After a series of rises and falls, Pegasus is ready to soar again.
On the outskirts of Christchurch, Pegasus Golf & Sports Club’s Kristine Kerr-designed course is one of the market leaders in a city that loves its golf.
Less than two years after Pegasus’ opening in December 2009, Christchurch fell off the visitor market’s radar for a time due to the devastating earthquakes. Just as things were looking up for the city, a global pandemic once again caused disruption to their continued revitalisation.
This year looks to be a chance for Pegasus to continue sharing its story, one of steadily improving their golf and lifestyle offering for years now. The locals are well aware, and Pegasus’ hosting of international-profile events including three New Zealand Women’s Open in a row from 2010-2012 have ensured that its reputation is solid throughout the Canterbury region, New Zealand and abroad.
Part of a master-planned community, and in the centre of Pegasus Town, the 18-hole course’s parkland layout catches long views of the mountains and takes the golfer through small lakes, ponds and wetlands while navigating an ever-changing Canterbury breeze.
Length is not the protector of par at Pegasus. The course offers five sets of tees, ranging from 5,000 metres to just longer than 6,300 metres, as instead the golfer must navigate the water (found on 10 holes) and bunkering, which is a highlight of the layout.
The course wasn’t designed to ruin a golfer’s day but does provide some interesting challenges. A great example of this is the short par-4 15th, where two fairways are divided by a stretch of wetland running the entire length of the hole. Most golfers play the 15th from about 300 metres, so it’s not length as much as club selection and your appetite for risk that make for interesting discussions on the tee. The safe play is to the fairway immediately in front of you, but this leaves a short shot over the wetland to a narrow green that slopes away from you. A heroic tee shot over the wetland should produce a great angle into the green, which is built to best accept shots from this side of the trouble.
Great practice facilities, including a driving range with eight covered and eight open-air bays plus a putting and chipping area, make it worth arriving early. And don’t miss fuelling up before your round or enjoying a local wine in the sunshine afterwards at The Bunker Bar & Café in the clubhouse.
THE DETAILS
Pegasus Golf & Sports Club
Where: Mapleham Drive, Pegasus, Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone: +64 3 920 3300
Web: pegasus-golfclub.co.nz
Photo by Steve Williston
