About Us

Ko wai mātou

Ko Tongariro te maunga - Tongariro is the mountain
Ko Taupō te moana - Taupō is the great inland sea
Ko Tūwharetoa te iwi - Tūwharetoa are the people
Ko Te Heuheu te tangata - Te Heuheu is the man

Kia ora! Welcome to the Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge. We are an iconic drop in tourism activity in the heart of Te Ika-a-Māui – the North Island of New Zealand.

Established in 1993, the idea was born out of a conversation in a bar and written on the back of a beer coaster. Locals, and kiwis have repeatedly made this their ritual stop while in the neighbourhood or travelling past. Tourists from around the globe have been swinging by to hit golf balls a hundred meters out onto a floating pontoon on Aotearoa’s greatest inland sea – Lake Taupō. For over two decades Lake Taupō Hole in One has averaged a hole in one every two weeks* with a grand total of over 1,500+ winners!

In 2017, Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge was acquired by Taupō Moana Group Holdings (TMGH), the commercial subsidiary of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board. Today, we are proud to be part of a Māori-owned tourism group, creating fun, welcoming and memorable experiences on the shores of Lake Taupō.

Our mission is to share an activity that everyone can enjoy, while honouring the whenua, the moana and the people connected to this place. We aim to become Taupō’s number one must-do activity by continually raising the standard for tourism in Aotearoa and challenging ourselves to be extraordinary in everything we do.

Average based on hole-in-one winners across all three flags combined. This does not refer specifically to the red flag prize.

I am the land and the land is me

Ko au ki te whenua, ki te whenua ko au

We are located on the shores of Lake Taupō, steeped in rich history with interwoven legends from a time past. The surrounding natural environment, from Huka Falls to Tongariro National Park, connect us to those stories and traditions of Ngāti Tūwharetoa - kaitiaki (guardians) of the lake, rivers, mountains and forests. As Tangata Whenua (people of the land) we are governed by tikanga (traditional customs), and the whole tribe work hard to ensure their people and natural taonga (treasures) are taken care of.

As an Iwi owned business, we strive to uphold those traditional customs and as kaitiaki (guardians) we have a responsibility to ensure that all golf balls that are hit into the lake are recovered. We employ free divers who collect the golf balls all year round.

Nau mai haere mai, we welcome you to visit the Lake Taupō Hole in One Challenge and we hope you enjoy your stay in Taupō-nui-a-Tia, the great cloak of Tia.

Tau manuhiri mai… wehe whanau mai – arrive as visitors and leave as family!