Tara Iti Claims Top Spot Again in 2026 New Zealand Golf Rankings As Competition Tightens

DUNEDIN – The 2026 New Zealand Golf Rankings have been officially released, highlighting the quality and diversity of golf courses across the country. Published every two years since 2012, the biennial rankings serve as a benchmark for long-term trends and course improvements across New Zealand’s golf sector.

The Top Five Remain Steady

For the fifth time in the past decade, Tara Iti has secured the position of New Zealand’s number one ranked golf course.

Te Arai Links South and Te Arai Links North occupy the second and third positions respectively, solidifying the Northland coastline’s status as a global golfing destination. The text notes that this specific stretch of coastline now rivals iconic international golf regions such as Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, and Melbourne’s famous Sandbelt.

Jack’s Point Golf Course retained its fourth position, remaining the highest-ranked course in the South Island. Cape Kidnappers Golf Course climbed two positions to complete the top five.

Elite Tightness and Major Movement in the Top 40

Competition among the country’s upper-tier courses proved exceptionally close this cycle, with just half a point separating the courses ranked third through tenth.

Further down the list, substantial gains were recorded by Waipu Golf Club and Omaha Beach Golf Club, both climbing 13 places following extensive redevelopments and course improvements. Mangawhai Golf Club also moved up six positions to rank 32nd. Conversely, Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary slipped one place to sixth, while The Hills Golf Club dropped two places to eighth as it prepares for a significant redevelopment.

The depth of quality across New Zealand’s courses is reflected in the narrow margins of the Top 40. Terrace Downs Resort, ranked 21st, received 26.86 points, while Wanaka Golf Club, ranked 40th, received 26.22 points—a difference of just 0.64 points.

Several prominent member-based clubs maintained positions 11 through 20 with little movement, including Millbrook Resort’s Coronet and Remarkables courses, Titirangi Golf Club, Royal Wellington Golf Club, and Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club. Meanwhile, highly regarded courses such as Ōhope International Golf Club, Poverty Bay Golf Club, and Invercargill Golf Club narrowly missed inclusion in the Top 40, while Tokarahi Golf Club and Mahia Golf Club received specific praise as outstanding nine-hole courses.

Evaluation Process and Criteria

The 2026 rankings were compiled from submissions by a 25-member panel representing more than 850 years of combined golfing experience. The panel consisted of PGA professionals, accomplished amateur golfers, course superintendents, golf industry professionals, and experienced club golfers from across New Zealand.

Panels evaluated courses across seven specific criteria, with each category carrying a maximum score of five points for a total possible score of 35 points per course:

• Risk and Reward: How well the course poses risks and rewards and equally tests length, accuracy, and finesse.
• Playability: How difficult, while still being fair, the course is for a scratch player from the back tees.
• Layout: How varied the golf course’s holes are in differing lengths, configurations, hazard placements, green shapes, and green contours.
• Design: How well the design features (tees, fairways, greens, hazards, vegetation, and terrain) provide individuality to each hole, yet a collective continuity to the entire 18.
• Scenic Values: How well the scenic values of the course (including landscaping, vegetation, water features, and backdrops) add to the pleasure of a round.
• Conditioning: The state of the tees, fairways, and greens on the day the panelist played the course.
• Ambience: How well the overall feel and atmosphere of the course reflects or upholds the traditional values of the game.

Beyond course architecture, panelists also highlighted club hospitality. Te Arai (specifically Ric’s place prior to the fire), Millbrook Resort, Mount Maunganui Golf Club, and Waipu Golf Club were singled out for their clubhouse experiences, food offerings, and welcoming atmospheres.

Coordinator’s Perspective

Andrew Whiley, an NZPGA Golf Professional and the Rankings Coordinator, noted that the release provides a direct opportunity to celebrate the broader community behind the sport.

“New Zealand is widely recognised as one of the world’s great golf destinations, and the release of the 2026 New Zealand Golf Rankings provides an opportunity to celebrate not only our finest courses but also the clubs and people that make the game so special here,” Whiley said.

Whiley extended a direct challenge to the golfing public for the upcoming year: “So, how many of New Zealand’s best courses have you played? For golfers, perhaps the challenge this year is simple: play more of New Zealand’s Top 40 courses. Seek out a hidden gem, explore a new region, and discover whether you agree with the rankings. While rankings provide a guide, the true beauty of golf in New Zealand lies in the unique blend of scenery, character, challenge, and hospitality found throughout the country.”

Official 2026 Leaderboard and Category Leaders

Top 40 Standings

1. Tara Iti — 33.13 (Same)

2. Te Arai Links South — 32.56 (Same)

3. Te Arai Links North — 31.08 (Same)

4. Jacks Point Golf Course — 31.02 (Same)

5. Cape Kidnappers Golf Course — 30.98 (Up 2)

6. Wairakei Golf + Sanctuary — 30.90 (Down 1)

7. Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club — 30.85 (Up 3)

8. The Hills — 30.81 (Down 2)

9. The Kinloch Club — 30.79 (Down 1)

10. Kauri Cliffs Golf Course — 30.59 (Down 1)

11. Millbrook Coronet — 29.23 (Same)

12. Titirangi Golf Club — 28.46 (Up 1)

13. Millbrook Remarkables — 28.35 (Down 1)

14. Royal Wellington Golf Club — 28.21 (Same)

15. Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club — 28.18 (Up 2)

16. Christchurch Golf Club — 27.81 (Down 1)

17. Tieke Golf Estate — 27.75 (Up 3)

18. Clearwater Golf Club — 27.55 (Down 2)

19. Muriwai Golf Club — 27.44 (Down 1)

20. Arrowtown Golf Club — 27.39 (Up 1)

21. Terrace Downs Golf Resort — 26.86 (Down 2)

22. Waipu Golf Club — 26.71 (Up 13)

23. Omaha Beach Golf Club — 26.62 (Up 13)

24. Windross Farm Golf Club — 26.60 (New)

25. Manawatu Golf Club — 26.56 (Up 3)

26. Hastings Golf Club — 26.54 (Down 4)

27. Hamilton Golf Club — 26.53 (Down 2)

28. Mount Maunganui Golf Club — 26.52 (Down 5)

29. Otago Golf Club — 26.50 (Down 5)

30. New Plymouth Golf Club — 26.49 (Up 2)

31. Queenstown Golf Club — 26.48 (Down 5)

32. Mangawhai Golf Club — 26.47 (Up 6)

33. Pegasus Golf Resort — 26.46 (Down 6)

34. Cromwell Golf Club — 26.41 (Down 5)

35. Dunedin Golf Club (Chisholm Links) — 26.40 (Down 1)

36. Harewood Golf Club — 26.39 (Down 6)

37. Wanganui Golf Club — 26.35 (Same)

38. Waverley Golf Club — 26.32 (Up 1)

39. Nelson Golf Club — 26.26 (New)

40. Wanaka Golf Club — 26.22 (Same)

Individual Category Top Performers

• Risk/Reward: Tara Iti (4.60), Te Arai Links South (4.49), Kinloch (4.49), Paraparaumu Beach (4.44), Jacks Point (4.41)
• Playability: Tara Iti (4.66), Te Arai Links South (4.55), Paraparaumu Beach (4.49), Te Arai Links North (4.42), Wairakei (4.41)
• Layout: Tara Iti (4.70), Te Arai Links South (4.64), Paraparaumu Beach (4.57), Kinloch (4.51), Te Arai Links North (4.46)
• Design: Tara Iti (4.87), Te Arai Links South (4.63), Paraparaumu Beach (4.57), Kinloch (4.56), Te Arai Links North (4.35)
• Scenic Values: Te Arai Links South (4.88), Tara Iti (4.80), Jacks Point (4.76), The Hills (4.67), Cape Kidnappers Golf Course (4.64)
• Conditioning: Tara Iti (4.78), Te Arai Links South (4.73), Te Arai Links North (4.69), The Hills (4.64), Wairakei (4.54)
• Ambience: Tara Iti (4.73), Te Arai Links South (4.65), Wairakei (4.54), Cape Kidnappers Golf Course (4.46), Kauri Cliffs Golf Course (4.45)

The 2026 Rankings Panel

The official panel for this edition included: Alan Rose, Barry Brown, Benn Ashford, Blair Dibley, Denise Langdon, Duncan Croudis, Grant Moorhead, Hamish Campbell, Hamish Robertson, Harry Bateman, Jamie Mclsaac, John Rowland, Kieran Muir, Leo Barber, Mackenzie Gibson, Michael Glading, Nigel Merrett, Patrick Moore, Phil Aicken, Phil Ellison, Sam Vincent, Simon Forshaw, Toland Henderson, Tony Houpt, and Willie Moore.

For further information regarding the statistics or criteria, details are available at golfrankings.co.nz.