After a one-year hiatus, the Friends of Pine Valley golf tournament is stepping back onto the tee box.
The tournament, intended to raise awareness of the importance of keeping the Pine Valley Golf Centre open for business, is set for June 18.
"We're going to try and make it an annual event," said Don Chamberlain, chair of the Friends of Pine Valley group. "Last year, too many of us had too many things going on and we just couldn't do it."
The inaugural edition of the tournament was filled to capacity. It attracted 119 golfers, and Chamberlain expects this year's event to be just as popular.
Leading up to the 2014 tournament, city council had voted 5-4 in a closed meeting to keep Pine Valley open. But, prior to that decision, made in June of 2013, a core services review had recommended the city-owned par-3 facility be closed and its land sold for redevelopment. At the time of the review, it was estimated that the sale of the 40-acre property would bring $17 million, plus a stream of tax dollars that could amount to $300,000 per year.
Since then, proponents of keeping the 18-hole course open have seen some positive steps taken. Most recently, the city hired a consulting firm to inspect the golf course. And, two weeks ago, a meeting between the firm and the Friends of Pine Valley was held.
"It sounds pretty encouraging," Chamberlain said. "They're listening to some suggestions we've got regarding reconfiguration of the holes and changing the lengths because they've got about 10 or 11 that are all within about 10 yards of each other."
Chamberlain said other topics of discussion included the course's irrigation system and the possibility of bringing back a driving range, which used to be a significant money-maker for the city.
Doug Hofstede, community coordinator in the city's community services department, told The Citizen via email that the city has received $8,000 in funding from Northern Development Initiative Trust to do an improvement study for Pine Valley. Hofstede said the condition of the current irrigation system will be examined and a determination will be made regarding the feasibility of refurbishment, "what that would cost and what the life cycle might be compared to replacement.
"They (the consultants) will also look into the potential of adding a driving range, how that might look, what changes would need to occur and the estimated cost of that change," Hofstede continued. "They will also let us know, if we decided to proceed, what the economic impact would be from a driving range with a reconfigured course."
Hofstede said the aim is to have a report completed by the end of the summer.
Pine Valley is located at Highway 16 and Range Road. Many of the users of the par-3 course are retirees, casual golfers or those who are new to the game. At the 2014 Friends of Pine Valley tournament, 19 of the participants were from Prince George's Special Olympics program.
"Our whole goal is to keep (the issue) out in front of everybody so that's why we want to have the tournament every year," Chamberlain said.
Registration details will be available soon.
