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NZ GOLF OPEN BOOSTS QUEENSTOWN ECONOMY

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January, 2010

The New Zealand Golf Open is likely to have injected an estimated $60 million in "direct spend" into the Queenstown economy once this months third tournament at The Hills is over on January 31, organisers say.

The third tournament was held in near perfect sunny conditions at the businessman Michael Hills privately-owned championship courses, near Arrowtown.

Tuohy Associates sales and marketing director Mike Godinet said Destination Queenstown estimates prepared after the first of the three-tournament rights deal in November 2007 showed a direct spend of almost $20 million to the Queenstown economy.
That tournament attracted 34,000 people.

The March 2009 Open battled a cold first two days and clashed with two other major local events to attract 26,000,and Mr Godinet said a bumper crowd of more than 30,000 was predicted for next week's tournament.

"Accommodation is quite tight, golf course bookings are chocka and if you haven't booked your tee time you've probably missed out," he said, a week out from the event.

Sunny skies were expected next week and this tournament's school holiday mid-summer timing was expected to attract peak bumper crowds.

Jacks Point golf operations spokesman Rob Donald said their course was "absolutely chocka" for all of the week leading up to the January 28 31 event and the start of the following week, expecting several hundred golfers a day, double or more than usual.

"There's no room if you want carts, only a little walking space . . ."

Mr Donald said Jacks Point had been enjoying a "noticeable increase" in Australians during the past few months. Direct trans- Tasman flights and the championship course's competitive A$80 (NZ$100) fees had prompted many Aussies to fly over for summer golfing holidays to escape their heat, he said.

Other courses were similarly heavily booked with barely any tee space left around the Open, and all agreed the event provided a significant boost to the local economy.
Playing Around New Zealand managing director Will Owen, of Christchurch, said Queenstown was a huge drawcard for his totally international clientele.

"Queenstown's buzzing for us at the moment, especially Jacks Point. There's been unprecedented demand."

Golfers could stay in Queenstown as a base for seven nights and play a line-up of top local courses for competitive prices and enjoy sightseeing activities.

Mr Owen said that now with The Hills also opening up, even though it was much dearer at $500 a round, that added to the attraction. He was bringing a group of 20 to play The Hills in March.

The New Zealand Open had raised Queenstown's golf tourism profile tremendously and attracted new clientele who watched it on the golf channel overseas. But they did not come here to watch golf and would rather play, he said.

Arrowfield Apartments duty manager Carlyn McLintock said there was no way they could accommodate any more people during the Open, "not even in a wardrobe".
Residents in her neighbourhood had even been coerced into renting their homes out while on holiday to cater for the overload.

Several motels had the odd room free around the Open time and the Rydges Queenstown was fully booked on January 29 and 31.

Millbrook Resort had some large group bookings and only a few rooms in its Village Inn free leading up to the Open.
Staff were expecting the resort's restaurants to be very full during the Open as in previous years.