West Kelowna golf course operators want restitution after on-course fight
A witness says tempers flared on the fairway on Monday after day of delays and backed-up tee times
The owners of a golf course in West Kelowna say they are demanding restitution from those involved in a physical altercation on their course earlier this week — an incident they describe as a desecration of the property and a breach of community values.
The confrontation at Two Eagles Golf Course and Academy was caught on video Monday and has since circulated online. It shows a heated dispute between two groups of golfers, escalating into shouting, shoving and punches, as others attempt to intervene.
The course is located on Westbank First Nation land and is under Indigenous ownership.
In a statement Wednesday, the operators said those involved in the altercation will face consequences.
"Anyone who fails to adhere to the ... rules will be banned," they said. "We will be actively engaging in a restitution process."
They said restitution could include a donation to inclusive sport programs, such as B.C. Golf's junior program or Canadian Tire's Jumpstart initiative, or taking the Respect in Sport course.
West Kelowna RCMP confirmed they responded to the scene on Monday evening and say all individuals involved have been identified.
"We've viewed the cell phone video of the incident and it's nothing short of unacceptable behaviour," said Staff Sgt. Brendan Dolan in a statement, adding that the matter remains under investigation.
Witness Jennifer Pont, who was golfing behind the two groups and later shared the video with CBC News, said the fight appeared to stem from frustration over delays on the course.
"There was definitely a bunch of aggression and tons of yelling and screaming," Pont said during an interview with CBC's Radio West. "There was a group of men on the tee box on the 18th hole and they were frustrated at the group ahead of them because they were being slow all day."
She says an earlier tournament had pushed tee times back by about 30 minutes, and that the groups had been clashing over pace of play.
Slow play is a persistent issue at golf courses in B.C. and across Canada, often sparking frustration among players. Golf organizations have made efforts to address the problem, but Pont says disputes over pace of play shouldn't end with a fist fight.
"We golf a lot and we haven't seen anything remotely close to that," she said. "It was embarrassing and shameful and ridiculous."
The operators of Two Eagles say this is the first incident of its kind at their course in 20 years and will be dealt with with the "utmost severity."
They are requesting a full report from RCMP and say they hope the incident won't leave a lasting negative impression on the community — especially young players.
With files from Brady Strachan, Rafferty Baker, Christine Coulter and Joseph Otoo