Course Updates
WAIMAIRI BEACH GOLF CLUB, Christchurch, NZ
Waimairi Beach Golf Club
celebrates the opening of their
revamped golf course, having a
full 18 holes in play for the first
time in two years. With works
being completed in January
2013, the course now boasts 13
new golf holes, driving range,
2 practice greens and a new
clubhouse on the way.
While a devastating series of
earthquakes in Christchurch
during 2010-2011, meant
that the club was left with 9
holes unplayable, a clubhouse
needing to be demolished, and
membership dwindling as people
left the city, the Committee and
Members unanimously agreed
upon seizing the opportunity to
upgrade the 80 year old course.
Kristine Kerr of Kura Golf Course
Design was responsible for the
re-design, along with Golf
Renovations And Shaping
Specialists (GRASS) undertaking
the construction.
The Waimairi Beach Golf Club
has been an integral part of life
in Christchurch’s eastern suburbs
and lays claim to one of the
largest golf memberships in the
Canterbury region. An average
Saturday would easily see 200
rounds being played.
A central location on the course
was selected for the clubhouse
and became the heart of the
re-routing: from here rerouting
meant holes 1 and 10 could
emanate and holes 10 and 18
could return. The clubhouse
would be oriented to maximise
a north-westerly sunny aspect
and views over the course, and
diminish the nuisance of the
ubiquitous easterly wind.
The near coastal course
compromises sandy soils,
the perfect medium for golf
course construction, with its
inherent easy earthmoving,
great drainage and turf growing
qualities. The snag of this
otherwise ideal golf course
locale, is that the course is very
low lying, only several meters
above sea level, and the water
table is high in the sandy soils.
Key themes of the design were
the creation of low sandy waste
bunkers and wetlands, as a
Hole 8: New style square tees, play over small wetland.
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strategic feature, to generate
material for shaping and to
raise the golf features above the
water table. The removal of large
tracts of pine between holes had
exposed dune formations that
were incorporated into the hole
design – creating undulations
and slopes in fairways that were
previously flat. The course is
now more open with sweeping
vistas, and shaping reflective of
the Port Hills in the skyline to the
south.
Sustainability and minimising
ongoing maintenance costs were
a strong consideration, and
grasses were selected to suit the
local climate.
Design commenced in March
2012, construction in April 2012.
The sequence of construction
meant that at least 9 holes
were open at any one time as
construction moved around
the course. Weather conditions
played a crucial role in timely
completion. Heavy snowfall
mid-winter meant only one week
of weather delay and ground
temperatures stayed warm
enough to encourage strong