Sylvan Lake's Lakewood Golf Resort has been one of the top 9-hole courses in Central Alberta for several years.
Now it’s one of the best up-and-coming 18-hole courses.
Lakewood officially opened its new nine this season, although it was finished last year.
“The construction was done by July 1 last year and the greens were ready to play at the end of August,” explained Lakewood head professional Scott Bergdahl. “We could have played in the middle or toward the end of September, but choose to stay off to give it more time to mature.”
The new nine still has some “filling in” to do but has been received with open arms.
“Everyone I’ve had the opportunity to talk to, and I’ve tried to talk with a lot of people, the overwhelming response has been they’ve been super pumped about it,” said Bergdahl.
“It’s fun to play … not easy, but not hard either. People feel if they didn’t score well, they could have scored well. We don’t want a course where you go out and get beat up every time.
“It can be enjoyable for the average player if they play the middle tees and also a challenge for the low handicap players. We have a couple 300 yard par-4 holes, so there are some who try to drive them, but our greens are super tricky, very undulating.”
The new nine is a links-style layout with, yes, some challenging fescue, although Bergdahl stresses that is not something that should come into play a lot.
“The new nine is more wide open with elevation changes and lots of water,” he said. “We have knee-deep grass, but it’s not along the fairways. It accents the course and really doesn’t come into play unless you hit a real bad shot.”
Lakewood has mixed the new in with the old.
"The only hole that really remains the same is No. 1,” said Bergdahl. “After hole 1, holes 2 through 7 are new with the old 2 and 3 now 8 and 9. Old No. 4 is the new No. 10.
“It’s really cool, a nice combination.”
The driving range is now located across the road to the north of the course. It’s 360 yards up hill with greens as targets.
“It’s something else that’s well received,” added Bergdahl, who has naturally seen an increase in memberships.
“Last year we had 267 memberships. This year we set aside 315 but have 330, which includes over 500 members. We do feel we have the capability to go even higher.”
Scott indicated one of the “cool” things is that they offer both 9 and 18-hole memberships.
“About 60 per cent are 9 hole,” he said.
Several of those are seniors who are residents in the Lakewood RV Camp.
“The RV community has 260 lots with over 500 people. It’s filled up and we have over 40 on the waiting list,” Bergdahl explained.
He also indicated about 60 per cent of the RV residents take out golf memberships.
“That may not be as many as some would think, but not bad.”
A lot seniors and ladies play nine holes while a good number of younger adults and juniors are among the new members.
Bergdahl, who has been a member of the CPGA for 25 years, is one of the top club and teaching pros in Alberta. That shows in the number of juniors in the program.
“We have 144 juniors this year,” he said. “As bad as Covid was, it brought people back to the game, especially at the junior level.”
The program had 50 kids at one point but it “exploded to 125 and then 150. Since Covid we’ve maintained a number between 125-145.”
This spring, the junior program was recognized as one of the top grassroots programs in the country.
“We didn’t win it, but we were nominated and recognized as one of the best which is cool,” said Bergdahl, who has been with the course for 17 years.
He also was recognized as one of the premier coaches in the province while coaching the RDC program.
He was named the ACAC coach of the year in 2010, ‘13, 16 and ‘18. He also led the RDC team to the National title in 2018.
In 2000 he received the Alberta PGA Assistant Pro coach of the year award.
Bergdahl has to smile when looking back when he first joined Lakewood.
“Seventeen years ago, when I was first hired, there were blueprints for an expansion. Now in 2024, we’re actually open.”
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter and member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame who can be reached at danrode@shaw.ca
