Millbrook Resort

The verdict

Few golf resorts can match Millbrook for setting. It sits in the Wakatipu Basin near Arrowtown, about 20 minutes from Queenstown, with the jagged wall of the Remarkables on one side and Coronet Peak on the other, so almost every shot is framed by mountains. The original 18 holes opened in 1992 to a design by Sir Bob Charles, the 1963 Open champion and the most famous golfer New Zealand has produced, working with John Darby, and the course quickly became the country's leading resort layout.

Its status was sealed in 2014 when Millbrook began co-hosting the New Zealand Open alongside The Hills, a co-sanctioned tournament that brings the world's cameras to the Southern Alps every February. In 2022 the resort expanded to 36 holes, reworking its holes into two named 18 hole courses, the Remarkables and the rugged new Coronet, the latter with holes by Greg Turner and Scott Macpherson. The result is a destination where you can stay on site, play tournament golf, and pair it with the rest of one of the world's great scenic golf regions.

The holes worth the trip

Millbrook is a course of two moods. The Remarkables layout, the original Sir Bob Charles design, plays across the gentler floor of the basin, weaving among ponds, schist stone walls and the resort's accommodation, a fair and enjoyable test that flatters good ball striking while keeping the big numbers in play around the water. It is the course that has hosted New Zealand Open rounds, stretching well beyond 7,000 yards from the championship tees yet remaining playable from the forward markers for resort guests.

The Coronet course, opened in 2022, is the wilder sibling. It climbs onto higher, more rugged ground and trades the manicured resort feel for raw alpine drama, with some of the finest mountain views of any course in the country and a tougher, more exposed examination when the wind comes off the peaks. Built by taking nine holes from the original rotation and adding nine new holes from Greg Turner and Scott Macpherson, it gives Millbrook real variety across its 36 holes.

However you split the loops, the constant is the scenery. The mountains never let up, the air is clean and the light in the Wakatipu Basin is extraordinary, especially in autumn when the willows and poplars turn gold. For many travelling golfers Millbrook is the reason to come to the South Island, and it rewards the long flight with a round that feels like nowhere else.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest answer is to stay at Millbrook itself, where villas and suites sit beside the fairways and a stay and play package puts the first tee a short walk from your door, along with the spa, restaurants and the historic village feel of the resort. It is one of the most complete golf stays in the country.

Beyond the gates, Arrowtown offers boutique lodges and a charming gold rush main street, while Queenstown 20 minutes away gives lakefront hotels and the full resort town experience. For a fuller golf trip, Millbrook anchors the Queenstown cluster perfectly, an easy drive from the region's other great courses for a week of alpine golf.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Millbrook.