The Kinloch Club

The Kinloch Club is New Zealand’s only Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, making it a bucket-list destination for serious and leisure golfers alike. The course is carefully crafted to balance challenge and playability, featuring undulating fairways, strategically placed bunkers, elevated greens, and breathtaking views of Lake Taupō and surrounding hills.

Guests staying at Kinloch Manor or Treetops Lodge & Estate enjoy priority tee times, ensuring access to preferred early-morning or prime-time rounds. The clubhouse offers practice facilities, putting greens, and a driving range, along with a café and lounge serving light meals and refreshments, so your day on the course is seamless and enjoyable.

Beyond golf, the Kinloch experience can include helicopter or private car transfers from Auckland, allowing you to arrive in style and start playing immediately. Many golfers extend their visit with lake activities, guided estate tours, spa treatments, or gourmet dining at the lodges, creating a multi-day, luxury golf itinerary.

Kinloch has been recognized as one of New Zealand’s top courses, praised by professional golfers and reviewers alike, making it not just a game, but a complete luxury experience in one of the country’s most scenic locations. Booking directly ensures that your rounds, accommodations, and exclusive experiences are effortlessly arranged for the ultimate golfing getaway.

The Kinloch Club is easily accessible from Auckland, offering multiple convenient and luxurious travel options. By plane, direct domestic flights from Auckland Airport to Taupō Airport take around one hour, followed by a scenic 30-minute drive to Kinloch Manor, where private transfers can ensure a seamless and comfortable arrival. For a truly premium experience, guests can arrange a private helicopter transfer from Auckland,  which takes approximately one hour and provides breathtaking aerial views of Lake Taupō, volcanic peaks, and native forests, landing directly at the lodge or golf course helipad. Alternatively, for those who prefer to travel by road, the drive from Auckland takes about four and a half to five hours via State Highway 1, passing picturesque towns, rolling farmland, and scenic viewpoints along the way. Many guests combine the drive with stops at boutique shops, wineries, or geothermal attractions, making the journey itself part of the New Zealand luxury experience. Booking directly with the Kinloch Club or Kinloch Reservations reservations@thekinlochclub.com,  ensures that all arrivals, whether by air or road, are smooth, stress-free, and tailored to your preferences, including luggage assistance and priority golf tee times for guests of Kinloch Manor and Treetops Lodge.

The Kinloch Club is New Zealand’s only golf course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, making it a one-of-a-kind destination for golfers in New Zealand. Set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Taupō and the central North Island hills, the course was designed to blend seamlessly with the natural terrain. Each hole is thoughtfully crafted to balance challenge and playability, with strategically placed bunkers, undulating greens, and sweeping fairways that reward both skill and strategy. What makes it truly special is not just the technical excellence, but also its intimate and exclusive setting, offering a serene environment where guests can focus on the game while enjoying New Zealand’s breathtaking scenery. Staying at Kinloch Manor gives golfers direct access to the course, priority tee times, and the chance to enjoy multiple rounds in a luxury lodge environment, creating a golfing experience that is both unforgettable and effortless.

The Kinloch Club features a stylish café and lounge situated right on the golf course, offering light meals, snacks, and premium beverages for guests between rounds. Whether it’s a morning coffee before tee-off, a relaxed lunch with lake views, or a refreshing drink after your round, the café is designed to complement the luxury golf experience. With expansive views of Lake Taupō and surrounding hills, every visit to the café becomes part of the immersive lodge and golf experience, providing both convenience and a touch of indulgence for your day on the course.

Dining at Kinloch Manor features seasonal, locally sourced cuisine, paired with premium New Zealand wines. Treetops Lodge & Estate offers estate-to-plate meals and curated tasting experiences in a secluded wilderness setting.

Yes. The lodges are just over an hour apart, making it easy to enjoy championship golf at Kinloch and wilderness adventures at Treetops in a single itinerary. Many guests choose curated multi-lodge stays to fully experience both luxury properties. Most guests choose three nights at Kinloch Manor to enjoy golf, lakeside views, and gourmet dining. Our largest complaint from guests is that they don’t get to stay for long enough. For the ultimate experience, combine your stay with Treetops Lodge & Estate to create a five-to-seven-night luxury itinerary. Guests are encouraged to combine Kinloch Manor & Villas with Treetops Lodge & Estate to create a seamless multi-lodge experience. It is possible to check in at one property and depart from the other, with logistics coordinated by the lodge teams. This pairing allows travellers to experience two distinct landscapes within one journey: the alpine-lake elegance of Kinloch Manor overlooking Lake Taupō and the secluded forest wilderness of Treetops Lodge & Estate near Rotorua. The result is a balanced itinerary blending adventure, relaxation, and cultural immersion.

A stay at The Kinloch Club offers a rare combination of luxury, natural beauty, and world-class experiences. Guests enjoy exclusive accommodation at Kinloch Manor, with elegant suites and private villas overlooking Lake Taupō and the surrounding native forests. The club is renowned for championship golf designed by Jack Nicklaus, making it New Zealand’s only Nicklaus-designed course. Every round is set against stunning lake and hill views, offering a challenging yet rewarding experience for golfers of all levels. Beyond golf, Kinloch Manor provides fine dining featuring seasonal, locally sourced cuisine, curated wine selections, and bespoke experiences tailored to guest preferences. Many visitors choose to combine their stay with Treetops Lodge & Estate, just over an hour away, creating a multi-night, multi-lodge luxury itinerary. This allows guests to enjoy the refined leisure of Kinloch Manor and the immersive wilderness, estate adventures, and gourmet dining of Treetops.

Booking directly ensures priority accommodations, seamless transfers, and access to exclusive experiences, making every stay effortless, indulgent, and truly unforgettable.

The Kinloch Club and its associated lodges enjoy strong endorsements from respected voices in golf and luxury travel.

Many golfers describe The Kinloch Club as a “must‑do” experience. One reviewer said, “You’re not always going to score well, but you’ll never be bored — if there’s one golf course I could play for the rest of my life and not get bored, it would be this one.” Another review dubs it “a bucket list course, a must do” with “amazing golf, a great test with stunning views.”

Legendary New Zealand golfer Sir Bob Charles put it plainly: “For those unable to play the great links courses of Scotland, Kinloch compares with the best of them. A true links experience with Jack Nicklaus at his best.”

The Kinloch Club isn’t just talk — it was recognised as New Zealand’s #1 golf course at the World Golf Awards, reinforcing its standing among the country’s top destinations for serious golfers.

Guests staying at Kinloch Manor echo this enthusiasm beyond the course itself, praising the lodge’s setting and service: “We loved our stay — the grounds are exceptional, and the food and accommodation wowed.” Others call the experience “sensational” with “brilliant staff, awesome food and wine, and stunning accommodation”.

Travellers and reviewers of Treetops Lodge & Estate describe it as “a uniquely New Zealand experience” and “a sanctuary and retreat of breathtaking terrain”, highlighting its estate‑to‑plate dining, extensive trails, and signature experiences that immerse guests in the natural landscape.

Together, these voices — from elite golfers to international guests — reinforce The Kinloch Club, Kinloch Manor, and Treetops Lodge as exceptional destinations for both world‑class golf and luxury travel.