Buddies golf trips are no joke. Travelling overseas for one has never been more popular – even Rory McIlroy plans them!

After Rors attempts to finish the season on a high note by lifting his sixth Harry Vardon Trophy in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship. He then has a serious golf holiday planned for December. The Mac Pack is back!

In an interview with Martin Dempster, the Golf Correspondent for the Scotsman, at the recent Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The World Number Three was questioned on his plans for winding down in the remainder of the calendar year.

“I’ve still got things going on,” said McIlroy.

“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.”

Tara Iti, New Zealand

The Northern Irishman continued: “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 will have fond memories of that trip Down Under in The Bonallack Trophy, an amateur golf competition on the model of the Ryder Cup between a European team and an Asia/Pacific team, in which Rory won four out of his five matches at Auckland Golf Club.

It is an event that has had a strong alumni compete in it, major winners Justin Rose (1998), Francesco Molinari (2004), Shane Lowry (2008), plus Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm, who all played in 2012 all competed in the event in their junior days.

Despite that being 18 years ago, McIlroy has previously mentioned to Kiwi pro Ryan Fox about his desire to return.

And if you didn’t know, Tara Iti is ranked No 7 in the world outside of the U.S. 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.

That’s a pretty long way to go for a boy’s golf holiday! But it’s sure to be one heck of a trip though.

Main Image: Warren Little