Terrace Downs HIGH COUNTRY RESORT

Driving west from Christchurch, across the flat farmland of the Canterbury Plains, gives you little idea of the rolling landscape that lies ahead at luxurious Terrace Downs High Country Resort. This 6440-metre layout, an 80-minute scenic drive from Christchurch Airport, is nestled on the edge of Rakaia Gorge, at the base of the Southern Alps and majestic Mt Hutt. It is a postcard setting. The snow-covered high country gives rise, in the warmer months, to lush fairways and greens, while exposing 11 lakes and more than 70 bunkers scattered throughout the course.

An easy-walking front nine is laid out in a loop north of the clubhouse. On a course with so many water hazards, it is no surprise when you arrive at the 1st hole to find that the fairway turns left round the edge of a lake. This 455-metre par-five is a terrific risk-and reward hole, where aggressive players can drive over the edge of the water and shorten the hole considerably, setting up an eagle opportunity by reaching the green in two hits. They need to be wary, though, of the increasing slope; the closer you get to the green, the more steeply the fairway slants towards the edge of the water.

The 1st is a relatively gentle par-five. The same cannot be said of the 7th. At 551 metres, it is the front nine’s longest hole and its most demanding by far. Thankfully there are four sets of tees to choose from, as this is a genuine three-shot hole for all players. The fairway turns gradually from right to left, almost in a complete arc, before dipping on to a lower terrace and continuing past a lake and two bunkers. The peanut-shaped putting surface is a tough one to hit with any club in your bag. It is twice as wide as it is deep, so approach shots need to be calculated precisely.

Water becomes even more prominent on the slightly more undulating back nine, with four holes presenting plenty of opportunities to lose a few balls. You don’t have to venture too far at all from the inviting clubhouse to send some balls to a watery grave. The 10th, a 177-metre par-three, features one lake well right of the playing line and another lake lurking directly behind the putting surface. Poor club selection from the tee can prove costly if your ball bounces long of the green here.

Perhaps the tightest and most challenging of the water holes is the pencil-thin, dogleg-left, par-four 11th. The fairway squeezes between two lakes. The smartest play is to take a long iron from the tee and lay up on the corner of the dogleg, just short of the water right of the fairway. This leaves an approach shot of nearly 200 metres to a green nestled precariously close to the edge of picturesque Rakaia Gorge.

Yet it is not until the 16th, a 130-metre par-three, that the gorge truly comes into play. Your tee shot must cross the edge of it – and the drop to the fast-running Rakaia River below is more than 150 metres. The green, meanwhile, slopes steeply towards the gorge. There is a bail-out area back left of the putting surface, but it is recommended you take dead aim here. Complicating that task, though, is the swirling wind rising up from the gorge and making club selection problematic.

MEMORABLE HOLES

1st, 4th, 11th, 14th, 15th and 18th

WHERE TO GO

Coleridge Rd, Windwhistle, Canterbury

BOOK A ROUND

(03) 318 6943, www.terracedowns.co.nz

OTHER 120 GREAT COURSES NEARBY

Clearwater Resort (87.2 km)

WHERE TO STAY

Terrace Downs offers two deluxe accommodation options: Terrace Villa suites or fairway chalets. The chalets are architecturally designed houses spread among the front nine holes, with views across the layout to Mt Hutt.

BEFORE/AFTER YOUR ROUND

The resort can organise a range of activities, particularly for those adventurous in spirit. It has its own jet boat if you’re after an adrenalin-charged experience of Rakaia Gorge. Hot-air balloon flights will show you the scenery from a less hair-raising angle.