A New Era for Kauri Cliffs: World-Ranked Gem Embraces Bermuda Grass for a Sustainable Future

Perched on the dramatic headlands of New Zealand’s Northland, with the Pacific Ocean crashing against the cliffs below, Kauri Cliffs is more than a golf course; it is a monument to natural beauty and architectural ambition. Since its debut in 1999, the David Harman-designed masterpiece has consistently ranked among the world’s top 100 courses, captivating golfers with its breathtaking vistas and challenging layout. 

Yet, for all its grandeur, the course has faced a persistent, growing challenge: a changing climate that has made its original bentgrass fairways increasingly impractical. This year, in a decisive move that marries environmental responsibility with a commitment to world-class conditioning, Kauri Cliffs is embarking on a landmark project to re-lay all its fairways with drought-tolerant Transcontinental Bermuda grass, closing for ten weeks to usher in a new, more resilient chapter.

The decision, under the direction of Course Manager Andy Wood, is not taken lightly. The course will close its gates in early October, a strategic timing that targets the shoulder season to minimize disruption. The grand reopening is set for December 10, perfectly aligned with the onset of the Southern Hemisphere's high summer season. This closure marks the most significant agronomic undertaking since the course first opened, a necessary evolution driven by two decades of observable environmental shift.

"The simple fact is that our winters are becoming much drier," Wood explains. The bentgrass fairways, a classic cool-season grass, have struggled under the new climatic reality. From an agronomic and environmental standpoint, maintaining their health and lush appearance through the warm, dry summer months required an unsustainable amount of water and intensive care. 

"While Kauri is among the most beautiful courses in the world, our bentgrass fairways never looked or played their best in high season—our summer months of November, December, January, February, and March," Wood admits. "With those months getting warmer and warmer, the move to Bermuda grass is something of a no-brainer."

The choice of Transcontinental Bermuda grass is a calculated one. Modern hybrid Bermuda strains are a far cry from the coarse, invasive varieties of the past. They offer a fine texture, dense turf, and exceptional tolerance for heat and drought. For Kauri Cliffs, this translates into a triple win: a significant reduction in water usage, a harderier playing surface that can thrive in the summer sun, and, ultimately, a superior experience for the golfer.

 

"We take our environmental stewardship very seriously here," Wood states. "Switching over to Bermuda will require far less water. It’s the responsible choice—and the truth is, Kauri will look and play better during those months when everyone’s flying halfway across the world to play it."

This fairway project is the final piece of a comprehensive regrassing strategy. In 2022, during the challenges of the Covid era, Wood oversaw the renovation of the course's tees and greens. The greens, in particular, received a major upgrade, with the 25-year-old bentgrass surfaces being replaced with a state-of-the-art, drought-tolerant strain called Pure Distinction bentgrass. 

This choice highlights a key nuance in course management: while fairways are large expanses best suited to a grass that thrives in the heat, greens require a different standard. The sophisticated Pure Distinction bentgrass provides the smooth, firm, and consistent putting surfaces that modern golfers expect, while still offering improved sustainability over its predecessor. The result, as Wood proudly notes, is that regular guests now proclaim Kauri Cliffs has "the best greens in the country."

The story of sustainable excellence within the Kauri Cliffs portfolio does not exist in isolation. Its sister course, Cape Kidnappers, located 500 kilometers south in the Hawke’s Bay region, provides a fascinating counterpoint. Though both are world-class Tom Doak-designed courses (Doak redesigned Harman's original greens at Kauri Cliffs early on) on New Zealand’s North Island, they exist in completely different microclimates. Hawke’s Bay is notably drier and cooler, creating conditions that remain perfect for all strains of bentgrass.

In 2022, Cape Kidnappers’ Course Manager, Brad Sim, also undertook a comprehensive regrassing project. However, his approach was tailored to his course's specific needs. Working directly with Tom Doak and shaper Angela Moser, Sim didn’t just regrass the greens; he led a complete reconstruction. 

"We rebuilt the putting surfaces from 10 inches down and Angela put the contours back exactly as they’d been before," Sim reports. This painstaking process was about more than solving a thatch problem; it was about architectural preservation and enhancement. "It restored the bounce and roll that Doak had in mind when he first built this place 20 years ago."

Sim’s work also extended beyond the grass. The project included strategic tree clearing, a practice he is determined to continue. "This is an incredibly diverse and lush ecosystem," he says. "Between Cape and Kauri, I doubt there are two resorts in the world that take environmental protections more seriously than we do. Yet we’re also determined to protect our vistas and the original course designs here. It’s a balance."

This balance is the unifying philosophy. At Kauri Cliffs, balance means adapting the canvas—the fairways—to ensure the painting remains vibrant under a warmer sun. At Cape Kidnappers, it means meticulously restoring the original details of the masterpiece. Both courses are managed with a profound respect for their unique environments and a unwavering focus on the golfer’s experience.

When Kauri Cliffs reopens in December, golfers will be greeted by a course that honors its original dramatic character while embracing a more sustainable and practical future. The new Transcontinental Bermuda fairways will provide a lush, firm, and fast-playing surface throughout the prized summer months, ensuring that the course's conditioning finally matches its unparalleled scenery. 

It is a testament to a modern approach to golf course management, where environmental responsibility and world-class playability are not mutually exclusive, but intrinsically linked. For the golfers who make the pilgrimage to this corner of the world, the result will be simple: the same breathtaking Kauri Cliffs, now perfected for the climate of tomorrow.