Luxury North Island Golf Swing – New Zealand’s Best Lodges & Courses
There’s a special kind of magic to a North Island luxury golf itinerary of New Zealand. The locations all offer something different, the lodges & villas are luxurious, the gastronomy is to die for, and every course delivers that once-in-a-lifetime “did I really just play that?” moment. The New Zealand North Island Five Star Swing is your indulgent loop of New Zealand’s most celebrated golf addresses Te Arai Links, Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers, and The Kinloch Club. This itinerary is stitched together with on-site stays, all-inclusive dining, and seamless luxury transfers, as well as unique New Zealand experiences. We tailor things to suit but assured, It’s golf at the very top end: Exquisitely curated for players and partners looking for a luxury experience.
Te Arai Links
Begin in Auckland, where a city of glassy harbours and skyline sparkle sets the tone. At the top-end, your chopper whisks you north along the coastline and emerald headlands, white-sand crescents, and cobalt ocean unfurling beneath you. Alternative self drive options or transfers are also available, offering a close up view of some of the beautiful coastal and rural countryside along the way. Te Arai Links is 30 mins via chopper or 90 mins in a vehicle. The mood shifts instantly to purpose built golf luxury. Your ocean-view villas are a study in coastal calm: Modern design, timber textures, salt air, and a soundtrack of waves. Te Arai Links has four restaurants that range from cafe style, to fine dining. Meals are fresh, local, and generous, think line-caught fish or beautiful cuts of meats, heirloom salads, alongside an offering of New Zealand’s finest vintage or ale.
Te Arai is pure links drama. On one day you can take on the North Course, a rolling ribbon of fescue and dunes by Tom Doak that rewards imagination and control; on another, the highly praised South Course by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, where contours whisper and a majestic experience awaits. It’s a two-course masterclass in modern links golf, perched on the edge of the Pacific. Between rounds, there’s the option to surf, ride horses along golden beaches, or simply soak up the spa. Evenings bring the glow of Ocean Restaurant, where seasonal menus mix coastal simplicity with culinary finesse.
Rosewood Kauri Cliffs
From Te Arai, you have the option of a 60 min helicopter flight or 3 hour drive further north to the Bay of Islands. Again, either of these options will offer some phenomenal opportunities to experience scenic beauty of New Zealand. The arrival at Rosewood Kauri Cliffs is cinematic: 6,000 acres of coastal farmland, native forest, and secret beaches, with the lodge peeking out across the Pacific. Settle into your suite, complete with a fireplace, verandah, and that endlessly calming ocean view. Wander out for a leisurely lunch of If you’re keen to stretch the legs, take an ATV tour to private coves, or join a guided walk through ancient stands of kauri and totara. One of the most spectacular things you can do is sail the Bay of Islands on a luxury yacht. Which comes with a chef, as well as fishing gear and water toys and comes highly recommended.
Kauri Cliffs Golf Course is a postcard come to life. Designed by David Harman, it strings together just the right amount of width, elevation, and sea-spray theatre to make every hole unique within its own right. Several holes soar above the Pacific; others tuck into valleys scented with manuka. It’s a course that photographs beautifully and plays even better. Back at the lodge, dinner is elegant but unpretentious, drawing from the region’s seafood and produce; a reminder that New Zealand’s culinary scene is as varied and world-class as its golf.
When its time to make a move, a chauffeured drive delivers you for your commercial flight or you have the option of a private charter south to The Hawke’s Bay. The flight traces New Zealand’s curving east coast—a painter’s palette of blues and greens, before touching down, for your stay at The Farm at Cape Kidnappers. This is a destination that defies simple description: a working sheep and cattle station reborn as a luxury lodge, set atop a plateau with ridgelines that spear into the sea like fingers. Your suite blends warm woods and wool throws with modern lines, an embrace of rural authenticity made stylish.
Rosewood Cape Kidnappers
Cape Kidnappers is “golf at the edge of the earth,” a statement course by Tom Doak where cliff-top fairways and finger-like promontories demand nerve and nuance. Ranked as high as the 15th best course in the world, this course is as immaculate as it is spectacular. It has tee shots flirting with danger, approaches that test distance control, and putts breaking with gentle deception. The views are hypnotic, which is both the joy and the hazard: keep your head in the game, but do pause to breathe it all in. Away from the course, Hawke’s Bay tempts with vineyards, art deco architecture in nearby Napier, and long-lunch sirens like Craggy Range. Evenings at the lodge are farm-to-table dinners at the highest level paired with award winning wines, and the overwhelming feeling a contentment that follows a day well spent.
Kinloch Club
Your final leg carries you inland to Taupo, the North Island’s lake country, where The Kinloch Club awaits. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, Kinloch is a strategic, sinuous test set among tussocky hills with sweeping views across Lake Taupo. This is a course that rewards thinkers and ball-strikers alike, where angles matter, course strategy is a requirement, and the green complexes ask good questions. When you find your rhythm here, it’s bliss. Base yourself right on-site at Kinloch Manor & Villas: contemporary stone-and-steel architecture softened by warm interiors and a stellar culinary program. With all meals included, expect refined, nourishing fare that reflects the volcanic soil’s bounty, wild venison, local honey, artisan cheeses, and superb Central Plateau produce.
For non-golfers or afternoon adventures, Taupo overflows with possibilities: spa treatments, lake cruising to the Mine Bay Māori rock carvings, kayak drifts on the Waikato River, geothermal walks, a scenic helicopter flight over the Huka Falls or maybe a bungy jump?! The joy of this itinerary is choice. Everything is taken care of, and everything is possible.
Accommodation & Transfers
The Five Star Swing runs on a rhythm of ease. Helicopter transfers from Auckland to Te Arai and Te Arai to Kauri Cliffs become jaw-dropping scenic flights. The private charter from the Bay of Islands to Hawke’s Bay is a champagne-hour interlude in the sky. The driving options are just as rewarding to take in the countryside if that’s more your preference.
What truly elevates this journey is the coherence: each lodge is iconic, each course offers something different, each transfer highlights something that only New Zealand can offer. You’ll sleep where you play, you’ll eat brilliantly without thinking, and you’ll glide from ocean to vineyard to lake with barely a seam showing. It’s the North Island at its most polished, a greatest hits album pressed on heavyweight vinyl.
Practicalities? Expect on-site stays at Te Arai Links Ocean Cottages, Rosewood Kauri Cliffs, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, and Kinloch Manor & Villas. All meals are included throughout the journey, from robust golfers’ breakfasts to languid lodge dinners. Premium beverage options are readily available, and dietary preferences are navigated with ease. Golf logistics, tee times, caddies, buggies if preferred—are coordinated in advance. For those building in rest days, we can layer in spa time, guided coastal hikes, private winery lunches, or yacht charters in the Bay of Islands. Everything is tailored; nothing is templated.
Final Thoughts
One of the best things about playing golf in New Zealand, is the way tee times are staggered. The courses are never overly busy or backed up, and that’s intentional. If your benchmark for a bucket-list trip is equal parts quality, quiet, and those treasurable “I’ll remember this forever” moments, the North Island Five Star Swing is where you’ll find them. Two spectacular links courses at Te Arai, the cliffside splendour of Kauri Cliffs, the audacity of Cape Kidnappers, and the cerebral beauty of Kinloch. Four distinct locations, one harmonious story. It’s a journey designed for discerning golfers and their travel companions alike, with days that flow, views that encompass what New Zealand is all about, and hospitality that feels both world-class and warmly personal.
Ready to swing through the best of the North Island in unabashed style? Let’s tailor the details, secure your preferred dates, and have the helicopters spinning. Your fairways are waiting.
Written by Steve McKean, Co-Owner of Luxury Adventures
Luxury Adventures has over 2 decades of crafting bespoke luxury travel experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Steve is passionate about showcasing the region’s most unforgettable places, from hidden alpine retreats, sunny paradises to world-class golf courses.
A keen golfer and travel lover, he blends insider knowledge with a deep respect for local culture and sustainability. When not curating extraordinary journeys, you’ll find him exploring off-the-beaten-path lodges or teeing off at sunrise.
For more information email us: info@luxuryadventures.co.nz or follow our adventures on Instagram here
Linkedin: Connect with Luxury Adventures Directors Steve McKean & Dee McKean
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