At the top of Lake Wakatipu, forty-five minutes from Queenstown — nine holes for $20.
Nine holes in the town of Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu. All this magic for only $20, easy walking, easy on the eye, easy peasy decision to play Glenorchy Golf Club.
The drive up from Queenstown takes about forty-five minutes — longer if you stop for photos, and on a clear day it is hard not to. Every corner reveals another view of the lake and the mountains behind it, the same scenery the television crews came for when they filmed “Top of the Lake” here. The course itself shares its grounds with the Glenorchy racecourse and rugby club, a flat, forgiving nine that rewards turning up, playing, and drinking in the surroundings afterwards.
The Course
One of Glenorchy’s greens, backed by the mountains at the head of the lakeThe fairway runs out alongside the racecourse rail toward the peaksThe course shares its paddock with the Glenorchy rugby club — goalposts double as fairway furnitureFree drop within two club lengths of any racecourse fence — it’s in the local rulesThe course layout board outside the clubhouse — rabbit scrapes and wheel ruts are treated as ground under repairFlat, open fairways — forgiving for a rusty opening drive after the winter layoff
Get to Know the Holes
Hole 3 — a 218-metre dogleg. Lay up short of the corner: the green sits in the shade of the trees and can freeze solid, bouncing a good second shot clean through into the bushesHole 7 — the only long hole on the course, a par 5 that runs out past the clubhouse with the road hugging the right-hand sideThe bunker guarding the front of the 97-metre 8th — guarding what from whom remains philosophically unclearHole 9 — a 269-metre par 4 to close out the round
Local Character
A hand-painted honesty sign on the cart shed — borrow a cart, bring it backA seat built right into an old tree beside the fairwayThe turn-off to Paradise, just up the road — several Lord of the Rings locations lie beyond it
Club History
The clubhouse, shared with the Glenorchy racecourse and rugby clubThe old course sign, nailed to a tree by the car park
