The number one participation sport across New Zealand is one many might not suspect. It’s not rugby or cricket, it’s actually golf! Golf is incredibly popular throughout the country as it has the second most courses per capita in the world behind Scotland.
The influx of Australian tourists to the country’s iconic courses, like Tara Iti, has helped to support the country’s golfing infrastructure. There have been other drivers of success, including inspiring heroes of the sport and a new tournament with a global approach.
Australian Tourism
New Zealand hosts some of the most impressive golf courses in the world with seven in Golf Digest’s Top 100, including Tara Iti Golf Club which ranked seventh overall. The country’s incredible landscape, which includes seascapes and mountain ranges, makes for amazing golfing backdrops.
Tara Iti boasts some of the best views of any golf course in the world with rolling sand dunes and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf in the distance. It has long been a popular destination with golf tourists across the globe, especially those from Australia.
Tourists are attracted to other courses throughout the country, including Tara Iti’s sister courses the Te Arai Links, which both are in the top 100 globally. The courses overlook white sand beaches and lush forests and welcome thousands of tourists from across the globe yearly. These courses have proved especially popular with Aussie golfers who only need to take a short flight to play some of the world’s most spectacular holes.
The large numbers of tourists who descend on New Zealand’s golf courses every year help to support golfing infrastructure within the country. They represent an increase in golfing demand, which must be met with an increasing number of courses — contributing to the country’s position as having the second most courses per capita. A greater number of courses makes the sport accessible to a wider audience across the country.
A boom in golfing numbers was also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when golf was one of the only sports that was possible to play. While many feared this interest would fall off after the pandemic, the sport’s popularity has shown no sign of slowing down and Aussie tourists continue to flock to the country’s impressive courses.
Sharing cutting-edge designs
Some of the most iconic and oldest golf courses in New Zealand share influences and features with courses from Australia. One of golf’s most famous early architects, Alister Mackenzie, designed courses in both countries.
In Auckland, he was responsible for designing the Titirangi Gold Club during his visit to New Zealand in 1927, and in Melbourne, he designed the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1926. Both designs are testaments to Mackenzie’s belief that courses should work with the natural surroundings, including New Zealand’s volcanic formations, and utilise the environment to create challenging holes.
Another of the sport’s most renowned designers, Tom Doak, is responsible for some of the country’s top courses, including the Te Arai Links North Course and Cape Kidnappers. Cape Kidnappers is one of the most iconic courses in the world with its unique features like the ‘dragon back’ ridges and deep cliff top bunkers. It has also hosted the PGA Tour’s Kiwi challenge. These courses represent a unique experience which golfers from around the world travel to experience, while residents want to make the best use of them.
More women in golf
Many Australasian clubs have reported a growth in the popularity of the sport among women. The rise of female heroes of the sport hailing from Australasia is one of the reasons behind this increase. New Zealand is home to the youngest player to win a global golfing tournament, Lydia Ko, who won the NSW Open at 14. Ko followed up her success by winning the 2012 CPKC Women’s tournament at 15 and became the first amateur to win since 1967. Ko has continued her incredible achievements by winning her first major at the 2015 Amundi Evian Championship and gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In Australia, Karrie Webb serves as a similar inspiration with more wins on the LPGA tour than any other active player. Webb also has seven major championship wins including two US Women’s Opens. In 2022, she was inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame. Webb serves as inspiration for countless players around the world, including Australia’s Hannah Green who is currently ranked fifth best in the world.
Projects such as She Loves Golf have looked to capitalise on the greater attention given to women in golf. Their aim is to introduce the benefits of golf, including being out in nature, socialising and exercising, to this overlooked demographic. Their research found that the average female golf player was at least five years older than their male counterparts. Through organised tournaments and taster days, She Loves Golf has been able to introduce new female players to the sport with a focus on young girls within the sport.
Going major?
All four majors in golf are currently held within the Northern hemisphere, as three are in the USA and the British Open is in the UK. After the inclusion of golf in the 2016 Rio Olympics and with many of the top golfers being from outside of the UK and USA, there has been renewed interest in further championships being held within Australasia.
Aussie professional golfer and 2006 US Open Winner Geoff Ogilvy recently spoke in favour of bringing back the PGA-backed World Championships. The World Championships, which stopped in 2023, had smaller tournaments that took place in countries like Japan and Australia. While it’s unlikely we’ll see a major tournament taking place anywhere within Australasia any time soon, we could see a greater number of tournaments with the potential return of the World Championships.
The biggest championships currently held on the continent are the New Zealand Open and the PGA Tour of Australasia. Despite not having major status, the NZ Open is one of the most historical events within golf. It was founded in 1907 and has involved some of the biggest names in the sport, including Tiger Woods, Bobby Locke and Payne Stewart.
The NZ Open is a great way for golf fans to familiarise themselves with some of the top up and coming talent. Many have hailed the event as a signifier of future success as 14 winners have gone on to be successful in major tournaments. For golf fans across New Zealand looking to enhance their experience while watching the NZ Open, online betting adds an exciting dimension. To get the best odds and reliable betting options, many turn to trusted local sites like BetKiwi. By comparing sports betting operators using factors like odds, user experience and bonuses, comparison sites such as BetKiwi can determine the top golf betting offers.
The Impact of the LIV golf league
The LIV golf league has been transformational for the area by introducing players to new courses across the world. The format has 54 players in 13 teams competing across 14 events. Unlike other formats, groups are constantly playing, teeing off at the same time across all holes. While the top player wins overall, each player’s score counts towards the team’s standing, which gives more players the opportunity to make a difference. The innovative format has proved popular across the globe and had a crowd of over 100,000 when the tournament came to Adelaide, Australia in 2025.
With the championship secured in Adelaide until 2031, golf’s Kiwi counterparts could be looking to capitalise on the success. The managing director of LIV golf, Nick Haslam, reportedly visited New Zealand in 2024 to mark out any potential venues. There are several courses which would fit with the format, including Clearwater in Christchurch where club manager Mike Hadley confirmed an LIV visit. It seems the popularity of the sport throughout the Australasia continent could certainly support another LIV tournament.
A joint golfing future
The popularity of golf is linked across New Zealand and Australia. The countries share many golfing influences, ranging from golfing icons to iconic courses. While it can certainly be said that the increasing popularity of golf across New Zealand has been influenced by the tourism of Aussie players, other factors have contributed as well.
New Zealand has some of the most iconic courses in the world, including Tara Iti, which players from around the world flock to experience. The popularity of NZ’s courses has supported the expansion of further infrastructure within the country.
In the future, we could see the popularity of the sport follow a similar path to that in Australia, which was highlighted by packed crowds at the LIV Adelaide tournament. The future of golf ultimately seems to lay within a more global approach, and it seems Australia and New Zealand are in prime positions to capitalise.
