Longest serving Christina Lake Golf Club member praises hundreds of volunteers

Art Stavenjord has been a member for 52 years

It all started in the early 1960s when Jack Acres, the local druggist and avid golfer, said that  “we need a golf course” near Christina Lake.

Course founder Johnny Goffinet, an old catskinner, made it work and got the “boys” together to build the original nine-hole course, on the old Cascade City townsite, in 1962.

From those early beginnings, the Christina Lake Golf Club has grown to be one of the major golf destinations in B.C.

Art Stavenjord has been a member for 52 years and served as club president in the early 1980s.

Goffinet brought Reg and Roy Stone over from Trail to lay out the top nine, said Stavenjord, the longest-serving club member.

The new nine-hole expansion, which opened May 31, 1986, wasn't without its challenges. In the early 1980s, Stavenjord recalls extended negotiations with the parks and land departments of the B.C. provincial government. Initially, the government was not going to sell any land for golf course expansions.

“We didn't accept that,” said Stavenjord, “so we went to our MLA, Jim Hewlett; he went to the guy in charge of Lands, who went to Parks and said they [Parks] should 'give these guys the land.’ “ Eventually the civil servants understood the wisdom of having a world-class golf destination at Christina Lake.

“There's a lot of work, a lot of effort put in there [at the course] by a lot of people on the board during that four or five years when we planned, hired a designer, laid out and built the new nine,” said Stavenjord.

He's reluctant to mention names because there were hundreds and hundreds of club members who volunteered time and effort in the construction of the new nine-hole course.

The new course was designed by Les Furber. After reviewing a half-dozen design proposals, club board members travelled around B.C. to see six courses built by Furber. We “liked the way he built golf courses,” said Stavenjord. Furber was “an excellent choice—it worked out super,” he added.

Opening in 2002, the new clubhouse, driving range, amenities and parking lot have added to the club's success.

Stavenjord recalls that several years ago long-time friend and club member Dave Dale, who was part of the Canadian amateur team for 20 years, shot a 70 on his 70th birthday. When Dale turned 75, Stavenjord met him coming off the course and asked, “Did you shoot your age today?” Dale retorted, “I wasn't that bad!” They both had a good laugh.

The 18-hole course is “a very important part of our community,” said Stavenjord. As a tourist destination, the Christina Lake Golf Club is a major employer and contributor to the local economy.

Summing up his 52 years with the club, Stavenjord said, “The important part is the golf course, not me.”