Tara Iti — Jan 2026

I was fortunate enough to play at Tara Iti as a part of my 40th birthday celebratory trip to New Zealand. I've played around 100 50 different courses across the world and the experience here was unlike any other to date.

I drove through the security gate to the concierge building (first course I've ever played at that has one of these) and saw two helicopters taking off after dropping off members for a round of play. How cool is that?

The course is unreal and I think it's now my third favorite (only to Old Head and Dornoch). The fairways are tight, but the course is also really fun with a couple of drivable par 4s if you've got the distance. Te Arain played the same way but the fairways are the firmest I've ever played in my life. Even in the middle of a tropical depression like I found myself at Te Arai you could bounce the proverbial quarter off of them.

I'm an 11 handicap and carded an 86 (recorded by my caddie which makes me really happy because I've never seen or played the course before. In hindsight, it's a weird feeling to play at one of the most exclusive private golf clubs in the world — like you hear and read about these courses in magazines and online and when you get there it's surreal.

The staff were all wonderful and the food was amazing as well. I had a Tara Iti burger with my host and his two other guests after the round to celebrate.