Hosting next year's PGA golf Championship at The Hills near Arrowtown was a "no-brainer" according to tournament directors.
Sixteen New Zealand PGA golf officials were at The Hills on Tuesday to meet and discuss the tournament format, the playing professionals and the celebrities who would participate next March.
Tournament director Michael Glading told the Otago Daily Times there were not too many other places or golf courses around the world that compared.
"You could find a course in Auckland that does the job, but it doesn't have the special thing that this place has got.
"With the infrastructure and Queenstown, you kind of put all that together and it's pretty much a no-brainer."
Glading has fond memories of The Hills from when he was caddy for Sir Bob Charles at the course when it first hosted the New Zealand Open in 2007 .
"It made me realise what a special place it is to have a golf tournament.
"I've been to hundreds of golf tournaments around the world and I don't think there is a better golf course for viewing than this one.
"It is a spectator's paradise and it is a golfer's paradise."
He said the tournament had to be in Queenstown, not only from a golfing perspective, but also from a tourism perspective, and that was the reason it received government backing.
PGA chairman John Hart, who had just finished three days of golf in the region, agreed The Hills was the easy choice for what could become New Zealand's biggest golfing tournament.
"It is a sensational golf course. Queenstown is a sensational golfing mecca really and The Hills signifies that."
Hart said they would be pulling talent from around the world, including some yet to be named celebrities, and he hoped the region would get behind the tournament.
"We see this as a regional play. We hope that people of Dunedin, Invercargill and the South Island support it."
He said he was not over estimating the likely success of the first year and they would be "starting slowly and starting small".
"We are not over stressing what we will get in year one in terms of players and celebrities.
"That's in the future. If we host a good tournament, things will develop from there."
Hart said he could be playing himself in March, but was not 100% sure after his last three days of "not so good" form.
Glading said they would be relying on reputation rather than "big budgets" to entice any stars and the only confirmed celebrity guest so far was the "great Otago man" and former All Black/Black Cap Jeff Wilson.
He also referred to rumours that Prime Minister John Key could make an appearance at next year's inaugural tournament.
"I think he was warming to the subject.
"I'm confident. A lot will depend on his schedule, but certainly we have left the door open for him."
Domestic celebrities would be attracted initially, and "eventually the Hollywood stars could show up with a club in hand".
"There are two other tournaments in the world with this format. There is almost a waiting list for these tournaments for celebrities, and that's where we want to get to.
"The plan in the first year is to tap people on the shoulder ... all you can do is ask.
"If you knock on 25 doors you will eventually get one sale."
Glading said those doing the knocking would be himself, course owner Sir Michael Hill, New Zealand golfing greats Bob Charles and Greg Turner, former All Black Andy Haden and their sponsors.
He said although the tournament might overtake the New Zealand Open in popularity, the two tournaments would go hand-in-hand and would not be competitors.
"We all hope the Open thrives and survives, but this tournament adds to it."
