Courses / Taupō
Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary
Wairakei offers a contrasting experience to nearby Kinloch, forming a natural pairing in the Taupō region. The course moves through native bush, waterways and open parkland.
The routing is generous and flowing, with less exposure to wind and fewer demands on precision. The atmosphere is calm and immersive.
It is a course that prioritises ease and setting, providing a welcome balance alongside more exacting layouts.
Viewed from above, the strategy of the dogleg par-four eighth—‘Farmer’s Folly’—becomes clear. The preferred tee shot carries the left edge of the first pond, finds the widest part of the fairway, and opens the best view of the two-tiered green.
Fallow deer are part of the landscape inside Wairakei’s predator-free sanctuary. They share the property with familiar birdlife as well as protected species, including kiwi, takahē and kārearea.
The changing seasons are particularly evident inside the gates of Wairakei. During April and May, the mature trees take on autumn colours in their strongest shades of red, orange and gold.
With streams and lakes, Wairakei is 18 testing holes of exceptional beauty where a 5km (8 mile) fence maintains a predator-free environment to house ducks, pheasants, deer and native birds including the rare Takahē and even Kiwi.