Te Arai Links (South Course)

Following the success of Tara Iti, owners Ric Kayne and Jim Rorstaff decided to develop more of their 3,400-acre parcel of land along the North Island of New Zealand's coast in 2020. With nearly seven miles of dunes and oceanfront real estate, Te Arai Links was destined for similar greatness to Tara Iti. The main difference? It’s fully open to the public.

When Bill Coore first saw the land, he called it “a great gift” and “a uniquely special site for golf.” He and Ben Crenshaw gobbled up two-thirds of the coastal frontage for their routing and placed eight holes as close to the ocean as environmental regulations would allow, producing stunning Pacific Ocean views on 16 holes. While the picturesque sand dunes are nearly perfect for golf holes, the linear nature of the dunescape forced the routing to play mostly parallel to the coast, with half the oceanfront holes playing north and half playing back south to complete the round. A minor downside of the routing, but well navigated by Bill and Ben. Additionally, a massive ridgeline bisects a large portion of the course. Players hike up the towering dune on No. 3 and play down the backside towards the ocean on the tumbling fourth. Bill reserved some of the most diverse and attractive dunes for the final seven holes, making for an unforgettable finishing stretch on one of the most visually captivating courses in the world.

While the views from the South Course garner the most attention, the golf holes and their well-crafted features are equally special. Design associates and shapers John Hawker and Riley Johns carried out most of the work in the field and helped build putting surfaces that have more character and internal slopes than typically seen on Coore and Crenshaw designs. Holes like Nos. 4, 6, 7, 14, and 16 are extremely bold and wildly fun to play. The spectacular design is amplified tremendously by the world-class tee-to-green fine fescue turf managed by Kiwi Superintendent Mitch Northin. The uniform turf surface allows for creative ground-running shots as well as aerial pursuits, making the South as fun to play as it is to look at. 

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Take Note…

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. A handful of design changes occurred during the late stages of construction at the South Course. These include expanding the size of the sixth green based on Ric and Jim’s suggestion, turning the central mound that eats into the putting surface on No. 14 into a bunker, and making the 16th green into one massive, multi-tiered green rather than trying to pick which of the two identified green sites was better for the hole. Ric and Jim preferred the upper left green while Bill and Hawker preferred the lower right green. Why not both! 

Bill’s gift. Originally, Bill took up all 2.5 miles of coast with his routing, meaning that the second course would have no oceanfront holes. Bill eventually gifted Tom Doak about a third of the total ocean frontage for the North Course. What a guy.