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The good-natured banter and laughs flew as each took turns at potting their opponents while talking up their own game.

On a chilly Queenstown morning with a dusting of fresh snow on the mountains, Botham said he’d walked out in his shorts that morning then walked straight back in to change into something warmer.

With a tongue-in-cheek admission that he didn’t play too much golf in the UK because of the weather, he said he’d headed to Spain for some practice.

“That didn’t help at all, but I’m always pretty confident!”

Describing his golf prowess as “pretty ordinary”, Warne said he was in “fine form” off the field.

“I’m hoping that if I continue in that vein, by the time Thursday comes around I could be in tremendous form on the golf course as well,” he said.

McCullum and Border were unanimous in how terrified they were when it came to standing on the first tee on day one.

“I can’t get over how nervewracking that is, more than any other time in sport,” said Border. “I’ve definitely had some moments here I would rather forget. I’m not used to having people standing so close when I’m playing golf, there’s every chance I’m going to whack one!”

And McCullum agreed. “We’re all obviously incredible golf enthusiasts who can’t wait to get out there, but all extremely anxious about standing on the first tee!”

Fleming said he was “very pleased” with the course change at Millbrook where the final hole is a par-3 coming onto a green in front of the historic Millhouse building.

With tongue firmly in cheek he declared that Millbrook was an anti-clockwise course so he planned to play it left-handed. Talking tactics, he said “It’s a bit like the America’s Cup where at some stage you’ve got to show your hand.”

Coming back to the tournament for his fourth year in a row, Ricky Ponting said he was making it a family affair, with his dad as caddy and his brother also playing in the event.

“I always get out the calendar at the beginning of the year and book out this week in early March,” he said.

“We’re all here to have fun and stay out of the way of our pro’s. We’ve got to be pretty mindful of what our pros are going through. We’ve all played in front of thousands of people, but this is a little bit out of our comfort zone.”

The celebrity players were all unanimous in praising NZ Open chairman John Hart and director Michael Glading for inviting them to the event.

“We all love being part of this,” said Warne. “We’re all competitive people and we all want to play a lot better than we do. We’re very grateful to be invited. John Hart and the team do a great job.”

A total of 14 celebrity amateurs will play as part of the tournament’s popular and successful Pro-Am format, including Grant Fox, Sir Russell Coutts, Japanese baseball star Masumi Kuwata, Olympian Tom Walsh, hockey player Ryan Archibald, Jeff Wilson, chef Josh Emett and Australian TV personality Kerri-Anne Kennerley.

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption (Photosport):

1/ Fun times ahead – lining up at Millbrook Resort ahead of this week’s ISPS Handa New Zealand Open are (L to R) Brendon McCullum, Shane Warne, Stephen Fleming, Ricky Ponting, Sir Ian Botham and Allan Border

In the two to three months he had off, he’d play golf. And as is the case with many professional sportspeople, he turned out to be pretty good at it.

Enjoying his first-ever visit to Queenstown where he’s scheduled to play in the celebrity field for the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open (March 9 – 12), 49-year-old Kuwata said he played off “only a six”.

And despite the fact that puts him among some of the best celebrity guests to tee off this coming Thursday, the humble sports star said he was “a bit worried” about the Millbrook course.

“The course looks a bit difficult, a bit more narrow than courses I’m used to playing,” he said. “I don’t want to end up in the rough!”

Calling Millbrook Resort “really beautiful”, he said he was looking forward to partnering with top Japanese professional and personal friend Toshi Muto, playing in the tournament for the fourth time.

“I’m very happy to be playing with professional players because a chance to play four days with a pro is really something special. I’m looking forward to learning from him,” he said.

“I’m delighted to have been invited to play and I’m really looking forward to making a contribution to Japanese and New Zealand relationships by taking part in the tournament.”

As a baseball pitcher, Kuwata was admittedly one of the smallest professionals, but said it was all about speed.

“I wasn’t the power pitcher, it was about control. I’ve always loved golf and my brother played tournaments as a pro and now teaches. Now I’m retired I’m seeing what I can do with it.”

On retirement he went to university and achieved a Masters degree in sports science, and is currently studying for his PHD. He keeps up his love of baseball as a baseball commentator in print and on TV, and in his ‘spare’ time does charity work.

“Recognising that baseball has given a lot to me, I do a lot of work throughout Japan with injured or disabled youth baseball players,” he said.

Among the professionals at this year’s ISPS Handa New Zealand Open, more than 20 Japanese and Korean players from the Japan Tour have confirmed. The Japanese contingent confirmed for Queenstown includes leading players Yusaku Miyazato, Shunsuke Sonoda, Toshinori Muto and Ryutaro Nagano.

While these players may not be household golfing names in this New Zealand, the sextet have secured 16 wins between them on the Japan Golf Tour, and combined career earnings of around NZ$22million.

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour. The 2017 event will be played in Queenstown at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 9-12 March.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption (Photosport):

1/ Masumi Kuwata is delighted to play in the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open – pictured here at Millbrook Resort

Celebrating it’s ‘Oneth’ birthday from February 18 to 24, over 250 locals and visitors visited Queenstown’s Shotover Canyon Fox to get their adrenalin fix for just $50.

All proceeds from the fundraiser went straight to the rebuild.

Shotover Canyon Fox Sales Manager James Isted-Salmon – known to all and sundry as just ‘Salmon’ — surprised Waiau School and Community Rebuild Committee members Emma Duncan and Caroline Eastmond with a cheque this weekend.

Waiau School and Community Rebuild Committee Chairperson Emma Duncan says she was astounded by the generous contribution.

“To be handed a cheque for over twelve thousand dollars is amazing and we’re very appreciative to Shotover Canyon Fox,” she says.

“It would take us months to fundraise this sort of money as we’re such a small community, and it has put us one step closer to achieving our end goal.”

Rebuild Committee Secretary Caroline Eastmond also expressed her gratitude.

“The donation will give the whole community a huge boost,” says Caroline. “It’s mind-blowing to know we’ve got so many good people around the country behind us, supporting our community in our efforts to rebuild the facility.”

Salmon said the committee was “absolutely over the moon” with the substantial donation, especially as it had been a surprise before the cheque amount was revealed.

The Shotover Canyon Fox drops adrenalin junkies from the world’s first ‘rail launch’ system 182m above the mighty Shotover River.

The Fox takes adventure-lovers out on the rail system before dropping about 5m into thin air and ‘foxing along’ to the other side.

Once there, they’re attached to a more traditional zipline (Line 2) taking them back to base.

Shotover Canyon Swing General Manager Matt Hollyer says he “couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate” Canyon Fox’s first birthday.

“A year on, the team couldn’t be prouder of our unique invention,” he says.

“A big thank you to everyone who has visited the Canyon, and taken a leap of good faith for a good cause.

“Each year we’re blown away by the generosity of others, and we’re delighted to help the project to make the pool a central point for the Waiau community once again.

“We chose Waiau School for the birthday fundraiser as we wanted to support a service that benefited an entire community, post Kaikoura earthquakes.

“We’re looking forward to pop in for a swim when it’s up and running.”

Shotover Canyon Swing and Canyon Fox runs annual fundraising initiatives to support local charities, picked each year by the company’s staff.

The Waiau School and Community Pool’s Givealittle page has raised over $92,600 since it was created in November 2016. To donate or for further information go to https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/waiauschoolpool

Click here to visit Shotover Canyon Swing’s website.

Photo caption:

1/ Staff and thrillseekers celebrate Shotover Canyon Fox first birthday

Renowned celebrity chef Josh Emett leaves the kitchen to turn up the heat on the golf course, while TV personality and singer Kerri-Anne Kennerley – one of Australia’s most seasoned entertainment hosts – is out to show just how much she loves a good game of golf.

The 14 celebrity amateurs will play as part of the tournament’s popular and successful Pro-Am format.

Considering golf isn’t their ‘first’ sport, the celebrities boast some pretty handy handicaps, including cricket great Ricky Ponting who could go toe-to-toe with the pro’s with an impressive scratch handicap.

The 125kg super-strong Walsh, who took up playing golf with his shot put coach in their ‘down time’, plays off a very handy 11 handicap, while the likes of McCullum, Border, Fleming, Warne, Botham, Archibald and Wilson are all ten-or-below handicappers.

Golf obviously runs in the blood for former AB Grant Fox, father of top Kiwi hopeful Ryan Fox, as he plays off a very solid four handicap, while Sir Russell Coutts, who loves the game so much he’s built a private nine-hole golf course at his home above Arrowtown, is on a tidy 14.

Japanese baseball star Kuwata is no stranger to a slightly larger white ball, and plays off an impressive six handicap, while Kennerley and Emett play off 16 and 15 respectively.

Tournament director Michael Glading says the amateur and celebrity format of the tournament is unique in that it boasts world class golfers playing for $1m in prizemoney, and also 140 amateur players who get to play alongside the professionals.

“Adding sporting and other celebrities really adds an extra dimension to our unique event, and spectators love spotting those famous faces in amongst the pros. The entertainment factor is huge, enjoyed by die-hard golf fans and those along for a great day out.

“I suspect there will be more than a few people keen to see how far Tom can hit the ball off the tee, for example!”

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour. The 2017 event will be played in Queenstown at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 9-12 March.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption:

1/ A true favourite with the crowds – Sir Ian Botham will play in next week’s ISPS Handa New Zealand Open

And it’s the sale that keeps on giving — each hotel is running an Easter competition on their individual Facebook page to win free accommodation and a unique local experience, tailored to each property.

The five competition* prizes are all uniquely different. Holiday Inn Rotorua is offering a two night stay with a family pass to AMAZEME and Holiday Inn Auckland Airport a two night stay with family pass to Rainbow’s End.

The Crowne Plaza Auckland prize includes a two night stay with a couples massage at Bliss Reflexology while Crowne Plaza Queenstown is offering a two night stay with half day e-bike hire.

The lucky winners at InterContinental Wellington will be gifted a free one night stay with an indulgent high tea for two.

Entering the competition could not be easier – guess how many Easter eggs are in the image pinned to each hotel’s Facebook page to go in the draw to win.

The competition closes at 9am on March 14 and winners will be announced in an online video reveal on each page at 5pm.

Crowne Plaza Auckland General Manager Tim Pollock said the flash sale was the perfect excuse for New Zealanders to take some leave between the upcoming public holidays and book their next getaway.

“I’m sure guests will enjoy a delightful city weekend getaway with everything on their doorstep at Crowne Plaza Auckland, or they can add an extra stop-off at Holiday Inn Auckland Airport before jetting away for leisure or business,” he said.

“Perhaps a shopping trip to New Zealand’s capital is on the cards, an adventure weekend away to Rotorua with the family, or an escape to Queenstown to experience the yellow, gold and hot oranges of New Zealand’s spectacular autumn landscapes.”

For flash sale bookings or more information go to ihg.com/easterinaflash

*Competition terms and conditions apply

Photo caption:

1/ Holiday Inn Rotorua guests take advantage of the world-class mountain bike trails

The fantastic deal is available on all room types and combines accommodation with a daily complimentary full buffet breakfast for two at threesixty restaurant and skiing for four-days at the world-class ski fields.

Snowsports enthusiasts keen to secure the exceptional early bird rates must book by March 30 2017. Prices start from NZ$385 per night.

Crowne Plaza Queenstown General Manager Anna Edie says the superb value package offers visitors all the skiing and riding they can handle in four days.

“There’s nothing like the feeling of zipping down a snow-covered mountain under gorgeous blue skies, especially in Queenstown where the views are absolutely breathtaking,” she says.

“As summer slides into autumn we know we have plenty of guests who are already looking forward to their value-packed and fun-filled winter holiday, so now there’s no need to wait.

“With up-to-the-minute snow reports, hearty breakfasts and take-away lunches, in-room massage options, in-hotel ski rental service, a ski shuttle stop outside the hotel, and secure and heated ski gear storage, we’re the perfect home-away-from home for that ski break.”

Widely known as Queenstown’s chic, friendly and cosmopolitan downtown hotel, Crowne Plaza Queenstown is the perfect ski base, enjoying the best in-town location overlooking stunning Lake Wakatipu and the spectacular Remarkables mountain range.

“After an adventurous day up the slopes, guests are invited to slip into après-ski mode, relax and unwind with a warming mulled wine, an ice-cold beer or sample a signature cocktail in our city-style Martini Bar,” says Ms Edie.

“Our restaurant threesixty has a mouthwatering winter menu that’s sure to please hungry skiers, or if guests wish to venture out for the evening we’re on the doorstep of Queenstown’s vibrant nightlife.”

Upgrade options are available subject to availability, and additional nights can be booked directly with the hotel. Bookings for the early bird deal must be made by March 30 2017.

For bookings or more information go to crowneplaza.nz/EarlyBirdSki

Photo caption (The Remarkables/NZSki):

1/ Crowne Plaza Queenstown guests can enjoy perfect snow conditions at The Remarkables

The announcement comes as Southern Discoveries celebrates impressive growth, with significant investment over the past eight years in its Milford Sound and Queenstown operations.

CEO Tim Hunter said the company prided itself on its exceptional customer service and was always looking for new ways to improve products and services to enhance the customer experience.

“With visitor numbers to Milford Sound continuing to rise, we’re expecting strong demand for our new coach and cruise day trips from Queenstown,” he said.

“The road to Milford Sound is a tourism experience in itself, and these new coaches will enable us to offer a seamless service from Queenstown, on vehicles and vessels that are purpose-built for sightseeing.

“We’ll provide multi-lingual commentary en route and ensure we have a number of day trip options to suit the needs of a wide range of visitors.”

Southern Discoveries is Milford Sound’s original cruise operator and has been owned by the Queenstown-based Skeggs family since 2008. The company now operates six cruising vessels and has 130 staff members in Queenstown, Te Anau and Milford Sound.

The company’s range of new experiences introduced over recent years include kayaking in Milford Sound, scenic cruises on Lake Wakatipu and cycling and high country farm experiences in Queenstown.

Southern Discoveries will launch its new coach and cruise products from Queenstown to Milford Sound from August 2017.

Click here to visit Southern Discoveries’ website.

“I could not be more thrilled to lead a hotel and team of this calibre into the future,” she says.

“I am looking forward to connecting with Queenstown’s vibrant business community and being part of a large hotel that’s perfect for leisure, business and conference and incentive guests all year round.

“It’s certainly going to be a shock adapting to Queenstown’s cooler winter temperatures in particular, but I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the great outdoors, learning how to ski and spending time with the family.”

Anna’s extensive hotel career has seen her overseeing rooms division and food and beverage operations for new and established IHG hotels, including Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, pre-opening at Holiday Inn Gwangju in Korea, Crowne Plaza Darwin and Intercontinental Shenzhen in China.

Her international experience, keen eye for continuous improvement in guest experience and financial expertise is welcomed by IHG’s Area General Manager – New Zealand Tim Pollock.

“Anna is recognised as an articulate leader and has extensive experience with different cultures, brands and owners throughout luxury hotels and resorts,” he says.

“Diversity is hugely important at IHG and we’re pleased to welcome young talent like Anna, with her adaptable and resilient character, to lead the Queenstown team.

“We wish her every success in her role.”

IHG currently operates six properties in New Zealand including Crowne Plaza hotels in Auckland and Queenstown, three Holiday Inn properties in Queenstown, Rotorua and at Auckland Airport, and the InterContinental Wellington. It will also operate Crowne Plaza Christchurch which is due to open later this year.

Click here to visit Crowne Plaza Queenstown’s website.

Photo caption:

1/ Anna Edie joins Crowne Plaza Queenstown this week as its new General Manager

“It’s a huge boost to the tournament to attract four players of this quality,” said New Zealand Open Tournament Director, Michael Glading.

“Song is now 78^th in the world so he is ranked ahead of the likes of our own Danny Lee and Major winners like Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley.

“Slocum has battled professional life with ulcerative colitis and still won some of the biggest events on the PGA Tour and amassed over $22 million in the process.

“Park has strong links to New Zealand, and is battling back from injury in his career on the PGA Tour while Marcus Fraser is a class player around the globe.

“With the level of players coming as a result of our partnerships with the Japan Tour and the Asian Tour, and strong representation from Australia and New Zealand, the Open this year will be eye-catching.”

Slocum, 43, who will also play in the LawnMaster Horizon Golf NZPGA Championship in Palmerston North, has won seven times on the PGA Tour including the McGladrey Classic in 2010, the Barclays in 2009 and the Chrysler Classic in 2004.

He qualified for the first six FEDEx Cup playoffs in a row, finished runner-up in the World Cup with Boo Weekley representing USA, and was a regular contender for many years.

Since contracting ulcerative colitis in 1997 he’s since become a national spokesperson for CCFA (Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation) as well as a significant financial contributor.

Park played in New Zealand as an amateur, earning a number of titles at North Harbour, where his coaches included well-known Kiwi professional Bob MacDonald.

He turned professional with a win on the Japan Challenge Tour in 2010 and after earning promotion to the Japan Tour, win the Vana H Cup KBC Augusta in 2013, finishing 5^th on the Japan Order of Merit that year. Park earned promotion to Web.com Tour and then on to the PGA Tour in 2015 where he finished runner-up to Bill Haas in the Humana Challenge in just his fifth start. His winnings that year totalled US$600,000. He represented South Korea at the 2011 World Cup.

He is returning to play after being sidelined with a shoulder injury, after earning a medical exemption from the PGA Tour for 2017.

At just 25, Song is a revelation since turning professional in 2011. He enjoyed three runner-ups to be 15^th on the moneylist on the Japan Tour in 2015 with his breakthrough coming with a stunning one shot victory over Jordan Speith in the CIMB Singapore Open in 2016. He finished 2016 in fourth place on the Japan money list, making him the highest-ranking JGTO player in the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open field.

Fraser is a class player with six wins to his credit on the European and Asian Tours, along with turn runners-up in playoffs tin the Australian Masters, BMW Open and Balantines. The 38-year-old, currently ranked 133^rd in the world, was the midway leader at the Rio Olympics after an opening round 63.

Prior to turning professional he was one of the world’s leading amateurs, winning the prestigious Asia Pacific Championship in 2001 before crossing the Tasman to win the New Zealand Amateur title in 2002.

The tournament has attracted 11 former New Zealand Open winners along with former Major winner YE Yang.

The field will be finalised next week, with the opening two rounds split between The Hills and Millbrook Resort, which will host the final two rounds.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Stage One of the project – consisting of the first 56 houses — will shortly be on the market and registrations of interest through Bayleys Real Estate have been enthusiastic. Construction is scheduled to start this year and the first stage will take about 18 months to complete. Further stages will be released during the year.

Pricing will be released shortly with a range of housing, sizes and layouts available. All properties feature rear garaging and some have additional studio or office spaces, making them flexible enough to suit a range of potential buyers.

Mr Mah described Queenstown as one of the premier tourism destinations in New Zealand, if not globally.

“We’re very excited to bring Remarkables Residences to Queenstown because we know the demand for good accommodation is there, and we’re creating a development with an Alpine feel to it in a very attractive location at the foothills of the mountains.

“It’s a great value-for-money project that we believe will add to the Queenstown environment in a very positive way, helping to grow the town and meet demand as well as being a commercial success. We hope you’ll be as proud of it as we are.”

Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult, speaking at the announcement, described Remarkables Residences as “a very welcome addition to our district”.

“This development marks a confidence ‘tick’ in the future of Queenstown and our economic development as a high-value tourism destination,” he said.

“We’re in a period of sustained development and extraordinary growth rates, with population growth increasing by 7.1% in the last year compared to national growth of just 2.1%, and visitor numbers of 66,000 on peak days.

“So your decision to create 225 townhouses that will be attractive to families as well as people looking for investments is something our council welcomes.”

The properties are being marketed by Bayleys and there is already strong interest from existing Bayleys clients.

Bayley’s Corporation Chairman John Bayley, also in Queenstown for the announcement, said they were “perfect” for a wide range of buyers.

“They’ll suit owner-occupiers, families, or businesses wanting to house key workers,” he said. “Their appeal will also reach holidaymakers who might know and love Queenstown, Kiwi investors and international buyers who want to invest in this dynamic, fast-growing location.”

Mr Bayley said Remarkables Residences brought “much-needed” supply to the Queenstown market, transforming a bare piece of land into a safe, social and diverse community.

Remarkables Residences is being marketed as well-built, stylish and low maintenance homes incorporating latest design techniques. Master-planned by DASL Consultants and designed by Auckland-based Ignite Architects, they are described as a very modern interpretation of popular developments of this kind.

Much work has gone into creating different building forms in each street using proven ‘neighbourhood architecture’, maximizing privacy and lifestyle living, as well as sunshine hours.

Green spaces incorporated in the development include a main public square and smaller open spaces (called Pocket Parks) dotted throughout the area. There are good links to surrounding biking and walking tracks and easy access to public transport, such as the planned park and ride facility.

Mr Bayley said Remarkables Residences is in the most accessible part of Queenstown, close to the airport and a very short walk to retail and hospitality outlets. It is just 10 minutes from central Queenstown, 15 minutes to Arrowtown and 30 minutes to the ski fields.

GYP Properties CEO Stanley Tan is no stranger to Queenstown — he co-developed the Heritage Hotel 20 years ago and is delighted to return to the district.

To register interest or request further information go to www.remarkablesresidences.co.nz

Photo credit:

1/ The Remarkables Residences development has been introduced to local business leaders in Queenstown

But this is star gazing with a difference – incorporating a 40-minute guided night sky tour with trained star guides followed by a 40-minute soak in the hot pools. Guides will continue to give information, answer questions and ‘story tell’ on request, and relaxing astro music will play to soothe the soul.

The outdoor pools at the complex will be lit with low red lighting to add to the mood, and guests on the tours will be supplied with floatation devices to help them relax in the water. The complex’s Tahr Bar and Café will be open for drinks and snacks throughout the tour.

Tekapo Springs owner Karl Burtscher said visitors didn’t have to know about astronomy to enjoy their experience.

“Our trained star guides will deliver a tour that includes information on some of the closest and brightest features in the night sky such as stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies,” he said.

“Guests will hear about the mythology and cultural aspects of the night sky including navigation for Maori and European cultures. Our tours have an emphasis on story telling mixed with some facts and entertainment.

“We’re thrilled to be opening after sourcing and putting our new telescopes in place as well as employing guides and training staff about our unique night skies. We’re always being asked about extending our nighttime operations so this is the perfect way to do it.”

Before enjoying the pools, guests are invited to get ‘closer to the stars and planets’ by looking through two Celestron reflector 9.25 aperture telescopes and a Sky Watcher refractor Esprit 120 Telescope, which Mr Burtscher described as “modern go-to’ telescopes”, sitting on the patio outside the complex’s Tahr Bar & Café.

Tours will go ahead no matter the weather and will operate year-round, with guests enjoying an exciting indoor guided tour with the use of a high definition projector if the sky is not visible at all. English and Mandarin-speaking tours are on offer and tour times will depend on the time of year and when it gets dark enough to see the night sky.

Mr Burtscher said Tekapo Springs had been considering adding the night sky products “for the past two or three years” and the timing was now right.

Just under a year ago, Tekapo Springs officially launched two new pools and an aqua play area new pools at the complex, bringing the total number of pools to five. The new pools proved hugely popular with visitors and locals and have resulted in a significant increase in visitor numbers.

“We just keep adding more and more reasons to visit Tekapo Springs including our winter ice skating rink, winter snow tubing and a huge inflatable summer waterslide,” said Mr Burtscher.

“Adding Tekapo Star Gazing will continue to broaden what we offer, and extend the range of ‘things to do’ in Tekapo at night. Many Asian visitors in particular are entranced by our night skies because they can’t see the stars at home due to excessive light pollution.

Star Gazing tours start at $89 per person and transport is available from the Tekapo Springs info centre. Bookings are highly recommended.

Tekapo Springs is a year-round attraction nestled on the shores of stunning Lake Tekapo, beloved by visitors from all around the globe. Last year it was a winner of the 2016 South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards and a finalist in the Champion Canterbury Business Awards 2016.

Click here to visit Tekapo Springs’s website.

Video credit (Mark Gee):

1/ A stunning time-lapse of the night sky at Tekapo

Fox is excited about having Williams on his bag.

“Steve is the best caddy in the world having worked with greats like Greg Norman, he was 10 years with Tiger Woods and then with Adam Scott and got him to world number one,” said Fox.

“My caddy is pretty excited about me working with Steve and hopefully I learn a bit from him and bring that to our relationship going down the line.”

Williams has supported Fox on his professional journey, giving him advice and sorting a practice round with Adam Scott at the 2015 British Open.

His professional life in Europe and his penchant for fishing when he is back home means Fox has not had much time to play golf with his father.

“It should be fun. I’m not sure how we will handle playing with a few people watching but I am sure he will enjoy the overall experience. Hopefully I can play well and we can both play the weekend.”

The tournament hosts 144 amateur players, each partnering with a professional in a two-person best-ball event, competing for the ISPS Handa NZ Pro-Am Championship which runs alongside the Open, with the leading 10 teams earning a spot amongst the professionals over the final 36 holes.

Fox, who has made the cut in his first four tournaments on the European Tour, competes in the ISPS Handa Super 6 in Perth next week and two tournaments in South Africa before a speedy return to Queenstown.

“Unfortunately I may have a bit of jet lag at the start of the week but hopefully we can combat that and be in contention come Sunday afternoon.”

Fox said after 14 years without a local triumph, that it was time for a Kiwi to win the New Zealand Open title and he would love nothing more than to have his name etched on the Brodie Breeze Trophy.

The ISPS Handa New Zealand Open is a NZ$1 million Tier One event on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour, to be played in Queenstown at Millbrook Resort and The Hills on 9-12 March.

Click here to visit ISPS Handa New Zealand Open’s website.

Photo caption (Photosport):

1/ Ryan Fox and father Grant Fox will pair up for the 93^rd ISPS Handa New Zealand Open in Queenstown