LATEST
NEWS

Sean Dudley
/ Categories: News

New nine-hole course takes shape on Canada-US border

  • Lovely Golf Course

    Work got underway in October 2014 and is scheduled for completion next year

  • Lovely Golf Course

    The layout for the course was put together by six local golfers

  • Lovely Golf Course

    The course lies to the north-east of Emerson, on the Canadian side of the border with the US

A new nine-hole golf course is taking shape on the Canada-US border in the town of Emerson, Manitoba.

A three-hole course was built by the town’s residents 40 years ago, but was forced to close due to flooding.

“While most communities would simply shut down and admit defeat, we decided to relocate,” said Wayne Arseny, a member of the project’s building committee and a former Mayor of Emerson. “The government only provided us with a small flood incentive, and due to costs, hiring someone to build us a new one was totally out of grasp. So a small committee of five individuals was formed, each of us having some personal expertise to add, but none of us having a background in building a golf course.”

A group of six local golfers drew up the course’s layout, the elevations, the greens shapes and contours, the drainage scheme, and the irrigation layout. The final plans for the course were drawn up by Jacques Rollier, as one stipulation from the Canadian government when the committee sought to move the course to a non-flood area was that an architect drew up the plans.

“We had our plans looked over by a university graduate of golf course design and maintenance,” explained Bob Felsch, a member of the course’s committee. “He looks after a major course in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ‎Jacques drew up the plans to satisfy the government.”

Work got underway in October 2014 and earth moving has now been completed. The course’s greens are shaped, and landscaping is currently being finished before irrigation work begins.

“We are in the Red River Valley and it is very flat,” said Felsch. “Elevation change over the entire area was less than three feet. The central item is the irrigation reservoir. It measures approximately 3.25 acres and is 14 ft deep. We landscaped the course with the soil we removed to build the reservoir. Five of the nine holes are over, around, or beside the reservoir.”

The course’s clubhouse is yet to be determined, but the committee is hoping to acquire a nearby abandoned railway station.

“We want to move it, refurbish it and create the historical ambience of a clubhouse which would fit into the historical theme we want to create,” Arseny said.

Work at Emerson is ongoing and is scheduled for completion in July 2016.

“We will now have a course that will not flood, will be quite challenging from the 2,900 yard tees, has a par of 35‎, and that we can proudly say that the residents built,” added Felsch.

Previous Article Extensive project gets underway at Oak Meadows Golf Preserve
Next Article Development of new course in France’s Limousin region gets underway
Print
6291 Rate this article:
No rating
Sean Dudley

Sean DudleySean Dudley

Other posts by Sean Dudley
Contact author

Contact author

x
Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now
Magazine, News | Fri 14 Mar, 2025

Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now

New issue asks whether the golf boom has led to an increase in municipal golf investment

The January 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!
Magazine, News | Fri 17 Jan, 2025

The January 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!

Projects covered include Golf Club Föhr, Brautarholt, Cabot Citrus Farms, Somabay and more

FEATURE
ARTICLES

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz
Konrad Borkowski
Interview | Adam Lawrence

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build
Kinsale Golf Club
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build

Florida course is a tribute to the Golden Age designs of Raynor and Macdonald

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?
Larry Lambrecht
Feature | Adam Lawrence

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?

Is the beauty of bunkering being over-emphasised at the expense of its function, asks Adam Lawrence

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor
Grant Books Ltd
Good Read | John Moran and Rand Jerris

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor

John Moran and Rand Jerris share insight into their book about Seth Raynor’s design at Chicago Golf Club

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam
Vinpearl Golf Leman
Report | Richard Humphreys

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam

The first of two Golfplan-designed courses at club near Ho Chi Minh City has opened for play

Seven Canyons: Desert drama
Brad Klein
Report | Bradley Klein

Seven Canyons: Desert drama

Brad Klein reports on a Phil Smith Design renovation in Sedona, Arizona

Golf Club Föhr: Reinvented for a new century
Stefan von Stengel
On site | Adam Lawrence

Golf Club Föhr: Reinvented for a new century

Adam Lawrence reports on a visit to the far north of Germany where Christian Althaus has completely rebuilt the 27-hole course over the last 15 years

Nauka Nayarit: Welcome to the jungle
Harris Kalinka
Report | Richard Humphreys

Nauka Nayarit: Welcome to the jungle

Ten holes of a new Fazio Design course on Mexico’s Pacific coast have opened for play

Brautarholt: Oceanic connection
Tony Ristola
On site | Adam Lawrence

Brautarholt: Oceanic connection

One of the world’s best 12-hole courses is being extended to 18 by architect Tony Ristola. Adam Lawrence reports from Iceland and says he expects the finished course to make quite a splash

The Club at Quail Ridge: Delivering the dramatic
Evan Schiller
Report | Richard Humphreys

The Club at Quail Ridge: Delivering the dramatic

Florida club unveils results of North course redesign, completed by Fry/Straka and NMP Golf Construction

Addison Reserve: Return on investment
Gideon Heller
Report | Toby Ingleton

Addison Reserve: Return on investment

One of southeast Florida’s premier residential communities has completed a project to redesign its three nines of golf

Gopher Watch Competition – January 2025
Gopher Watch, News | Fri 17 Jan, 2025

Gopher Watch Competition – January 2025

Which course has Sandy the gopher visited this month?

MOST
POPULAR

FEATURED
BUSINESSES