Cape Kidnappers

The videos of Cape Kidnappers—showing holes perched on narrow fingers of land with sheer drops toward the Pacific—had Mrs W deeply concerned. 

Suffering from an extreme fear of heights, she worried she might succumb to a panic attack playing so close to the cliff edge.

In truth, those images are both a blessing and a curse for the course’s promoters; while they attract players from across the world, they fail to show that the fairways are far wider than they appear.

There is, quite frankly, no danger of a slippery demise into the ocean.

That is not to say the course lacks the ‘wow’ factor. The vistas are spellbinding, but the best photos can be captured from perfectly firm footing.

Beyond the headline-grabbing coastal holes, this club has a wealth of other charms. 

After a short drive from our accommodation in Napier, we arrived at an unobtrusive sign.

Upon pressing the intercom for the pro shop, we were greeted with a cheery: “I’ll open the gate; see you in 15 minutes.”

This was no exaggeration. The entire estate, encompassing a working farm, a luxury lodge, and a world-class golf course, spans 6,000 acres. 

It is also a bird-spotter’s paradise. Between 20,000 and 25,000 Australasian gannets nest here annually from September to May.

The sanctuary is home to 600 Eastern brown kiwi and a smaller population of little spotted kiwi.

Red-crowned parakeets flit through the woods, alongside takahē, North Island robins (toutouwai), whiteheads (pōpokotea), and New Zealand pigeons (kererū)

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Little blue penguins nest around the cape, while New Zealand dotterels, variable oystercatchers, and Caspian terns patrol the shoreline.

I digress. While there were plenty of "birdies" around the course, I missed several chances to add any to my scorecard.

Cape Kidnappers, like many New Zealand courses, is wonderfully understated. 

After the drive up the long, winding access road, we were welcomed like old friends and assigned a buggy (compulsory). 

The clubhouse is small but exquisite, with every detail considered. Having arrived too late for a sit-down breakfast and warm-up on the range, the staff kindly packed our meals for us to enjoy during the round. 

The practice range boasts a fantastic ocean backdrop, while the putting green provides a clear warning of the challenges ahead.

We reached the first tee five minutes early to find the course empty both ahead and behind.

Our round flowed beautifully, taking just three hours and 45 minutes. We never felt rushed, allowing ample time for photographs and the occasional search for a misfired ball.

The opening hole differed from the videos: a dogleg par-four with an undulating fairway leading to a green tucked behind a menacing bunker. 

Those attempting to cut the corner will find themselves buried in thick bush.

The second, a par-five typical of Tom Doak’s design, requires a long carry to a generously wide fairway.

The par-threes are sublime and varied, though they proved my undoing on a day when I was otherwise striking the ball well. 

The third, for instance, plays to a plateau green guarded by pot bunkers. I found the surface but struggled with the lightning-fast pace and ended up with a four. 

Daunted by the deep gully fronting the green at the gorgeous par-three sixth—the first of the acclaimed cliffside holes—I took an extra club.

The ball trundled past the target, leaving a treacherous pitch back toward the flag.

On the downhill, dogleg seventh, I fluffed a chip from the fringe, then promptly lost my ball on the par-three eighth.

My error was failing to consult the stroke saver, which advises an extra club for this uphill shot over a chasm of dense foliage. No prizes for guessing where my ball ended up.

The course condition is outstanding. The fairways are tight, the greens pristine, and the run-offs are lethal. 

Many holes, including the ninth, play tricks on the mind. From the tee, it appears to require a massive carry over gorse; in reality, the hazard is much closer than it seems and is easily cleared.

The bunkers flanking the green are the far more likely ball-snafflers.

Though there is an option to stop at the clubhouse for lunch at the halfway point, we had barely finished our excellent breakfast wraps, so we pushed on. 

This did my game no harm; I smashed a three-wood onto the green at the long par-four tenth, only to inevitably three-putt.

However, securing three Stableford points on the 12th—with its fabulous ocean backdrop and infinity green—was immensely satisfying.

Then, the wheels came off.

The short 13th runs parallel to the sea and should be a cinch. Yet, I can attest that a slight pull will find one of the four bunkers designed to catch balls that would otherwise plummet vertically down onto the rocks. 

The 14th, known as "Pimple," burst my bubble further. This short, bending par-four tempts big hitters, but the overly ambitious will find only gnarly rough.

The par-five 15th is the star of the show, featuring a 140-metre drop to the left and a 20-metre fall to the right.

Despite its fearsome reputation, the fairway is much wider than it appears on YouTube.

This "Stroke Index 1" hole is actually one of the best scoring opportunities on the course.

The 16th offers exhilarating elevation from the tee and countless photo opportunities. Inspired by the views, I drove down the middle and reached the green in regulation, only to narrowly miss the birdie putt. 

My final chance for a champagne moment came at the 18th, where I hoped my approach would catch the back of the punchbowl green and funnel toward the pin. Alas, it hopped through by a few feet.

Nevertheless, Cape Kidnappers delivered a fantastic experience. It wasn’t quite the white-knuckle ride we had anticipated, but it was an awesome day nonetheless. 

Our only complaint? It took another 15 minutes to drive back out of the property.

There is certainly enough room for Tom Doak to return and build a second 18.