Take the High Road

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

WE ALL KNOW THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME FLOOD THAT DEVASTATED SOUTHERN ALBERTA IN JUNE, 2013. THE RECOVERY FROM WHAT WAS THE COSTLIEST NATURAL DISASTER IN CANADIAN HISTORY LINGERS TO THIS DAY.

Damage losses and recovery costs soared to over $5Billion. Over 100,000 people had to be evacuated. Five people died. The Highwood Golf and Country Club in High River was one of dozens of golf facilities in southern Alberta that suffered unbelievable damage in the flooding. Now, three years later, the golf course has bounced back and from July 5-7 will host the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship.

“It was overwhelming and scary,” said Lane Neilson, the long-time superintendent at Highwood, which along with Kananaskis Country, was one of the province’s hardest hit golf courses.

“It was a real nightmare,” Neilson recalls. “The water came in so fast and from every direction. I have witnessed three significant floods during my time here, but this one was in a league of its own.”

At the time, many wondered if they could even save the golf course. Yet this summer, Highwood will play host to the best women amateur players in the province.

“It’s remarkable, unbelievable and a real honour,” said Highwood general manager Graeme Kreiner. “We were supposed to host an Alberta Golf event two years ago, but the flood wiped out all chances of that happening. It’s great to be back on the rotation.”

It’s also great – never mind remarkably amazing – what Neilson, his assistant Brett Lindenback and 1,500 volunteers were able to do to get the golf course into the condition it is today.

“With most of my time spent on paper work and meetings, Brett, who was in his first year at the club, took the bull by the horns and did a wonderful job,” said Neilson. “Without the volunteers we wouldn’t have been able to save the course. Most of the volunteers were actually from Calgary and ranged in age from 8 to 85,” Neilson said. “It was strangers working side-by-side.”

The volunteers had to remove debris that included thousands of rocks and splintered trees, but easily the hardest part was getting rid of a sea of mud and silt – in some places over three feet deep – that covered all 27 fairways and all but two greens.

Most of the silt and mud was shovelled, hosed and squeegeed off the greens by hand while some 17 acres of new sod was laid down on the fairways. “Then it was over- seed and water, water, water,” said Neilson.

The latter was a major obstacle all by itself given that the irrigation pond had to be dredged because the intake was completely clogged. “It wasn’t like the flood happened and it was done,” added Kreiner. “Everybody pitched in with volunteers helping out other volunteers. It showed what Canada is all about in this area.”

Highwood, which opened as a 9-hole course in 1958, eventually expanded to be a 27-hole layout. But the flood changed that. Now there are 18 very solid holes – many with mountain vistas – comprised of the Heritage and Mountain View nines.

The opening four holes on the Heritage side are completely new and a little more open than the original pre-flood layout. All 18 holes are now on the ‘dry’ side of a 3.5-metre berm. “Because of the raised berm, if there is another flood those holes will now all be safe,” said Neilson.

But that’s not all. The original four holes of the Heritage nine now form a practice loop while what was the Spitzee nine – the hardest hit of the 27 holes – has been converted into an executive-style six-hole course with three sets of tees, hazards and forgiving greens that will open later this summer.

“Spitzee was just about everyone else’s favourite nine because it was so peaceful down on the river banks. Fortunately, six of those holes were able to be saved,” said Kreiner. “For people without time to play 18 holes – or for golfers who believe 18 holes is just too much – this offers a nice alternative.

“Time is probably the biggest deterrent to golf. My wife is a perfect example. Even nine holes are too much for her. She gets bored after about six holes. Now, people like her can play the six-hole course in just over an hour. They are still six very good holes. I can go out there with a brand new golfer and we can both have fun and be challenged.”

The four-hole practice loop also gives Highwood additional options. “For bigger events like charity tournaments we can hold a 22-hole shotgun,” said Kreiner, who arrived this year from Golden, BC but who grew up on the Hinton course under head pro Doug Lecuyer.

For the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur, the players will contest the Heritage/Mountain View layout, which will almost undoubtedly come down to the final three holes to decide a champion.

“No. 16 is a relatively short par-4. No. 17 is a drivable par-4 with water in front of the green and No. 18 plays as a par-5 for the ladies,” Kreiner said. “It wouldn’t really surprise me if somebody has a birdie- eagle-eagle finish.”

“At Highwood you want to get off to a fast start, hang on through the tougher middle holes and then finish real strong. All 18 holes are a fair test. What you see is what you get; there are no tricks.”

In 2002, Highwood achieved designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Three years after the flood, the course is finally out of the construction and rebuilding phases. The club is welcoming a lot of young families as new members and many former members are returning.

Environment Canada called the 2013 disaster “The Flood of Floods,” while the mantra of the relief program was called “Come Hell or High Water”. Highwood overcame the odds.

“There is a perception that our course is still damaged. But that’s not the case at all,” said Kreiner. “I’m telling people that chapter of our story is finished. We’ve turned the page. We’ve escaped to a new high road.”

Take the High Road

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.