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Wairakei International Golf Course, now operating as Wairakei Golf & Sanctuary, is an 18-hole golf course near Taupō in New Zealand's Waikato region. Its design team comprised Commander John Harris, Michael Wolveridge and five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson. The championship layout measures 6,460 metres and incorporates more than 100 bunkers.
The course occupies part of a 180-hectare property that also functions as a wildlife sanctuary. A 5.5-kilometre perimeter fence, approximately two metres high, was constructed to exclude introduced predators and protect native wildlife. The sanctuary also includes a kiwi egg incubation facility.
The course is an 18-hole resort golf course. The course was designed by John Harris and Michael Wolveridge and Peter Thomson. It is open to the public. On-site facilities include Café.
The development of Wairakei brought an ambitious international golf project to the Taupō region. Commander John Harris was entrusted with the design and worked with Michael Wolveridge and Peter Thomson. Their collaboration produced a course intended to make substantial use of the natural contours of the property.
The project became associated with the early development of internationally recognised championship golf in New Zealand.
The design team used the natural topography to create an 18-hole course measuring 6,460 metres from the championship tees. More than 100 bunkers form part of the layout. The club's official hole descriptions identify streams, ponds, tiered greens and changes in elevation as strategic elements.
The opening hole, Wairakei, is a par five with a stream and pond near the tee and bunkers influencing the second shot. The second hole, Awaawa, is a par three with a long, two-tiered green.
A major later development was the creation of the wildlife sanctuary. The club attributes the conservation initiative to owner Gary Lane's interest in protecting native flora and fauna. After investigating methods of controlling introduced predators, the property installed a 5.5-kilometre perimeter fence approximately two metres high.
The barrier was designed to prevent predators from climbing over or burrowing underneath. The sanctuary now encompasses 180 hectares and includes a kiwi incubation facility.
Wairakei's official history describes the original course as one of New Zealand's first internationally acclaimed golf developments. Its reputation is associated with the combined work of Harris, Wolveridge and Thomson and the scale of the original championship layout.
Wairakei operates as both a golf course and a wildlife sanctuary. The property maintains its 18-hole championship course while supporting native wildlife conservation and kiwi breeding activities.
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| Fee Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| including cart share | NZD 235 | — |
| Rates & Reservations | NZD 75 | 18 holes |
Prices are indicative and subject to change. Contact the course to confirm current rates.
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