Radium Springs Estates—a new development at the Springs golf course

Radium Resort developments indicate an optimistic outlook

The Springs golf course is an attraction in Radium Hot Springs. — Bram Rossman photo

Radium Resort Limited Partnership is in the process of developing a 20-estate-lot subdivision linked to the Radium Springs Golf Course. The property is a small gated enclave nestled within the Springs golf course catering to people who enjoy golf course living and the wonderful lifestyle offered in the Kootenays. The Springs course has been consistently ranked in the top 100 golf courses in Canada by Score magazine and is a championship golf course.

“Radium Springs Estates could be a second home or it could be a home,” said Wilda Schab, the general manager of Radium Resort. “There are people who already live here who are interested in making that part of their lifestyle, because it’s a gated community and it’s very secure. It’s very exclusive and very private.”

The distinct golf culture around Radium Hot Springs is the driving force behind the development, called Radium Springs Estates, and the area is blessed with a number of other attractions. Early marketing initiatives have been met with a great deal of interest.

“These are exciting times at the Springs and the village of Radium (Hot Springs),” said Schab.

Master redevelopment at the Resort course is also underway

Upgrades are currently being made to the amenities at Radium Resort—specifically, the hot tub, indoor pool and fitness centre. A significant investment has also been made in the golf course itself.

“Our goal was to bring the golf course up to over 6,000 yards, while still maintaining 5,000 yards from the forward tees,” said Schab. “Currently the length is 5,306 from the back tees. We added three new golf holes—one of them is a par three, one is a par four and one is a par five, and that’s the first phase of our master redevelopment plan.”

A new green for the first hole was also built and will be ready to open in the 2012 season.

A player-friendly golf course

Phase 1 of the redevelopment plan came in at under $1 million, and expansions are expected to continue throughout the year.

“Over the course of this year, we will open those golf holes when they’ve matured,” said Schab. “We expect that to be sometime in June. We’ll bring those golf holes into rotation and I anticipate we will close down other golf holes as we work on them.”

With a total of 36 holes between the Springs course and the Resort course, Schab expects to attract recreational golfers and tournament competitors. She said that the Resort course won’t become overwhelming for the recreational golfer and will cater to golfers with a diverse set of skills.

“Everybody is extremely excited about the changes that we’re making to Radium Resort, and the Radium Resort golf course in particular,” said Schab. “Everything is very positive.”

Perks of the Columbia Valley

Radium Hot Springs, Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake make water sports easily accessible and the natural setting often lures twitchers to watch Wings Over the Rockies, the annual bird migration event hosted in the area every May. The Columbia River wetlands are the longest continuous wetlands in North America.