When you finally decide to take a once-in-a-lifetime golf trip, don’t just take a trip. Go on a journey. Have you ever reached your destination and traveled through time? That’s part of the adventure of traveling to New Zealand. Because you cross the International Dateline when departing from the U.S., a trip to New Zealand also classifies as time travel. Now that’s a journey.

The effort it takes to get to New Zealand, a beautiful elongated two-island nation with awe-inspiring landscapes, is more than worthwhile. In addition to world-class golf, New Zealand offers some of the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere (known as Kiwis!), and the country’s rugged landscape is worthy of Hollywood blockbusters. (Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai, and The Chronicles of Narnia were all shot in New Zealand.)

With two picturesque islands to explore, this is not a weekend trip or even a one-week journey. We’d suggest reserving at least 12 days to take it all in. From the pristine shores of the North Island to the plunging, majestic fjords of the South Island, it’s a journey you’ll never forget.

With so much land to cover, you’ll need a plan. After your overnight flight lands in Auckland, take some time to enjoy the surroundings and get your travel legs back before kicking off the golf adventure with rounds at the tranquil Te Arai Links. The North (Tom Doak) and South (Coore & Crenshaw) courses, with sweeping ocean views and forested inner fairways, offer a walking-only caddie experience worthy of true links layouts.

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Te Arai Links

Gary Lisbon

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From there, a scenic drive north takes you to Kauri Cliffs, the first of two iconic New Zealand resorts created by U.S. billionaire Julian Robertson, the late hedge-fund manager and philanthropist. The clifftop course offers ocean vistas from 15 holes, while the resort’s lodge, with just 26 rooms, ranks among the world’s finest. Leave ample time for a beach picnic or a pampering spa treatment.

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Kauri Cliffs

Jacob Sjöman

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Christopher Moss mosslinephotography

Before leaving the North Island, hop a short flight down to Napier, the country’s renowned wine region. The area is also home to Cape Kidnappers, Robertson’s second Top 100-ranked course. This secluded Tom Doak layout features several holes perched atop fingers of land lined by deep gullies that plunge to the ocean. You’d be hard pressed to find more stunning views anywhere in the world, let alone while playing golf. Simply reaching the entrance is a 20-minute adventure along a meandering private road that passes through cattle and sheep farms. When you combine the local Hawkes Bay wineries and the golf of Cape Kidnappers, it’s like having Pebble Beach and Napa Valley right next to each other.

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Cape Kidnappers

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Jacob Sjöman

New Zealand’s South Island is home to Queenstown, a mountain lake town known for its outdoor adventure options, and Jack’s Point Golf Club, a picturesque course framed by the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu. Along with the golf, the area also provides options for jet-boat rides, mountain biking and even bungee jumping off the Kawarau Bridge, where the world’s first commercial bungee-jumping operation began in 1988.

Before heading back to the U.S., be sure to visit to the Milford Sound area, a short drive from Queenstown, and end your time in Middle Earth, as New Zealand is known, with a cruise through the awe-inspiring Fiordland National Park.

With lush forests, pristine beaches, farm-to-table dining, renowned wineries and world-class golf, New Zealand is must-visit country. Make the journey. You’ll be happy you did.

To explore a trip to New Zealand, visit Premier Golf here.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com