Speaking to the Queenstown Times before the 2010 Michael Hill New Zealand Golf Open, being played at his course, The Hills, this week, Mr Hill said it was "all about expectations".
His were quite simple: "To make this one of the most amazing experiences that you can get anywhere, not just in New Zealand."
When the The Hills hosted the Open the first time, in November 2007, Mr Hill's car was the only one in the members' car park.
This year, it will be joined by 80 others.
It could be said people attended the 2007 event partly out of curiosity.
Three years on, the tournament has established itself in the golfing fraternity, in the Wakatipu, New Zealand and the world.
Mr Hill said the benefit was for "everyone" and the success of the tournament depended largely on the team working behind the scenes.
The greenkeepers, in particular, had been working furiously over the past weeks, but an appearance on TV3's Campbell Live on Wednesday night would "charge them up no end".
The Open, in some ways, was like a stepping stone.
"It's not just the golf, it's everything around it. As we go through life, we go through stepping stones. Everyone has the chance of getting up on to that next step, but most people think it's too high.
"As we get older, we just sit down.
"Most people never manage to get on to that next platform [but] everyone has the opportunity in life to be able to advance at some stage. In everybody's lifetime, there is an opportunity. We do have the opportunity of changing ourselves, to be able to grasp it and run with it."
At The Hills, that philosophy is alive and well, with countless staff working hard to ensure everything is ready for the 2010 tournament and making sure it is bigger and better than ever.
"If we're all moving upwards together . . . particularly for things like the Open . . . the step won't seem so high.
"In a strange way, living here is a bit of a downfall - if you were to live anywhere else, you would have to pick up the pace on some level.
"We need to look around and realise we can succeed here without too much effort. Our expectations sometimes are not quite as great as they could be.
"We're just trying to push the boundaries and make everybody feel they can do it. It's like stepping up on to that step . . . you get up there and you realise it's a great view."
Mr Hill hoped the NZ Open would do for New Zealand and the Wakatipu what other events had done for Melbourne.
"It's flat, just like 10 other communities. However, Melbourne has made a name for itself by hosting tennis, golf and grand prix.
"We have 222 million viewers from around the world [watching the action at The Hills]. They look at it and say `look at that scenery' and say `I have got to go to New Zealand'.
"We are showcasing New Zealand at its best."
• The Open begins with the Pro-Am at on Wednesday. The Open begins on Thursday and runs until Sunday.
The Otago Daily Times, Queenstown Times and the ODT website will have extensive coverage of all the action at the golf, with regular Queenstown Times editions supplemented by special editions on Thursday and Saturday.
