‘Free Golf’ Ends For Ledgeview Members As Pipeline Work Completed
Ledgeview GC - Image Courtesy Facility
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
Trans Mountain has finally finished its pipeline project work at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford and General Manager Brad Clapp jokes that not all of his members were happy to see them go.
As part of its deal with the golf course, Trans Mountain was paying the monthly dues of Ledgeview members during construction work.
“So every month that they were here they rebated our membership for their dues for that month,” Clapp says. “We had some members joking the day they were leaving that they were going to actually protest to keep them here longer so they could get more money. Fortunately, they didn’t lay down in front of the equipment and we were able to get them off the property.”
As is often the case with projects like this one, the pipeline work at Ledgeview took longer than it was supposed to. “They entered our property Nov. 8 of 2021 with the intention of being out of here on March 31, 2022,” Clapp says. “That was the original timeline for the agreement. . .They obviously underestimated the time it was going to take to complete that portion.”
Ledgeview has remained open during pipeline construction, but some holes had to be shortened and one alternate hole needed to be constructed. As many as six temporary greens were in play. It wasn’t perfect, but it was golf. And for the members it was free golf.
Now, the reclamation work begins and Trans Mountain’s delay in finishing the project makes that a bit more challenging. “March 31 was ideal and that is why we signed the agreement back then because April and May are decent for sodding, so we could have had the summer to mature,” Clapp says.
“We have missed that sodding window to get those holes back and playable for this year, especially the green complexes. We’re now hoping to be sodded and ready to go in mid-September . . . but we are going to tarp the new greens over the winter.”
Ledgeview GC General Manager Brad Clapp - Image Courtesy PGA of BC
Clapp hopes Ledgeview will be down to just one temporary green (No. 12) by this fall. The 15th hole will remain closed for some time, meaning the alternate hole that was created before pipeline work began will remain in play until some time next season. Clapp says Ledgeview will emerge an even better course once all the reclamation work is completed.
For starters, the alternate hole will remain and become an 80-yard practice hole that members and guests can use. “We can use it for our junior lessons and as a short game hole where people can hone their games,” Clapp says. Irrigation and drainage work being done as a result of the pipeline project should also improve on-course conditioning in the future.
New tee boxes that were constructed when some of the holes had to be shortened during pipeline work will remain. “So, long term we got a brand new set of forward tees for our seniors and our juniors,” Clapp says.
Ledgeview recently completed a renovation of its 18th green that was unrelated to the pipeline work. The new 18th green has been moved to the left and staged amphitheatre seating with grass benches have been created to the right of the new green. That area will come in handy when Ledgeview plays host to the 2023 PGA of Canada Senior Men’s Championship next August.
“It will be the first national championship that Ledgeview has ever hosted and the first time that tournament has come to the West Coast,” Clapp says.
CHIP SHOTS: Trans Mountain is now running its pipeline through Redwoods Golf Course in Langley. Unlike Ledgeview, Redwoods made the decision to close its course while work is being done.