Nestled high atop the cliffs that line the east coast of New Zealand’s north island lies a course that is rich with dramatic scenery. Cape Kidnappers GC was inexplicably built on fingerlings of cliffs that jut out into Hawke’s Bay and perfectly frame golf holes as they run out and back from the tips of the cliffs. The aerial shots of the golf course are easily the most dramatic shots of a golf course that I’ve ever seen. I personally don’t travel with a drone so allow me to highlight some shots that others have taken.
Disclaimer: While I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with highlighting courses with aerial shots, I don’t personally love doing it as when you play a round of golf you never see the course from that angle. I rather take shots from the course as I play a round. I think it gives a more realistic feel for how a course looks and plays. That said, enjoy the above photos because they truly are quite stunning.
The course itself is beautiful but the design and architecture is heavily dependent on the fact that it is located on a very dramatic piece of land. I once heard a golfer mutter something about Pebble Beach wouldn’t be the course that it is if it weren’t built on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Well, the truth of the matter is that it is built there and that’s a detail that is permanently linked to Pebble Beach so that golfer’s point is quite irrelevant. That said, I kind of felt that way about Cape Kidnappers. The course itself is great. It’s perfectly manicured and receives very little play so it feels like you’re teeing it up at Augusta National right before The Masters. There’s not a single blade of grass out of place. But if this course wasn’t built on the cliffs that it is built on it definitely wouldn’t be the draw that it is. But it is built there so I guess I have nothing but admiration for it!
The course had a wide spectrum of holes. Some were inexplicably awesome, and a few were quite mundane. For the purposes of your reading enjoyment I’m going to focus on the holes that were really awesome (I’m so selfless!).
To begin, allow me to give a brief explanation of the course routing. The club house is located in the middle of the course and the holes seemingly make circular loops that send you inland and back to the ocean with a cadence that gives you a sneak peek of the ocean at least every four to five holes. The signature stretch of holes, those that are always shown in the aerial shots, are all on the back nine with the primary being holes being 12 to 16.
Okay, let’s get to a few of the cooler holes.
Hole 6 – Par 3 220 yards
If memory serves me correctly, this hole inspired my first “holy shit” moment on Cape Kidnappers. A dramatic par three that plays long and tough, the sixth hole is really the first hole where the scale of Cape Kidnappers comes fully into focus. Perched near a cliff, this hole gives you a breathtaking view of Hawke’s Bay and a glimpse of some of the cliffs yet to come. The tee ball will likely determine your fate here. A large and relatively inviting green awaits but be careful because there is still some break to be navigated when you get on the green. Don’t get distracted by the beauty that lurks to your left and focus on hitting a good shot so you can brag to your buddies that you carded a respectable number here.
Hole 12 – Par 4 454 yards
The twelfth hole is a long par four that luckily doesn’t play as long as you might think. Good tee shots are pumped up by a downhill sloping fairway that propels you towards the green. The shining star of this hole is the green and the view you get of it from the fairway. The visual perception of the hole is that anything long will be ejected off of a cliff and doomed for a watery grave below. Luckily for us that’s not actually the case. Tom Doak showcases another masterful element of design here as there is actually an entire tee box for the 13th waiting behind the 12th green.
Hole 13 – Par 3 122 yards
If you’ve ever read any of my posts you know that one thing is true. I love short par threes! LOVE THEM! Well here’s another great one and playing it made me so very happy. Measuring in at a shade over 120 yards this hole should be a short wedge for most people. There’s nothing overly spectacular about this hole. Its short and has a fun green complex. Enjoy the length, or lack thereof, as things are about to get long in a couple holes!
Hole 14 – Par 4 330 yards
Framed with a challenging tee shot over a massive drop between the fingerlings of the cliffs, the 13th is a short but not easy par 4. Putting your tee ball in the fairway should give you a simple wedge into the green. Be careful though as this green complex has a lot more slope than most on the course and is dotted with a very problematic bunker that is lurking to catch near-misses.
Hole 15 – Par 5 655 yards
At 655 yards, this par 5 named Pirate’s Plank definitely gives you all that you can handle. The hole itself is actually quite uneventful, if you keep it in the fairway. The fairway seems to run on forever and ever and slightly tapers the closer you get to the hole. Beware the left and right boundaries though as wayward shots will be sent tumbling down 1,500 yards to the ocean below. Hitting three straight shots will make this a surprisingly easy hole. Hitting anything errant will at least give you a fun story to tell your friends.
Hole 16 – Par 5 495 yards
The last of the great fingerling holes, the sixteenth sets you off on a journey to the tip of the cliff to find the tee box. Golfers that are brave enough to play the tips are rewarded with a world-class view (as exhibited below). The hole is a fun par 5 the plays back up a hill into an elevated green. Birdie is no easy task here but is a great reprieve given that the 17th and 18th holes are long challenging par fours.
Note: Yardage listed above is from the Championship tees.
Grades (where 1 is significantly below average and 5 is significantly above)
Scenery: 5 stars
Design: 5 stars
Condition: 5 stars
History: 2 stars
Practice Facilities: 5 stars
Experience: 4 stars
Click here for a more detailed breakdown of how I think about course ratings.
Closing thoughts: If you’re a golf junkie and you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, Cape Kidnappers is pretty much a must on your list of courses to play. It’s definitely not cheap but at the end of your round, you will look back and think fondly of Cape Kidnappers and the dramatic views that you got to experience. I don’t have much negative to say about the course rather I found the experience to be great but sterile. The staff was always welcoming and accommodating but it felt a little transactional. It may be an unfair comparison point but Tara Iti was off the charts in the totality of the experience and Cape Kidnappers doesn’t quite measure up to that. At the end of the day though, this course will likely live on as one of the most dramatically stunning courses that you’ll see.
