Te Arai (North)

[Kevin Pallier]

The latest addition to Te Arai resort is the Te Arai - North (TAN) course designed by Tom Doak (& Renaissance Golf Design) which opened in October.
 
Comparisons will obviously be made with Tom’s other design at Tara Iti only a few miles up the road and Coore and Crenshaw’s Te Arai (South). Put simply, IMO they are all unique in their own way, but NZ golf has certainly come leaps and bounds over the past 20 or so years with the addition of the following new courses spread over the 2 islands
 
2000 Kauri Cliffs (NI) Harmon
2004 Cape Kidnappers (NI) Doak
2007 Kinloch (NI) Nicklaus
2007 The Hills (SI) Darby
2008 Jack’s Point (SI) Darby
2015 Tara Iti (NI) Doak
2022 Te Arai – South (NI) Coore & Crenshaw
2023 Te Arai – North (NI) Doak
 
NZ is very much a destination for World Class golf courses now with the Te Arai resort being the obvious star attraction.
 
Owned and operated by American fund manager Ric Kayne and partner Jim Rohrstaff the Te Arai resort daily alternates between private and public play. Tara Iti used to allow limited access but now is reserved solely for members and their guests.
 
I’ve read that the area is likened to that of the Monterey Peninsula and IMO that’s a pretty good comparison however there’s no rocky outcrops or platforms at either TI or TA just miles of beach. The TAS course routing is primarily alongside the ocean with the vast majority of holes (14) having ocean views except 1-3 and 10. TAN is very much less so with around (7) holes having ocean views 1,2 + 8 & 12 plus 16-18.
 
The current routing numbering has changed a little bit from published Original Designs (OD) with a halfway house / caravan on 10 (OD 7). The original loop of holes of “bowl holes” 7 to 12 come into play much later in the round now. I would be interested to hear from Tom as to why they changed the routing?   
 
TAN’s topography change is very dramatic but basically starts along the ocean and then winds its way inland over dunes and into a pine forest. It then returns briefly to the ocean at 8 and then goes back inland to the “bowl holes” before returning and finishing next to the ocean.
 
There are a number of developments occurring on-site with more accommodation, a restaurant overlooking the 18^th on TAS plus clubhouse facilities for TAN currently under construction. Currently in peak season it costs $650 per round for International visitors & $400 for NZers. Those rates drop to $400 and $300 respectively in the low season (Jul to Sep).
 
There are 4 sets of tees and you’d better be careful which one’s you play from – I accidently started on the Championship one’s to begin with. There’s over 500m / 550y alone between it and the back tees. Scorecards are in metres and in yards and I will give same from the back tees.
 
A Par of 71 the Championship layout stretches to 6,084m or 6,655y. The Back tees are at 5,609m or 6,136y. It’s fescue throughout and the course was in that good a condition it was sometimes hard to distinguish between fairway and greens.

[Kevin Pallier]

1 = P4 (275m / 301y)
 
A straightway drive to begin along the oceanfront one should favour the left side as it has a camber -  to a green that even I nearly got close to

 
 
Looking back one can see the clubhouse under development

[Kevin Pallier]

2 = P3 (207m / 189y)

A long shot to an unbunkered green

 
But is protected by a large mound

 
Reasonably sized green

[Kevin Pallier]

3 = P4 (334m / 365y)
 
Hit over the 2^nd green to a fairway that funnels from the right hand side

 
To a tiered green with a cavernous front bunker

 
Looking back down the fairway

[Tom_Doak]

1 = P4 (275m / 301y)
 
A straightway drive to begin along the oceanfront one should favour the left side as it has a camber -  to a green that even I nearly got close to

Kevin:


The first hole will eventually be a little longer from the back tees, but we were not able to build those before the clubhouse is finished.


The change in the sequence was made after a LOT of in-house discussion about walkability and flow.  The thought was that it was better to put the brief trip down toward the ocean and back in the middle of the round [now the 8th and 9th] instead of as the 14th-15th-16th, both on esthetic grounds, and on the grounds that the climb on 9 was difficult and that would be tougher late in the day.


Is it better?  If people enjoy the sequence we've used, then it's fine with me.  The last thing I want is for people to argue back and forth about it and have that detract from the course.  It's the SAME eighteen holes, whichever way you slice it.

[Tim_Weiman]

Definitely a course I’d like to see. Paul Rudovsky was there not long ago and spoke very highly of it.

[Jim Hoak]

In talking about golf courses in New Zealand, don't forget about Titirangi in Auckland.  An Alister Mackenzie course.
When a group of us were in New Zealand a year-and-a-half ago, we played many of the courses you listed.  We did not have high expectations of Titirangi, but were all very pleasantly surprised.  It was redone in the last few years, and is greatly improved. Perhaps someone has details of the redo.  There are a few threads mentioning it but they are out-of-date.
I'm not arguing that it meets the quality of Tara Iti or the Te Arai courses, but it is a good course.  Very playable and very enjoyable.
Good fun--above all else.

[Kevin Pallier]

Kevin:


The first hole will eventually be a little longer from the back tees, but we were not able to build those before the clubhouse is finished.


The change in the sequence was made after a LOT of in-house discussion about walkability and flow.  The thought was that it was better to put the brief trip down toward the ocean and back in the middle of the round [now the 8th and 9th] instead of as the 14th-15th-16th, both on esthetic grounds, and on the grounds that the climb on 9 was difficult and that would be tougher late in the day.


Is it better?  If people enjoy the sequence we've used, then it's fine with me.  The last thing I want is for people to argue back and forth about it and have that detract from the course.  It's the SAME eighteen holes, whichever way you slice it.

Tom


I think the lengthening of 1 will make it much better. How far are you planning to take back the tees?


IMO the routing as it stands works well. The short trip back to the ocean and out again flows well - its easy to get confused though. The natural walk off 8 is to 17. I think they need more signage to point towards the 9th tee.


To explain it for everyone - the Original Design (OD) has the first 6 holes as the Current Design (CD). Then it goes


OD 7 = CD 10
OD 8 = CD 11
OD 9 = CD 12
OD 10 = CD 13
OD 12 = CD 15
OD 13 = CD 16


OD 14 = CD 9
OD 15 = CD 7
OD 16 = CD 8

[Kevin Pallier]

In talking about golf courses in New Zealand, don't forget about Titirangi in Auckland.  An Alister Mackenzie course.
When a group of us were in New Zealand a year-and-a-half ago, we played many of the courses you listed.  We did not have high expectations of Titirangi, but were all very pleasantly surprised.  It was redone in the last few years, and is greatly improved. Perhaps someone has details of the redo.  There are a few threads mentioning it but they are out-of-date.
I'm not arguing that it meets the quality of Tara Iti or the Te Arai courses, but it is a good course.  Very playable and very enjoyable.
Good fun--above all else.

Jim


I was mainly focusing on the relatively "new" courses post the turn of the millennium.


NZ definitely had some very good courses prior to that esp: Paraparaumu Beach (1949) , Titirangi (1920-27), Arrowtown (1938-71) plus Waverly (1965) - see my other thread here https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,72487.0.html


Its Royal courses Wellington + Auckland & Grange have had extensive renovations / redesigns in the last few few years in 2021. Even Millbrook with the new Mill Farm 9 holes has been extended. There's been a lot happening in NZ golf given its size and population base.

[Jim Hoak]

Thanks, Kevin.
I know you were focused mainly on the more modern courses.  No argument there.
I just wanted to put in a word for a surprisingly good older course.

[Thomas Dai]

Like the mound (pimple?) in front of the 2nd green. Humps and hollows however modest or pronounced mown at fairway height can provide so much quiet interest and challenge. Under-appreciated features imo. Easy to maintain too.
Photos taken from the rear of greens looking back towards the tee are always insightful.
Atb

[Paul Rudovsky]

Definitely a course I’d like to see. Paul Rudovsky was there not long ago and spoke very highly of it.

I was there in February 2023 and played TAS 2x and Tara Iti once (had played TI 3x in early 2016).  Also last February was given a tour in a cart of TAN with Jim Rohrstaff.  Course was almost done at that point and in-growth in phase with some finishing touches left do. 

Those of you who believe a course should be open for two years before being rated are strongly advised to not read the rest of this post. 

Obviously hard to fully appreciate a course from a cart and without playing, but my sense is that TAN will end up being the best of the three.  But the real point here is that this is an unbelievable set of almost contiguous courses.  Only places in the world that might compare are the Hamptons (Shinnie, NGLA, and Southampton GC IMO...not Sebonack), Melbourne Sandbelt (RM-W, KH, Victoria), Monterey Peninsula (Pebble, Cypress, and Spyglass), East Lothian Scotland (Gullane #1, Muirfield, N Berwick), Bandon (Pacific Dunes and pick your two favorites from the other 4), and Sand Valley (Lido and what will be three others by Spring '24 with opening of Sedge Valley from what I have heard).

Am heading back to play North in about 6 weeks.

[Tom_Doak]

In talking about golf courses in New Zealand, don't forget about Titirangi in Auckland.  An Alister Mackenzie course.
When a group of us were in New Zealand a year-and-a-half ago, we played many of the courses you listed.  We did not have high expectations of Titirangi, but were all very pleasantly surprised.  It was redone in the last few years, and is greatly improved. Perhaps someone has details of the redo.  There are a few threads mentioning it but they are out-of-date.

Jim:


The most recent work at Titirangi was done by my associate Clyde Johnson.  He got to know the director of golf/gm at Titirangi while working on Tara Iti and Te Arai North, and I believe Titirangi was his first consulting client.


I don’t know all the details of what they’ve done.  Mackenzie spent only a few days there, which was not unusual for him, but he didn’t have Alex Russell or Mick Morcom to follow up with the construction, so the detailing of the bunkers and greens was not as well done originally.  All of that was rebuilt 15-20 years ago, and Clyde has taken it from there.

[Craig Sweet]

Not to mention world class fly fishing!

[Kevin Pallier]

4 = P4 (410m / 449y)
 
A long straight drive is required with a bit of camber R to L for the best angle to a semi blind green

 
Approach to a large and tiered green

 
Where one can use slopes to feed the ball to the hole

[Kevin Pallier]

5 = P4 (378m / 414y)
 
The next 2 holes are close to my favourite on the course - a drive across the cape style fairway with sand that extends all the way to the hole

 
 
The hole moves steeply uphill to a semi blind green again protected by a mound right

 
To a large and tiered green

 
I really enjoyed this hole and the vista it provides but probably the next more so

[Kevin Pallier]

6 = P4 (364m / 398y)
 
The 6^th provides a great vista across the layout

 
To a punchbowl styled green

 
Where one can use the backslope to feed the ball to the hole

[Kevin Pallier]

7 = P3 (165m / 181y)
A renumbered hole – a mid range P3 back toa green near the 4th

 
Large bunkers protect this green with pin on the small front shelf the day I played it

 
Looking back over the 7^th, 4^th, 5^th and 6 holes

[Kevin Pallier]

8 = P4 (352m / 385y)
 
A small climb up over a hill presents this vista

 
A long drive favouring the right side can help slingshot the ball forward leaving a form of wedge into the green

 One can scope the 17^th and 18^th holes as this was the original design’s 16^th hole. Take a breather and enjoy the views before heading back inland.

[Kevin Pallier]

9 = P5 (457m / 500y)
 
A blind drive over the hill

 
Leaves a blind 2^nd shot – aim at the purple/white circle in the distance

 
Over a road

 
To a wide green

[Paul Rudovsky]

To explain it for everyone - the Original Design (OD) has the first 6 holes as the Current Design (CD). Then it goes


OD 7 = CD 10
OD 8 = CD 11
OD 9 = CD 12
OD 10 = CD 13
OD 12 = CD 15
OD 13 = CD 16


OD 14 = CD 9
OD 15 = CD 7
OD 16 = CD 8


Kevin--Thanks so much for this.  On the website:

tearai.com/golf/north-course/

there is a topo map with what I assume is the OD (original design).  Your listing of changes excludes holes OD17 and OD18 (which I assume remain as CD17 & CD18). I printed to topo map and the above website and changed the hole numbers and I think your list of hole number changes misses OD11 = CD 14.  Agree? 

[Tom_Doak]

Kevin--Thanks so much for this.  On the website:

tearai.com/golf/north-course/

there is a topo map with what I assume is the OD (original design).  Your listing of changes excludes holes OD17 and OD18 (which I assume remain as CD17 & CD18). I printed to topo map and the above website and changed the hole numbers and I think your list of hole number changes misses OD11 = CD 14.  Agree? 

Yes, the numbers on the map were my first thought as to sequence.  The only change is that after #6, you now play 15-16-14 on the old plan to finish the front nine, instead of having them later in the round.


Again, since the course was never played that way, I hope that the discussion centers around the sequence we did choose.  It's pretty good.

[Kevin Pallier]

Kevin--Thanks so much for this.  On the website:

tearai.com/golf/north-course/

there is a topo map with what I assume is the OD (original design).  Your listing of changes excludes holes OD17 and OD18 (which I assume remain as CD17 & CD18). I printed to topo map and the above website and changed the hole numbers and I think your list of hole number changes misses OD11 = CD 14.  Agree? 

Paul


That's correct OD17 & OD 18 remain. Am not sure how I missed the OD = 11 being CD = 14.


Tom


With regard to my thoughts on the revised F9 - I think it flows really well with my favourite holes being 2 (are glad you removed some of the bunkers), 5&6 + 8&9. I wasn't a big fan of 7 - it felt to me a little squished into the routing.

[Kevin Pallier]

10 = P4 (384m / 420y)
 
A slight dog-leg right uphill P4

 
To a green that one can feed in shots from the right side

[Kevin Pallier]

11 = P5 (502m / 549y)
 
A straight away downhill then uphill P5 whose fairway bunkers progressively pinch in

 
Uphill to a green perched atop a hill

 
Overlooking the start and finish of the “bowl holes” noting the majority of the South courses B9 is over the dune to the left of the hole/green as you play it (to the right of the photo shown here)