Meadowlands Golf & Country Club is a beautiful golf course on the east side of Little Mountain, just 2 miles away from the centre of Chilliwack, 45 minutes from Port Mann Bridge and 25 minutes from Abbotsford Regional Airport. Nestled on over 92 acres of land, bordered by Hope River slough on the east, along the hills of a housing development on the southwest and a farm on the north, Meadowlands provides space and place for a truly memorable golfing experience – our course offers superb golfing in a magnificent setting.
Many golfers will now enjoy the unique new layout with the new par 5 in play, on a well-manicured golf course. Majestic maple trees, towering firs and cottonwoods still dot the golf course providing excellent challenges, even for the experienced golfer. We invite everyone for a challenging round at Meadowlands and put your “zing in your swing.”
9 Decades of Golf
In the 90 years of our history, Meadowlands has undergone several changes in ownership. The chronological changes are as follows:
1924: It all began when pioneer Major R.A. Meaken started construction of a golf course in Fairfield Island in 1924. This was not his first involvement with a golf course, he also helped build Victoria Uplands and Marine Drive’s second nine. The first President at this Fairfield location was Mr. P.B.H. Ramsay. Although they started with 90 members, the course was abandoned during the Second World War due to economic depression.
1931: In 1931, R.C. Philipson tenaciously laboured for 2 years to establish Meadowlands at its present location, near Shannon Mountain, now called Little Mountain. It was originally a farmland cultivated by George Frederick, a son of the owner F. Homer Goodel and his wife Louise who moved to Chilliwack from Bracebridge, Ontario.
His design of the golf course entails double tees that presented different holes for the second nine, an innovation of sort.
A “Turkey Tournament” in 1930 was played in the fog, with the golfers using compasses. It was challenging but lots of fun nevertheless. Prizes in some of these tournaments consisted of live animals. Golf dues, like most things, were inexpensive in those days too. A year’s membership dues for an individual were $20 and husband and wife paid only $30 per year. In the spring of 1935, The Meadowlands Club was formed. This is an entirely member’s organization wherein they elect their own officers and handle their own affairs as regards to golf matches, tournaments, entertainments and so on.
1951: With some financial help from the bank, Dunc Sutherland, a pro from Point Grey, purchased Meadowlands in 1951. During the Sutherlands era, a busload of golfers from Vancouver was invited to play in a golf tournament. At the end of the day, a raucous award ceremony took place, where live goats, pigs and ducks were awarded to the top winners. Other golfers got subsidiary prizes such as a bag full of sweet corn, a gallon of honey and a smoked ham.
1967: After selling Meadowlands to Bill Mawhinney and John Johnston in 1967, Dunc Sutherland remarked “I never did a better thing in my life. Every golf pro would like to own their own course. When you are your own master, you never don’t get thumped.” A few years back, he got an offer from Roy Gleig and Art Holden but turned it down. In 1969, the team of Mawhinney and Johnston eventually redesigned the 92 acres into 18 holes that measured 5,600 yards, a perfect challenging par 70. Bill Mawhinney, a B.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductee, set up the week-long Junior Golf Academy to fill the void after PGA discontinued the Meadowlands-launched B.C. Golf College.
1977: In 1977, Meadowlands was sold to a local developer, Jag Kothary, with big plans of building a 20,000 square foot complex that will house racquetball courts, squash courts, sauna, whirlpool and gym facilities.
1980: In 1980, Meadowlands was taken over by Orlando Trozzo and Williard Werk, both from Victoria, and principal shareholders of Mountain Park Holdings. With a revised plan, they built a new clubhouse that contains squash and racquetball courts, an exercise area, locker rooms and a restaurant. A devastating fire destroyed the entire complex in 1986 resulting in a foreclosure sale.
1987: Jim Bryce purchased Meadowlands property from First National Mortgage.
1988: South Sea Trading Corp. bought Meadowlands from Jim Bryce in late 1988 and built a new clubhouse in a new location overlooking 18th green after the old clubhouse was destroyed in 1986 fire that gutted the whole building.