It is easy to tell staff at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course love what they do as much as where they do it.
Many of the core team at the golf course have decades of experience with Kan-Alta Ltd. – the company that has operated the golf course since it was created by the provincial government in 1987.
The crew, including general manager Darren Robinson and head golf pro Bob Paley, have spent the past four years dealing with the effects of the 2013 June floods that inundated steep creeks in the Rocky Mountains.
It has been a lengthy process, and one that included a stop work order for an entire construction season in 2015 while the newly elected NDP government audited the agreement the prior government reached with Kan-Alta after the flood.
But the sand traps and bunkers the process has thrown in their way haven’t deterred the unabashed optimism and love they have for the 36-hole course and the location it holds in Kananaskis Country – a protected area and provincial park.
Paley said making time has become a personal and core corporate value at the golf course while it works to restore the Mount Lorette 18 and Mount Kidd 18 hole courses.
“In a time when we are supposed to be connected, we are as disconnected as you could possibly be, so what we want is for this place to be one of connection,” Paley said. “When you come here you are able to just be … #MakeTheTime is a call to action for all of us as a reminder to make the time for friends, make the time for family and loved ones and this is an incredibly special place to do that.”
In September, Paley and Robinson hosted several events to provide the public with a sneak peek at the golf course’s redevelopment process so far. It was exciting for the team to see golf carts lined up at the clubhouse, clubs in bags and fairways, greens and tee boxes ready to be enjoyed. Golfers had a chance to play the Mount Lorette course and get an update on Mount Kidd work so far.
“This place has so much more meaning to us and this has been difficult at times, but getting to the stage we are at right now has been incredibly rewarding and we hope we have done right by all of you when you see that final result,” Robinson said.
“Prior to the flood, we knew this place meant so much to so many, but we didn’t know how much until the flood happened and the outpouring of support we received.”
Robinson said the course would open to the public in spring 2018, even though work continues on full restoration. When golfers return, he said, they should notice some important changes to the course’s design.
Not only was flood mitigation and wildlife movement incorporated into the design by well-known golf course architect Gary Browning, but golfers can expect to see tee boxes and pace of play improvements that open up the recreational facility to more ability levels.
Robinson said the original designer, Robert Trent Jones, did an extraordinary job to design the two 18-hole courses and the goal was to maintain the integrity of his work.
“We wanted to make it better than ever,” he said, adding that with several directors having upwards of 30 years experience on the course, there were plenty of ideas for improvements when it comes to enjoyment, pace of play and maintenance issues.
“We were able to go through on a hole-by-hole basis … we are pretty excited for the end result.”
Paley said golf course design in the 1980s was pretty punishing. The idea being the tougher the play, the better the course and the Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd courses had reputations for being difficult.
“What we have tried to do here is make the golf course more playable, we want to try and make it more inclusive,” he said.
The destructive power of the flood was intense, said Robinson, who was on the course early in the morning on June 20, 2013, even though he was supposed to leave that day on his honeymoon.
It ripped through the fairways, the greens, tee boxes and asphalt pathways, as well as the irrigation system. Robinson called Paley, who was away after a death in his family, to tell him the golf course could be out of operation “for a few weeks” at least.
Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead welcomed golfers to the course for one of the sneak peek events. He acknowledged the tourism-related economic importance the golf course has for the entire Kananaskis region.
“I am well aware that this golf course and its amenities are significant economic drivers for the Kananaskis region,” Westhead said. “Prior to the flood, the golf course generated millions of dollars in economic benefits to the province, supported 175 full-time equivalent jobs province-wide and contributed millions in taxes, including thousands to the local government.”
The golf course is owned by the province, even though Kan-Alta operates it. After the 2013 flood, the Progressive Conservative government’s flood recovery task force reviewed contracts in place with Kan-Alta and made the decision to provide $18 million from the disaster recovery program to restore the 36-hole golf course and paid the company $13.9 million for contractual commitments included in the 1999 operating agreement.
The 2015 provincial election threw a wedge into that process, with the new NDP government asking the auditor general to review the decision. There were concerns the payouts did not represent fair value for Albertans.
The conclusion of the auditor was that Alberta Environment and Parks used adequate contracting processes in 2014 when it recommended to cabinet to rebuild the golf course and signed three agreements with Kan-Alta.
The relationship between the province and the operator includes provisions that benefit Albertans as a result of the golf course being successful. In addition to there being a reduced rate for Albertans at the course, one-third of the revenues are directed toward William Watson Lodge, a facility that provides accessibility based outdoor recreation opportunities.
“This is more than just a golf course,” Westhead said. “This is an incredible provincial asset that belongs to all Albertans. It is incredible to see the enthusiasm and excitement here today.”
