One of New Zealand’s top golf courses will close its tee times for two months later this year, with significant changes to be made, which will see it play better in the warmer months.
For the first time since opening in 1999, Kauri Cliffs Golf Course in Matauri Bay, Northland,will undergo a regrassing of its fairway corridors, replacing the current bentgrass with Transcontinental Bermuda grass.
The course will be closed from October 7 until December 10 as a result.
The change is being made partly due to shifting climatic conditions, with Bermuda a much more durable grass and tolerant to higher temperatures, while bentgrass requires a lot of maintenance when temperatures rise.
It’s a change that is expected to reduce water and chemical use, while providing golfers a more lush, hardy playing environment in what the course calls “a proactive move toward long-term environmental stewardship”.
“Truth is, while Kauri is among the most beautiful courses on Earth, our bentgrass fairways never looked or played their best in high season – our summer months of November, December, January, February and March,” course manager Andy Wood said.
The back nine at Kauri Cliffs. Photo / Ricky Robinson
“With those months getting warmer and warmer, the move to Bermuda grass is something of a no-brainer, especially with the introduction of modern, drought-tolerant, high-performing strains like Transcontinental.
“We take our environmental stewardship very seriously here. Switching over to Bermuda will require far less water. It’s the responsible choice – and the truth is, Kauri will look and play better during those months when everyone’s flying halfway across the world to play it.”
The move comes after the club regrassed the tees and greens during the Covid-19 pandemic, replacing the old bentgrass with the newer Pure Distinction variety, which is more drought-tolerant.
In those high-season months, international green fees at Kauri Cliffs are $950, with Australian residents paying $700 and NZ residents paying $450, with those figures dropping in spring, and again in winter.
The David Harman-designed golf course, which was ranked at No 8 in NZ in Australian Golf Digest’s 2025 rankings, is set on a working sheep and beef farm which features native forests, pine plantations and two private beaches.
The Cavalli Islands in the background at Kauri Cliffs. Photo / Ricky Robinson
It is one of two NZ courses established by American financier Julian Robertson and his wife Josie, alongside Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, as a luxury stay-and-play destination, with lodges on site.
The lodges, as well as Queenstown’s Matakauri which the Robertson family took over in 2009, are now under the banner of Hong Kong-based operator Rosewood.
Such locations have contributed to NZ emerging as a popular golf destination, with visitors able to enjoy the scenery on offer as well as world-class courses. NZ is among the world leaders in golf courses per capita, with about 400 across the country.
According to Golf NZ, the sport employs more than 2000 people and contributes more than $1 billion annually to the national economy.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
