New Zealand is one of those countries blessed with more than its fair share of unspoiled natural beauty, New Zealand golf has finally come of age with visionaries creating, over the last decade or so, some of the most spectacular golf courses in the world for you to play. Here are ten New Zealand golf courses where a great game can be played, and an inspiring landscape experienced.

Here are some of the better courses around the country.

Millbrook Golf Resort

Location: Arrowtown, Queenstown, Central Otago, South Island.

Quick Facts: This 18 hole championship golf course, won the Luxury Travel Magazine’s 2011 Gold List Award for the best overall golf resort in the world. It has been designed to suit all players and there are 5 tee options to choose from. Club tees for both ladies and men measure 4450 meters (4866 yards) and 5410 meters (5916 yards) and a professional tee for the longer hitters.

About: Set in a beautiful natural alpine amphitheater up against the imposing backdrop of the Remarkables Mountain Range. This course was designed by Sir Bob Charles and the course exploits the dramatic terrain fully delivering world-class golf. This championship course features five different tee positions for complete enjoyment at all levels of playing expertise. Millbrook has been described as a mix between the world-class manicured “Parklands” courses and the “Links” offering a variety of natural hazards including tussocks, streams, schist stone, trees, and buildings.

Kauri Cliffs

Location: Bay of Islands, Northland, North Island.

Quick Facts: The par 72 championship golf course measures 6,510 meters (7,119 yards)  and offers 5 sets of tees challenging every skill level. The Golf Digest U.S. has ranked Kauri Cliffs as number 19 in its prestigious Top 100 courses.

About: Perched above Matauri Bay, in Northlands beautiful Bay of Islands. This massive 6000 acre (2500 hectare) property offers breathtaking cliff-top sea views with secluded beach coves. 15 holes view the Pacific Ocean, 6 of which are played alongside cliffs with sheers drops to the sea. Inland holes wind through marsh, forest, farmland.

Wairakei International Golf Course

Location: Lake Taupo, Central North Island.

Quick Facts: This internationally acclaimed 18 hole course is a Par 72 and 6429 meters (7030 Yards) in length. Set in 450 acres (182 Hectares) of beautiful tree-covered and rolling countryside. The US Golf Digest rated it among the top 20 courses in the world

About: Wairakei International course was originally designed to be New Zealand’s first international standard golf course. Wairakei suits casual and serious golfers. The championship tees and 108 well-placed bunkers have lead to worldwide acclaim. Recently the course has erected a five-kilometer (3 Mile) “Xcluder” pest-proof fence keeping out predators and thus protecting the native birds that live in the nearly 25,000 native trees and 5,000 exotics to flourish at the sanctuary.

Cape Kidnappers

Location: Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay.

Quick Facts: This par 71 golf course measures 7,119 yards (6,510 metres) and will challenge golfers of all skill levels. Completed in 2004, Cape Kidnappers has been hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf and is currently ranked number 33 from the Golf Digest U.S. prestigious Top 100 courses.

About: Cape Kidnappers plays well above the sea on top of dramatic cliffs and this course actually runs to and from the edge raising the bar, so to speak. Cape Kidnappers is built on a ridge and valley landscape with spectacular sea views and is also known as one of the most challenging golf courses in New Zealand, no matter what tees you play from.