Former All Black coach and current NZ Open tournament chairman John Hart said it best when he described it as \u201ca great vibe\u201d. Yes, John Hart said \u201cvibe\u201d. And he was right.<\/p>\n
Thousands of spectators line the fairway and surround the green as Dan Hillier makes birdie on the 11th hole in the final round. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n
The record-breaking galleries for the NZ Open at Millbrook proved that New Zealanders are ready to embrace golf in the same way that they have with horse racing and sevens rugby \u2013 by using it as a good excuse to get together and let their hair down. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen an atmosphere like it before, particularly the following that Dan Hillier had,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n
Thousands followed the newly crowned NZ Open champion uphill and down as he weaved his way to a memorable win across four days of spellbinding golf. Thousands more stayed put around the 17th and 18th holes, soaking up the sun and hospitality. <\/p>\n
\u201cI would say it\u2019d be the biggest crowd we\u2019ve had. I would have thought we were close to 10,000 [on Saturday].\u201d <\/p>\n
Hart is referring to the crowd records since the event moved to Queenstown. <\/p>\n
The 105th New Zealand Golf Open can legitimately lay claim to being the greatest golf tournament this country has ever seen. We\u2019ve seen bigger name players and bigger crowds \u2013 even more spectacular courses, but we\u2019ve never seen an event like this. We\u2019ve never seen such a world-class presentation of a sport that is rapidly expanding its target demographic.<\/p>\n
The 18th hole, surrounded by corporate hospitality and a giant digital screen. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
The 18th green is surrounded by digital screens that snake around the circular amphitheatre, announcing the incoming players when they\u2019re not displaying advertising. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe signage was fantastic. The digital stuff going around that was unbelievable,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n
The newest feature is The Landing. It is an L-shaped platform that maximises a prime viewing location. It is a ticketed venue that serves alcohol and puts its patrons in the thick of the action. From the elevated vantage point, punters can see the sixth tee, the eighth green, the 17th approach shots and the 18th tee to the closing par three. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to do different things every year and add value and I think The Landing is a fantastic addition this year. And we haven\u2019t oversold it. We wanted just to get it started. Next year, we will be flooded with people wanting to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yuki Miya plays his approach to the par-5 17th in front of The Landing. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
Across the week, Millbrook was at its stunning best. The weather was peak Queenstown \u2013 requiring SPF50 and a puffer jacket (often simultaneously), and the entertainment was everywhere. <\/p>\n
On Saturday night, after the third round finished, Sneaky Sound System started. But the music is constant around that party zone \u2013 and next to the green on the par four fifth. The noise on course was a concern for organisers, but it\u2019s been embraced. <\/p>\n
\u201cI got some really good feedback from the players because I wondered what they would think about it,\u201d Golf NZ CEO Jeff Latch said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe points they made is for them it\u2019s the consistency of the music or whatever\u2019s going on that\u2019s really important because they said \u2018a lot of us when we train we\u2019re listening to music in our headphones\u2019, and they said \u2018It was quite calming for us\u2019,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The vibe. Music from the 18th green DJ booth reverberated through the 17th green too. Some players found it “calming”. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n
The young and hip certainly didn\u2019t mind it. The old with hip replacements didn\u2019t seem too concerned either. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s a similar vibe (to borrow John Hart\u2019s on-trend vernacular) at Chasing the Fox<\/a>. The difference here is that it\u2019s a genuine tournament with greater depth of talent. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the best professional field we\u2019ve ever had, the deepest. I think we had 28 Kiwis in the field, which is fantastic. And I think about 14 made the cut,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n Another similarity is the amateur involvement. The NZ Open is proudly a Pro-Am event and this year included celebrities such as Kelly Slater, Michael Pena, Ash Barty, Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming. <\/p>\n It also features a number of amateurs who help sponsor the event living out their sporting fantasies. That\u2019s probably the one area that still needs some tweaking. The novelty of amateurs in the field wears thin pretty quickly. By the time the fourth round gets underway \u2013 they\u2019re mostly just in the way. <\/p>\n It\u2019d make more sense as a spectacle to run the Pro-Am as a three-round event and leave the final day to the proper players.<\/p>\n That said, it was the amateur involvement that brought out perhaps the wealthiest gallery in New Zealand golf history \u2013 with not one but two billionaires walking the course at the cheapest event on the market.<\/p>\n Entry is free.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be easy to charge people. And that would help us financially – there\u2019s no doubt about that. But there\u2019s certain things we\u2019ve made decisions on and free entry is one of those because we want to attract people, the locals, we want the locals to enjoy and engage. It\u2019s their event,\u201d Hart said. <\/p>\n And \u201ctheir event\u201d will eventually showcase Arrowtown\u2019s other world-class courses in a unique four-course, one-town tournament. <\/p>\n Nick Mowbray and Graeme Hart in the gallery at Millbrook Resort for the NZ Golf Open.<\/p>\n