The main course
Northland golf course Tara Iti has achieved another ace, again being rated New Zealand’s best golf course.
The coastal links course, located 100 kilometres north of Auckland on the east coast, also took out the honour in 2018 in the last New Zealand top 40 golf rankings, coordinated with NZ Golf Magazine, which were compiled in December 2018.
With the rankings due to be reviewed later this year, it was brought forward due to the opportunity the level four lockdown provided with golfers sitting at home and having plenty of time to consider their views of their favourite courses.
Tara Iti’s top spot isn’t surprising given it climbed to No 2 on a list of the world’s best courses outside the United States in January.
‘‘Yes, the golf course is quite private but it is truly something special and if you are ever given the opportunity to play there, then you should jump at it,’’ NZ golf rankings co-ordinator Andrew Whiley wrote.
‘‘The course is in an amazing setting, well-designed, with a layout that blends with the environment. How the course plays is also unique and memorable. Right from the time you drive through the gates, through to holing your final putt on the 18th green, it is absolutely magical.’’
Also in the top five after Tara Iti are leading Central Otago courses, Jack’s Point and The Hills, Taupo’s Kinloch Golf Course, and Cape Kidnappers in the Hawke’s Bay.
The top 10 is rounded out by Kauri Cliffs (Bay of Islands), Paraparaumu Golf Club, Wairakei International (Taupo) Millbrook (Arrowtown), and Titirangi
Golf Club (Auckland).
The ranking system is based on seven criteria that cover the key factors that are essential in good golf course design and criteria for what is important to golfers that play these courses.
This includes: risk/reward, playability, layout, design, scenic values, conditioning and ambience. A maximum of five points was awarded per category, thus the maximum points any course
could receive was a total of 35 points. The points awarded were totalled up and then divided by the number of rankers. The average was then calculated providing the overall result.
The 27 member ranking panel had nearly 1000 years of combined golf experience, with ‘‘rankers’’ from Invercargill through to North Auckland. They were a diverse mix, consisting of professional players, experienced amateur players, golf industry professionals and some club players with extensive playing experience in New Zealand and internationally. The golf industry ‘insiders’ ranked their top 12 golf courses in the North Island and South Island.
No ranker was able to rank a golf course where personal bias or conflict of interest could be a factor.
Both Royal Auckland and Riverside (Lochiel) were not considered for ranking due to the courses being under renovation.