The NZ Open: Golf, Mountains and the Ultimate Queenstown Weekend
The 2027 New Zealand Open at Millbrook, 25 to 28 February. How the pro am works, watching it, getting there, and the rest of Open week in Queenstown.
Every summer the national golf championship comes to Millbrook, just outside Arrowtown, and for four days one of the best looking resorts in the district turns into a tournament. The 106th New Zealand Open runs from 25 to 28 February 2027, and it is an unusual kind of professional event: the pros play alongside amateurs, entry has been free, and the courses are named after the mountains you can see from them.
Millbrook is 20 minutes from Queenstown, and the best way to do Open week is to make the golf the centre of a longer stay rather than the whole of it. With a car from Evolve Rentals you are at the gates when they open, in Arrowtown for dinner when play finishes, and free to spend the days either side of it wherever the lake takes you.
When and where is the 2027 New Zealand Open?
Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 February 2027, at Millbrook Resort on Malaghans Road, Arrowtown. Millbrook describes itself as 15 minutes from Queenstown Airport, 20 minutes from Queenstown and a few minutes from Arrowtown, which makes it one of the easier big events in the country to get to.
The 2027 Open is the finale of a three week New Zealand swing on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, after the NZ PGA Championship at Paraparaumu Beach and the Japan Australasia Championship at Royal Auckland and Grange. Daniel Hillier won the 2026 title, the home win New Zealand had been waiting for. Full details are on the official New Zealand Open site.
How does the New Zealand Open work?
It is a pro am as well as a championship, and that is what makes it different. 156 amateurs each partner a professional in a two person best ball team. For the first two rounds the field is split across Millbrook's Remarkables and Coronet courses, with everyone swapping courses for round two.
After that the top 60 professionals and ties play the weekend for the title, while the leading 40 pro am teams go through to Saturday and the best 10 play on Sunday. So Thursday and Friday put golf on both courses at once, which is the time to wander, and the weekend is where the championship is won.
Is the New Zealand Open free to watch?
It has been. At the last tournament, spectator entry was free for all ages and the gates opened at 6.30am every day. Arrangements are confirmed closer to each event, so check the spectator page before you go.
How do you get to Millbrook for the NZ Open?
There is paid parking on site, with shuttles running from the car park into the venue and around the resort. The public bus between Queenstown and Arrowtown also stops near Millbrook's side entrance, which is handy if you are staying on its route.
Where a car earns its keep is everything around the golf. Gates at 6.30am, a round of your own booked somewhere else, dinner in Arrowtown afterwards, a day off to see the rest of the district: none of that runs to anybody else's timetable.
What else is there to do during Open week?
Plenty. Late February is high summer in Queenstown, with long evenings and the lakes at their best, and the golf only fills the daylight.
Arrowtown is a few minutes down the road, which makes it the natural place for coffee before the gates and dinner after. Our Arrowtown guide covers the history, the walks and where to eat. If a day of watching makes you want to play, our guide to golf in Queenstown has the courses around the district worth booking.
With a spare day either side, the drive to Glenorchy is about 45 minutes along the lake and our Glenorchy guide has the walks and the road to Paradise. And for the evenings, our pick of the restaurants worth the drive is a good place to start. If the day at the golf had a glass or two in it, sort out who is driving before you sort out where to eat.
Getting the car sorted
Late February is peak season in Queenstown, so book the car when you book your bed. We bring it to you, which nobody else in Queenstown does and which is the whole reason Evolve exists. Somebody from our team meets you at your accommodation and walks you round the car, and you are at Millbrook in the time it takes to find your hat.
Or collect from us at 153b Glenda Drive in Frankton, near the airport and already pointing the right way. Either way, book your car with Evolve Rentals, set an alarm for the 6.30am gates, and keep the hazards on the course.
FAQs
When is the 2027 New Zealand Open?
Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 February 2027, at Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown. It is the 106th New Zealand Open.
Where is the New Zealand Open held?
At Millbrook Resort on Malaghans Road, Arrowtown, about 20 minutes from Queenstown and 15 minutes from Queenstown Airport.
Is the New Zealand Open free to watch?
At the last tournament, spectator entry was free for all ages and the gates opened at 6.30am. Check the official site for the 2027 arrangements.
Is there parking at Millbrook during the NZ Open?
Yes. There is paid parking on site, with shuttles from the car park into the venue and around the resort.
Can amateurs play in the New Zealand Open?
Yes, through the pro am. 156 amateurs each partner a professional for the first two rounds, and the leading teams play on into the weekend.