A new channel of the Coquihalla River has cut through the Hope Golf & Country Club, due to last week’s heavy rainfall and atmospheric river conditions.
The channel — along with silt, gravel, and other river debris on the course— could be seen Tuesday morning (Dec. 16) flowing through the green and turning hole No.7 into an island. It’s estimated that 10 to 15 per cent of the golf course was washed away by the Coquihalla River last Thursday (Dec. 11) due to overflowing caused by recent atmospheric river and heavy rain.
Steve Wilson, president of the Hope Golf & Country Club Society, said being back in this situation has been very disappointing for the club and its members.
“The general consensus is that we’re all quite disappointed,” Wilson said. “We just spent four years rebuilding from the 2021 floods and here we go again. It’s not the same but it’s left us in a different situation, where now the river is flowing through the golf course. So, now we have to deal with that going forward when it comes to what we’re going to do.”
According to Wilson, a contributing factor of the recent flooding was the island just across from the golf course that built up over the past couple of years. He said that has pushed the river away from the District of Hope and allowed it to overflow.
“It’s a different kind of damage. In 2021 the river came up and flowed over the golf course and dropped upwards of 50,000 cubic metres of material,” Wilson said. “This time it didn’t leave any material behind, it just took some away and created a new channel. And it’s isolated our No. 7 green to the point where we probably can’t recover it.”
In 2021, flooding from the two atmospheric river events submerged a portion of the golf course in water. This happened due to the dike at No. 8 breaching and water overflowing as a result.
At this time, Wilson said he couldn’t give an estimate on how much repairs will cost as a proper assessment still needs to be done regarding the erosion damage and how much the bank has been undermined. He said everything was speculation at this point but a likely scenario was that they would have to build “a new green and alter the course a little bit.”
A fixture of Hope for at least 60 years, the golf course was built and has been maintained, at least physically, by volunteers. It has been enjoyed by the community and hosted various golf tournaments and social events during this time.
The club will have a meeting with members on Wednesday (Dec. 17) to discuss their next steps and let people know that they are looking at options. Wilson said they also intend to speak with both the District of Hope and the province.
Currently the golf course is not seeking donations but Wilson said that may change in the future. Updates regarding donations will be available on the club’s social media.
“The important thing to remember is that the golf course is an important asset for the District of Hope,” Wilson said. “It’s good for us golfers, and it’s good for the non-golfers because it’s good to have a recreational facility like this in town where people can go. And it helps with property values.
“It’s been here since 1963 and we’d like to make it to 2063, if we can.”