The Hills, Sir Michael Hill’s exclusive creation outside Queenstown, is well known to New Zealanders and golfers from around the world thanks to its role as a frequent tournament venue in recent years. The John Darby design highlights the area’s magnificent surroundings while traversing the varied terrain of the Arrowtown site.
The Hills has an exciting new addition to reveal from this summer. The club’s new short course – known as ‘The Farm’ – will open this month. Designed by Australian course critic-turned architect Darius Oliver, the Farm is a genius piece of enthralling golf space. Comprising nine par-3 holes, the course is bunker-free and flows around a watercourse that’s been in place for nearly a century and comes into play multiple times [below]. Shots as long as 250 metres can be called for, however the spirit of the Farm is for the course to remain highly flexible and for the holes to be played from 100 to 150 metres – perhaps requiring only a few clubs.
“Blessed with some of the most beautiful inland scenery imaginable, the Farm has been created with tremendous elasticity, each hole featuring a range of teeing options and changing dramatically with either a change of pin or a tee shot angle,” Oliver says.
The Farm opens for member play this month but only for a short time, as it will close shortly afterwards to fully establish over the summer.
The Details
The Hills Golf Club
Where: 164 McDonnell Rd, Arrowtown 9351
Phone: +64 3 409 8290
Web: thehills.co.nz