Tara Iti Golf Club is one of the most exclusive and talked-about golf courses in the world.
Set on New Zealand’s remote Te Arai coastline, this Tom Doak-designed links blends wild natural beauty with strategic brilliance. Playing here is rare, but the experience reveals why Tara Iti sits among golf’s very best.
Since it opened in 2015, Tara Iti Golf Club has occupied a place in the hearts and minds of golfers across the world. To most, it feels a world away: isolated geographically, almost heavenly in its beauty and, given its famed privacy and exclusivity, almost impossible to access.
What is Tara Iti Golf Club?
For all its mythology, Tara Iti Golf Club is a simple concept: a private coastal golf club shaped from sand, fescue and forest on New Zealand’s North Island.
It is not a resort course, nor a typical destination club. Access is deliberately limited, the atmosphere is unusually relaxed, and the golf itself is defined by firm turf, sandy waste areas, Pacific Ocean views and a rare sense of quiet. This is a place built less for volume than for purity.
Tara Iti Golf Club: first impressions
In a country dominated by public golf courses, Tara Iti is an outlier and one which, at first glance, appears to fly in the face of Kiwi beliefs and values. Why? Well, it is a club with only 50 local members, has no public access unless you stay on site or happen to get invited by a member. You could understand how it might look pretentious and stuffy to the average Kiwi. But after a day in its presence, it all made sense to me.
The road to Tara Iti Golf Club feels distinctly Kiwi. Winding gravel roads in the middle of nowhere escort you to a discreet wooden gate. Ten minutes of paved roads slide through the skeletal remains of pre-existing forestry which gradually thins out to present the holy grail of golf in New Zealand.
Exiting the car on arrival is an experience in itself, I was met by a party of five: caddies (mandatory for all guests) whisk your bags away, while a valet escorts your car to the carpark. For me this came as a true culture shock, years of carpark shoe changes and scrambling for a parking space had been replaced by service with a smile.
The clubhouse is quaint and classy, without being over the top. A fire burned and a barista waited to take my order for a pre-round brew. It was from here that I was granted my first glance of a course which until now had existed only in my dreams.
Tara Iti Golf Course: a course to rival the very best
Slithers of tight, perfectly manicured fescue cut through the sandy wasteland, its lumps, bumps and hollows presented in all their glory – the perfect collision. At first sight it was obvious Tara Iti was truly something remarkable – a wild landscape perfectly tamed.
Strolling through the property, I was struck by the dress code, or lack thereof. My host made it clear that he enquired upon joining and was told he would be allowed to play without shoes if he so desired. This was a country club disguised as a beach club. Tara Iti Golf Club was not, however, a place without rules. There is a single rule which governs the entire property: “no dickheads” – maybe Tara Iti’s Kiwi ethos was shining through after all.
What of the golf course? Golf Digest Magazine has ranked Tara Iti as high as No. 2 in the world, despite its tender age. Despite this, my expectations were completely blown out of the water. From afar, the course is visually breathtaking without appearing too overwhelming or difficult. Although undulating, the land looks relatively flat, hazards don’t look too punishing and the course stretches out in front of you. Looks can be deceiving, though.
The magic of Tom Doak’s Tara Iti lies in its ability to maximise its subtleties, every mound and hollow serving its purpose, every angle providing a strategic challenge and every hole serving a smile. As I floated tee to green, over the fescue and through the dunes it became clear to me there were absolutely no weak holes. None. What there was, was ample variety to ensure holes didn’t melt into one other. Each stood alone from the next, presenting a different test and an individual journey.
Tara Iti forced me to think about my club selection on pretty much every tee- my bomb and gouge approach was put to one side as I found myself with two or three clubs in hand a number of times as I wrestled with the intensive risk-reward balance.
The tight fescue fairways are sand-based and linksy in nature. Navigating your ball through the ripples and contours is one of the game’s great pleasures and no matter how straight the shot in the air, I didn’t dare pick up my tee early.
Tara Iti Golf Club greens: Tom Doak’s design at its finest
The greens and their surroundings are quite incredible, with huge variety in size and structure, – some had steep run-offs around them which forces you to conjure approach shots and to read putts in a way that is intensely engaging and enjoyable. The number of fun shots that can be attempted is unmatched and in traditional links-style, there are a thousand different ways to get yourself onto the putting surface, with the ground route often the method best rewarded.
Across Doak’s canvas, his trickery is disguised by artistic brushstrokes. Greens melt into the surrounding sandy wasteland, acting as punishing catchment areas for balls ever so slightly off line. Targets appear smaller than they truly are, blind shots yield wide fairways, and infinity greens appear to have flags placed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When the ocean becomes not just a backdrop but a perceived hazard, the approach shot becomes slightly more daunting!
These are elements of the course which you will never see from afar or through the lens of a drone. It was only as my feet folded the fescue that Doak’s genius asked questions of my game.
Tara Iti Golf Club and the New Zealand coastline
I say all of this without even mentioning the glorious surroundings which would rival many of the top courses in the world. The coastline of Te Arai is perfectly white, sandy and perfectly isolated, providing a true sense of place for those lucky enough to visit. With its sumptuous sister property, Te Arai Links, just along the way, it’s fast becoming an unmissable golf trip.
The routing of Tara Iti Golf Club presents a myriad of opportunities to take in the sumptuous sea views, which reach a crescendo on the par 3 17th. My favourite hole on the course plays straight out towards the water to a tabletop green surrounded by sand – a salty homage to the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Standing on the tee, waves folding, wind whipping, I remembered exactly how lucky I was to be there, just how special this part of the world truly is, and I felt the joy of Tara Iti’s presence.
To play Tara Iti is to experience the game in one of its purest forms. The course finds a way to be both strategically brilliant and subtle, while offering a living exhibition of one of New Zealand’s most pristine and isolated coastlines. Having a bad day out here feels almost impossible, no matter how badly you play.
Tara Iti’s excellence is well publicised, but it has not bred a hint of arrogance or complacency. Despite its exclusivity and worldwide acclaim, Tara Iti Golf Club has retained its soul, finding ways to honour both the landscape here and celebrate the Kiwi attitude with its transcendent relaxed vibe. Its aura warmed my golfing soul, quite frankly and feelings like these are only prompted by visits to special places.
Tara Iti Golf Club is one of those rare places where expectation and reality collide, and somehow, reality wins. Its excellence may be well documented, but nothing quite prepares you for the feeling of being there. I only wish more people could experience it, and understand just how extraordinary it truly is.
Tara Iti Golf Club: Key Facts
📍 Address
Tara Iti Golf Club
71 Tara Iti Drive
Mangawhai 0540
New Zealand
🌍 Location
Te Arai coastline, North Island, New Zealand
🏙️ Nearest major city
Auckland, approximately 100km south
🚗 Drive time from Auckland
Around 90 minutes, depending on traffic
🧠 Course designer
Tom Doak
📅 Opened
2015
⛳ Course type
Private coastal links-style golf course
🔒 Access
Private members’ club. Visitor access is extremely limited and typically requires an invitation from a member or a select premium stay experience
🎒 Caddies
Mandatory for guests
🌊 Setting
Sand dunes, fescue fairways and Pacific Ocean views
🏌️ Nearby golf
Te Arai Links, including the South Course by Coore & Crenshaw and the North Course by Tom Doak
📞 Phone
+64 (09) 431 4600
🌐 Website
TaraIti.com
TARA ITI GOLF CLUB SCORECARD
Tara Iti Golf Club: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Where is Tara Iti Golf Club?
You will find Tara Iti Golf Club around 100km north of New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland. It’s situated on the east coast of the North Island.
Can the public play at Tara Iti?
Who owns Tara Iti Golf Club?
What’s the difference between Tara Iti Golf Club and Te Arai Golf Club?
Before we talk about the differences, let’s talk about the similarities between Tara Iti and Te Arai. Both are stunning links courses on the same stretch of coastline. Both are very special indeed. Tara Iti was designed by Tom Doak and Te Arai has two courses – The South was designed by Coore & Crenshaw and The North, by Doak. Te Arai is much easier to access than its sister property. It’s a public course, while Tara Iti Golf Club is very private.
How do I get a tee time at Tara Iti?
Is Tara Iti Golf Club private?
Yes, Tara Iti Golf Club is a private members’ club with extremely limited access for non-members.
Who designed Tara Iti Golf Club?
Tara Iti Golf Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Doak.
When did Tara Iti Golf Club open?
The course opened in 2015 and quickly rose into global Top 100 rankings.
How far is Tara Iti Golf Club from Auckland?
Tara Iti is located approximately 100km north of Auckland, around a 90-minute drive.
Can you play Tara Iti Golf Club?
Tara Iti Golf Club is private and access is extremely limited. You cannot simply book a public tee time. For most golfers, the realistic route is to play as the guest of a member, although select premium stay experiences may also offer access.
This avoids disrupting the lyrical flow and still satisfies search intent.
Tara Iti Golf Club Map
