Like Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers plays above the ocean, atop dramatic cliffs. But unlike Kauri Cliffs, where the shape of the land dictates play along the shoreline, this course runs to and from the edge. Cape Kidnappers is built on a ridge-and-valley landscape with spectacular sea views.
The par-3 sixth, for example, is 206 metres long from the back tee. If you pull your tee shot way left, forget it. If you pull your tee shot only slightly left you have a good chance of ending up in one of four bunkers. Better to push it right where there are only two bunkers. It takes only one sand trap to slow you down, but, that said, the sixth hole at Cape Kidnappers is one of the great golf holes of the world. Its location, design, and degree of difficulty make it so.
From the back tees Cape Kidnappers is a par-71, 6400 metre long drive contest. Playing the back tees is advised only for players with single-figure handicaps who are also long and straight off the tee. If that's not you, save yourself a fight and play from one of the other four tee boxes, as this is one of the most spectacular and challenging golf courses in New Zealand, no matter what tees you play from.
The par-5 15th is a 585-metre shoestring straight out to the cliff face. Because the course is designed with the prevailing winds taken into account, it's not so much a sea breeze that factors into your approach here as it is being long and straight and staying away from a 120-metre drop on the left.
The Director of Golf says, 'Cape Kidnappers is a subtle design on a dramatic sight that justifies the effort to get here. The fairways are generous, though they look smaller than they really are because the scale of the property is enormous. But the bunkers are severe and the greens complex.'
Contact us now to build Cape Kidnappers into your New Zealand tour.
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