Taupō was created nearly two thousand years ago by a volcanic eruption so big it darkened the skies in Europe and China. Visit the Craters of the Moon and you'll see evidence of the lake's fiery birth in the geysers, steaming craters and boiling mud pools. At some of Taupō's beaches, swimmers and paddlers can enjoy warm, geothermal water currents. 

Just north of Taupō you'll find New Zealand's most visited attraction, the magnificent Huka Falls, where more than 220,000 litres of water thunder over the cliff face every second.

Taupō is a great lake for water-skiing, sailing and kayaking. The Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay, which can only be seen from the water, make for a great boat trip or kayaking excursion. The forests surrounding the lake offer hiking and mountain biking to suit all levels of experience.

But what Taupō is really known for is fishing. The town of Turangi has the largest natural trout fishery in the world; this is the place to cast a line and look for the big one. Turangi also happens to provide a convenient base for exploring Tongariro National Park, whether it be walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (New Zealand's most popular day walk) or skiing at Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields.

Taupō is centrally located in the middle of the North Island, approximately 3 1/2 hours drive from Auckland and 4 1/2 hours drive from Wellington. There's a genuinely friendly culture here and plenty of accommodation – so why not stay awhile?

Once again sadly this awesome course is an unmarked object course but with the map and the hole descriptions below you should be able to find your way around.
Once a year for the Taupo Classic we are allowed to install baskets. Check the events page for details.

SPA PARK, Spa Road Taupo

[18 objects .. but watch this space.] - A National Tour course.

As a disc golf course, this is truely world class. The Spa Park course was designed for the 2002 New Zealand Nationals by Mr Disc Golf himself Bob Gentil. It's a beautiful park on the banks of the Waikato River and the course makes good use of the trees, bush and elevations. It's a testing course yet not too hard to get around. One of the special features of this course is the natural thermal spa on the 9th tee .. this alone makes it worth a visit.

Here's a full course description;

The overall length of the course is 1897 metres, ranging from a tactical 57 metre hole to a full out 170 metres. You'll be putting alongside the mighty Waikato River and driving past the steaming mud of the Spa Park hot pools.

For those wanting to play the course now that the baskets have gone, below in green is what you can use as a target to play it as an object course.. There are only two holes where there is nothing to shoot at, hole 7 and 11. Gentil Sport is working with the Taupo City Council to try and get a permanent pole-hole course set up. Please email me with your support so that we can show the numbers of keen golfers when it comes to the crunch.

At www.discgolf.co.nz, we have put together a map to make it easier for you. Click here

For those wanting to play the course now that the baskets have gone, below in green (note this is now pretty old info) is what you can use as a target to play it as an object course.. There are only two holes where there is nothing to shoot at, hole 7 and 11. Gentil Sport is working with the Taupo City Council to try and get a permanent pole-hole course set up. Please email me with your support so that we can show the numbers of keen golfers when it comes to the crunch.

Hole #1 .. 102 metres

Tee by tree/seat (near car park) straight through gully [north] to basket on left side of hill below small double-headed cabbage tree.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the small double-headed Cabbage tree as the target.

Hole #2 .. 57 metres

Tee under Silver Birch tree up the slope to the right (East) of hole 1 .. Drive [east] to the basket behind a group of trees, one with a V in it, close to pine group and blackberry.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the small tree with the V as the target.

Hole #3 .. 77 metre

The tee is up the hill from hole 2, follow bush line to top of hill. Shoot straight down to group of trees on opposite side of small gully, [south]. Basket between gum and pine tree.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the large pine tree on the far side of the gully as the target.

Hole #4 .. 118 metres

Tee just past confidence course poles and before storm water drain. Dogleg [N/E] .. 90 metres to last pine in row on low ridge, then 28 metres up to basket under large gum tree on the fall off of the hill.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the large Gum tree on the killer hill as the target. Look down from tree to the Spa Hotel - accomodation just 30 metres away!

Back to the top

Hole #5 .. 170 metres

Walk parallel to dirt road ([N/W] of hole 4) down to tee looking up a nice long fairway .. shoot straight down long open avenue to group of five Pine trees .. Basket between the last two split Pines.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the split Pine on the right as the target.

Hole #6 .. 116 metres

The next tee is up the hill [S/W] from hole 5, follow the ridge .. Elevated tee looking [north] back down to group of three trees leaning to one o'clock.. Basket in front of right hand tree, close to pine and blackberry.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the tree on an angle on the right, closest to the Blackberry, as the target.

Hole #7 .. 77 metres

Tee beside second small Silver Birch tree .. shoot [north] straight up hill through/over small stand of trees. Basket on obvious green area surrounded by bordering Pines and bush.
Basket sighted from tee.
* No target to shoot at here, walk up and put a stick in the ground or something similar about 8 meters in from both corner bush boundaries.

Hole #8 .. 161 metres

Tee back down the slope on right hand side of single large Pine tree.. Drive [N/W] straight down obvious fairway to steaming hot pool point. Basket in front of lone tree on point.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the lone tree at the end of the point as the target.

Juan Unda shows his mighty strength at the looong 8th.

Hole # 9 .. 104 metres

Next tee is down the slope by the start of the Huka Falls walk and natural hot pools.. Shoot [east] back up the track to the basket just below a small Silver Gum tree on the ridge.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the small Silver Gum tree on the bank as the target.

Hole #10 .. 108 metres

Next tee on ridge directly above hole 9 .. Drive [south] across the gully to a plateau with a small stand of trees including Cabbage Trees. Basket on small flat green in the back corner of the plateau.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the last tree on the plateau as the target.

Back to the top

Hole #11 .. 152 metres

Next tee [south] up the slope from hole 10, left of walkway marker and in front of small group of trees. Dogleg right (but not compulsory). Tee to open lie at the end of scrub 75 metres and from there to the basket another 77 metres. Basket in the middle of the open green at the end of a blind ally.
Basket not sighted from tee.
·No target to shoot at on hole 11, walk up and put a stick in the ground 10 meters from the edge of the bush in the middle.

Hole #12 .. 95 metres

Tee up the slope from hole 11 hugging the Pines just before a small bush/scrub filled dip. Another slight dogleg to the right. 70 metres down the tree line and then 25 metres to the basket surrounded by a small group of Pines.
Basket not sighted from tee.
Use the last Pine on a lean as the target.

Hole #13 .. 75 metres

Next tee down to the left of the last single Pine tree at the far end of the clearing. Drive [S/W] staying left of the Pine and scrub boarder on your right, not to mention the 80 metre drop to the Waikato River below, to the basket placed between 3 Pines and flax in front and 1 behind.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the Pine tree just behind the flax and slightly right as the target.

Hole #14 .. 124 metres

Tee from the lookout overlooking the mighty Waikato River. Drive [East S/E] along the tree line, 100 metres will see you looking at the hole, from there it's just 24 metres to the basket behind a lone Pine tree just out from the bush line.
Basket not sighted from tee.
Use the lone Pine tree as the target.

Hole #15 .. 112 metres

Elevated tee at the top of a mound.. Drive [east] downhill towards the car park avoiding overhanging trees on the way. Basket placed directly in front of a large Pine tree on the near side of a group of smaller trees.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the large Pine on the near side of the bush as the target.

Hole #16 .. 88 metres

Head up the road and around the corner from hole 15, the tee tucked in the back corner between some rocks. Drive [east] along the bush line avoiding numerous large trees to the basket situated between the last group of Pines before the road.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the Pine tree on the left of the last group before the road as the target.

Hole #17 .. 64 metres

Tee from a group of rocks down the slope from hole 16. Drive up a slight incline to the basket tucked just behind a garden of NZ native Pittosporums on a flat area in front of a stand of Pine trees.
Basket sighted from tee.
Use the Pine tree on the left behind the Pittosporums as the target.

Hole #18 .. 97 metres

Next tee is across the road from hole 17 under a group of Pine trees. Drive -north N/W] to the basket sitting beside the left of 2 Fir trees on the edge of the OB car park. The top of the fir tree can be seen from the tee.
Basket not sighted from tee.
Use the left Fir tree closest to the OB road as the target.