As the golf season gets into full swing at the Prince Rupert Centennial Golf Course, the track has rarely looked better.
That is due, in part, to Mother Nature. A warm winter and sunny early spring has helped the fairways and greens to very good early season condition.
But it is also, in part, the result of the generosity of corporate sponsors and the efforts of volunteers in making significant improvements to the course.
In particular, the 18th hole, with its elevated tee boxes and creek-fronted green, is very close to reclaiming its former glory as the signature hole it is meant to be.
Following a rebuild of the green last fall by the Prince Rupert Golf Club (PRGC), which manages the city-owned course, Trigon Pacific Terminals stepped up to rebuild the tee boxes and greenside bridge.
Trigon led a broad effort, in collaboration with a group of its suppliers – including Aluma, B&B Contracting Group, Storey’s Excavating – to both fund and complete the project. Together the companies provided volunteer time and expertise, as well as, in-kind donations for the required equipment and materials.
“Trigon was also joined in supporting the golf course by PPM Civil Constructors – the contractor responsible for Trigon’s Berth Two Beyond Carbon marine construction – who provided their time and expertise for the 18th hole bridge upgrade, as part of their commitment to help support the local community,” stated a press release.
“A strong community is about coming together, sometimes by rolling up our sleeves, to make our valued community facilities better,” said Trigon CEO Rob Booker. “We wholeheartedly thank all our local partners who joined us in this work.”
The total value of the in-kind support provided by Trigon and the partnering companies in the 18th hole upgrades was $120,000, according to the press release.
This is not the first time this year Trigon has come up big for the golf club. When vandals set course equipment, including a truck, on fire during the winter, the company stepped up with a replacement.
“Our season may be short, but golf is still a very popular recreational pursuit in Prince Rupert,” said PRGC president Iain Cullen. “Keeping ahead of the maintenance the course needs can be a challenge for an organization of our size, and it speaks well to the values of our business community that they’re willing to step up and assist.”
This was also not the only good news for the PGRC this year. Earlier this month, the Northern Development Initiative Trust announced $200,000 in funding to help the club rebuild cart paths, make repairs to greens, renovate tee boxes and replace or repair sand traps.
Cullen said the golf club is also negotiating with the Prince Rupert Port Authority for a Community Investment Fund contribution.
The port, he said, is amenable to matching other donations, including in-kind donations, so the NDIT and Trigon contributions will go a long way to securing even more funding.
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