Royally Spoiled

Best of the Rest

For yet more of those sublime views of Lake Wakatipu head to the Queenstown Golf Club (www.queenstowngolf.co.nz), also known as Kelvin Heights, which has been laid out over a pine-clad peninsula jutting out into the water. If anything, Queenstown's location is the most spectacular of all the courses in the region, and although a great deal of fun, possibly lacks the finesse of its neighbours.

Set on rolling terrain close to The Hills, Arrowtown Golf Club (www.arrowtowngolf.co.nz) is an intriguing and supremely interesting test that has been routed through mighty trees, dense scrub, rock formations and even historic stone cottage ruins, a legacy of the town's pioneers. While it's considered short by modern standards (coming in at a little over 6,000 yards and playing to a par of 70), and there can be a little scruff around the edges, New Zealanders have a great deal of affection for the place - it's ranked inside the country's top 20 courses - and at barely HK$400 per round for non-affiliated visitors, offers excellent value for money.