Invercargill - South Island - New Zealand

I found myself in Invercargill with a spare afternoon before a trip to fantastic Stewart Island (which has the most fun and arduous 6 hole golf course imaginable) and enquired about a game here. They couldn't have been more helpful, and I enjoyed a quick run round. As noted by other reviewers, it's not a sporting course, but you can open your shoulders and there is definitely enough here for a fun game of golf in a lovely area.

Yes in playing Invercargill a good few times I'd have to agree with the responses on the rating ...not that it's not a bad track certainly a must play when in Southland but not a major step up over the likes of Queens Park/Gore/Roxburgh etc purely on fun factor golf >>

I do find playing so close to one of my favorite courses (ever!!) Oreti sands just down the road... gutting (now it's closed)

Fun parkland course over purists Golf heaven

What you think of this place probably depends on what you look for in a course, I would say it's highly subjective this one. If you're looking for a course that tests your game, demands a array of shot-making skills, is a ball strikers' course etc., then you probably think this is a very decent track. There must be many scratch or very low handicap golfers in the South Island who are sick of knocking it round courses of only marginally over 6000yds / 5400m and rarely needing a full swing for their second shots, and therefore find Invercargill a refreshing test. But if, like me, you want a bit of character from your golf courses - a few risk / reward decisions (past narrowing fairways at 270m), some dramatic scenery, holes so distinctive you can remember all 18 a week later, then maybe this will disappoint. There are many golf courses in NZ that are flat pieces of land with lines of trees separating the holes - all variations on the same theme. This place, whilst being a very good version of that, is still after all just a version of that. There's a few links-type ripples on the fairways to provide a bit of definition and interest, but not much. In my opinion, very overrated at No. 10 in NZ, and probably not worthy of Top 20 at all. For me, there must be 20 courses in NZ that are both true tests of golf, but also memorable and exhilarating. This is only the former. Matt Richardson