Many New Zealand golf courses have graced the World’s Top 100 Course rankings, including Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers. But the longest-running distinction belongs to Paraparaumu Beach Links on the North Island.
Located on the Kapiti Coast, just 40 miles north of the capital Wellington, the Alex Russell-designed layout of Paraparaumu was the No. 1 Course in New Zealand for decades after its opening in 1949 and has continued to hold its position as one of the greatest courses in New Zealand.
Russell, a former professional and winner of the Australian Open, learned golf architecture from the man himself, Dr. Alister Mackenzie, with whom he was a partner. At Paraparaumu, he designed an enjoyable course for amateurs and challenging for professionals. It has also hosted the New Zealand Open twelve times, starting in 1959, becoming one of the best golf courses in the world.
While the Paraparaumu course is a hotspot for golf lovers, the sunny coastal town is also a great stop on any New Zealand golf trip, offering gourmet food, shopping, and sandy beaches.
Combine the finest golf across New Zealand with some of the most picturesque and stunning scenery on North and South Island. New Zealand is a land of wonder, and you will experience otherworldly vistas on and off the golf course.
10 nights accommodation and 7 rounds of golf
Prices starting from $14,145
Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club is unlike almost anywhere else you’ll play in New Zealand golf. Often described as the spiritual home of the game in this country, the club carries a legendary championship pedigree while remaining refreshingly unpretentious: a place where the golf does the talking and the welcome is genuinely warm.
The club is deeply woven into the fabric of the local community, operating as much as a social hub as a sporting institution. It is also the course where a young Steve Williams, later Tiger Woods’ caddie for 13 major-winning years, first picked up a bag as a child and fell in love with the game.
While not hard on the sea, like Royal Lytham & St Annes, it still exhibits all the characteristics and turf of a true links across its natural undulating dune land. It is known for having no weak holes and like the better links courses, it comes alive in a fresh breeze. There is no shortage of wind as the location on the Cook Strait ensures the breeze is up most days and Wellington is known as being the world’s ‘windiest city.’
Along with New Zealand Open’s, it was the host venue to a classic Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf in 1962 with New Zealand’s best-known ‘leftie’ & major winner, Bob Charles, and American Bob Goalby.
Often referred to as ‘Golf at its Purest,’ perhaps Australian Peter Thomson, a 5-time winner of The Open Championship summed it up the best, “…What was left after his (Russell) departure was a gem of enjoyment, a monument to the game and a gift to the future.”
The capital city of Wellington, while small in area, is large on enjoyment with a lively nightlife scene, excellent restaurants, and commanding views from the numerous hills out to sea. Be sure and take the iconic red cable car up to the Botanical Gardens.
The 18-hole championship layout at Paraparaumu is widely considered one of the finest links-style New Zealand golf courses. The course measures around 6,600 yards with a par of 71, and was designed in 1949 by Alex Russell, former Australian Open champion and one-time design partner of the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie.
Russell’s genius was in leaving the land largely as he found it. The course sits on a canvas of prehistoric sand dunes, and rather than taming them, Russell routed the fairways directly across the undulating terrain to create a naturally bumpy, endlessly interesting test. The layout follows an unconventional three-tier loop: the opening six holes cut through the interior dunes, holes 7 to 14 make a sweeping circuit around the boundary of the property, and the final four run back through the centre towards the clubhouse. Paraparaumu is one of several courses that feature on New Zealand’s golf bucket list, and it more than holds its own in that company.
Boasting stunning waterfront views, InterContinental Wellington is five-star hotel in New Zealand’s capital. Centrally located in Wellington near premier arts, shopping, and culinary destinations, the hotel is a tranquil respite from the vibrant city below. Enjoy exceptional international dining at GPO or an elevated coffee at Two Grey, escape to award-winning Club InterContinental lounge, and unwind in a serene contemporary guest rooms and suites.
Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club sits on the Kāpiti Coast of New Zealand’s North Island. The nearest major airport is Wellington International Airport, approximately 45 to 50 minutes to the south. The most flexible way to travel is by hire car via State Highway 1, though the Capital Connection coastal train line offers a scenic alternative for those coming from the capital.
Paraparaumu operates on a semi-private model and is open to visitors seven days a week. Green fees for international visitors are around $160. Tee times can be booked in advance online or directly with the club. The clubhouse operates a smart casual dress code, while the course itself requires traditional golf attire: collared shirts, tailored trousers or shorts, golf shoes with soft spikes or spikeless soles, and shirts tucked in at the waistband.
Paraparaumu sits within easy reach of several excellent courses that complement it perfectly on a wider New Zealand golf packages itinerary. For a deeper look at how to plan a North Island trip, our piece on North vs South Island golf is well worth a read before you book.
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Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club; Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, 376 Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu Beach 5032, New Zealand
Founded 1949
Traditional members’ links with visitor play; open much of the year with daily tee times, subject to competitions.
Championship Course – 18 holes, par 71; classic links by Alex Russell (associate of Alister MacKenzie) laid over sandy dunes just north of Wellington.
Clubhouse with bar and catering, practice range and putting green; nearby town accommodation for visiting golfers.
Widely considered New Zealand’s finest pure links; has hosted multiple New Zealand Opens and is often compared to the best links courses in the UK and Ireland.
Local Wellington region courses and can be included in North Island links itineraries.
