Golf course in Whitecourt flooded: 'Golf pros aren't supposed to wear hip waders'

Damage is still being assessed but as much as 80 per cent of the Whitecourt Golf & Country Club is under water.

“We were moving fertilizer and all of our equipment out of the maintenance building just in case it keeps rising,” said Andy Neilsen, the club’s general manager and golf professional.

“Golf pros aren’t supposed to wear hip waders, they’re supposed to be in a button-up shirt and slacks but it’s a little different today,” he said.

The mayor of Whitecourt said the Athabasca river has peaked but the McLeod river, which runs next to the golf course, could still be a problem.

“The entire McLeod river basin, so right up through Peers, Edson, Cadomin, that’s the area that’s of most concern for us,” Tom Pickard said.

“The Athabasca has stopped rising so for us, that’s given us some grace because it can take some of the additional water from the McLeod,” he added.

People living in Westview Mobile Village were allowed to return home Wednesday afternoon after being evacuated for about 24 hours.

“The water there is stable and it’s not rising so we’ve had crews in there this morning confirming that the infrastructure, the roads, everything are all intact,” Pickard said. “There’s been no power loss, no gas loss.”

Staff and about 32 visitors to the Sagitawah RV Park remain on mandatory evacuation.

“There’s still flowing water through there so it’s not safe to let anyone back in there,” said Pickard.

The mayor said most of the flooding has happened in low areas that are prone to flooding. The golf course dealt with a similar flood in 2020.

Neilsen said they have to wait for the river levels to drop before they can start pumping water off the course, and that the hardest part will be cleaning any silt left behind from the flood water.

“Everyone in town has offered skid steers, pumps, everything. We’re going to have tons of support,” he said.

“I think it’ll be 10-12 days before we can get it cleaned up and get maybe nine holes open. That would be the hope.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Marek Tkach