Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club

The merging of New Zealand’s neighbouring Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club's was formalised in 2015, when members of the two clubs voted to join forces and consolidate their courses into one new 27-hole Nicklaus Design facility. 

The 27 holes at Royal Auckland and Grange are spread almost equally across the two founding club properties, with the nines known as Grange, Tamaki and Middlemore. The Middlemore holes include the area closest to the former Royal Auckland clubhouse, and feature several holes that essentially occupy the same land as that club’s original layout. The par three 2nd at the old clubhouse is an early standout, as are the longer back-and-forth 4th and 5th holes.

The first holes completed on the redevelopment were those on the Grange side of a river that previously separated the two clubs. The most notable are those closest to the river, which tend to occupy tight playing corridors with sharply contoured greens, or a series of longer holes nearer the old Grange clubhouse zone. Both Grange 7 and Grange 8 are strong holes that have interesting design features, while short fours and awkward fives are prominent elsewhere at the likes of Grange 2 and Tamaki 1, 2 and 3.

Perhaps the most memorable holes on the Grange property, however, are Grange 6, which has a little Pasatiempo 11 for the manner in which the uphill approach crosses a diagonal hazard into a leaning green, and the adjacent Grange 9 and Tamaki 5 holes, which share a central lake and seem to lean toward each others greens. The par three Tamaki 6 is also notable for the attractive bunkering and cross river tee shot.