Concrete Poured Into Holes of Closed Pegasus Golf Course to Deter Players

POSTED ON July 8, 2026 @ 12:50 pm

Illustrated Photo

Holes on the greens of the closed Pegasus golf course, located north of Christchurch, have been filled with concrete. Regular golfers reported seeing the work take place around 3:00 p.m. on a recent afternoon.

The 18-hole course has been closed since its purchase by Wolfbrook Property Group, which intends to convert the land into a residential development. Since the closure, local golfers have continued to play on the course.

The Response From Golfers

Golfers on the course told Star News they believed the move was intended to prevent unauthorized play. However, concrete has already been pulled out of multiple holes. Three regular players joked that the removal was the work of “concrete eating ducks.”

Local residents and golfers have expressed frustration over the developer’s actions.

“I guess we see the concrete in the hole from my point of view as almost childish,” one golfer said. “We’re just out to have a good walk in the sun and hit a few golf balls and it helps if there’s some holes there that you can put them into.”

The same golfer characterized the move as petty, stating, “If they want to protect their brand and if they want to have a good name with their investors, I would have thought they’d be encouraging us to play and perhaps look after the golf course in the meantime until this is sorted out legally.”

Roberto Bolanos, a member of the Pegasus Residents Facebook group, noted that he witnessed a contractor truck arriving at the 17th hole fairway. “I was curious as to what they were doing there so I stopped to talk. Apparently they were contracted to pull out the markers and fill up the holes. They were apologetic but were just doing that they were instructed,” Bolanos posted online.

Wolfbrook Property Group’s Position

Wolfbrook released a statement confirming they ordered the work to secure their property against trespassing and vandalism.

“The former Pegasus Golf Course closed on 1st June following the public sale to Wolfbrook Residential,” the company stated. “There has been continued unauthorised use of the former course despite clear signage which has also been vandalised and removed.”

The developer emphasized that the property remains private: “The land was once a private golf course accessible to members and green fee payers. It has never been a public amenity nor is there any entitlement for ongoing public access. The works being undertaken are intended to prevent the continued unauthorised use of Wolfbrook’s land.”

Wolfbrook added that they pay all maintenance costs for the land and its ponds, concluding, “The golf course is closed; it is privately owned land and as such it is not appropriate for people to continue using it as though it is a public recreational facility.”

Background on the Development Dispute

The Pegasus course originally opened in 2009, prompting the construction of upmarket housing nearby. Notable residents included cricketing great Sir Richard Hadlee, who built a home there in 2010.

Wolfbrook purchased the property from Auckland businessman Xiangming Huo after the club entered voluntary liquidation. According to a liquidators’ report, secured creditors are owed more than $6 million.

The proposed residential redevelopment faces widespread opposition from local residents, the Waimakariri District Council, and Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey. A petition seeking to block the housing development has attracted close to 16,000 signatures.

Wolfbrook recently notified the district council that it plans to bypass standard local planning channels by utilizing the government’s fast-track consenting process to rezone the golf course land for housing.

Source: Otago Daily Times