WAIMAIRI BEACH GOLF CLUB
UPDATE NOVEMBER 2012
Golfers arrived at New Zealand’s
Waimairi Beach Golf Club in Christchurch
before dawn to be the first to play the
newly opened golf holes earlier this
month.
Having been hit by the devastating
earthquakes, the Club undertook major
remodelling and re-routing, led by golf
course architect Kristine Kerr of Kura
Golf Course Design and Adam Jones of
GRASS – Golf Renovations and Shaping
Specialists.
Commencing work on the course just
7 months prior, and involving the
construction of 13 new holes, a new
driving range and 2 practice greens,
the large scale remodelling is nearing
completion.
Canterbury’s characteristic Spring time
strong north-westerly winds have largely
held off, however in the past few days
they have reared, and the team halted
some of the bulk earth moving to
minimise dust issues with neighbours.
Holes 1 and 12-18 and a new driving
range have been grassed and work is
continuing on holes 6, 10 and 11.
Grassing of these holes will be completed
in just a few weeks, and following growin, the course will be back to running a
26
full 18 holes by April 1 2013.
Members are enjoying the new style of
the course and delighting in playing off
the new turfgrass varieties. Previously
tight fairways lined with dense pines
have been replaced with a more ‘open’
course, with widened fairways and large
scale sandy waste areas to enhance the
theme of the coastal location.
The par 3 8th hole is becoming a firm
favourite already and Club President,
Rick Wilson has described the hole as ‘a
honey’. The illusory 150m hole appears
potentially thorny, being slightly uphill
and with a bunker short of the green
playing with perspective. However, the
semi ‘punchbowl’ green nestled into the
hillside is very receptive.
Kerr says it’s a thrill to see golfers on
the new holes already and there is
particular satisfaction in being involved
in something so positive following such
disaster. ‘Not only that, but I believe it
will be a fabulous golf course, and I’m
looking forward to playing it next year!’
Dan Lunn, the club professional says the
reaction to the new holes is ‘absolutely
fantastic’. They’re a challenge f