Day 26 - Pegasus Town

Posted by Jamie on 26 January 2010 | 0 Comments | Tags: , , ,

At last!  After an unwelcome losing streak the beard has gone.  Actually, the term 'beard' is probably a bit generous - the fluff has gone!  Before today I'd taken 1/2 a point out of the 6 on offer during the past week.  Michael was starting to get his tail up, and I was beginning to lose faith in my putting stroke.  A win at Pegasus today was just what the doctor ordered - I didn't want to be hanging out at the NZ Open looking like a ragamuffin. 

Tuesday really flew by, now that I think about it.  I was up at the crack of dawn, to drop Angela (my lovely girlfriend) and the Wellington lads (Corky & Bart; Tweedle Dumb & Tweedle Dee) at the airport, for the graveyard flight back before work.  Poor souls.  Straight back to bed for me by 6.45am, thinking I'd snooze for an hour or two, then have a productive morning on the laptop.  Not so.  Mike knocked on my door at 11.45 (we were due on the tee up the road at 12.45); shocked and stunned - and with that next-morning-cotton-mouth feeling - I kicked into gear and readied myself for action.

Pegasus Town is a new development about 20 minutes north of Christchurch (the South Island's main centre, for our international audience).  Quite literally they've built (or, at least, are building) a town from scratch.  On marshland.  When I heard they planned to erect a golf course too, to be honest my expectations weren't sky high.  However reports from friends based on recent visits had been very positive, so I went into today with an open mind.  

It was just as well that I did, because Pegasus was a delight.  No wonder they're hosting the NZ Women's Open next month.  The course - though relatively benign in parts - was well laid out, and littered with hazards.  In fact the hazards are what stick in my mind the most; there were more red, white and yellow pegs than...well...a place where there are lots of red, white and yellow pegs.  Unsurprisingly, given Pegasus' youth, trees do not play a significant part in the course.  However this will change in years to come, and I look forward to dodging mature oak and sycamore trees in 30 years time.  If I'm still playing golf, that is.  By then I won't have the strength to hit the ball from end to end on some of the massive greens - even today there was doubt as to whether putter was the appropriate club, or whether a solid wedge would be more suitable.

The wind tried to spoil the party, but it never really got up enough to cause too much trouble.  We even saw the sun on the odd occasion, which was a welcome break from the gloom we have experienced of late.  Summer my fat toe.

The company was sparkling.  We were joined by Michael's grandfather, Ernie (a retired school master), and an old mate called Callum (aka 'Rodeo').  Cal was a few years ahead of us at school (we played hockey with him), and he now owns & runs a resort in Vanuatu.  A very unassuming punter who is always good for a laugh. Ernie is a rogue of a man, who will give himself 4 foot putts if you're not vigilent (I was on his team, so turned a blind eye to his cheek).  Both were good value.  And for once myself and my partner - Ernie - won the haggle.

Probably the highpoint for me was watching Michael argue with Ernie about a ruling he had handed down, after Mike hooked his ball into a lateral water hazard.  (Ernie has been an international rules official for 25+ years).  Not a happy Michael - he had to drop his ball on the far side of a lake (a lake that he had not even seen from the tee; he couldn't believe his luck when his ball 'somehow' ended up in it).  

Another notable feature of the day was Cal's ball retrieval performance - he has a ball scoop, and recovered a dozen or two out of the bountiful lakes.  Didn't miss an opportunity all day.  An interim puregolf2010 ball sponsor perhaps...

Pegasus is a good resort course, and in time I've no doubt it will develop into a very good course indeed.  The facilities, as you would expect, are top notch too (although take your cheque book if you're buying a round of Heinekens).  Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Thanks to Craig & co at Pegasus for hosting us (in particular, for shouting us a cart - a welcome luxury indeed), and to Cal & Ernie for joining us.  A great day, and a fitting way to conclude our Christchurch leg. Nice.

Down south to Queenstown tomorrow, via the army course at Twizel.  Should be fun.

peace, JP

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