Waimakariri Gorge Golf Club

Simply stunning, there's no other way to describe what lies in store for golfers when they take on the Waimakariri Gorge golf course. A 30-minute drive from Christchurch Airport, the course is sited on Crown land not far from the historic Waimakariri Gorge Bridge. Built in 1876, the bridge carried the railway line between Oxford and Sheffield until the early 1930s. The golf course came into being some 30 years later. There's everything to play for here – a challenging course over manicured fairways and greens and stunning views (take your pick from the Southern Alps, the gorge and the Waimakariri river). As one happy golfer posted on the club's Facebook page, it's “a golf experience with the wow factor”. Green fees: 18 holes $20. 1847 Thongcaster Road (near Oxford), North Canterbury. (03) 312 4339, equise.com/hosting/waimakaririgcwaimakaririgc