Millbrook Resort plans new driving range

New Zealand’s premier lifestyle resort has announced plans for its new driving range development and the start of a NZ$250,000 Stage One. The world class driving range facility, a welcome addition to Country Club members, coaching professionals and the public, has been designed by internationally renowned golf professionals Turner McPherson Golf Design Ltd, and the Baxter Design Group, of Queenstown.

Diggers and earth movers have already moved in to start work on the driving range, which will cover seven hectares of a 22 hectare plot of Millbrook land, part of which is locally known as the ‘Arrowtown Corner’.

The driving range will initially feature four elevated teeing areas, and six raised target greens ranging in distance from 80m up to 250m, all of which will be irrigated. The longest distance anyone will be able to hit a ball will be 400m, to accommodate ‘long drive’ competitions held at the resort.

Millbrook Property and Development Manager Ben O’Malley said work on the driving range was in preparation for work starting on the half billion dollar Millbrook West housing and golf course development in May.

The current driving range will be taken over by a new golf hole for Millbrook West, and Mr O’Malley said this enabled Millbrook to reposition the range and significantly upgrade it at the same time.

“This is just Stage One of what can potentially be built on this land,” he said.

“The majority of the land is zoned ‘golf open space’. However closer to the main Millbrook entrance, 3.6 hectares of land is zoned for recreational facilities, permitting facilities such as squash and tennis courts, a swimming pool or gym.

“At this point, the only structure will be a ball dispensing machine, so with easy parking it will be very user friendly for people to come in here to ‘hit’ a bucket of balls on their way home from work or on their way to golf .”

Potential future stages are likely to include a chipping and putting green, and a coaching facility which would include a covered all-weather hitting area. Other sporting facilities in this location can be accommodated as the resort grows and demand dictates.”

Mr O’Malley said a key design objective was to ensure that the range and surrounding land was suitable for multiple uses such as Millbrook’s well known outdoor concerts, and to accommodate transition areas for the many triathlons held in and around Millbrook, as the resort still wished to support these community events.

“Discussions are also being held with the Queenstown Lakes District Council on some exciting options for the current Millbrook cricket pitch area,” he said.

Earthworks are scheduled to be completed by Easter, when grass will be sown. The new driving range is scheduled to open in November 2007.

For more information visit: millbrook.co.nz.