West Kelowna golf course operators seek compensation after physical altercation

West Kelowna golf course operators seek compensation after physical altercation
A witness says tensions ran high after a day of delays and congestion on the course

Operators of a First Nation-owned golf course in West Kelowna say those involved in a physical altercation at their course this week should be held accountable. The altercation occurred Monday after an argument over the pace of play.

A video of the incident, recorded at Two Eagles Golf Course and Academy, has gone viral and shows two groups of golfers fighting, shouting, pushing and eventually getting into a physical altercation as others try to intervene and calm the situation.

The course is located on the Westbank First Nation and is owned and operated by First Nation.

The course operators said in a statement Wednesday that those involved in the altercation will face consequences.

“Anyone who fails to comply with the rules will be removed from the course,” the statement said. “We will actively pursue the redress process.”

WATCH | Golf course altercation under investigation by police:

West Kelowna police say they responded to the scene Monday evening and have identified all individuals involved.

“We have reviewed the cellphone video of this incident and this behavior is completely unacceptable,” Staff Sergeant Brendan Dolan said in a statement, adding that the case is still under investigation.

Golf course operators said redress could include measures such as donating money to inclusive sports programs (such as Golf BC’s Junior Program or Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program) or completing a “Respect in Sport” course.

Eyewitness: Fight over slow play

Jennifer Punt, an eyewitness who was behind the two groups playing and provided video to the CBC, said the fight apparently broke out over anger over repeated delays on the course.

"It was clear that tensions were running high and there was a lot of shouting and violence going on," she told Radio West. "A group of men were in the tee box on the 18th hole and they were angry about the group in front being slow."

She said a previous tournament had delayed the start time by about 30 minutes, which led to a fight between the groups.

Slow play is a common issue on golf courses in British Columbia and other parts of Canada, often causing discomfort and disagreements between players. Although golf organizations have made efforts to address the issue, Punt said it shouldn’t escalate to a physical altercation.

“We play a lot of golf, but we’ve never seen anything even close to this,” he added. “It was truly embarrassing, shameful and unacceptable.”

Operators of Two Eagles Golf Course said it was the first incident of its kind in their 20-year history and that it would be treated with the utmost seriousness.

They have called for a full police report and expressed hope that the incident will not have a lasting negative impact on the community — especially young players.