THE HILLS GOLF COURSE
The Hills opened in 2007 and is set over 101ha (250 acres) of former deer farm land close to Arrowtown, Central Otago.
The property is 366m (1200f) above sea level and has ten lakes and various ponds and waterways which are fed by The Mill race which runs through the property. Native and exotic trees are a feature of the course and pioneers planted Lombardy poplars, golden and tortured willows, flowering hawthorn, maples, sequoia and pin and red oaks which grow alongside established pines, Douglas fir and larch plantations.
The wetland areas are expansive and planted with varieties of New Zealand flax, toetoes, cabbage trees and wetland grasses and reeds. More than 50,000 red and silver tussocks have been planted throughout the course creating a visual statement.
A feature of the course is the distinctive art work designed by Mark Hill. His innovative work includes The Weta, a five metre tall sculpture standing on the fairway on the 1st hole. The 6th hole, known as Dragonfly Lake, has dragonfly sculptures nestled in the water hazard approaching the green while Walking Woman, an imposing three metre tall sculpture of a woman, stands on a bridge at the 4th hole.
The Hills golf course is 6661 metres (7285 yards) and has 86 bunkers strategically placed around the course.
No. 1 Par 5, 474m: Elevated tee shot to narrow bottle neck shaped fairway protected by mountain tussocks on the left and trees on the right. This elevated green is surrounded by 5 bunkers with mid to back section of the green sloping away. This is a comfortable 3 shot hole, however players wishing to hit the green in two shots will be confronted by a blind second shot and having to bring the ball into the green with height and spin to hold the putting surface.
No. 2, par 4, 371m: Elevated tee shot, mountain tussocks on left, 3 bunkers on the right. Players will look to avoid the hazards and position their tee shot for a short iron shot to this very narrow, slightly tiered, elevated green with two pot bunkers in front and tussocks left and at the back of the green.
No. 3, par 4, 335m: Short hole requiring tee shot to be on the fairway to attack the pin with sand iron 2nd. The fairway is flanked by long brown top, fescue grasses on the left and mountain tussocks on right to contoured clover-shaped green surrounded by tussocks.
No. 4, par 3, 235m: Long par 3 from an elevated tee with water on right and 4 pot bunkers on left, to a long green with a large ridge in middle of the green making putting challenging if the tee shot is not pin high.
No. 5, par 4, 308m: Short par 4, players may attack this hole from the tee shot with driver or lay up on the fairway to allow a full sand wedge second to gain the spin and control to attack the pin for birdie. The green is very small, contoured and elevated and protected by 3 deep bunkers. Water hazards and native bush line both sides of this wide fairway, which has large fairway bunker in the centre requiring players to be accurate when laying up.
No. 6, par 4, 395m: Elevated tee shot where accuracy off the tee is required on this dog leg right par 4. The tee shot requires players to avoid the bunkers on the elbow left, opposite the large water hazard on right. The second is over water to a terraced green with 2 front bunkers and tussocks behind the green.
No. 7, par 3, 188m: Elevated tee shot to an elevated green with 2 deep bunkers on front right and deep swale on the left. The green has a large nose-shaped ridge through the centre from the heavily grassed mounding at the back of green, making putting very challenging if the tee shot is not accurate.
No. 8, par 4, 465m: Elevated tee shot, dog leg right, bunkers on right and through the fairway at 290 m at end of drive. Exposed schist outcrops split the fairway to this slightly elevated terraced kidney shaped green.
No. 9, par 5, 544m: Sweeping right to left uphill dog leg, starting with an elevated tee shot with water and wetland plantings left and right to narrow fairway created by exposed schist outcrops. The second shot will be a lay up for most as the green is elevated with a large bunker left and creek right. The green is terraced requiring an accurate shot to get close to the pin.
No. 10, par 3, 150m: Elevated three-tiered clover-shaped green, two bunkers at front and three at back requiring the perfect club to get close. This is made difficult as players are also hitting up hill and into prevailing breeze from the south - southwest.
No. 11, par 4, 398m: Slight dog leg left. Tee shot is to a plateau fairway with 2 large bunkers on the left surrounded by long brown-top fescue grasses lining both sides of the fairway. The second shot is to a three-tiered elevated green with 2 large bunkers left and a deep swale on the right. The slope on this green will be very challenging if the second is above the hole
No. 12, par 4, 388m: Dog leg right. The tee shot is the key on this hole, with 3 large pot bunkers in the centre of the fairway creating a double fairway. The right side of the fairway is protected by long brown-top fescue rough on the right side and trees lining the left shaping the dog leg. The green is slightly elevated with 4 pot bunkers at the front and tussocks surrounding the back to this narrow green.
No. 13, par 5, 523m: Sweeping dog leg left, up the valley from elevated tee over water hazard. Players will need to shape the tee shots to avoid the 5 fairway bunkers on the right and heavy rough and trees covering the bank on the left. Heavy fairway and greenside bunkering to narrow, long kidney-shaped green make the second shot demanding for players trying hit this green in 2 shots. The green is deceptive as the slope from the centre of the green falls away to the front and back making pace more difficult to judge.
No. 14, par 4, 392m: Dog leg left from elevated tee where players are required to drive the ball between 2 deep pot bunkers set into the face of this testing uphill landing area. The second will be hit from down hill lie into a very narrow, undulating green with 2 deep bunkers guarding the front of the green and large bunker at the back under a large exposed schist rock face.
No 15, par 4, 310m: Picturesque elevated tee shot to this drivable par 4. The green is surrounded by 5 deep pot bunkers to protect this right to left 3-tiered kidney-shaped green. The prevailing breeze will push this tee shot to the right forcing those wishing to drive the green to be precise with their line of flight. Both side of this hole are lined with long brown top and fescue grasses.
No 16, par 3, 168m: Slightly elevated tee shot to a half-moon-shaped green (left to right) with old water filled irrigation ditch on right adjacent to this green where pin placements for the back sector of the green will be partially blind. The left side of the green is made challenging with a large deep swale giving players no bail options to this very undulating green. Made more difficult by the prevailing breeze.
No. 17, par 5, 506m: Dog leg right. The tee shot requires an accurate straight drive avoiding the 2 bunkers at the end of the fairway on the elbow of the dog leg. The second is up hill through the schist faced canyons, lined by bunkers to a large figure-eight shaped undulating green, with a ridge running through the centre of this green making placement of the shot into the green paramount to secure a birdie.
No. 18, par 4, 450m: Very picturesque elevated tee over-looking Lake Hayes and Wakatipu Basin. This "S" shaped fairway requires the perfect placement of a drive through the saddle of the hill to a plateau. The left hand fairway is protected by 2 large bunkers cut into the ridge, surrounded by long brown top fescue grasses. The right side is covered in brown top fescue grasses and a variety of Central Otago hawthorn outcrops. The second, depending on the breeze, is a very demanding shot which will require the players to be on the fairway to have any chance of being able to attack this well protected elevated undulating green. The right hand side of the green has a 40m sq bunker located some 3-4 m at the base of a steep bank. The left side has 4 deep pot bunkers lining the entry to the green and left flank of the green. Players cannot afford to be long, as the chip back is extremely demanding. Players who miss the fairway will have a very narrow approach to run the ball onto this green. This hole makes for an exciting finish where par is far from guaranteed.
Course Designer: John Darby of Darby Partners LTD