Destination Queenstown: THE GOLF MECCA
Golf Courses in Queenstown
Queenstown is home to some of the most spectacular golf courses in New Zealand.
Six golf courses, all within a 25 minute drive appeal to every level of golfer - whether it's the lush immaculately groomed greens of a resort course or a simple fairway with rugged mountain peaks as a backdrop.
The golf clubs and golf courses in Queenstown all offer spectacular scenery and varying par levels and difficulty. There is awhether you are a serious golfer or are just starting out.
Other Golf courses to consider ;
www.queenstowngolf.co.nz
www.millbrook.co.nz
www.jackspoint.com/golf/
www.arrowtowngolf.co.nz
Booking a Golf Holiday to Queenstown?
We recommend;
www.abovepargolf.com.au
www.charliesgolftours.co.nz
www.gogolfing.net.au/golf-tours
www.ourpacific.co.nz
www.parnz.co.nz
QUEENSTOWN GOLF CLUB (KELVIN HEIGHTS)
• Blue 6102m
• White 5839m
• Ladies 5141m
• Red 4100m
Ever seen a post-card of Queenstown? If so then it has probably been taken from the top of Skyline Gondola and has the Queenstown Golf Club in it!
This picturesque golf club offers not only stunning views of the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu but is an exciting and challenging golf experience. Located just 20 minutes from Queenstown, or 5 minutes by water taxi, this is one of New Zealand’s iconic golf clubs which is a ‘must play’ for all golfers visiting the region. The Course is surrounded by lake Wakatipu and cradled by stunning mountain ranges so every tee and green has a view which makes it hard to keep your head down! Signature hole’s take on a whole new level at the Queenstown golf club especially the 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 14th and 17th which could be signature holes on any course.
With a proud and loyal membership, Queenstown golf club has a long history and welcomes visitors year-round. Equipped with 36 modern motorised carts, a PGA Professional, Pro shop, 7 day a week Café specialising in home-made faire and fully licenced Bar ensures all your golfing needs are met and exceeded.
The signature hole and probably one of the more scenic photographs on a New Zealand golf course would be the par 4 5th that curves left around the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu to an elevated green. Driving line is key as an over aggressive line combined with a miss-timed drive will see you ending up in the drink, however, the hole sets up for a right to left shaped drive which will carve yardage off your approach shot.
The facilities are excellent, carts and club hire available from the pro shop. Green fees range from $60-95 depending on seasons.
www.queenstowngolf.co.nz
proshop@queenstowngolf.co.nz
Phone: 03-442 9169
AlexandraGolf Club
• Blue 6000m
• White 5718m
• Ladies 5179m
A beautiful drive of just over an hour from Queenstown via the river gorges and main vineyard areas of Central Otago Alexandra lies in the Manuherikia Valley at the confluence of the Manuherikia and Clutha rivers. The valley is enclosed by the high mountain ranges of the Old Man, Dunstan and Hawkduns with the barren Knobby Range overlooking the town. This is a special part of rural Central Otago featuring stunning scenery, great history from the gold mining days as well as plenty of things to do for golfers and non-golfers alike.
The course features a flat but undulating links style layout with fully irrigated fairways from tee to green. Narrow fairways mean accuracy is of prime importance if you are to avoid the desert remnants in the rough and the many trees lining the fairways. Golfers find this a most scenic as well as challenging course.
Of interest, and one reason why golfers find their round at Alexandra appears to go so quickly, is the lack of continuous holes of same par value! Only twice in the 18 holes do you play consecutive holes of equal par!
The golf course and this unique area are well worth a visit. Come and see what we mean, phone SubPar golf shop on 03 448 8374 or email SubPar@xtra.co.nz to book a tee time now.
Green fees are $35 for NZ affiliated players with group discounts available.
www.alexandragolf.co.nz
State Highway 8, Alexandra 9340
Tel/Fax: 03 448 8204
ARROWTOWN GOLF CLUB
• White 5495m
• Ladies 5035m
ARROWTOWN GOLF CLUB is the jewel in the crown literally as it sits below the Crown Range and runs alongside the famous Arrow river which over 100 years ago was once a hive of activity during the gold rush era. The course borders the outskirts of Arrowtown which is about 20km from the centre of Queenstown and offers stunning views of some well known ski fields, the Remarkables and Coronet Peak. If you are lucky enough to play on this hidden gem then you’ll will no doubt be blown away by the unique layout of the course as the narrow rolling fairways weave their way through valleys and rocky pillars very much like Roxburgh golf club. In the summertime the Browntop grass in the long rough is left to seed, leaving a colour scheme that represents a truly natural setting and makes the course look like a postcard. In 2012 the course won the New Zealand Golf Course Superintendants Association (NZGCSA) Environment award which recognises New Zealand’s leading golf course in relation to their environmental management practices. The club under took the removal of wilding trees and broom, while re-establishing Matagouri amongst the schist rock outcrops.
From a playability perspective, the course is the shortest out of the top 5 but probably requires the most accuracy from tee to greens. Again like Wanaka, Roxburgh and North Otago, the greens are very small. However for any big hitters, there are a lot of risk and reward holes that can provide a lot of birdies but also double bogeys and beyond. One of the best holes is the 18th which requires a blind shot over a hill to a fairway that slopes to the left towards a pond. A good drive leaves only a wedge shot to the green and a good birdie opportunity however getting a good drive away is the key.
Club hire is available and green fees are $50.00 for NZ Affiliated and $85.00 for Non Affiliated.
www.arrowtowngolf.co.nz
166 Centennial Ave, Arrow Junction 9371
Phone: 03-442 1719
Cromwell Golf Club
• Black6462m
• Blue6234m
• White 5844m
• Yellow 5204m
• Red 4468m
The Cromwell Golf Course is located in the centre of Cromwell township. At 200km from the coast the 18-hole tournament course is further from the coast than any other New Zealand course. It is widely considered to be one of the best inland links courses in New Zealand being rated in the top 40 New Zealand courses in the 2016 Australian Golf Digest rankings and currently plays host to the New Zealand Open Final Qualifier.
Situated near Lake Dunstan in the heart of the fastest growing wine region in the country, the course is one that will challenge the championship player, while providing plenty of enjoyment for the longer handicapper. The upgrade completed in 2009 has created a fantastic golf experience from tee to green. Cromwell’s low rainfall, 2200 hours of sunshine per year and sand based fairways combine to guarantee year-round dry underfoot conditions. The rough is a challenge, mainly because of the sandy lies or the Marram grass while the large greens have challenging contours and one of the best putting surfaces you could hope to find.
The par 4, 18th is a great finishing hole playing 415m off the black tees. Into the wind your drive is challenging and requires a well struck ball to get you into the valley which is guarded by bunkers either side of the fairway. The approach shot to the green funnels into the basin green but care is required to avoid the front-right green-side bunker. There are a number of other unique holes on the course including exciting doglegs, reachable par 5’s which the longer hitter loves, and tricky par 3’s that punish wayward tee shots.
Green fees are $50-$75 with club, trundler and electric carts available for hire, pro-shop and full practise facilities available.
www.cromwellgolf.co.nz
bookings@cromwellgolf.co.nz
Cromwell 9310, New Zealand
Phone: 03 445 0165
WANAKA GOLF CLUB
• Blue 5770m
• White 5496m
• Ladies 5058m
A SHORT 50-minute scenic drive from Queenstown, the township of Wanaka is a stunning and tranquil holiday destination in the heart of the Queenstown Lakes region. Perched above the picturesque township is the lovely Wanaka golf club; the biggest club in Otago and Southland with over 1000 members. Host to the NZ Mixed foursomes in 2016, the NZ Women’s Seniors in 2012 and Men’s in 2009, Wanaka Golf Club boasts a well maintained, charming and challenging layout, with great value for money green fees.
Measuring 5743m (blues) and 5474m (whites) the course isn’t long by modern standards, but careful course management and the ability to shape your shots is important if you want to score well. The small greens and natural contours of the land also present their own challenge, so playing safe to the middle of the greens is recommended.
It’s also important to try and keep your eye on the ball, as the spectacular views across the town and lake to Mount Aspiring National Park are some of the best in New Zealand, and can certainly add an extra distraction to your game. The two nines are very different. The front-nine, which was established in the 1930s, features an undulating layout with small greens nestled amongst the rolling terrain. The back nine, which was added across the road in 1967, is much longer and slightly flatter—but no less spectacular. The club has progressed significantly in the past decade with capital improvements and course upgrades, making it one of the most scenic and playable courses around.
The club features all the usual facilities you’d expect from a quality golf club, including club and cart hire, fully-stocked pro shop, driving range and a café and bar.
www.wanakagolf.co.nz
Email: wanaka@golf.co.nz
Phone: +64 3 443 7888
ROXBURGH GOLF CLUB
The Roxburgh Golf Club has been an integral part of the historic region of Central Otago since 1904. The 18 hole golf course is set between the mighty Clutha River to the east and the Old Man mountain range to the west. It is not always easy to concentrate when playing here - Summer days are hot with bright blue skies but the blossom of the fruit trees in the Spring and the beautiful and varied colours of the leaves on these trees in the Autumn are hard to beat.
At 4370m and a par of 68, the course is not particularly long, but any golfer will be tested and rewarded by the challenging narrow fairways and the natural schist rock boulders.
The Roxburgh Golf Course was voted the Winner of the 2015-2016 Hidden Gem Award for Otago and Southland and should you visit you will see why. For $20 green fee, come and enjoy not only the natural course but the wonderful scenery it encompasses.
www.facebook.com/RoxburghGolfClub/
280 Scotland St, Roxburgh
Phone: 03 446 8366