides a comprehensive history of British colonialism and violence towards the Māori people.
5. World famous wines and gastronomy
With Mediterranean, Asian and indigenous influences, New Zealand’s cuisine is delightfully varied. As a country with more sheep than people, expect to be confronted by expertly cooked lamb chops, steaks, racks and burgers. Other notable mains include Hāngī, a traditional Māori feast of meat, root vegetables, and potatoes, all cooked in a covered pit oven of hot stones wrapped in flax leaves called an umu. Pavlova is often served for dessert, though tread carefully as both New Zealanders and Australians claim to have invented the meringue-based sweet.
However, New Zealand is even more famous for its magnificent, world-famous wines. Known as the ‘sauvignon blanc capital of the world’ (17% of the world's sauvignon blanc comes from New Zealand), the white wine is made in the winding vineyards of the Marlborough District at the northeastern tip of the South Island. You can visit here or the Central Otago District, famous for producing hearty Pinot Noir with plum, blackberry, and kiwi, for an unparalleled wine experience.