Arrowtown is a beautiful golf course that I am lucky enough to be able to play regularly when I am in New Zealand.

The course is surrounded by towering mountains and winds its way through rocky outcrops which sometimes crop up in the middle of the fairway. The rough is pretty tough and the course is sometimes referred to as Narrowtown in reference to the tightness of some of the fairways. This is compensated for by the fact that many of the fairways  follow valleys which tend to gather the ball back in but if you are very wayward, you will need a new ball. There are no bunkers on the course (except in the practice area), possibly because its natural defences are quite adequate.

Each hole is different and the ninth and eighteenth are played from elevated tees with plenty of places not to put the ball. The club gets a lot of visitors but has a large and friendly membership. The Wednesday “Haggle” is a favourite for many members with as many as 80 sometimes turning out for a multi-tee start, stableford competition with a get-to-together and presentation in the clubhouse afterwards.

The club was voted number six in New Zealand in a magazine review of courses in the country, published in December 2016 and this what was said about it –

Often under-rated because of its lack of length, Arrowtown is a unique course and certainly among the most fun in the country. The high-profile neighbouring courses may get all the publicity but they can't match the charm of this gem.

The front nine is a delight, with one stand-out hole after another through schist-lined fairways, where driver is usually not the best option.

The second presents you with an impossibly narrow path with rocks on both sides though it plays wider thanks to the valley fairway.

The fourth asks you to drive as close to the gully as possible to get a view of the small green, if you shy away from the trouble you are left with a blind shot. The fifth again demands a brave tee shot to get the best angle, as does the ninth which has been greatly improved thanks to the work of local designer Greg Turner. The seventh and eighth are also quality par fours while the sixth is a lovely short hole.

The back nine is not as good as the front, although it does have some highlights, particularly the par-three 14th and 16th holes, and the 18th is a fitting finish.

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