The event, which has been hosted by The Hills for the last three years, will be hosted at the Clearwater Golf Resort from 1 to 4 December in a partnership with BMW and the Christchurch City Council.
The tournament has secured a prime place in the golfing calendar, following the two major golf events across the Tasman - the Australian Open and Australian PGA - as well as the President's Cup to be staged in Melbourne in November.
As one of the last tournaments in 2011, the New Zealand Open will form an important component of the PGA Tour of Australasia's all-important Order of Merit.
New Zealand Golf CEO Dean Murphy said that securing the new date alongside the biggest events in Australia was a crucial part of the jigsaw for the future success of the Open.
"The major tournaments in Australasia are prior to Christmas at present, so it was imperative to seek a new date in the same mix as the big events over the Tasman in terms of our exposure and ability to attract a strong field. That has been an intricate and lengthy negotiation," Murphy said.
"We considered the proposal based at Clearwater to be a package that was in the best interests of New Zealand Golf and our membership. We have enjoyed three excellent years in Queenstown at The Hills and look forward to returning there in the future. That said it has been a tradition over more than 100 years to host our flagship event around the country."
