Issues with both arose in Australia this month, the most prominent incident being the smashing of a spectator's camera by US golfer John Daly in the first round of the Australian Open at Royal Sydney.
After the same tournament, former champion Robert Allenby criticised organisers for promoting a bar at the 17th green.
"That's not promoting golf. That's promoting alcoholism," he said.
NZ Open organisers are looking at a party hole, on the par-4 15th hole at The Hills, for the March 12-15 tournament.
"We're looking at something, but probably not something as boisterous as it is in Australia," MacGowan told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"Our thinking is just to move the crowd away from Main Street and get them a little further around the course. Our hole is a par-4. In Australia, they've done it on a par-3, which gets a lot more crowded."
The New Zealand Golf CEO said there were no reported incidents of spectators with cameras annoying golfers at last year's Open.
"Normal practice is not to allow cameras and I think we had signs up last year saying that. It's a very difficult thing to police. But it's almost an unwritten rule that says you don't take cameras to a top event.
"The Daly incident proves what happens when people get a bit exuberant, and there are plenty of other stories about caddies getting upset with camera-people. We'll try to avoid it."
MacGowan said plans for the Open were progressing nicely.
He and promoter Bob Tuohy were in Queenstown last week, mainly to discuss the off-course activities planned around the tournament. Fans eager to learn who will compete at The Hills will have to be patient.
MacGowan said the field would largely be split between golfers on the Australian PGA and Nationwide tours.
Invitations and qualifiers would not be sorted out until late February.
