Construction started about 10 weeks ago on the new nine holes being constructed at the prestigious Millbrook Resort. This is a well-known and highly anticipated golf project in Australasia as the Resort hosts the New Zealand Open each year.
The design team is Scott Macpherson and Greg Turner, with construction being done by the New Zealand company called T.I.C. The new nine will take Millbrook up to 36 holes in total. This exciting new nine holes joins onto the 9 holes Greg and Scott designed about 8 years ago and will be part of the course that hosts the New Zealand Open in 2021. The holes have dramatic views of the mountains that have made Queenstown famous including 
Coronet Peak and The Remarkables.
As some background – Millbrook was developed in the 1980s and is an award -winning venue that has been voted Best Golf Hotel at the World Golf Awards and Oceania’s Best Golf Hotel in New Zealand. Sir Bob Charles designed the first golf course and since 2008, Greg Turner and I have been appointed the golf architects for the resort since about 2007. In 2010 we renovated the original course and added a new 9 holes. The current work sees the completion of the second 18-hole course by the addition of the new nine holes.
The 66Ha land for the new course was known as the Dalgleish Farm and much of the land sits approximately 50m above much of the other holes giving the new holes great views of the surrounding landscape and mountains. The project is a NZ$50m golf and residential development with 42 house lots have been incorporated into the new holes.
Scott Macpherson told GBN: “The resort is very busy so the new holes will increase the resorts capacity for play. Running the facility as a two-course resort will improve the experience for members and visitors alike.
“The new land features some wonderful rocky outcrops, valleys and wetlands and these will be a feature of the new course. Due to some of the slopes around the Dalgleish Farm, some sheep grazing will continue on land adjacent to some fairways and this will give a unique and authentic feel to the visitors’ experience.
“Construction on the golf course is expected to take 9 months and then approximately a year to grow in, so the new course may be open for play in late 2020.
“These photographs show the first two holes we have built which we are calling holes 6 (par 5, with an ‘infinity green’ – pictured) & 7 (par 3). But they will be 11 & 12 when the new nine merges into the 18 hole course. The group photo was taken on the second landing area on the new par 5 hole (11th) hole. In the background is the famous Coronet Peak mountains (and ski field).”
Scott Macpherson Golf Design www.scottmacphersongolfdesign.com
Millbrook Resort www.millbrook.co.nz