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Lakewood Golf Resort expansion many years in the making

RV lots already added and another nine holes and driving range coming
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Lakewood Golf Resort, near Sylvan Lake, continues to expand. More RV spots have been added, construction of another nine holes is well underway and a new driving range is coming. (Photo from Lakewood Golf Resort)

Sylvan Lake’s Lakewood Golf Resort is realizing a dream that has been in the making for at least 15 years.

Head pro Scott Bergdahl said that is when he joined the golf course and owners Darcy and Susan Carruthers already had a vision for expanding the nine-hole course to 18 and adding other amenities.

“From my standpoint, it’s at least been 15 years. For Darcy and Sue, I can’t speak for them, but it’s probably been longer than that since they dreamed of this.”

Work on the second nine began last fall and already has provided a glimpse of the course that is to come.

“By the time, we were finished at the end of the year our new proposed Hole #7 was mostly shaped. We have a water hole on #7 that has already been dug, which will capture all of the spring runoff, which is important,” he said, adding it will be used for irrigation.

“We have two greens that are shaped and three sets of tee boxes that are shaped as well. So, we are well on our way to having the second nine holes complete.”

This May, the heavy equipment will be back and the new track is expected to be landscaped and seeded by the end of the season. On that timetable, it is hoped golfers can start swinging their clubs on the new nine by July or August of 2023.

At the same time that work is being done on the new holes, construction on a new driving range on the north side of Township Road 391 will begin.

They are aiming to have the new range open by this fall, or early next spring at latest.

The new driving range will a significant upgrade from the existing range, which will be used for additional parking. Built on 27 acres, the range will be 350 yards deep by 300 yards wide, and they are looking at adding features such as chipping and putting greens, practice fairway and greenside bunkers and an area to hone skills on uneven terrain.

A big part of the resort’s future will be its RV lots. There are now nearly 260 seasonal sites available from April to October.

It more than doubles the 133 lots in two parks they had three years ago and means the resort can take advantage of the huge demand in central Alberta for getaway spots.

If anything, COVID has only boosted demand for a place to enjoy the outdoors close to home and the seasonal lots have been snapped up.

“It seems like camping and getting away close to home has become a bigger thing.”

A significant step necessary to allow the RV park and golf course expansion was a multi-million dollar upgrade to the intersection at Township Road 391 and Highway 20 in anticipation of additional traffic. That was completed last year.



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