In a move which recognises an increasing number of new and junior players, the Wanaka Golf Club (WGC) announced yesterday (Friday September 18) it would be developing a five hole short course on its leased land below the clubhouse.

The short course is designed for junior and beginners’ golf development with oversized holes (fives times the norm) in the greens and short distances between holes.

Chair of the club’s board of directors David Smallbone said as part of the club’s ongoing commitment to its future, the board decided to actively foster junior and beginner players who otherwise had only limited playing options.

In the summer the club hosts a weekly coaching session for junior and youth players, he said, but it’s not easy for junior and beginner players to practise easily on the course or at the club’s other practice facilities.

“Junior player numbers are good at present,” David said, “but providing facilities like this means they can come after school and have a hit on their own rather than only coming once a week.”

Local painting company No Limits Wanaka had generously agreed to sponsor the annual operating costs of the course for the first two years, he said.

“There will be no charge for juniors and beginners who are registered in a programme with the club,” he said. 

Junior players practise for competition at the Wanaka Golf Club. PHOTO: Supplied

The club’s finance director Barry Johnston is the driving force behind the development which will be completed by volunteers. Club professional and pro-shop operator Alan Rose will run a junior development programme and provide equipment when needed.

Aiding the development of the five hole short course (which has the potential to increase to nine holes) is a new irrigation system to this sector of the club’s land.

The project to establish a computer driven, in-ground irrigation system over the club’s front nine holes, estimated to cost $600,000, also includes the new short course area.

The major project took six weeks to complete and came in on time and within the estimate, David said. It’s undergoing commissioning - “a little fine tuning to bed it in and make sure it works” - before it’s officially handed over to the club by the end of the week.

Funding for the project came from $150,000 of community grants, loans over the next four years, and a levy on members.

David said the old irrigation system was well past its use-by date with time-consuming and costly breakages, wasted water and inefficient coverage of the course.

The new system, which can be operated in sectors, is aligned better with the course, will provide more coverage with less water, and will “future proof the club for the next 30 to 50 years,” he said.

Areas that were patchy or bare in the summer will now be consistently green and players will notice the difference as the season progresses, he said.

The system wasn’t operational before the club’s annual tournament held last week which attracted 600 players over the duration of the seven day tournament.

David said while numbers were slightly down on previous years that was to be expected given COVID-19 and alert level two restrictions.

That the club was able to host “an extremely successful tournament” under these conditions is testament to how well planned it was and the enthusiasm of players, both local and from out of town, he said.