Te Arai Links (South)

• The 4th hole is a dogleg right par 4 with a partially blind tee shot playing downhill towards the water. The rippled fairway slopes towards the green with a steep drop-off on the left.

• The drivable par 4 14th plays downhill towards the Pacific, to a massive, wild green protected by sand on the left and a drastic run-off on the right.

• The 17th is a short par 3 playing to the ocean, with the green surrounded by sand which the ball feeds towards.

For a few years Te Arai was a bit of a myth. Murmurs and rumours of two more courses along the same coastline as the world renowned, ultra-exclusive Tara Iti did the rounds. In 2019 the rumours proved fruitful, with the announcement that billionaire golf-development mogul Ric Kayne was laying out the plans and breaking ground on the new courses. With the same owners and occupying similar land as it’s sibling, Te Arai brings different intentions.

The carpark at Te Arai Links was a confusing place to be for the very first time. There was a hum and a warm buzz sauntering through the air, a distant beat of music and the sound of laughter. Enter Ric’s Playground; 18 flags dotted across the largest, most undulated and winding putting course you could ever draw up. The course spreads further than a football field, putts break 30 feet, and players scatter the course- cocktails in left hand, putter in right. Children run rampant and partners look on from the terrace.

​

With Coore and Crenshaw at the wheel, and Ric Kayne at the helm, the undeniable beauty and greatness of the South Course will come as no surprise. Visually, the course is off the charts. Your eyes will meet the sea on no less than 16 holes, dunes roll through the property, rippled fescue fairways are crisply framed by the white sand of the Te Arai coastline, and the remnants of pines meander across the links, their shadows draped over immaculate tees and greens. Te Arai is a haven, a retreat, a soothing of the senses.

The routing of the golf course is a masterclass. The opening three holes I didn’t see the water, but I felt the coast and heard the waves crashing as I wound through pine-framed undulations. Seaside serenity is delayed by soul-stirring greenery, scenes of Pinehurst and Bandon Trails spring to mind. This is the art of the tease, the building of anticipation adding an element of drama to the inevitable reveal. As I walked over the crest to the fourth tee, Te Arai shows itself- white sand, tight fescue and the endless Pacific stretching the horizon. Golfer’s nirvana, surfer’s paradise, nature’s playground.