Springfield Golf Course

Rotorua's Springfield Golf Course is one of New Zealand's more unusual playing experiences, set in a landscape that doubles as a geothermal wonderland. The course sits amid the volcanic plateau of the central North Island, where steaming vents, mineral-tinged ground, and the earthy sulfur scent that defines Rotorua are as much a part of the round as the fairways themselves. It's a setting that reminds you, repeatedly, that you're playing on terrain unlike almost anywhere else in world golf.

Springfield is a public course that has long served as Rotorua's accessible, everyday option — the kind of place where locals play regularly and visitors find an unpretentious, welcoming round without the fuss of a resort layout. The course weaves through mature trees and open stretches, and the volcanic soil means drainage tends to be reasonable even after rain, keeping the course playable through much of the year.

For visitors to Rotorua — a city built around Māori culture, thermal tourism, and adventure — Springfield offers something grounding: a genuine local golf club experience rather than a packaged one, with the added spectacle of geothermal activity bubbling away just beyond the ropes.