Wairakei International
State Hwy 1, Taupo, New Zealand
The Course
Officially opened in 1970, the course lies on 450 acres of natural rolling countryside and
was designed to meet the rigorous design standards required for world class championship
competition.
The end result is a course that sprawls over the property using the natural contours to
the fullest. This coupled with 6429 metres and 108 well placed bunkers, has led to world
wide acclaim. In January 1996, US Golf Digest, rated Wairakei 17th best course outside the
USA. This plus featured publication in the World Atlas of Golf enhance its reputation but
it is the natural beauty and sheer experience of the property that makes Wairakei a must
for serious and casual golfers. Par 72 - Length 6429 metres
About Wairakei
Wairakei International was created with the magic combination of travelling golf architect
Commander John Harris, architect and tour player Michael Wolveridge and 5 time British
Open winner, Peter Thomson. Even though it was built back a little in time, the
championship tees stretch 6429 metres from tip to tip to stir up awe and appreciation for
this magnificent layout. Maybe it was the fact that the late Commander Harris, then
Britain's leading and most travelled golf architect, Englishman Wolveridge who was briefly
flourishing on the US Tour and the legendary Australian Peter Thomson, all shared an
affinity to British architecture that has resulted in a course so full of character and a
mixture of subtlety and high drama. It also showed that Peter Thomson had talent both as a
player and a golf course architect as this was his first ever involvement in the design of
a course and his record triumphs must have led to the championship trail prevalent through
the layout.