When the PGA Tour first came to Vancouver, in the mid-1990s, Burnaby’s Riverway Golf Course was one of the sites under consideration to host the tournament.
But drainage issues, the lack of a clubhouse, and meager parking finally disqualified this very good public course. The course has since matured, the drainage issues have been solved and construction will soon commence on a full-facility clubhouse. They are the finishing touches on a course whose reputation is expanding by the year.
Les Furber, western Canada’s most prolific golf architect, did some of his best work at Riverway, transforming a flat peat bog into a hilly championship course. With soil and fill from construction at nearby Metrotown, the architect created mounds, hummocks and small hills to make the course look and feel like a links. If Metrotown and Mount Seymour didn’t frame your northerly view, you could be excused for believing you were on a links somewhere in Ireland.
Tour players will want to test Riverway from the back tees, which measure 7,004 yards. They’ll need to be accurate: although the fairways appear spacious, they are carefully guarded by mounds of fescue, hidden waste bunkers, sand traps and water hazards.
Riverway, though, is not just for professionals. The challenge and reward you experience from the regular tees (6,483 yards) more than repay the money you spend for your round. All the par fives are memorable, and two of Riverway’s par threes are among the best in the province.
The golf course is open year round and closes only when snow covers the ground. With the recent improvements in drainage the golf course has become a local winter favourite when other courses are closed. Riverway Golf Course also includes a driving range, pro shop and coffee shop.
Photo: Riverway Golf Course
