The Dunes at Kamloops

In any year this award would inspire a great sense of pride and accomplishment for the staff of any facility. But for the staff at The Dunes, the win is particularly sweet. Within the past two years, The Dunes suffered a catastrophic loss of greens due to winterkill. It was through hard work and a deep commitment to customer service that allowed The Dunes to recover both their greens and their loyal customer base.

“This win really proved to our staff the value of customer service that goes above and beyond what our customers expect,” explains Mike Porco, head professional at The Dunes. “Once we determined the severity of the winterkill, we made contact with every person who had pre-booked with us and explained the situation. We worked hard to accommodate all customers by keeping them informed about the condition of the greens throughout the recovery.”

Porco says The Dunes turned away a considerable amount of business by being honest with all the groups and individuals throughout that spring and into summer. “All that work and honesty has paid off -- not just because we won this award, but because we still have strong relationships with our customers as a result,” he says.

The criteria for the Facility of the Year Award require courses to provide a distinguished, impressive and remarkable golf experience to its membership and the golfing public, as well as maintain a record of hosting successful golf events and be regarded by the industry as a first class golf operation.

The award is voted on by the selection panel of the PGA of B.C., which is made up of representatives of the association's executive, senior staff, honorary directors and the media.

"The selection panel was very impressed with the efforts The Dunes put into rehabilitating its image after that difficult year in 2004,” explains Brian Butters, Executive Director of the PGA of B.C. “The proof of the pudding was whether relationships the golf course established with past users could stand that kind of test, and it did. To be named as Golf Facility of the Year for 2005 makes the comeback more than complete."

The Dunes has enjoyed a growing reputation for quality and service since it opened the course in 1996. Over the years, it has won a number of awards from a variety of industry organizations, including runner-up as Best New Course in Canada in 1997 by Golf Digest, and more recently in 2003 a four-star ranking from Golf Digest for Best Places to Play. This year was even better r for awards starting with a 2005 Reader Nomination from Pacific Golf magazine for Best Golf Shop followed by a top 100 ranking by Score Golf Magazine.

Over a seven-year period The Dunes has hosted the Canadian Tour's Qualifying School and numerous other top-level events, including the popular Mark Recchi- Shane Doan Charity Classic which has raised over $500,000 for local charities for children in the last nine years and has become a top golf event in the Kamloops region.

The entire Dunes team is committed to continue the mandate of years past in providing a memorable golfing experience to all members and guests.

Back to Top