1 Week in Queenstown for Golf & Food cont..

Day 3- Jack’s Point Golf Course

20minutes drive from Queenstown centre is Jack’s Point Golf Club and Restaurant. Set against a backdrop of mountains (the Remarkables mountain range) and on the edge of Lake Wakatipu this course is renowned globally for it’s spectacular views. Ranked number 6 in the top NZ Golf courses and designed by New Zealand designer John Darby.

We were very lucky to scrape in on the last day of play before their annual three month closure over winter. We managed to get an 11.50am tee time which was perfect and allowed us to start the day slowly with coffee and a Danish in our hotel room before driving out for brunch before golf at the restaurant. A word of advise would be that even if you are booked in for Golf you may not get a table at the restaurant and Jack’s Point does not have a clubhouse. We were again very lucky and got the last inside table but we watched many groups turned away unless they wanted to brave the patio seating and the bracing 4 degrees celsius.

Another piece of advise is that you don’t come back to the restaurant at all through the round so it’s a good idea to eat a good brunch or take food out with you on the round.

I chose the Jacks Benedict – wild boar chorizo, hokanui eggs, black truffle crumpet, hollandaise, purple kumara crisps. Scott had the Blue Cod Tacos – blue corn tortilla, avocado, corona batter, tijuana chilli. Both dishes were very tasty and a great portion for pre golf. Not too big and heavy.

Included in the Green fees is practice range facilities so after we’d eaten it was good to warm up on the range. Something that in winter golf is necessary even if you are not in the habit of doing so. At 4 degrees C holding a club, swinging smoothly etc can be challenging so a good 20 minutes hitting balls can make a huge difference.

Weather

Clear blue skies, temperature around 4 degrees C when we started our round. No wind and once the sun was above us we were able to get down to 2 layers and enjoy a high of 9 degrees C.

The Course

First opened in 2008 this Golf course comes up often when you speak with international visitors to New Zealand. I can completely understand why, visually it’s like being in an advertisement for Queenstown, the scenery, the clear blue skies (on the day we played), light dusting of snow on the mountain tops and frequent skydivers above to add to the Queenstown reputation for all things outdoors and sport.

The course ambles up and down through tussock grasslands, native bush, and rocky features. It feels like freedom and the sensation of being dwarfed under the steep mountainous bluffs and above the lake.

This is an 18hole, Par72 course with 5 tee positions to choose from. I played off the gold tees, slope 124 (vs 119 at home), 4958metres (5422yards). Scott played off the White Tees, slope 128 (vs 124 at home), 5806metres (6350yards).

The course works its way up higher and higher over each hole and then it feels as if after the turn you start to make your way down again. We had a cart which I think was sensible. Most Tees were positioned not too far from the Greens but there were a few where you drove up and over an access road or along the side of a hill to get to the next hole.

The course was in great condition, the Greens were paced well and playable. Although there was plenty of undulation to work with it felt as if the Greens had been sensibly designed to offer challenge but not to punish. There were quite a few bunkers but again not intentioned to punish. This is a thinking players course.

Best holes?

7 is dramatic and is generally considered the signature hole, however I’m not certain how anyone can choose a signature on Jacks Point, so many of the holes were fantastic. 7 is a short downhill Par3. Nerve -wracking from the Tee as you hit off into a steep drop towards a green that appears to disappear off the cliff into Lake Wakatipu. With bunkers at both the right & left front this hole leaves no room for missing the green. From the tees there appears to be landing before the green, but this actually slopes steeply and controlling your ball would be difficult. I was very happy with my Par on this hole.

4 was a fun uphill Par 4 with deep bunkers to the left of fairway, in the centre of the fairway and the right front of the green. With a stone wall above the back of the Green it was a really attractive hole to play.

5 again visually very challenging but for me playable because I’m not good enough to be tempted to cut corners. The sweeping golden tussock is low and tempting to hit over but there’s a lot of it and playing to the left proved to be the better choice.

15 looks like an easy Par4 with a lot of space. But we found that once off the tee it’s a fairly narrow margin between safety and challenge. My drive went straight into a fairway bunker which once in was very steep to get out from and Scott’s drive was very close to the stone wall on the left with longish rough and an uphill recovery. This hole is a cheeky hole that could get up and bite if you’re not thinking.

The summary – 40/50