Media Release: February 14 2013

Easy transport option for NZ PGA Championship at The Hills

Queenstown February 14 2012: Spectators heading to the NZ PGA Championship at The Hills in Queenstown later this month are encouraged to take advantage of a bus service run by a local transport company.

Efficient and economical transfers to and from The Hills will be provided by ski area operator NZSki, sister company to one of the tournament’s major sponsors, Milford Track Guided Walk.

NZSki Transport Manager Etienne Raubenheimer said it was important people found it easy to get to the event and take part in the action.

“With the NZSki bus fleet sitting waiting for winter, it makes complete sense for the company to offer this service over the four day tournament,” he said.

“The first buses will pick up at the Station Building in Queenstown at 9am and run every other hour until the last bus at 5pm. They will also pick up at Frankton Bus Stop on the way out and back, and the frequency will ramp up to hourly departures on Saturday and Sunday.”

The four-day PGA Tour of Australasia tournament runs at The Hills from Thursday February 28 to Sunday March 3, featuring celebrities such as Sir Ian Botham, golf sensation Lydia Ko and Olympic rowing champion Mahe Drysdale playing alongside pros including Hale Irwin, Japan’s Toshinori Muto, Brendan Jones and Michael Hendry.

A highlight of this year’s event, apart from the exceptional golf, is ‘The 19th’ entertainment area, featuring the best Central Otago food, wine and entertainment. This year all those at the Championship will be treated to a special open-air concert on the Saturday night featuring local band The Lynch Mob and young Auckland musician Jamie McDell, who will headline the event.

To enable people to attend the concert and make the most of the increased entertainment this year, buses will run until the concert finishes, with the last bus returning to Queenstown at 9.30pm.

Mr Raubenheimer said while there was extensive parking available at The Hills, if people wanted to attend the concert and make the most of hospitality options available, the bus transport was “the way to go”.

“A trip each way from Queenstown to The Hills will be just $6, and with the frequency of the service it makes sense to catch the bus on any day of the tournament and avoid having to worry about driving.”

For those who wish to drive, extensive car parking is also available at The Hills for either $10 a day or $10 for a season pass for the whole four days of the tournament.

More information on the NZPGA bus service:-

Queenstown/Frankton to NZPGA

Queenstown pick up - The Station Building bus stop on Duke Street

• Frankton pick up – The Frankton Bus Shelter on Kawarau Road

• Drop off – Inside the main gate at The Hills

• Thursday & Friday

From Queenstown the buses will run every other hour from 9am till 5pm

From The Hills the buses will run every other hour from 10am till 6pm

• Saturday and Sunday

From Queenstown the buses will run every hour from 9am till 5pm

(Additional buses at 6pm and 7pm for the Jamie McDell concert)

From The Hills the buses will run every hour from 9.30 am till 6.30pm
(Additional buses will return from the concert at 8pm, 8.30pm, 9pm and 9.30pm)

• Cost is $6 each way and is a cash-only service

ENDS

Background Information

The Tournament Format: NZ PGA Championship

Up to 132 professionals will tee up on Thursday February 28th, 2013 with the top 60 professionals (plus ties) making the cut on the Friday progressing through to the weekend to play for the NZ PGA Championship.

A field of 68 Amateurs (friends, sponsors, celebrities) will play a seeding tournament on Friday 1st March at Millbrook. Following this each amateur will be placed with a professional and that pair will play as a two-ball, best-ball team on the Saturday and Sunday for the NZ PGA Championship pro-am title.

The Course: The Hills

In its stunning amphitheatre encircled by the Remarkables Mountains, with 180 degree views taking in Coronet Peak and the Crown Range, The Hills has the x-factor as a tournament golf course.

Designed by Darby Partners, the course was initially Michael Hill’s own private golf course. Set over 500 acres of former deer farm land close to Arrowtown, Central Otago, it is home to an incredible array of flora including native brown top grasses and wild native mountain tussocks.

Another unique element of the course is a significant sculpture park that links outdoor art pieces into the course design, creating a magical playing environment.

The Hills is proud to have hosted three consecutive New Zealand Open Championships since opening in 2007 and is now the home of the NZ PGA Championship.

The Location: Queenstown

With mountain peaks as far as the eye can see, shimmering lakes and crisp alpine air, Queenstown is quite simply a place of pure inspiration. It’s also a golf lover paradise.

With six stunning golf courses all within 25 minutes’ drive of the town centre, Queenstown is fast gaining a reputation as an internationally renowned golf destination. Choices range from the immaculately groomed greens of resort courses to breathtaking fairways with rugged mountain peaks as a backdrop.

Golf facilities are world-class and there’s plenty of variety between The Hills, Millbrook Resort, Jack’s Point, Arrowtown Golf Club, Queenstown Golf Club at Kelvin Heights, and the Frankton Driving Range and Golf Course.

A range of different courses means no two rounds need be the same and a week-long trip can be both technically challenging and fun. Tailored tours and packages cater for the solo golfer right through to larger groups. Every style and level of golfer will be well looked after.

About the PGA Tour of Australasia

The PGA Tour of Australasia is the elite tournament destination for professional golf in Australasia. Encompassing events in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific with a total prize pool of over AU$7.5 million, all tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia carry Official World Golf Ranking points.

Throughout the course of the season Professionals playing on the PGA Tour of Australasia compete for the title of Order of Merit Champion. Awarded the prestigious Norman Von Nida Medal, past Order of Merit winners include Greg Norman, Peter Senior, Robert Allenby, Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott, and Geoff Ogilvy.

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