Pegasus town's golf club has been sold to developers who want to make way for housing. Photo / File
The new owner of an 18-hole championship golf course north of Christchurch has today confirmed it intends to pursue rezoning of the land to build homes.
Wolfbrook, a development company with its head office in Christchurch, says it will work closely with golf club members, neighbouring landowners, and other important stakeholders to “ensure a respectful transition” for the community and existing recreational users.
“We understand this property holds significant emotional and community value for many people in the Pegasus area,” says Guy Randall, chief executive of Wolfbrook Property Group.
“Our goal is to approach this transition thoughtfully and respectfully while helping address ongoing demand for housing across Waimakariri and the greater Christchurch region.”
As part of the transition, Wolfbrook has proposed several immediate measures aimed at supporting golf club members and the wider community.
They include allowing the golf course to remain open free of charge for a short period following settlement day, allowing the use of the clubhouse for a farewell event and retaining the tennis courts for community use.
Wolfbrook will also keep walking tracks accessible to the public “for as long as it is safe to do so”.
Randall says his company “recognises the importance of preserving community connections and amenities wherever possible”.
“While the golf course itself is no longer financially viable, and will not be reopening in the long term, we are committed to maintaining aspects of the site where feasible – including its impressive water features - so they can continue to be enjoyed by the Pegasus community,” said Randall.
He said community engagement would be a key part of the planning process as Wolfbrook sought to have the property rezoned.
The developer’s offers will do little to appease existing residents of Pegasus, many of whom are “heartbroken” at the loss of their golf course.
The resort-style course, less than half an hour north of Christchurch, opened in late 2009, attracting buyers from around Canterbury and beyond.
However, financial difficulties led to the most recent owners, Pegasus Golf Ltd, being placed in liquidation on March 6.
A liquidator’s report showed it owed around $9 million to creditors.
Whilst much of the property will require rezoning to be fully developed, the Herald understands the course’s first two holes, as well as the clubhouse and driving range, had already been rezoned by previous owners who had planned to build a resort and hotel.
Locals fear assurances they say were made by the local Waimakariri District Council about the course remaining will be trumped by fast-track legislation.
The Minister for Infrastructure’s office told NZME this week: “We are not aware of any progress on the golf site through Fast-track or a plan change process. You should contact the relevant councils for more information on any rezoning or plan change that may effect [sic] this project.”
A spokesperson for the Waimakariri District Council said there had been “no information requests and/or approaches to our planning team about any rezoning” at Pegasus.
A group known as the “Pegasus Guardians” has been keeping the course playable since the operation closed its doors in March.
The group, comprising local golfers, had been paying as much as $150 each per month to employ a greenkeeper.
One member of the Pegasus Guardians said many people will be “gutted” about the sale.
“It’s such a shame it’s come to this,” they said.
“It’s a mint golf course – people must have taken it for granted.”
Other locals spoken to by the Herald have been anxiously awaiting news of what will happen to the ailing golf course, especially in terms of how it will affect property prices in the township. Multimillion-dollar homes are still being built within the subdivision.
It’s understood multiple unsuccessful offers were made to buy the course – including proposals that had vowed to keep the course open.
One resident the Herald spoke to said they and their family had moved to Pegasus specifically for the golf course and they were devastated by the move.
“For us and many others, the course isn’t just a piece of land, it’s part of the identity of Pegasus and a huge reason families chose to live here and invest in the area,” they said.
They say many residents feel the golf course has never truly been given the long-term opportunity or backing to succeed alongside the growth of Pegasus township.
“People aren’t against progress, but there’s concern about what losing the course would mean for the character of Pegasus, local green space, recreation, tourism, and the wider community vision that so many people bought into.
“At the end of the day, this is about more than housing numbers; it’s about protecting the identity and future of a community that people genuinely care deeply about,” they said.
The Pegasus town development was the brainchild of South Island entrepreneur Bob Robertson and his Infinity Investment Group. Robertson died in 2014 after a brief illness.
The Pegasus Golf and Sports Club was put on the market in 2015 – billed as “an excellent opportunity to invest in a thriving community”.
Auckland businessman Xiangming (Sam) Huo and his company Sports and Education Corporation Ltd purchased the course in 2018, but by 2024 it was in financial strife and a short time later it was on the market. It went unsold at the time.
Pegasus held the NZ Women’s Golf Open in 2010, 2011 and 2012, with former Kiwi world No 1 Lydia Ko appearing as an amateur at just 12 years of age.