Wairakei 9-hole Golf Course

Taupō sits at the center of New Zealand's North Island, beside the country's largest lake and above one of the most geothermally active landscapes on earth. The Waikato region's volcanic plateau gives this part of the country a genuinely otherworldly quality — steaming vents, mineral-stained ground, and a raw, elemental energy that you don't encounter on many golf courses anywhere in the world.

Wairakei is closely associated with the broader Wairakei Resort precinct, a landmark destination in New Zealand golf that has long drawn visitors making the pilgrimage to Taupō. The 9-hole layout serves as a companion to the famous 18-hole Wairakei International course nearby, offering a shorter, more relaxed round within the same striking volcanic terrain. It suits golfers looking to warm up, wind down, or simply enjoy the landscape without committing to a full 18.

Playing golf here is as much about the setting as the scorecard. The air carries a faint sulphurous trace, native tōtara and exotic pines frame the fairways, and the sense of playing over geothermally charged ground gives even a modest 9-hole loop a character that no course built on ordinary earth can quite replicate.