The course is at a favourite local hub, Jellie Park.
The accolade is far from trivial for members of the local disc golf community, claiming the spot attracts international attention.
Christchurch Disc Club’s chairman Paul Deacon says the sport’s global growth is simply accelerating.
“Outside of New Zealand, disc golf is perhaps the fastest-growing sport in the world. We are seeing perhaps six new players per day just in Christchurch which, if sustained, means over 2000 new players per year.”
While the club was first founded in 2016, he says the rapid increase in interest has occurred over the past two years, including the noticeable participation of many more women.
Their sporting corporation is registered as a charity, claiming to offer benefits for mental wellness, social inclusion, the environment, tourism and curbing anti-social behaviour.
They also claim to have extensive benefits for physical health, with the New Zealand Heart Foundation accrediting disc golf as “the perfect gentle exercise for sedentary adults”.
Describing their culture as very welcoming and friendly, disc golf players say people on the fringes can easily join and find tūrangawaewae – with both each other and nature.
Sport development advisor at Sport Canterbury, Mike Peacock, agrees disc golf is a great alternative to the structure of some mainstream sport.
Disc golf is similar to traditional golf, instead players use a flying disc instead of a ball and clubs.
“Because the nature of disc golf is casual, it offers the flexibility to play whenever the participant wishes to."
He recognises the sport is growing across Canterbury, and further courses are needed to keep up with the demand.
This growth is accounted for in the club’s 15-year plan, aiming for four percent of the population to be actively playing disc golf in Canterbury. That would be 16,000 players in Christchurch based on its current population.
But Deacon says if they factor how much Ōtautahi is estimated to grow, it would likely be over 40,000 players in around 15 years.
