Jack's Point

Jack’s Point is nestled between 2,300 vertical metres of the saw-toothed, razorback Remarkables mountain range and the majestic Lake Wakatipu to the east, Darby was blessed with some wonderful golfing land, amongst the tussock grasslands, rocky outcrops, steep bluffs, and native bush. He is purported to have followed a design principle of minimal excavation, using the integral features of the land as much as possible.

The result is a modern throwback to classic, naturalistic architecture – seemingly influenced by courses such as Sand Hills and Ballyneal, but with a clear Central Otago flavour. The Jack’s Point routing takes the golfer from wetlands to rock-infested hillside, from lakeside through native bush, skirting dry stone walls before plunging downhill towards the water-fringed closer.

Difficult as it is to single out any individual holes for praise, it is hard to ignore the eye-catching short 7th which plunges steeply downhill to an infinity green that’s backed by a drop-off down to Lake Wakatipu. The challenge for the first-time visitor is to trust that he or she has the right club in hand, with no visual references or perspective to guide them (and that’s on a still day!).

Aesthetically, the final touches at Jack’s Point are natural and rather rustic, while the surrounding scenery must be some of the best in the golfing world. But it is the design as a whole that impresses – it has hidden depth, which reveals itself to you on repeat visits and is an incredible golfing journey.