The Skeena Valley Golf and Country Club might have to close its course if there isn’t enough water available in the approaching summer to water the greens, manager Germain Francoeur has warned.
The golf course which relies on two ponds is now grappling with the challenges posed should there be an extended dry spell.
“Essentially what we have to do every year is we monitor the pond levels and depending on what the weather’s like, we have to essentially turn off water to certain locations on the golf course,” explained Francoeur.
“If we ever run out of water, we’d have to close the golf course because if we can’t water the greens then it would make it worse. So far we’ve never had to do that. That would be a worst case scenario.”
Efforts are now underway at the golf course to bolster water reserves, including a construction of a pond beside hole number three. Construction of the pond and a road leading to it within the gold course was started this past winter, the plan is to have it open next season. The existing two ponds are connected to a pump which helps to get the water from the pond to the irrigation system.
Francoeur said a pump might be used for the third pond as well. It would primarily rely on rain and snow as its source of water, like the rest of the two existing ponds.
Depending on the length and the severity of an extended dry spell, employee hours might be cut.
“We try to save projects like working on drainage or fall projects to keep the staff busy, but there are only so many of those. If we’re not having to mow the grass, someone who works 40 hours, might only get 35 or 36 hours a week,” Francoeur said.
Membership at the golf course has drastically increased post COVID. With only 300 members before COVID, the number went up to 430 in 2023 and is holding so far this year.
“Golf was not impacted by COVID. If anything, it helped,” said Francoeur.