The Meadows at Pemberton golf course is for sale once again, as owner Gord Bell has announced he is putting the facility up for auction.
Bell, who lives in Squamish and spends most of his golf season commuting back and forth to Pemberton, said he is looking forward to a lifestyle change and spending more time with family.
“I’m looking to liquidate my assets up there and look at some business opportunities closer to home here,” Bell said Tuesday (Jan. 15). “I’ve really enjoyed it and made some great friends and I absolutely love the place, but I’m ready for some new challenges.”
A sealed-bid auction for the Airport Road course is ongoing until March 15. The minimum bid has been set at $350,000. The sale will include all shares and assets of the two companies involved with the course — Pemberton Meadows Golf Inc. and Hanily Golf Management — said Bell.
Bell said he hopes whoever takes over the course will continue to develop the RV park that he has been working to establish over the past year. The Agricultural Land Commission recently approved the course’s plans for the campground, and local officials have been supportive of the idea as a tourism generator for the Spud Valley.
“I really don’t know why (a new owner) wouldn’t, because it’s going to be a revenue stream and we’ve already done some infrastructure work on it,” said Bell. “That’ll be up to them, but the approvals are in place, so it’s a great opportunity regardless of what they decide.”
Bell was part of a group that purchased the former Pemberton Valley Golf and Country Club in 2008 after it went into receivership. The course was re-branded as The Meadows at Pemberton, with a focus on keeping the course affordable and local.
Since then, The Meadows has offered the lowest green fees in the Sea to Sky corridor.
Bell said letting go of the course will be emotional for him, as he’s enjoyed his time running the place.
“The Pemberton community has been great to me. I love Pemberton, I love the people up there. The members of the club have become close friends to me,” said Bell. “That’s the emotional part for me — saying goodbye to Pemberton and the people, but I plan on buying a membership and coming up and golfing, so I’ll be around a little bit.”
