One more rule to add to the board at the Hope Golf and Country Club: if there are eight metres of water in the Fraser River, you won’t be playing all nine holes.
With one of the highest and earliest Fraser freshets in recent memory, the course has been forced to temporarily cut back to five holes. Instead of playing the regular nine holes, players do another lap around the five open holes, teeing off from different tee boxes on the second trip around.
The driving range and clubhouse operations are unaffected by the high water.
Course operators Vince and Bonnie Cianfanga (“Chan FAN ya”) are in their second year at the course — and they got their feet wet last year, too.
“Last year, it was the first week of June. We had to shut down holes 5, 6 and 7, then it receded for four or five days and came back for three more days.”
Vince’s recollections mirrored those of the stats at the Government of Canada’s wateroffice.ec.gc.ca site. The 2017 freshet varied from eight to 8.5 metres at the gauge on the west end of the Fraser Hope Bridge in early June, then dropped away.
Long-time local golfers have told the Cianfangas that this year’s high water is unusually early. The government’s water site shows eight of the last 22 years have had highs above nine meters — including this year’s 9.25 on May 24 — and four more of at least eight metres. Only five of those years had the peak in May.
2011 was notable for its length, with waters mostly above eight metres from mid-May to mid-July.
“People who have been golfing here for years expect it [the high water],” said Vince. “It’s the people calling from out of town that makes it difficult. They want to wait till it’s clear.”
Touring around the course with Bonnie on Monday, it was clear that the waters were receding. She noted there was a big change in the formerly deep pond that partially blocked to the first green. Before and after freshet, there’s no standing water in that area.
“We’re hoping we don’t get another wave,” said Vince. “This is at least three weeks now. We had to shut down 5, 6 and 7 first, then hole 4 four days later. It was the worst last week.
“I’ve even some marmots go into their holes and come out with wet backs,” he added, grinning.
When the waters recede, the groundskeepers may be doing the same. (Work with me here…) Vince said there might some die-off but is hopeful that the grass will recover on its own.
One blessing: this has been an unusually sunny May, so club functions have gone on despite the detours. With the temporary remapping, the first tee-off is on the usual third hole.
“Ironically, the third hole used to be number one in the early days, when the clubhouse was over there,” said Bonnie, who will be wrapping up her junior clinic sessions next Tuesday, followed by a wind-up tournament on June 9 at 2 p.m.
“Our junior league begins on Tuesday, July 3 at 2 p.m. for age 12 and over,” said Bonnie. “Vince or I will give them some instruction, then send them off on the course.”
“It will be a minimal fee of $10,” said Vince, “Usually it’s $14.00 for their green fees.”
The course has a long history of offering great values to young players and this continues under the Cianfangas’ watch.
“Junior golfers play for free when accompanied by an adult golfer,” said Bonnie, “and we have free club rental, left or right-handed. We just want to keep it affordable.
“Also, for age 13 to 18, a membership is $190, which gives unlimited golfing, seven days a week.”
The Cianfangas are working to boost club membership numbers from the current 70 adults and one student.
“We’ve got a two-year membership plan,” said Bonnie. “It’s done on monthly payments for 19 months and we’re covering the usual $330 initiation fee. If they try it and they decide it’s not for them, they can stop paying at any time. After the two years are up, the annual dues are $1,159 a year.”
With hopes for a full course opening, the Cianfangas are planning their Fathers’ Day Family Fun golf tournament, June 17.
“Each team has to have a dad,” explained Bonnie. “It doesn’t have to be your dad, necessarily. It’s a scramble, so every golfer tees off and then they work on the best ball, taking turns.
“Junior players, 12 and under get to tee off from the 150-yard marker on the long holes, so it’s a big advantage for a team to have a junior.
“This is our fourth year running it,” she added. “We did it here last year and two years at the Cheam Mountain Golf Course. Moe Lemay (former NHL player) and his team won, the first two years but were beaten last year. We’ve invited them back for this year.”
Action starts at 1 p.m. and should be done by 4. Entry fee is $30 per player, which includes a barbecue burger buffet — with steaks for dads.
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