In a Sept. 20 Abbotsford News letter to the editor Tom Hall has falsely noted that “Chilliwack GC (Golf Club) is $1.4 million in the red.”
I would like to make it clear that Mr. Hall has no connection to Chilliwack Golf Club and has no factual basis for providing this information nor is he in a position to comment on the financial status of our club. In reality, the Chilliwack Golf Club is having financial success and has managed to provide a stable and successful golfing operation for our members and the public, even during these challenging economic times.
It is true that many golf courses have suffered during the recession, as golfers have been forced to adjust their spending habits. In addition to the recession, an oversupply of golf courses in the Fraser Valley has made it challenging for golf course operators to compete. However; even in these challenging economic times, Chilliwack Golf Club has managed to maintain excellent course conditions, strong customer service and most importantly a positive operating bottom line.
Chilliwack Golf Club and its members support the efforts of Ledgeview Golf Course and ideally we would like to see a resurgence in the game of golf in the Fraser Valley. To assist with this the Chilliwack Golf Club has implemented initiatives to help grow the game of golf and introduce the game to potential new players.
To this end the Chilliwack Golf Academy was formally launched in the spring of 2012. We have partnered with Sardis High School to host their Golf School and Academy in addition to providing golf scholarships to all three Chilliwack high schools.
We’ve kept our annual junior membership fee below $300 and provided the juniors with a weekly fun golf competitions.
In the past 12 months Chilliwack Golf Club has welcomed over 50 new members to our club, hosted several local charity and corporate tournaments and seen an increase in green fee and food and beverage revenues.
We welcome and encourage the Abbotsford and Chilliwack communities to visit Chilliwack Golf Club in the near future to see our club for yourselves.
Bryan Ewart
GM, Chilliwack Golf Club