Millbrook Coronet Course Hole by Hole
Alison and I have a free day in Queenstown in the middle of the Adventures Abroad tour of New Zealand and have opted to play golf at the Millbrook Resort in nearby Arrowtown. This is a five star resort on 650 acres of prime real estate at the foot of the Remarkables Mountain Range. It has two 18 hole courses, Remarkables and Coronet, the latter of which we will play today. The resort provides a free shuttle service from Queenstown to the pro shop, but you need to reserve it advance by calling the pro shop.
A few weeks ago we played the Kauri Cliffs course on the North Island and enjoyed it immensely. It was a seaside course whereas Millbrook Coronet is inland and I am looking forward to the contrast between the two courses. The first thing I notice on entering the resort grounds via a grove of trees that were planted over 150 years ago, is that everything is on a modest scale. There is no grandiose club house, but rather a quite tranquil setting as shown in this photo from the resort’s website.
Everything at Millbrook pays homage to the history of the place which goes back to two French brothers who established a farm and mill on these grounds in the 1860s. It maintains a look that is consistent with the original buildings, many of which have been restored. I have played many resort courses that also double as residential developments, but few have succeeded as well as Millbrook in not having the residences impinge on the golf experience. The houses here are all made primarily of stone, are not McMansions and are actually pleasing to the eye.
The final nine holes at Millbrook opened in 2023 and since that time it has become the host of the New Zealand Open, an event that goes back to 1907 and has seen many notable champions. Five time British Open champion Peter Thomson won this event an incredible nine times. Other winners include US Open champions Corey Pavin and Michael Campbell and lefty Bob Charles who also won the British Open and six PGA tournaments. So we are in some pretty prestigious company today as we head out to the first tee on the Coronet Course.
I will be playing from the blue tees which measure 5,874 yards while Alison will play the ladies tees at 4,478 yards.
Millbrook Coronet #1 – 336 Yard Par Four
As you can see, it is a misty day to start off, but the weather is supposed to improve throughout the morning. This par four is not long, but the fairway narrows considerably about 200 yards out so you don’t need a driver. While the rough is not that penalizing, I’d still rather be on the short grass for this type of approach shot.
I’ve come up just short of this ridge of schist that is a feature of the Millbrook Coronet course on a number of holes. The green is not large and anything left will probably find the trap so erring to the right is the best option.
The greens at Millbrook are quite reasonable. Not overly fast and quite true with a minimum of tricked up undulations. This is a good starting hole that should yield a par if you don’t try to overpower it.
This is a look back from behind the first green and I am struck by how much it reminds me of the landscape around Killarney in Ireland. The mountains aren’t that large, but they have a brooding majesty about them that adds to the experience of playing this course.
Coronet #2 – 113 Yard Par Three
None of the par threes at the Millbrook Coronet course are overly long with #2 being by far the shortest, but today’s pin placement is probably the most difficult it could be. Taking one more club than at first seems necessary should take the trap out of play as there is more room than it appears behind the flag. This is the easiest hole on the Millbrook Coronet course and along with #1 and what is to come, should get your game off to a good start. There is nothing I hate worse than having a couple of really hard holes thrown at you before you’re really warmed up.
This photo is a good example of how the houses on the course are modest and pleasantly designed.
Millbrook Coronet #3 – 445 Yard Par Five
This very short par five plays even shorter than its length as it is mostly downhill. The question is do you try to make the green in two or not. The huge trap on the left is very much in play and is over a 200 yard carry to get over, too much for the average senior golfer like me.
That makes the right side of the fairway the best option, but there is a catch – there is a truly severe drop off to the right. So the answer is, don’t be a hero, use a wood or hybrid off the tee and you’ll be relatively safe for your second shot.
Use another hybrid and you should be about here for your approach, close enough to avoid one of the five traps that guard this green.
After playing the first three holes on the Millbrook Coronet course you should have a decent score and be in a good frame of mind. And things should continue that way on #4.
Coronet #4 – 289 Yard Par Four
This is probably the best birdie opportunity on the Coronet course. The fairway is actually quite wide and the trap on the left can be cleared quite easily.
A good drive should leave a flip wedge or even bump and run opportunity for that birdie putt.
This is another hole where the similarities to Ireland are striking.
Millbrook Coronet #5 – 418 Yard Par Four
OK, time to get serious. This is a great looking hole, but it’s no pushover. You’re going to need a very good drive just to get to the corner of this dogleg left. You can try to cut off some of the distance by staying left, but there’s a load of trouble waiting for you if you come up short.
Even with a decent drive it is everything I can hit to reach this green. There’s now water down the right side. The good news is that I can see blue sky which takes the sting out of the likely bogey on this hole.
Coronet # 6 – 158 Yard Par Three
This is one of the most memorable holes on the Millbrook Coronet course. It plays way way more uphill than this photo would lead you to believe.
Taking what I thought was enough club to clear the bunker on the right I came up short of the green into this trap which blends naturally into the schist outcrop.
This is a look back from the 6th green and you can see just how much higher the green is than it appears from below.
Millbrook Coronet #7 – 345 Yard Par Four
This medium length par four was definitely not made for my right to left ball flight and I found my second consecutive trap. However, if you can avoid them it should leave about a 5 to 7 iron shot to one of the largest greens on the course.
This is where my fairway bunker shot ended up, still leaving a chance for par.
Coronet #8 – 338 Yard Par Four
This dogleg left requires a decent drive to the right side of the fairway for a clear look at the green. With a generous fairway this should be doable on a day like this with little wind.
That’s a pond on the left side of the green so staying well right of it is the proper approach. This is a nice little par four with a distinctly western look to it. It’s also a good place to spot the paradise ducks that nest in the Millbrook ponds.
Millbrook Coronet #9 – 358 Yard Par Four
The front nine concludes with this dramatic severe dogleg left with water all down the left side. The target is the trap on the right which should not be reachable with a three wood.
If you fail to keep it right as I did, you get this near impossible second shot. I took my lumps and played a seven and a wedge for a two putt bogey on the most difficult hole on the front.
Coronet #10 – 310 Yard Par Four
The clouds have almost all dissipated as we start the second nine. This short par four is another good birdie opportunity at Millbrook that does not require a driver. Keep as close to the cart path as possible off the tee with a wood or hybrid.
If you manage to do that it will leave just a short iron into this receptive green.
Millbrook Coronet #11 – 492 Yard Par Five
This is the first of three par fives on the back nine and it’s a visual stunner. There is the option of trying to land you drive on top of the elevated fairway to the left which will give a clear look at the green and the possibility of getting home in two, but I think that’s a sucker’s play. Playing quite downhill, you are still going to get some good distance off the tee, just avoid the first set of traps on the right. If you accomplish that your second shot will look something like this.
The fairway narrows considerably towards the green and you once again have a choice; try to get as far down as possible with a three wood and hope it stays straight or play a more cautious shot that you know you can control. With no wind the more daring shot is not unreasonable and actually brings birdie into play on this third rated hole.
No matter how you choose to play it, this is a great par five.
Coronet #12 – 147 Yard Par Three
This downhill par three is all about club selection. You cannot be long or left, but a properly struck iron to the right side of the green will kick to the left and that’s a good thing with this pin placement. This should be a no stress par of you avoid the bunkers.
Leaving #12 green you are rewarded with this wonderful view of the finishing holes at the Millbrook Coronet course.
Millbrook Coronet #13 – 273 Yard Par Four
This ultra short par four just dares you to grip and rip it as it’s only 236 yards to the front of the green and downhill at that, but failure to reach the green will bring bogey into play on what should be real birdie opportunity. Playing it safe with any manner of clubs from a five wood to a five iron should leave an easy second shot to a large green.
Another gorgeous golf hole on the Millbrook Coronet course.
Coronet #14 – 364 Yard Par Four
You are still going downhill on this somewhat tricky par four. The first bunker is 224 yards out and probably reachable so keep the driver in the bag and use a wood instead.
That accomplished you just need to avoid the back bunker with your approach shot so taking one less club is the best option. You can’t see it from here, but there is a trap that guards the right side of the green and there is plenty of room on the left. This is definitely a thinking man’s par four.
Millbrook Coronet #15 – 520 Yard Par Five
This is the only hole at the Millbrook Coronet course that plays over 500 yards from the blue tees. The drive should not be a problem with the widest fairway on the course to land it on. However, there is water on both sides of it if you hook or slice it badly.
The second shot on #15 presents a real conundrum that makes this an amazing golf hole as it best illustrated by this drawing of the hole from the Millbrook website.
Most golf course decisions involve two choices, but this one presents three – clear the water to the right or left or lay up straight ahead and clear it on the approach shot.
I chose the last option and as a result still had a long way in on the approach shot with trouble left and right.
There is a good reason that this is the toughest hole on the Millbrook Coronet course and avoiding the water requires three good shots. I would consider this the signature hole on the course although 18 gives it a run for the money.
Coronet #16 – 144 Yard Par Three
I loved this hole with its rocky backstop. The green just seems nestled quite naturally at its base. With this pin placement you could hope for the perfect club selection taking into account that it plays downhill and hope to land it over the bunkers and short of the schist. Or you could play it safer and go for the left side of the green. The first promises a birdie putt if pulled off or a bogey if not. The latter hopes for an uphill two putt par.
I’m really enjoying the strength and the look of the closing holes at the Millbrook Coronet course where there are different options on every hole.
Millbrook Coronet #17 – 328 Yard Par Four
This is the third of four holes on the back nine where you need to clear a water hazard to reach the green. It’s not a long hole so you don’t need driver. I’ve used a wood to come up short of this trap that is 223 yards off the tee leaving about 120 yards to the green and only about 80 to clear the burn.
Coronet #18 – 496 Yard Par Five
This is a great finishing hole which dares you to go for the green in two. Playing downhill you can get a lot of distance on your drive, but even then you need to fly it all the way to the green on your second shot. It’s a classic along the lines of #18 on the South Course at Torrey Pines. I admit to chickening out and hitting a safe second shot for this approach. I think it’s one of the most idyllic looking shots in golf with the combination of the pond, the trees and the old mill building making it look like something out of John Constable landscape painting.
The Millbrook Coronet course is exactly what a resort course should be – scenic, in good condition and not overly difficult. I found this to be one of the most relaxing rounds of golf I have played in a long time and hope to get back to play the Remarkables course next year.