Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
Cape Kidnappers
Six finger-shaped fairways jutting 700 feet above the Pacific. Tom Doak's most photographed design — and arguably his best.
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- Courses
- 1 (18 holes)
- Tournaments
- —
- Green fee
- From $540
- Stay & play
- From $2,900
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Walking
- Allowed
- Caddies
- Available
- Dress code
- Smart casual; collared shirt
The most dramatic course in golf
Cape Kidnappers is built on a series of finger-like ridges that drop 700 feet straight to the Pacific on three sides. There are courses with more famous holes (Pebble's 7th, Augusta's 12th), but for sheer continuous drama from tee 1 to green 18, nothing in the world matches it.
Tom Doak's 2004 design uses the topography sparingly — most fairways are wide and most greens are open in front, in keeping with the Doak philosophy of strategic rather than penal architecture. The drama comes from the edges: holes 13, 14 and 15 in particular run along ridge-tops where a slightly pulled approach simply disappears into the ocean.
What to expect
The resort is intimate. There are 22 lodge rooms and a small cluster of villas; total occupancy is under 100 guests. This is not a Pebble Beach where you can buy a tee time and go home — Cape Kidnappers operates more like a destination lodge, with stay-and-play packages that include all meals and one round per day from approximately USD 2,900 per night.
Practicalities
New Zealand's seasons are flipped from the Northern Hemisphere — November through March is summer and the peak window. The resort is a 30-minute drive from Hawke's Bay (HLZ) airport, which connects through Auckland. Combine with Tara Iti (Doak's other New Zealand course, just outside Auckland) for one of the best golf trips on earth.
