Tara Iti

Few courses anywhere in the world have arrived with the kind of immediate, unanimous acclaim that greeted Tara Iti when it opened in 2015. Designed by Tom Doak and built on a remote stretch of Northland coastline near Mangawhai, it was widely ranked among the top 20 courses in the world within years of opening — an almost unheard-of ascent. The layout occupies a remarkable piece of land: ancient sand dunes blanketed in native tōtara and pōhutukawa, with holes that tumble through forested dune valleys and break out onto exposed ridgelines with views across the Tasman Sea. Doak's minimalist instincts found perfect expression here — the land essentially gave him everything he needed.

Tara Iti is strictly private, with membership by invitation only, and it functions more as a destination retreat than a conventional club. Accommodations on-site mean guests experience the property as a complete escape rather than a day trip.

Mangawhai itself sits roughly 90 minutes north of Auckland, a small coastal community on the edge of Northland's wine country. The region's warm, settled climate and raw dune coastline give Tara Iti a links character that feels genuinely world-class — because, by any serious measure, it is.