Rory McIlroy planning mates golf trip in NZ

By Cameron McMillan

Four-time men’s golf major winner Rory McIlroy is planning to spend part of his off season in New Zealand, playing the best courses Aotearoa has to offer.

The world No 3 has a busy schedule with about30 events this season across the US, Europe and Asia. But he’s set to make the long trip south to play more golf with friends in December.

“I’ve still got things going on,” he told the Scotsman about his plans for the rest of 2024 after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship tournament finished at St Andrews on Monday.

“I’m going to New Zealand for a golf trip in December, too. So it’s time off, but I’m still keeping busy. It’ll be nice to have some time to do the things I’m interested in.”

The Northern Irishman said: “I want to go down there and play Tara Iti and Te Arai. I have a friend that has a house down there. A group of us are going down for five days. I played there in the Bonallack Trophy in 2006. But I haven’t been back since.”

McIlroy was part of the European team that beat the Asia-Pacific team to win the Bonallack Trophy event at Auckland Golf Club 18 years ago. He’d previously mentioned to fellow pro Ryan Fox about his desire to return.

It’s been a turbulent year for McIlroy. He filed for divorce from his wife, Erica, on May 13, the day after winning the Wells Fargo Championship for the fourth time and only three days before the start of the US PGA Championship. The pair have since reconciled. On the course, he gave up the lead late at the US Open, finishing second behind Bryson DeChambeau, in his quest for a fifth major and first since 2014.

A lads week of golf seems like the ideal tonic at one of the most picturesque golf settings around at renowned Tara Iti and Te Arai Links courses near Mangawhai.

Tara Iti is ranked No 2 in the world by Golf Digest magazine. Te Arai Links South Course opened in 2022, followed by the opening of the North Course last year, with both courses being highly praised. The Top 100 website rates Tara Iti, Te Arai Links North and Te Arai Links South as the top three courses in New Zealand.

Tara Iti is an exclusive members course, while Te Arai Links is open to the public.

During the first round of the DP World Tour’s finale in Dubai two years ago, McIlroy told Fox about his desire to come Downunder.

Fox has the Te Arai Links logo emblazoned on his golf bag and is a member of the club, which features the North and South courses, practice facilities and one of the largest putting greens in the world dubbed The Playground, all boasting views out to Little Barrier and Mokohinau islands.

“He’s really keen to come down and play at some point. He’s got a pretty busy schedule, so might not find the time for a while. But he’s pretty keen to get down to our end of the world and play some golf courses, which is cool,” Fox told the Herald at the time.

“Te Arai Links is quite a bit newer so he had not heard much about it, but he definitely knew all about Tara Iti. He has spoken to Ric Kayne (the American billionaire behind the world-renowned courses) quite a few times about it and I know Ric’s pretty keen to get him down at some stage. Deep down Rory is one of those guys who loves golf courses. So I think at some stage if he gets a chance, he’d love to come down and play and get the whole experience and see a bit of New Zealand,” Fox said.

Fellow golf star Lydia Ko spent her honeymoon at Tara Iti and Te Arai Links last January, making a hole-in-one on the 182-yard par-three second hole at Tara Iti as part of a course record 63.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission