Patience And Persistence Pays Off For Quadra Island Golf Club

For decades, travellers have been visiting Quadra Island, BC for its natural beauty and majestic views of the Coast Mountains. As of September 1, 2012 the small island has something new to boast. The Quadra Island Golf Club opened its doors to nine holes of exciting golf that is certain to entertain visitors and island residents for many years to come.

After more than a decade of construction, most of it done by volunteers headed by Keith Remfert, the nine- hole 3219 yard layout is a testament to dedication, hard work and an undying dream.

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to tour around the newly opened golf course with Course Superintendent and WCTA member Murry Haukness just two days after the grand opening and was very impressed with what I saw.

Golf Course Superintendent and WCTA member Murry Haukness has brought the Quadra Island Golf Club to life

After starting construction back near the turn of the century the dream came to a crossroads in 2010 when it became apparent that in order to proceed the course would need to contract a professional golf course shaper as the hard work and dedication of volunteers was clearly not enough for the project to move towards completion.

This is when Golf Course Shaper Steve Nisbet was hired to complete the bulk of the shaping of the par 36 layout, overlooking the Sutil Channel, and move it towards the product that exists today. Nesbit spent the better part of 2010 living on the island, sculpting what is now the Quadra Island Golf Club. Nisbet`s expertise in course shaping and design is evident in the rolls and contours that make Quadra what it is today.

Once the course was shaped it was time to install the irrigation system and start growing some grass. This is when Haukness moved into the picture. With years of golf course construction and maintenance experience, primarily as an irrigation specialist, Haukness came on originally as a contractor to get the irrigation installed. Once the owners saw what Haukness could bring to the table they figured that the Fairview College graduate would be a perfect fit to grow in the course and stay on as Superintendent.

Haukness who honed his course maintenance skills under the tutelage of Victoria Golf Club Superintendent Paul Robertson and irrigation installation chops at Bear Mountain Golf Course and Highland Pacific Golf Club has clearly fit in very well with the team at Quadra Island.

Armed with a staff of 2 (one has gone back to high school now) Haukness has successfully taken the shaped golf course and produced a beautiful nine hole golf facility that is certain to make the owners and residents of the island proud.

Anyone who has been involved with golf course construction has a pretty solid understanding of what it takes to take a golf course dream to reality. Working countless hours in dreadful, dusty conditions away from home and a determination to get things done despite any obstacle that may get in the way is what Haukness has brought to Quadra.

As with most golf course construction projects, this one was not without its share of setbacks including massive washouts of some of the fairways resulting from 8 inches of rain in 48 hours immediately following seeding. With little other choice Haukness rallied his troops (all 2 of them) and filled the gully in and reseeded it. This time however he used Steve Clarke of Pro West Services to hydroseed the perennial ryegrass fairway. In fact Haukness was so impressed with the work done by Clarke that he decided to use him to seed the rest of the course.

The greens were seeded using a Dominant Extreme and 007 blend that has turned out beautifully. For now the greens are being cut at .150`` and will remain that way for the remainder of the season.  

 Over the past few years of trying times for the golf course construction industry it is refreshing to see a project completed and open with such beauty. The 2700 residents of Quadra Island are very fortunate to have the golf club to call their own as it is sure to draw golf enthusiasts who want a getaway where the family can enjoy great camping and a marvelous holiday while also sneaking a quick nine.

The Quadra Island Golf Club is certainly a testament to what patience, hard work and good fortune can bring. Congratulations to Keith Remfert, the driving force behind the project as well as Steve Nisbet and Murry Haukness for a job well done. For more information about the Quadra Island Golf Club go to http://www.quadragolf.com/