One of the world’s hottest new golf courses will host a tournament with a Masters invite on the line.
On Thursday morning, Augusta National announced that it will bring the 2026 edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship to Te Arai’s South Links course in Tomarata, New Zealand, which ranks 85th on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World list. The tournament will be played from Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and will be Te Arai’s debut as a major tournament host after a highly publicized opening as a resort destination in 2022.
The news arrived as play was set to begin at thisyear’s Asia-Pacific Amateur, which is being held at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. The annual tournament, which began in 2009 and is operated by Augusta National, is held across the Far East with the goal of promoting golf globally. The tournament winner earns a spot into the following year’s Masters and Open Championship, and, in recent years, the tournament’s runner-up has earned a spot in final qualifying for the Open Championship.
Te Arai’s inclusion as a tournament host for the Asia-Pacific Amateur adds a secondary level of hype to the event, which annually earns attention for being one of the fall’s most significant for major-championship access. The New Zealand resort has become one of the most sought-after international destinations in the sport in the four years since its opening, with its sandy soil and cliffside ocean views contributing to a rare golf experience. Te Arai’s international appeal is boosted by its location on the North Island of New Zealand and proximity to the major hub of Auckland (it is just a 70-minute drive from the city center).
The resort has two courses, the North and South Links courses. The former, a 2023 Tom Doak design, plays 6,900 yards from the championship tees, while the latter, a 2022 Coore-Crenshaw design, plays a shade over 6,800.
The timing of Te Arai’s hosting will help to make the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur one of the most sought-after international events in the 2026 fall circuit. A victory in the event will provide the winner with access into the ’27 Masters (the 30th anniversary of Tiger Woods’ historic victory) and 155th Open, which will be held at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
This weekend, a field of 120 amateur golfers will play four rounds in Dubai in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
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