Jack's Point
John Darby's par 72 runs along the southern shore of Lake Wakatipu under the grey wall of the Remarkables, perhaps the most photographed mountain backdrop in golf. Twenty minutes from Queenstown, it is a course where the scenery does the shouting and the design quietly asks you to think, hole after hole, across schist outcrops, tussock and lakeside fairway.
Photo: Jack's Point Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Jack's Point is the course people picture when they imagine golf in the Southern Alps. John Darby, a Queenstown local who knew this ground intimately, routed eighteen holes across a shelf of land between Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, and the result opened in 2008 to immediate acclaim. It is routinely listed among the most scenic courses on earth, and for once the hype is fair: there is barely a tee box that does not stop you in your tracks.
What lifts it above a one round photo opportunity is that the golf holds up. Darby used the natural schist rock outcrops, the tussock and the shoreline as hazards rather than ornaments, so the course rewards placement and a cool head over raw power. Play it on a still morning with the lake like glass and you will understand why every visiting golfer in Queenstown wants a tee time here. Come for the view, stay for a genuinely strategic mountain course.
Jack's Point at a glance
- Opened
- 2008
- Designer
- John Darby
- Type
- Alpine, lakeside
- Par
- 72
- Length
- Around 6,388 m
- Access
- Visitors welcome
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases; John Darby's course opened in 2008 and plays as a par 72 of around 6,388 metres, roughly 6,986 yards. Green fees vary by season. Fees are indicative and we do not quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The front nine eases you in along gentler ground before the course climbs into its signature stretch among the rocky outcrops, where fairways thread between schist bluffs and the Remarkables fill the sky beyond every green. This is the run that ends up on the postcards, and it plays as good as it looks, asking for honest tee shots and committed approaches rather than heroics.
The holes nearest Lake Wakatipu are the emotional heart of the round, with the water a constant presence down the left and the wind off the lake the only real defense on a calm framed layout. Out here a controlled ball flight matters, because the breeze can turn a flick wedge into a real decision and the tussock punishes the wayward.
None of it is tricked up. Darby let the land set the challenge, and the greens are fair and readable once you trust the mountain backdrop is fooling your eye on the borrows. Play it twice and the second round, when you stop gawping at the scenery, is when you appreciate how cleverly the course is built.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visiting golfers and Queenstown resort guests; tee times easiest outside the busy December to February peak |
| Green fee | Indicative around NZD 295 and up in the peak 2026 summer season, with twilight and shoulder rates lower; confirm directly |
| Booking | Reserve through the club or a New Zealand golf specialist, well ahead for the summer high season |
| On the day | Carts and quality rental clubs available; the on site restaurant is worth the stop. Smart golf dress |
| Getting there | About 20 minutes south of central Queenstown on the shore of Lake Wakatipu, near the Remarkables |
| Best months | October to April for the warmest, driest alpine golf; midsummer brings long daylight and the firmest turf |
Access and fee guidance verified June 2026; green fees move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Queenstown is the obvious base, a compact resort town 20 minutes north with everything from lakeside luxury lodges to design led hotels, plus the restaurants and bars that make it New Zealand's adventure capital. Stay there and Jack's Point is an easy morning round before an afternoon on the lake or in the wineries of Gibbston.
For something quieter, the boutique lodges around Lake Wakatipu and toward Arrowtown put you closer to the course and the mountains. Either way, Queenstown's airport links and its cluster of other strong courses make Jack's Point the centerpiece of one of the great golf and scenery trips anywhere in the world.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu.
Build a Queenstown golf trip
We pair Jack's Point with the best of South Island golf, fold in the lake, the wineries and the lodges, and cost it to the head with transfers and tee times arranged. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
Jack's Point questions
Who designed Jack's Point and when did it open?
Jack's Point was designed by New Zealand architect John Darby and opened in 2008. It sits on the southern shore of Lake Wakatipu at the foot of the Remarkables range, about a 20 minute drive from central Queenstown.
What is the par and length of Jack's Point?
Jack's Point is a par 72 championship course measuring around 6,388 metres, roughly 6,986 yards, from the back tees, with five tee sets so the course plays fairly for a wide range of handicaps.
How much does it cost to play Jack's Point?
Green fees are indicative around NZD 295 and up in the peak summer season of 2026, with twilight and shoulder season rates lower. Fees vary by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
Can visitors play Jack's Point?
Yes. Jack's Point is open to visiting golfers and welcomes resort and hotel guests from Queenstown. Tee times are easiest to secure outside the busiest December to February window. Always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026; access and fee guidance verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.