Experience breathtaking golf at Kauri Cliffs: A golfer’s paradise in New Zealand

The back nine at Kauri Cliffs. Photo / Ricky Robinson

Twenty-five years after the course opened and immediately stunned golfers around the world, Luke Kirkness heads to Kauri Cliffs to see if it still shines on its silver anniversary.

Kauri Cliffs is nothing short of extraordinary. Equal parts humbling and breathtaking, this David Harman-designed course is as much a test of your golf game as it is a feast for your eyes. It boasts 15 holes overlooking the Cavalli Islands and the Pacific Ocean, with six played on cliff edges that plunge towards the sea. Think postcard-perfect but with the added thrill of probably losing your ball and your pride.

From the moment we arrived, I never wanted to leave.

As the late Harman (a Jack Nicklas protege) himself put it: “The natural beauty is just astounding throughout, so our real goal was to create a very special golf course that people from all over the world will commend and enjoy. Also, at the same time, we wanted to maintain Kauri Cliffs as a working farm, which it is; it’s 4000 acres, and the course is actually a small part of that.”

However, Kauri Cliffs isn’t just a golfer’s paradise but an all-around retreat. The property, set on a working sheep and beef farm, features native forests, pine plantations and two private beaches. The Robertson family, whose lodges (now under Rosewood’s banner) include sister properties Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri, have created something special here. You can stay in luxury lodges, tour the farm on ATVs, or simply soak up the “winterless north”.

Head professional Mitchell McMurtry tells me some people don’t even play golf, which I frankly can’t understand. Others play twice a day, which sounds far more reasonable.

McMurtry said the Robertson family still visit and their presence remains strong despite being taken over by Rosewood.

“The family traditions stick very true around this place around the clubhouse and the golf course. We’ve had a bunch of turnover staff but their traditions and the way they want it are very much still instilled in this place. They still have their personal touch on it, which is crucial.”

McMurtry tries hard to make it feel like the playing party thinks they’re the only people on the course. That’s certainly the impression I got. “It’s your oasis” he explained. “It’s just one of those places [where] I’m never going to tell anyone to speed up. That’s kind of the way it is. I encourage long rounds as I hope to see you in six hours. That’s the last thing you normally hear.”

The Cavalli Islands in the background at Kauri Cliffs. Photo / Ricky Robinson

Opened in 1999, this par-72, 6528m course has consistently ranked among the world’s best since 2003 – Golf Digest slots it in at 55. For an average golfer like me, playing here is akin to a rookie chef walking into Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen: awe-inspiring but utterly intimidating.

Naturally, we took on the Tiger Tees. Why not make things harder for ourselves? Few things in golf are as thrilling and demoralising as trying to carry a ball over cliffs, ravines and gorges, only to see it vanish into the thickest grass known to man. I might as well have been working for Jim’s Mowing, given all the time spent trying to whack the ball out of that stuff.

But now and then, the golf gods bless you. I hit the shot of my life on the iconic seventh hole. Picture this: The Pacific Ocean, deep and blue sprawling to the right, with the hole guarded by a chasm of doom. Off the tee, the shot plays over a ravine to a green surrounded by two bunkers with a bailout zone to the left for the faint of heart. But when you’re at Kauri Cliffs, you don’t play it safe. Armed with a plethora of balls and with gale-force winds bearing down on me, I took out the driver (yes, a driver on a par-three) and managed to land it within four feet of the pin. Cue early celebrations, grabbing a snap of the ball’s location and a poorly judged putt that resulted in a par. My playing group couldn’t get enough of it, and as frustrating as that two-putt was, it was a moment I’ll never forget.

The par-three seventh hole at Kauri Cliffs, with the Cavalli Islands visible beyond.

The back nine? Pure magic. The 14th, a par-three that heads downhill 230m along the cliff edge, looks down over Matauri Bay and is simply stunning. Words don’t do it justice – nor do they for the next three holes along the clifftop, which will make your phone battery plummet as you snap photo after photo. As McMurtry puts it: “I want everyone to come back here with their battery dead because they took so many pictures.” Mission accomplished.

And if you think a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Auckland sounds too far, there’s always the helicopter option. Sadly, our budget didn’t allow for this.

Kauri Cliffs isn’t just a golf course, it’s an experience, and for some of us, a stern lesson in humility. But even as you curse the wind, the grass, your balls and yourself, you’ll find yourself wanting to head straight back to the first after wrapping up.

Luke Kirkness is the Sports Planning Editor for the NZ Herald. He’s an award-winning journalist who also covered consumer affairs for the Herald and served as an assistant news director.