Course Atlas
New Zealand’s Premier Golf Courses - Your Course Atlas
Ten headline acts, each with a different New Zealand accent. Routing arranged north-to-south or by private charter.
"Give us your dates, and we'll craft a custom golf trip built around the courses you love."
One of the world's top-ranked golf coursesKauri Cliffs
Perched on Northland's rugged coastline, Kauri Cliffs delivers 18 holes with ocean views and cliff-top drama over the Pacific. Designed by David Harman, this Bay of Islands gem regularly ranks among the world's top courses, pairing genuine championship golf with a luxury lodge experience.
Golf Magazine World Ranking - 65thCape Kidnappers
Tom Doak's masterpiece on Hawke's Bay's Cape Kidnappers headland is golf theatre at its finest — fairways run along knife-edge ridgelines with 130-metre drops to the ocean below. It's as much a landscape experience as a golf round, and consistently rated among the best courses on the planet.
Golf Magazine World Ranking - 79thTe Arai South
Coore & Crenshaw's South Course rolls across sand dunes with sixteen ocean-view holes and eight bordering directly on the sea, walking-only with caddie support throughout — the kind of golf that strips everything back to wind, turf, and the line your caddie tells you to trust.
Golf Magazine World Ranking - 98thTe Arai North
Tom Doak's North Course starts and finishes on the Pacific, threading through dunes that look untouched and play nothing like they look — ranked number 98 in the world on debut, it remains one of the youngest courses ever to enter GOLF Magazine's Top 100, and one of the most quietly demanding rounds you'll ever walk.
Wildlife SanctuaryWairakei Golf + Sanctuary
Set among towering pines and native bush in the geothermal heart of Taupō, this parkland classic (formerly Wairakei International) offers tight, tree-lined fairways and a wildlife sanctuary setting that's rare among championship courses — a serene test just minutes from Lake Taupō.
Links golf - Nicklaus-designedThe Kinloch Club
Jack Nicklaus's only design in New Zealand, Kinloch sits on Lake Taupō's shores with a rugged, natural feel built into the rolling terrain. Wide corridors, strategic bunkering, and lake views make it one of the country's most complete modern layouts.
World Top 100 links golfParaparaumu Beach
A true links test on the Kāpiti Coast, "Paraparam" has hosted more NZ Open championships than any other course. Its firm, undulating fairways and small, well-defended greens have challenged generations of top golfers — a benchmark of traditional New Zealand golf.
36 holes of alpine golfMillbrook Resort (Coronet & Remarkables Courses)
Home of the New Zealand Golf Open, Queenstown's Millbrook pairs two distinct 18s — the Coronet Course winding through farmland with Southern Alps backdrops, and the more dramatic Remarkables Course threading around wetlands and mountain views. Together they offer one of NZ's premier resort golf experiences amid unbeatable alpine scenery.
South Island's highest-ranked linksJack's Point
Stunning alpine vista views, with Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables range as a backdrop, Jack's Point delivers dramatic elevation changes and rock-lined fairways in one of the most visually spectacular settings in world golf — a Queenstown must-play for the scenery alone, backed by a genuinely strong test of golf.
Sculpture, scenery, and championship golfThe Hills
- Currently closed for course renovations.Sir Michael Hill's boutique creation near Arrowtown blends championship golf with an outdoor sculpture park, set against the Coronet Peak and Crown Range backdrop. Immaculately presented and home to the NZ Open in recent years, it's as much art gallery as golf course.
Ideal Seasons to Play Golf in New Zealand
New Zealand's two islands run on different climates. The North Island's coastal courses play comfortably most of the year; the South Island's alpine courses reward a narrower shoulder-season window around a colder, frostier winter.
← Swipe to see all 12 months →
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island | A |
A |
A |
B |
B |
C |
C |
C |
B |
B |
A |
A |
| South Island | A |
A |
A |
B |
C |
D |
D |
D |
C |
B |
A |
A |
| Season (NZ) | Months | North Island | South Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Dec – Feb | Excellent Warm, mostly dry, peak season at Kauri Cliffs, Te Arai and Cape Kidnappers. |
Excellent Long warm days around Queenstown and Arrowtown; the busiest and most reliable months. |
| Autumn | Mar – May | Good Settled weather often runs into April; a favourite shoulder-season window. |
Good → Fair Spectacular autumn colour through April, but frosty mornings creep in by May. |
| Winter | Jun – Aug | Fair Wetter and cooler, especially in Northland — still playable, courses stay open. |
Poor / Off-Season Frost delays are common and some alpine courses see occasional snow. |
| Spring | Sep – Nov | Good Drying out through October, excellent again by November. |
Good Unpredictable in September, but reliably excellent by November. |
New Zealand's climate has been trending warmer — 2025 was the country's fourth-warmest year on record — and rainfall is highly regional: the West Coast of the South Island is the country's wettest area, while parts just over 100km to the east are its driest. This table reflects the general seasonal pattern for each island rather than a precise station-by-station average; for a specific course or travel date, exact NIWA climate data can narrow it further.
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