EXPLORE: Golf

A guide to Queenstown’s championship golf courses

The Queenstown region is an adjectival delight for golfers looking for the best the sport has to offer in quality, quantity and variety. Here’s your guide to Queenstown’s three internationally-renowned marquee courses.

Home of New Zealand’s most stunning fairways, Queenstown boasts seven spectacular golf courses, including three international championship courses and four experience courses. Host destination to the New Zealand Open, Queenstown offers an unparalleled golf holiday destination for players of all abilities. Queenstown’s championship courses Jack’s Point, The Hills, and Millbrook Resort feature exceptional course design incorporating majestic natural landscapes and spectacular scenery to create a stunning golf experience. Golf tours and packages can be tailored to the needs of small or larger groups.

Jack’s Point Golf Course

(Ranks second in New Zealand) Designed by John Darby, this 18 hole championship course has recently been ranked second in the list of the top 40 courses in the country by New Zealand Golf Magazine. The course’s name is a subtle nod to Queenstown’s gold mining history and is named after Jack Tewa, the first man to find gold in the district.

Jack’s Point is gaining international recognition for its challenging layout and the spectacular environment which affords 360 degree views of the Remarkables mountains and Lake Wakatipu. The course steadily inclines through wetland, tussock, rocky outcrops, and native bush before descending in the face of the Remarkables back down to the clubhouse.

The view from the seventh hole is particularly stunning, a 145 yard par 3 which will stop you in its tracks with the steep drop down to the lake, and the par 5 holes, 8 and 14, wind uphill with a blind shot to the greens making for an interesting play.

As Peter Dawson, a Chief Executive of the R & A, said: “Jack’s Point was simply unforgettable”.

Every necessary facility is available, from equipment hire, Pro Shop, practice range, and putting green, to the Jack’s Point Clubhouse, a beautiful restaurant set alongside Lake Tewa.

The Hills

(Ranks third in New Zealand) One of the most unique courses in the world, The Hills is a genuine sculpture park as well as a world class golf course that has co-hosted the NZ Open since 2007. The sculptures are a reflection of the vision and inspiration of jeweller Sir Michael Hill himself.

The Hills is golfing luxury with a superb layout designed by John Darby. Every hole has its own character and challenges. The fourth is a beautiful par 3 dropping down to a long green with bunkers left and water right. The sixth features a lake which is home to several magnificent Dragonfly sculptures by Mark Hill, and the signature 17th hole is a spectacular par 5 which rises through a canyon before you enjoy sensational views, and an adrenaline rush 18th.

Another attraction is the recently opened 9 hole farm par 3 course designed by Australian Darius Oliver, which has been ranked in the ‘Top 25 Par 3 courses’ in the world. The landforms are spectacular and the first and eighth double green is the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Enjoy the outstanding practice areas, plus the award-winning clubhouse, restaurant, and bar.

Millbrook Resort

(Ranks ninth in New Zealand) Millbrook is one of the world’s premier resorts, with the finest services on offer to ensure a memorable experience for golfers and holiday-makers alike. Millbrook offers state-of-the-art facilities and a Pro Shop with the highest quality golf gear and clothing.

Millbrook has been voted ‘Best Golf Hotel’ at the World Golf Awards, and named ‘Oceania’s Best Golf Hotel’.

The original designer of Millbrook Resort was Sir Bob Charles. Greg Turner later made some changes and designed the Coronet Nine, and he has designed another nine set to open in 2021. The three nines are all enjoyable although each has its differences. The par 5 sixth hole on the Coronet nine is a stand-out offering different options to go for the green over a variety of hazards.

Co-host of the New Zealand Open, Millbrook is surrounded by the stunning mountain scenery, and you are continually reminded to smell the roses even after a bad shot. The 27 holes are challenging yet very playable for all keen golfers.

Millbrook also has a number of award-winning restaurants, and spa facilities, which make for a perfect post game pit stop.