Since its opening in 2004, Cape Kidnappers has become the poster child for New Zealand golf. Financed by American hedge fund legend Julian Robertson and designed by minimalist architect Tom Doak, the course is an engineering and routing marvel. Situated on a 6,000-acre sheep station, the course is perched on sandstone peninsulas ("fingers") that jut out into the Pacific Ocean, 140 meters above the sea.
Doak's design is noted for its restraint. Rather than moving millions of cubic meters of earth, he routed the holes along the natural landforms, creating a sequence where holes play out to the edge of the cliffs and then back inland. The visual drama is unmatched, but the architectural merit lies in the wide fairways and complex green complexes that allow playability in high winds.
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