Union Bay Golf Links Video

The visionairies behind the Union Bay Golf Links project have posted this video explaining the project near Comox, B.C. on Vancouver Island. We hope to start construction in 2009!

Comments

[John G]

Where is all the dirt coming from to shape the links holes? Quite a stark, flat landscape currently...

[Bear]

The dirt will come from the mountain that it is built on. The links part of the course is on what used to be the industrial part of the site and the "soil" is the left over slag. I would imagine that they will need to bring in a fair amount of fill to cover the site but since that was probably going to have to happen for whatever development went in there the cost is just part of doing business. It is part of a huge real estate (houses, village, marina, hotels) and the course does have to cross the Old Island Highway.

[JC]

Has the recent credit crunch and real estate downturn changed their plan to move forward this coming spring?

[Tighthead]

Geoff,

Any updates? I need this project to go ahead and complete.

[Bear]

Just walked the course yesterday and most of the course above the highway (holes 3 to 11 according to the routing plan) has been cleared and piles of topsoil are everywhere. The creeks and waterways are done with the banks planted.

The holes on the waterside of the highway have not been started. There seems to be a test area on the slag for grasses. Looks like they have a layer mulch of around 4 to 6 inches on top of the slag for the growing medium.

[Tighthead]

Bear,

Did "the man" hassle you for trespassing?

How many Islanders lost their weed growing plots to this development?

[Bear]

LOL.

I would imagine a few plots of Island Gold had to be relocated.

What cracks me up the most about the site are the No Smoking signs down on the lower half of the routing... and they are serious! Seems that the coal slag still burns quite easily.

[Rick Munro]

Does anyone know who I can contact about working at Union Bay? Has a superintendent been hired yet? Who is the construction company?

[andrew]

has construction started yet? I am usually against most new golf course construction projects but I honestly think this course has the potential to be one of the best in canada and a huge tourism boost for the area.

[andrew]

perhaps I should re-question that. has there been any new work done since the clearing and top soil piling mentioned previously?

[WEB$TA]

Looks like this project has hit another hurdle and is close to being terminated now. Friggen small town people with nothing better to do then bitch and complain about something that would help to stimulate an area that has been hit hard by the recession. On the other hand the developer has done a piss poor job on the research and consultation of the project and hasn't helped its cause very well.

[Tighthead]

WEB$TA what is the latest?

I thought the recent news was positive?

[Tighthead]

Never mind - I see the more recent bad news. So much for having a 10 acre farm five minutes from this course - my dream is dead.

[WEB$TA]

Most of the opposition has come from people who live outside the Union Bay area and in the last public forum they were out voted 100 something to 13. The main problem is not finalizing a water source for the housing development as the golf course would use the grey water from the housing development to irrigate. The lesson learned is you can't punch golf courses in like the 80's and 90's without jumping through all the bureaucratic bullshit. Most companies dont have the time and money to wait 10 years for a project to go through. I think the developers are losing their patience and don't want to start from square one again to get the project going.

[downtown]

Where can I find a copy of the poster? It looks really cool.

[Bear]

With all due respect to Websta the area has not been that hard hit with the recession, if anything the valley is sailing through the economic down turn. Seems that the population is still growing as more and more retirees head west. We may be closing schools but the population grows and the money continues to flow.

As for the project it would seem that KIP (the developers) screwed themselves with a last minute change of where the development would be getting its water. By doing this it opened up the process to the Baynes Sound NIMBY group to jump back into the fray.

Ultimately KIP will jump through the hoops and maybe they will learn that trying to change such a major component of such a development at the last minute isn't the brightest thing to do.

[golferboy18]

Is there any news since 2009 posts?? Is this a go or not??
Looks like a great retirement place.

[Tighthead]

Geoff - would love an update. Haven't driven by in a while, but I know lots of the land is cleared.

[WEB$TA]

Local paper reports that construction should start in early 2012 and have a soft opening in late summer or fall, we shall see.