Sagebrush coming back (retitled)

[Wayne_Kozun]

Thanks for the updates guys.  Hopefully they get things going for this summer.  Canada is still suffering from Covid as the cases are reaching new highs in some parts of the country, including BC, and the vaccination rollout has been MUCH slower than the US or UK.  Hopefully, that changes course and it doesn't affect the course's reopening.

[Jim Franklin]

I have just had a chat with Andrew Knott, the new owner of Sagebrush who I met with last summer and who has been working hard at bringing Sagebrush back to life.


As reported by Wayne Kozun recently, a re-opening has been scheduled for July 1, ie. Canada day. He has hired a general manager with experience in the Vancouver area, a chef and Neil Pilon, who was the previous superintendent, continues to restore the course to the firm and fast condition which was so much fun. One of the cottages built by the original owners will serve as a pro shop and restaurant and the Hideout will be back, although not as a yurt. Andrew also has permission to build more cottages on site.


Another interesting development is the announcement of the Mike Keiser / Ben Cowan Dewar course near Revelstoke, B.C. With Sagebrush, Revelstoke and other good courses in the area such as Predator Ridge and Tobiano, the area can become a very fine destination.


My only wish is to see Sagebrush succeed as I spent so many days on that course with friends from CGA for several years and look forward to introducing more to the course. A new website will be up soon. Hopefully the US/Canada border will open up this summer so those south of the border will be able to return to B.C.


I have absolutely no "skin" in Sagebrush but I am very enthusiastic about the possibilities and the future of Sagebrush.


Bob

I will never forget our day out there Bob. Perfect golf conditions for sure. It is still one of my golfing highlights. Two days later I shot my best 18 hole score ever at Nicklaus North, but Sagebrush was still the highlight of the trip.

[Pete_Pittock]

noticed these changes since I last posteddrone flyovers on the webpage www.sagebrushclub.ca[/size] [/color]
[/size]more positive statement that they will re-open in July.[/color]

[Pete_Pittock]

new video /article / interview is up.  https://cfjctoday.com/2021/05/14/watch-reclamation-project-sagebrush-golf-club-near-merritt-rising-again/    Thanks Channel 4, Kamloops.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Rick Young's article on Sagebrush from SCOREGolf:  https://scoregolf.com/blog/rick-young/the-return-of-sagebrush/

[Pete_Pittock]

twitter account is up https://twitter.com/SagebrushGC

[Pete_Pittock]

Mid July
$275 all day, includes refreshments and lunch
News article: https://golfindustrynetwork.ca/sagebrush-golf-club-quilchena-bc-ready-to-re-open/


Nothing new on the website.

[Andrew Harvie]

I played Sagebrush yesterday twice. The architecture is just as good as I remember, and honestly, a tad more rambunctious than a younger me remembered. It's in Canada's top 10.


I think they probably need a bit more time to open, but I hope they get it done soon. The hype feels higher this time than 2016 with Troon, so here's hoping!

[Pete_Pittock]

Drew,
Any thoughts on the new 7th hole (the par 5 below the cabins). Is the old 7th sort of a driving range or practice area?

[Andrew Harvie]

Drew,
Any thoughts on the new 7th hole (the par 5 below the cabins). Is the old 7th sort of a driving range or practice area?

The new 7th is far and away the worst hole on property. Not sure what happened there. The tee shot is fine and it plays to the original green, so that's fine, but the second and third shots are really quite poor and I don't really know why. Too extreme and the contours are so big that the landing areas just aren't even possible to play to. I'm not sure what the general public will do. Photos attached at the bottom. The sprinklers were going as we teed off! lol


The old 7th fairway is still there so we played the upper fairway in the morning, lower fairway in the afternoon. We were told the upper (original) fairway on the 7th would become a "shag" range

[Garland Bayley]

Looks like that with my lefty slice I made birdie from the "lower" fairway before it even existed.

[Kalen Braley]

Here's a shot from Google Earth with the original on the right, new on the left:

[Wayne_Kozun]

More on the Sagebrush reopening:  https://untilthenexttee.blog/2021/07/22/sagebrush-golf-club-announces-their-soft-opening/

[Pete_Pittock]

Wayne,
What was the status of The Hideout when you played?

[Wayne_Kozun]

I haven’t played it, but I think Drew has. 

[Garland Bayley]

https://golf.com/travel/inside-rebirth-sagebrush-canada-best-courses/

[Pete_Pittock]

https://golf.com/travel/inside-rebirth-sagebrush-canada-best-courses/

Nice article. The only glitch I noticed was a picture caption identifying the pumphouse as the Hideout.


Is the overseeding fairways with bentgrass going to take all the fire out of them? If I remember correctly the brow of the hill on 11 was regrassed and balls would hold up at the top rather than trickling down 50 yards. I might have to move up to the next set of tees.

[Pete_Pittock]

The entire town of Merritt is under evacuation alert. Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt is closed because of fire activity. That is the main route from the Pacific coastal cities.  NOTE: changed evacuation order to evacuation alert in first sentence.
UPDATE 8/19  Highway 5 is open again.   Four fires, totaling near 500,000 acres are in the "area".
UPDATE 8/21  The evacuation alert for Merritt has been lifted. 


https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/16/2046139/-All-Hell-Is-Breaking-Loose-In-BC-Right-Now

[Andrew Harvie]

The entire town of Merritt is under evacuation order. Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt is closed because of fire activity. That is the main route from the Pacific coastal cities.


https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8/16/2046139/-All-Hell-Is-Breaking-Loose-In-BC-Right-Now

BC is in some serious trouble this year

[Wayne_Kozun]

After wicked heat and fires this past summer, Merritt, BC is now under several feet of water.  Hopefully everyone is OK and the golf course isn't damaged by the water.
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/evacuations-ordered-flooding-covers-merritt-003629205.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-ca/video/watch/bcs-coquihalla-highway-seen-from-the-air-shows-extent-of-the-damage/vi-AAQMzUB

[Bob Jenkins]

Wayne,


As you know, Sagebrush sits on a hillside about 12 miles from Merritt so there would not be any flooding as is the case in Merritt. However, in previous years when there has been a significant rainfall, portions of the course have been washed out, and I would be surprised if there were not some washouts which would require considerable repair.


Another concern will be that the highway from the coast up to Merritt and Sagebrush, Highway 5 also known as the Coquihalla highway, has suffered washouts in at least 3 locations. I have seen pics of entire sections of the 4 and 6 lane highway having been washed out. It will take many months if not much longer to repair the highway and that has to be a very large concern for the new owners. It will likely be very difficult to get to Sagebrush due to the highway being closed. Access from the east and centers such as Kelowna and Vernon should be open but not from the coast.


I will find out what I can. A grand re-opening has been planned for this coming May.


Bob


I am reaching out to the new owners to see what they can tell us.

[Pete_Pittock]

Yeah, travel will be a bitch.


Sagebrush is back in the top 25 Canada modern golf courses:
https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2021-top-25-modern-courses-canada/


and it has a 16 hole chipping course (is that a redo of the lighted putting green?).

[Andrew Harvie]

Yeah, travel will be a bitch.


Sagebrush is back in the top 25 Canada modern golf courses:
https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/golfweeks-best-2021-top-25-modern-courses-canada/


and it has a 16 hole chipping course (is that a redo of the lighted putting green?).

It has to be. I did not see anything new when I was there in July.

[Philippe Binette]

As for the potential damage on the course due to the heavy rain:


There was a big storm during construction that damage the front of 16 green and the bunkered area between 9 and 17... A lot of the hill left of 14, and 15 drain through that path