More than any other course in New Zealand, the North Course places a premium on finding the correct angle into the greens. It is a course of remarkable depth, where the architecture reveals itself gradually and rewards those willing to think their way around it.
Photo credits: Ricky Robinson
Courses / Auckland
Te Arai Links - North
Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2023, the North Course offers a more intricate and strategically demanding counterpart to the South. Beginning along the coastline before turning inland through towering pines, the routing presents a constantly changing sequence of holes where decision-making is every bit as important as execution.
The shaping ranges from subtle to dramatic, with several green complexes pushing the boundaries of contour and movement. Pin placement can significantly alter both the preferred line of play and the challenge of the approach, giving the course a different character from one day to the next.
The par-four third marks the transition from the coast into the forest. Its large Biarritz-style green is divided by a deep swale and protected by a substantial bunker across the front.
Looking from near the seventh green towards the fourth. This wild, two-tiered green demands imagination and a complete short game; finding the putting surface does not necessarily mean the difficult work is over.
The scale of the par-five ninth is most evident around its green. A large dune runs across the front, concealing much of the putting surface and making the final approach difficult to judge.