Oct 31, 2025 KelownaNow
The city of Kelowna is becoming a powerhouse. The city just announced a $2.82 billion 10-year capital plan to power roads, rec centres, and airport growth (we hope not onto the agricultural land to the east), to name a few things. This works out to $319 million this year! The city just purchased 3 properties downtown for $27.8 million, one site planned for a hotel near the lake. This will be great for tourists and businesses. The city purchased the Michael Brook golf course last year for baseball diamonds so that should bring in more tournaments, and the city has just finished a dog run downtown for over $1 million which is rather unique to meet the needs of the dog owners in the area.
This shows that the city cares about the future of Kelowna and with tourism comes growth and prosperity. The development of the Parkinson Rec Centre is a big-ticket item with a project price in the order of $242 million. That should also serve more tournaments, as well as the public. With this vision, it would be great if the city also purchased the Kelowna Springs Golf Course as a municipal golf course. Municipal golf courses (golf courses owned and operated by the city) are great profit makers. These provide reasonably priced golf and Kelowna Springs is totally walkable and doesn’t use city water for irrigation.
This would be a great tourist attraction as the Okanagan is a golf mecca and the tourists would find some affordable golf and it would be good for the Kelowna citizens, too.
After all, Kelowna Springs Golf Course was designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Les Furber and the course has garnered accolades over the last 30 years. It has been recognized as the second best Readers’ Choice golf courses in Kelowna by Okanagan Life Magazine, for example. Kelowna is known for this course.
However, a developer has an application to convert half of the golf course to industrial which seems so unnecessary for this gem especially when the recent reports indicate that the city already has 1290 acres (522 ha) of vacant industrial land which represents 36 to 56 years supply so we don’t need to add more. Mayor Dyas said he would fight to save Kelowna Springs Golf Course from warehouses and the council has already rejected industrial use on this property.
This is an opportunity to add to the pool of city assets for tourism and the residents.
The city does recognize the value of outdoor space as stated by Keith Pinkoski, Senior Project Landscape Architect who referred to “Kelowna’s commitment to providing high-quality outdoor environments that support residents’ physical and mental health and nurture a sense of belonging for everyone in the city.”
Mayor Dyas said: “As Kelowna continues to grow, our priority is creating public spaces that make daily life better for residents”.
It is great the city recognizes that such a growing city as Kelowna, needs more recreational spaces. Let the mayor and council know that saving such a golf course to become a municipal course will be a long-term, valuable asset providing affordability that is good for tourism, for business, and for residents now and in the future. Who knows, affordable golf for families could produce Canada’s next professional golfer.
Why not? Let’s give everyone a chance and opportunity. Let’s attract more tourists! Such a growing and attractive city needs at least one municipal golf course and this is the last opportunity to achieve this.
Go! Kelowna! Go!
Susan Ames
Kelowna
