Waitikiri Golf Club is one of the premier golf courses in the South Island of New Zealand, set on Waitikiri Drive in Burwood, in the east of Christchurch. Just 10km from the city centre and easily accessible from the airport and main roads, it offers a parkland course of great character and challenge — what the club calls the most enjoyable walk in golf, open to players of all abilities.
The course has a distinctly English feel: its layout is based on an England golf course design, set in a wooded parkland landscape with a colourful collection of established trees. Lush green fairways are lined by a combination of native and exotic trees and shrubs, while the greens combine subtle undulations with strategically placed bunkers. Several doglegs add both a visual treat and a genuine golfing test.
Around the course, the club runs a well-stocked Pro Shop for gear before your round, and a clubhouse serving a quality range of food and refreshments before and after play. Visitors are welcome, with twilight golf, coaching, practice areas and a junior golf programme on offer, and the clubhouse is also available for corporate golf days, special occasions and venue hire.
Ten kilometres east of Christchurch's city centre, on Waitikiri Drive in Burwood, sits one of the premier golf courses in the South Island of New Zealand. Waitikiri Golf Club pairs the feel of an English parkland course with a genuinely welcoming club culture, offering what the club itself calls the most enjoyable walk in golf — to players of all abilities.
The course's character is evident from the first tee. Its layout is based on an England golf course design, set in a wooded parkland landscape and wrapped in a colourful collection of established trees. Lush green fairways are lined by a combination of native and exotic trees and shrubs, so the scenery shifts from hole to hole. Several doglegs provide what the club describes as both a visual treat and a golfing challenge, while the greens combine subtle undulations with strategically placed bunkers that reward careful course management as much as clean ball-striking.
Getting there is straightforward. The club is easily accessible from the airport and the main roads, making it a practical choice for travelling golfers as well as locals.
A round here begins, for most, in the well-stocked Pro Shop, where you can pick up gear and essentials before heading out. Both before and after your round, the clubhouse is the heart of the club, serving a quality range of food and refreshments with views over the course.
Those wanting to warm up or work on their game can use the club's practice areas, and coaching is available for players of all abilities. A junior golf programme introduces young players to the game, and a weekly programme keeps regular golfers busy throughout the year.
Visitors are very much part of the picture. Green fees are published on the club's visitors page, twilight golf offers a relaxed way to play late in the day, and tee times can be booked online through the Book A Round page. Anyone who falls for the place can take the next step through member sign-up.
It pays to check in before you set out, too. The club's website posts a daily course status showing whether carts, bags and trundlers are permitted, and during the winter months a frost policy is in place to protect the course: on occasion it will stay closed until 9.30am or later if necessary.
Waitikiri runs on the traditional spirit of the game. With no referee or umpire on the course, players are placed on their honour to play the game properly, observing the Rules of Golf and the club's own rules at all times.
Dress standards are clear: smart casual golfing attire for members and visitors alike. Singlet tops, tracksuit trousers and beach-style shorts are not permitted, and appropriate footwear — golf shoes with soft spikes or running shoes — must be worn. One local quirk worth remembering: golf shoes that have been worn on the course should not be worn inside the clubhouse.
Pace of play is treated as a courtesy to everyone. Golfers are asked to limit practice swings, keep moving between shots, avoid unnecessary time on the greens, and let others through if they lose their place in the field. Groups are capped at four players unless directed otherwise by the official of the day or the Pro Shop.
Course care is part of the deal as well. Players are asked to replace divots and fill them with sand, repair pitch marks on the greens, rake bunkers after use, and start play from the designated tee areas — small habits that keep the course in the condition Waitikiri is known for.
The clubhouse also works as a venue in its own right. Corporate golf and events, special occasions and general venue hire are all part of the offering, making the club a gathering place for the wider Christchurch community, not just its golfers.
Backed by a strong roster of local sponsors and connected to sister clubs, Waitikiri balances its premier-course reputation with an easy, community-minded feel — a parkland gem in Burwood where visitors are always on the first tee list.