Work Begins on Quadra Golf Course

After six years of planning, the directors and shareholders of Quadra Links Limited are delighted to see the initial ground clearing work begin on the Quadra Golf Course.

"It’s pretty exciting," said Quadra Links president Keith Remfert. "We’ve been working on this project since the summer of 2000, so it’s great to see progress at last."

Keith and shareholder Jens Jensen gave me a tour of the site on a recent Saturday, pointing out the proposed layout of the driving range, fairways, clubhouse, and pond. Quadra Links directors have cut trails and flagged the site to identify the approximate centre lines of fairways and preliminary boundaries of the driving range.

The previous landowner, Addison Lumber Company, is in the process of removing timber from the 157-acre property. These are marketable trees that the company retained the rights to as part of the sale agreement, Keith confirmed.

"The land was previously logged by Addison Lumber Company in the late 1970s. They have now contracted Nigel Phillips and crew to log dense pockets of fir left behind at that time."

Quadra Links’ Pete Calverley is consulting with the local logging contractors as the work proceeds. The intent is to ensure that the logging dovetails with the golf course plans. For example, the directors have flagged trees that they would like to retain as natural features.

"It is both a logging and a landscaping project," said Keith, as he pointed to a group of six fir trees and a venerable maple that Quadra Links would like to keep as features if they are wind firm.

"There are a number of trees we’d like to retain, including some of the snags. If they are safe, we’re recommending that they leave them behind for habitat trees and natural features. If there’s a question about whether we need to take something out, our approach is to leave it in and make the decision later," Keith explained.

The logs are being removed via a new road into the site, built by Nigel Phillips. This road, located opposite Pine Tree Drive, will later serve as the entrance to the golf course.

Quadra Links hopes the merchantable timber will be removed by the end of October. Their next step is to clear bush from the proposed fairways, a task they hope to complete by the end of November. The work will follow the preliminary plan for the course created by designer Ted Locke.

"Clearing the bush will allow us to establish corridors along the centre lines of all the fairways, which will facilitate final fairway design and planning. We’re looking at it from the perspective of what the land gives us, and trying to use what is already here in the design and retention of features," Keith observed, adding that the wetland area to the east of the entrance road will be preserved.

In researching their business plan, Quadra Links’ has determined that a full 18-hole course may be viable after two to three years of operation as a 9-hole facility. The 9-hole course will include a driving range.

Keith and Jens noted that once the boundaries along the right and left of the first 9 holes are established, the clearing and shaping can begin.

"During this period we anticipate that the driving range area will also be cleared and shaped," said Keith.

The projected opening date of the 9-hole course is the fall of 2008; however, Jens predicted that the driving range may open sometime in 2007.

"We won’t be able to play the Quadra Island Annual Golf Tournament on the island until 2008, but we’d like to open up the driving range before that," he stated.

Entering the golf course site on the new road, the driving range will be to the northeast. The clubhouse will overlook the large pond created when a portion of the land was excavated in the early 1980s for a gravel pit. At present the pond is seasonal, but Quadra Links plans to deepen

21 www.discoveryislander.ca Discovery Islander #381 October 27th, 2006

NEW! Update on the new Quadra Links Golf Course

Hello Nanci,

Thank you for joining us at our open house. As you can see we still have lots of work to do but we have come a long way. Also thank you for the email forward, pleased to see you have the national attention!

We are in the process of establishing a domain and design of a web site. Not sure how long this will take. I am emailing you a photo taken a few days after the open house. It's already outdated because we have been enlarging fairways in the last couple weeks. I have included an edited version of the photo which shows debris piles gone and fairways enlarged. We are planning cleanup of the debris over the next couple of months. Note, we have seeded the driving range and should see green in the next week or so. We are not to sure what the winter weather will allow us to do as far as shaping and other dirtwork is concerned however we will try our best.

Of most importance on the near term is our continuing efforts to fund the project. As you might be aware, our group of locals has been contributing funds and work in kind to get us to this point. We now will be embarking on some major portions of the project which will demand some major financial input. We have been asking that everyone put on their thinking cap to come up with ways to do this.

I will stop by to see you someday in as much as I'm just down the road a bit from your B&B.

Yours Truly,

Keith Remfert, President

Quadra Links Limited

250-285-2485