One of the hottest new golf courses in the world will host a Masters Invitational tournament on the line.
On Thursday morning, Augusta National announced that it will bring the 2026 edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai’s South Links course in Tomarata, New Zealand, which is ranked 85th in List of the 100 best GOLF courses in the world. The tournament will be played from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, and will be Te Arai’s debut as a major tournament host following a highly publicized opening as a tourist destination in 2022.
The news arrived as the game was set to kick off at THIS The Asia-Pacific Amateur of the Year, which is being held at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. The annual tournament, which began in 2009 and is operated by Augusta National, is held throughout the Far East with the goal of promoting golf globally. The winner of the tournament earns a spot in the following year’s Masters and Open Championship and, in recent years, the runner-up of the tournament has earned a spot in the final qualifiers for the Open Championship.
Te Arai’s involvement as tournament host for the Asia-Pacific Amateur adds a secondary level of hype to the event, which annually draws attention for being one of the most important of the autumn for access to major championships. The New Zealand resort has become one of the sport’s most sought-after international destinations in the four years since it opened, with sandy soil and cliff-side ocean views contributing to a rare golfing experience. Te Arai’s international appeal is enhanced by its location on New Zealand’s North Island and its proximity to Auckland’s main hub (it’s only a 70-minute drive from the city centre).
The resort has two courses, the North and South Links courses. Ex, a 2023 Tom Doak designplays 6,900 yards from the championship tee, while the latter, a 2022 Coore-Crenshaw design, plays a shade over 6,800.
Te Arai’s wait time will help make the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur one of the most sought-after international events on the fall 2026 circuit. A win at the event will earn the winner access to the ’27 Masters (the 30th anniversary of Tiger Woods’ historic win) and the 155th Open, which will be held at the Old Course in St. Andrews.
This weekend, a field of 120 amateur players will play four rounds in Dubai at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
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