{"id":681253,"date":"2026-05-19T17:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/681253\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:46:14","slug":"feature-story-nz-opens-beautiful-stage-features-courses-and-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/681253\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature Story: NZ Open’s beautiful stage – Features – Courses and Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"

As far as the sport\u2019s varied events go, this week-long festival of golf, scenery and hospitality is the gold standard. This year, the Sunday scenes were emphatic, as Kiwi Daniel Hillier clinched the Brodie Breeze trophy beneath an amphitheatre of cheering fans draped over the Champions Lounge barricades. It was the first time a local had won the event since Michael Hendry in 2017, breaking a well-documented drought.<\/p>\n

The destination itself sells the event, but Michael Glading, Michael Goldstein and the team at the NZ Open aren\u2019t resting on their laurels. This diamond of a location is something they are actively utilising and building on, and it continues to grow each year.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re planning a getaway, structuring it around the New Zealand Open could be one of the better golf trips on the bucket list.<\/p>\n

As established in the previous pages\u2019 luxury travel feature, think of the perfect golf getaway, and it starts to look a lot like Queenstown. New Zealand\u2019s Prime Minister, Chris Luxon, described it as \u201ca great showcase for New Zealand\u201d during Sky Sport\u2019s coverage to a global audience of 7.5 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think about all of the golf tourism that\u2019s possible in New Zealand; it\u2019s incredible,\u201d Luxon explained on the feed. \u201cHowever, it\u2019s actually about the projection of New Zealand to the rest of the world.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The New Zealand Open is a pro-am that offers plenty of access for spectators. PHOTO: Riley McLay.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are seven and a half million people who are actually watching this golf tournament, and it\u2019s pretty special to think that this is what they\u2019re seeing. It\u2019s a great advertisement for New Zealand,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s correct; it is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet for a reason. Adding to that is the fact the New Zealand Open organisers have created a world-class, unique event which golf-loving punters need to experience.<\/p>\n

If you caught any of March\u2019s tournament on TV, you would have seen the panoramic, sweeping shots of lakes and mountains. \u201cWe\u2019re in an outstanding environment of Queenstown, surrounded by amazing scenery landscape; so pretty special,\u201d Luxon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tournament has huge benefits for New Zealand because it\u2019s actually about showcasing the best of New Zealand to the world. This is a truly world-class tournament. I\u2019ve spoken to a number of the players, I\u2019ve spoken to a number of the sponsors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Open tees off at the base of the rolling hills and the Remarkables mountain range. It is hard to describe the show-stopping natural beauty to someone who hasn\u2019t experienced it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Lucas Herbert, in his Sunday best, finished on 20-under, two shots behind Dan Hillier. PHOTO: Ricky Robinson.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019re on-site at Millbrook, the fan experience is premium. The event is a Pro-Am format \u2013 the only National Open in the world that is \u2013 which adds another dimension. With general admission access right up there with the best this scribe has seen, fans can get within metres of some huge names who tee it up. From Hollywood actor Marco Pena to Aussie sporting royalty Ricky Ponting and Ash Barty, the crossover appeal is clear. International superstar and 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater even teed it up this year and garnered a following.<\/p>\n

Partnerships lead, Goldstein explains how they\u2019ve built dedicated hospitality tents so that every visitor feels like a VIP. For example, the Champions Lounge runs parallel with the 18th for pro-am players and sponsors, while a second Asahi Lounge is tucked behind a green for top-end guests.<\/p>\n

This year, they also debuted \u201cThe Landing\u201d \u2013 a scaffolded viewing deck hovering over the 8th, 17th and 18th holes. It is a perfect spot to park up, offering views of multiple approach shots while you sip an Aperol Spritz and enjoy some music – essentially a cool skybox above the action.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The Landing] sits above a whole lot of rocky land,\u201d Goldstein tells Golf Australia magazine.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the weekend, when we do a composite course, it becomes amazing viewing right above the 8th green, right above the 17th approach, and then right above the 18th tee. This year is the first time we\u2019ve done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hospitality packages aren\u2019t just corporate boxes; they range from high-end sponsor lounges to public viewing platforms. As Goldstein notes, when the NZ Open first came to tiny Queenstown, demand was modest. Now tourism has exploded and: \u201cwe just about sold out The Landing\u201d.<\/p>\n

Travelling from Australia is a big factor; punters are flocking, and more should. Queenstown has an international airport, making it easy to access. With a bit of planning, you and your golf group, or significant other, can jet in on Thursday for a long weekend of watching the Open, playing some of the world\u2019s best courses in the mornings, visiting wineries, sightseeing or exploring the adventure capital in the afternoons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we\u2019re seeing is that people are deciding to come down here,\u201d Goldstein adds.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Icons: The 18th green at Millbrook framed by mountain ranges. PHOTO: Ricky Robinson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re flying and staying down here and having a great time. They\u2019re coming back and telling their friends. And we\u2019re seeing huge growth in numbers. Today\u2019s crowd is bigger than what we would have had on any other day last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s just because it\u2019s an awesome place. We just want that message to grow. And we really want it to grow into Australia as well. To fly from Sydney or Melbourne, or Brisbane, to Queenstown isn\u2019t much longer than the flight from Auckland.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australian golfers already dominate the summer tee sheets in Queenstown – Jacks Point, The Hills, Millbrook, Arrowtown, you name it. Increasingly, they\u2019re treating the NZ Open as an extension of their trip; flying in for the weekend before playing more golf in the region on the off days.<\/p>\n

Beyond the golf tournament itself, Queenstown\u2019s appeal is off the charts for all kinds of visitors. Luxon highlights how the event helps project New Zealand to the world.<\/p>\n

Away from golf, you could be bungee jumping, riding the Shotover Jet or gliding along skyline gondolas with the whole family. Queenstown has built a reputation for adventure \u2013 whether it\u2019s a lads\u2019 golf trip, a couple\u2019s escape or a family holiday.<\/p>\n

Even quieter moments are idyllic and accessible. Just 8km down the road is Arrowtown, an historic 1860s gold-mining village. Its main street is lined with colonial cottages, quirky boutiques and cosy caf\u00e9s. You can stroll in for lunch or an afternoon coffee, try a bit of gold panning in the river, or visit a boutique vineyard along the way; the perfect backdrop for couples or families.<\/p>\n

The NZ Open brings pro tour scale to a resort town that doubles as a playground. If you\u2019re ticking off golf events or need an excuse to escape, mark down the New Zealand Open. Flights are easy, the golf is world-class, the organisers clearly cherish the product they are producing, and the entire region rolls out the red carpet. It really is one of a kind – a world-class tournament in a world-class setting.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9 Golf Australia. All rights reserved. \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As far as the sport\u2019s varied events go, this week-long festival of golf, scenery and hospitality is the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":681254,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-681253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=681253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=681253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=681253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}