Arrowtown, South Island, New Zealand
In a former gold mining town on the South Island lies New Zealand’s most exclusive course, the Hills. Set over a glacial valley and surrounded by the Southern Alps on all sides, the course showcases art by local sculptors to compliment the beauty of the lakes and wetlands areas of the course. The closing stretch has four excellent holes in succession, competing for the best hole on the course.
The 14th is a cleverly bunkered switchback with three nasty bunkers and a rock face surrounding the elevated green. The 15th is a classic risk reward short par four, with wetlands and eight bunkers protecting the short route to a drivable green. The most challenging short hole is the 16th, featuring a deep swale left and a creek left of the sloping, contoured green. With the prevailing wind into you, the green is difficult to hold which may leave a long chip back to the slick surface. But the best is kept for the signature 17th par 5. The drive carries rough and water towards the beach-like bunkers on the right and two pot bunkers left. An accurate second shot is needed to find the narrow landing area in the canyon lined with rock walls and bunkers. A large hump then divides the large green from front to back to front.
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