Portfolio Archives - THE GOLF PARK

The Fox’s Den

Scott McCartney — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:30:24 +0000

I received a call from Chris and Kimberley, the new owners of Mission Hills Golf Course in Cranbrook, B.C. They were excited to bring fresh energy to a spectacular par 3 golf course and driving range in their new home town. They wanted to create a community miniature golf course that would interest locals and tourists for generations to come.

I worked hard on a design that I was very proud of. With a few important suggestions from Chris and Kimberley including that of The Fox’s Den theming, we landed on a concept we were all extremely happy with.

The project was a complete success. I attended the grand opening June 28, 2026 and made my way to the front of the line to be the first paying customer to play the course, and in so doing, I was, for a short time, the official course record holder.

Customer Review

Working with Scott was as close to a perfect process as you can get. From initial contact to in person meeting for plan development and revisions, Scott was genuinely engaged, passionate in his approach and delivered far above and beyond our expectations.

Best of all, Scott is a beautiful human being who brings his passion for golf, family, recreation and fun, with the skill to make it happen. The 🦊’s Den has got his stamp on it and we are immensely proud and glad Scott was a part of it. Highly recommend!

Below are some pictures of the finished product. I couldn’t be more impressed with Westrim and how they brought this vision to life.

The post The Fox’s Den appeared first on THE GOLF PARK.

Enchanted Woods: Quadra Island Miniature Golf

Scott McCartney — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:51:21 +0000

A modern, West Coast style miniature golf. Enchanted Woods Quadra Island Miniature Golf immerses itself in a forest grove nestled below the clubhouse, adjacent the first tee.

With the Island population at around 2400 people this project was not an easy investment decision but, the goal for the owners of Quadra Island Golf Club was to bring the non-golfer out to the course. 1. For the miniature golf experience itself 2. To increase food and beverage revenues and, 3. To introduce non-golfers and kids to the larger game. As golfers we all recall our first memory of the game…. Here, I bring the golfer from the 9th hole over to the 10th with a long, natural walk toward the first tee of the larger golf course. I envisioned an AHA moment when a young kid sees and hears the crack of a drive down the first hole. Perhaps that gets them to the driving range? On to the course? My personal introduction to the game came in much the same way.

This project was a total joy from start to finish. From exploring potential locations on-site right through to the last piece of turf to be installed, I enjoyed every minute. Below is a list of contributions that Golf Park Co. made to the project:

1. Consultation

a. Project Concept

b. Cost/Budget Analysis

c. Location Analysis

2. Site Mapping

a. Surveying/Elevations

b. Measurements

c. Course Routing

d. Feature Identification

e. Theme Development

f. Conceptual Design Strategies

3. Design

4. Project Costing

5. Land Preparation

a. Tree clearing

b. Drainage

c.. Design Alterations

6. Earthwork

a. Soil removal

b. Base construction

c. Contouring

d. Boulder/Feature Placement

7. Concrete Work

a. Forming

b. Placement

c. Advisement on finishing

8. Supply and Installation of synthetic turf surfaces

9. Supply of Miniature Golf Putters and Balls

10. Landscaping consultation and management

11. Brand, theme and marketing creation

a. Signage

b. Scorecards

c. Storyboards

d. Rack Cards

e. Theme

12. Community Promotions (hotels, resorts, campgrounds, etc…)

13. Maintenance Plan Development

14. Operational Consulting

The Ownership group were a total pleasure to work with, as was Chad Doolittle from Quadra Landscape. All parties involved sought to create something special that the Island could enjoy for decades to come. With permission from the Ownership group, I snagged a few of their comments/testimonials from email exchanges along the way and have posted them below:

“We are thrilled to share our experience working with Scott McCartney and The Golf Park Company who designed and installed our miniature golf course. From the initial consultation to the final touches, their professionalism and creativity were evident in every step. They took our vision and elevated it, creating a fun and engaging course that has become a highlight for our golf course members and visitors. The attention to detail in the design and construction, combined with the high-quality materials used, ensures durability and a visually appealing experience. We couldn’t be happier with the results and highly recommend their services to anyone looking to create a memorable miniature golf attraction.”

– Official Testimonial

“The Island was crying for this.”

– Local Resident

“Overall, it was a great year for us, ENCHANTED WOODS led the way with 7000 paying golfers so far. This greatly exceeded our expectations and it was so gratifying to see how incredibly well received it was by members, Quadra residents, their guests and the visiting tourists. We had the kindergarten class, two grade school classes, several company functions and we even incorporated it into our major tournament renamed the the “Dual Challenge where teams played 18 holes of golf and 18 holes of mini golf. The kids just loved it but it was the seniors that contributed the most. They were so appreciative that it was there and there were many repeat customers. It completely changed the dynamics of the golf course, there was always lots of people around and just a great place to be. So once again, we just have to express how much we appreciate what you created for us, it is an absolute gem.”

– Leslie Rombough

With each course that I design, I work to bring an external element into the course that you wouldn’t normally see; something that distracts from the miniature golf experience and gives a moment of wonder and reflection to the golfer. In this instance I discovered local driftwood artist Alex Whitcomb of Drifted Creations. He had a few pieces displayed at the hotel where I was staying and I knew immediately that I had to implement these pieces into the course. With total support from the late Bill Pirie we implemented 4 unique pieces that led to the theme of the course and the name of Enchanted Woods.

You’ll have to visit the course of you would like to read the storyboards and experience the “adventure” of Enchanted Woods but, I will give you a peak of these fascinating pieces by the talented Alex Whitcomb.

This Blog Post and the project itself are dedicated to the late Bill Pirie who was the majority owner of Quadra Island Golf Club. Bill had the courage to listen to his instincts and invest in an idea that would open the game of golf up to everyone on Quadra Island – to make everyone on the Island a part of the same great golf community. Bill passed shortly after the miniature golf course opened. He assisted the whole way through and was able to see a few successful weekends in that first month the course was open. My hope is that the course paid for itself the first time he listened to the gut bursting laughter from a few of its patrons.

Thank you, Bill for your vision and courage. It was honour to work with you, Sir.

Rest in Peace.

A special thanks goes to a member of the ownership group, Les “Ronnie” Rombough who was my main contact, motivator, budget keeper and co-visionary on the project. Battling hip surgery, Ronnie put 100% of himself into this project, thinking everything through to the nth degree so that we might achieve the best possible outcome – and I think we did. The walk from 9 to 10 I have named “Ronnies Walk” where it is my hope that one day we see a statue, made of driftwood or not, of Ronnie leaning on his walking stick putter and telling the kids to enjoy the back nine!

Another special thanks goes to Chad Doolittle who’s passion for perfection matched my own. Without Chad’s skills and expertise the project would not have been what it is today. Thank you, Chad for caring so damn much. And thank you for getting me out of my comfort zone to include a few more quirks for the kids! I have worked with hundreds of landscapers through the years and you are without a doubt one of the very best.

To anyone reading, please do yourself a favour and visit this beautiful island. The people, the nature, and the golf course will warm your heart and set your soul right.

The post Enchanted Woods: Quadra Island Miniature Golf appeared first on THE GOLF PARK.

Before The Golf Park Company: 1999 – 2019

Scott McCartney — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 01:31:44 +0000

A CAREER OF DESIGN & BUILDS

It was an “Aha!” moment, the first time I saw a synthetic turf golf green. I was living in Las Vegas as a 20 year old working for a golf tournament organization company. A golf course where I was working had a teaching area with fake turf for a golf green and fringe, and it was beautiful. Within a month my friend Shaun and I were back home in BC building one for my parents in their side yard in exchange for room and board. We built them a golf green that would bring years of fun memories to our home, and that’s how my first company Precision Greens was born.

Working other jobs that would supplement our income, we were able to build 4 greens the following year and 14 greens the year after that. When we hit the 30 project total the following year, we were in heaven and could afford to work solely at building greens. It was so much fun – designing and building every project with our own two hands.

Slowly, what was a golf green only company began to turn into a synthetic grass company, meaning we installed fake lawns as well as golf greens. The lawn side of things really took off, becoming 80% of our installations. As our company grew, golf greens continued to occupy my interest more than anything. I had the privilege to work with Vancouver’s preeminent landscape architects, designers, and developers. I worked with passionate homeowners, celebrities, iconic sports personalities all the way through to Canada’s best golf course architects.

The following is a look at some memorable installations. Notice the progression as time goes on…

My first golf green in 2001 (below). My knowledge of green speed and slope were limited as my Dad putts one off the green. It took all summer to make because we built the brick border ourselves. Scanned from Mom’s printed 6×4 photo – thanks Mom!

It wasn’t long before realizing fringe and rough, made with contrasting heights and complementing colours, makes for a perfect finish. Finding a way to create the perfect radius was also a huge breakthrough.

Earning a reputation for quality work awarded us installations in several Senior Living complexes in BC – a perfect low-impact activity.

My first real “Dream Project” was at TAKaya Golf Centre in North Vancouver in 2008. Two 3500 square foot golf greens (two different technologies – one for holding shots and the other for putting true). Also built an 18 hole minigolf. Hearing the laughter that was coming from the minigolf after it opened is what it’s all about. Thank you to Ernie George for putting your trust in us!

My second great “Dream Project” was in 2009 at a private residence, and one of Canada’s most incredible gardens, in Mission, B.C. Designing and building this 9 hole par 3 course brought me to life and inspired me the whole way through. To this day the course looks and plays wonderfully.

It was a joy to design Islandview Golf Centres World-Class Putting Course.

Eaglequest Coquitlam needed a team to resurface their putting course so we decided to take it on.

2010 to 2018 went by so fast with hundreds of golf projects to keep me busy and feeling creative.

Condominium rooftop golf amenities weren’t uncommon

There were very few “grass only” jobs that I truly admired but, being a part of some of the most impressive residential landscapes in the Country made me appreciate my job. This Paul Sangha design is inspirational.

Below is one of a few residential putting courses that I designed and built. A little 6 hole beauty

I started to become more confident. There was an art to everything I was doing and I started to feel more and more like the person qualified to bring these projects to life.

(Below) Common space golf amenities were becoming more accepted and became a draw for the sale of condos in Vancouver.

I did a few full landscape designs along the way that I can be proud of.

I helped design and bring this golf project to life for Ron Rule Landscape Architects. A project in the beautiful equestrian community of Southlands in Vancouver.

This Client’s inspiration was the Par 3 -12th hole at Augusta. Ray’s Creek in the foreground with pine trees and azaleas growing on the slope behind the green.

One of many Rob Spytz designed landscapes – this one in stunning Deep Cove.

Ocean front paradise. A new employee from Ontario almost lost his mind when a seal came up for a rest on the sea wall.

An incredible 3500 square foot golf green designed by famed Canadian Golf Course Architect Doug Carrick. Walking the property with Mr. Carrick and discussing the project was one of my greatest learning opportunities.

6 tee boxes were placed around the property from 45-105 yards in distance.

It was a dream location and ,at the time, was the largest golf green I had built to date.

I had built a few professional tee lines along the way

The iconic Red Barn and golf out in the Country

Construction of my first ever hand-built sod wall bunker – possibly the happiest I have ever been working! See Sod Wall Blog for more pictures and details. Same Red Barn site

A big one out in Chilliwack for Algra Bros. Construction and another Rob Spytz Landscape.

A breakthrough project at Sam Walker Park in North Vancouver, BC. Dave Turner, retired Parks Manager designs a golf green for public use. Hopefully this is the first of many “Golf Parks” to come. See Advocating for Golf in Parks, Golfs many Municipal Benefits, and Sam Walker Park – a breakthrough in golf for more on how we can bring golf to everyone!

Dave Turner, Green Designer and Park Section Manager with North Vancouver Mayor, at the time, Darrell Mussatto

This 3000 square foot golf green was inspirational. Nothing less than a World-Class landscape to be apart of.

A 6000 square foot masterpiece with tee boxes all over the property. Inspiration for synthetic “Short Courses” in otherwise hard to grow areas.

Working with professional machine operators – what a difference! Thanks to Mike at MJM.

A 5000 square foot golf green overlooking the beautiful Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. Fire season unfortunately or you would see Mt Baker hanging out in the background.

Below is an 18 hole minigolf/putting course that I designed and built in Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan. It was great to go back to the Province I was born and do something special. Lac La Ronge Indian Band will be finishing the course off with art displays and features representing their rich culture and heritage.

These massive boulders were originally sitting just off site. I was dying to have something to work around so the Band had them moved into place for me.

It took me a while to finally get the routing down into one that I felt had an “energy and flow” to it. Flat project areas with no real obstacles are likely the most challenging terrain to be creative on.

In the Boreal Rainforest

My Crew. Three of the greatest men I have ever met. Left is me, Roland Ionson, Mike Knutson and his son Scotty.

My own backyard was my little “retirement project” after selling my half of Precision Greens to my old business partner. No crew but plenty of time. It made me relive and appreciate the attention to detail required for a perfect installation – it took everything I had to produce this project, but I am very proud of it. And my daughters are happy about their new “dance stage”. I am particularly proud of the memorial bench for my parents, without whom, my life of building golf greens would have never been possible – Thank You Mom and Dad.

Waiting for gardens to grow and spill over onto the golf green.

R+D on Synthetic Turf Sod Wall Bunker!

Sweet Night Golf Vibes!

Original Sketch Design

Working Design

I learned a lot in those 18 years. I kept learning through the last project I completed and will continue to learn moving forward. Since selling Precision Greens I have spent much time doing research and development projects such as the synthetic turf sod wall bunker on my personal golf green. I have experimented building a Tee Line for a local driving range and have researched proper maintenance protocols on a project that is 13 years old – a 9 hole Par 3 course in Mission called Shiloh Hill (mentioned above).

Most of my reading is in the field of Golf Course Design. There are principles I have adopted in my learning, even since completing my own project in 2020. Now I look forward to using my knowledge and creativity to bring new and unique Golf Projects to Canada and the World. I feel like it is just the beginning.

The post Before The Golf Park Company: 1999 – 2019 appeared first on THE GOLF PARK.

Eagleview Golf Range: Practice Green and Targets

Scott McCartney — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 17:17:31 +0000

The new Owners of Eagleview Golf Range in South Surrey have upgraded their facility, and it is brilliant.

I have a long, personal history with this facility dating back to when it was known as Peace Arch Driving Range. It was part of a small circuit of ranges and Par 3 courses in the area that kept me busy as I discovered golf as a kid. I recall my Dad taking me here with one of his friends and his friend was driving it over the back fence – I was gobsmacked. The power this man had to drive the ball so far was astonishing as I “binked” my 5-wood out to the 125 yard marker.

"Hey Kid, Get On Board!!"

Not long ago, the range had closed for what seemed like a year or two, and when I noticed it open again I popped in right away. The new owners had hot dogs and pop free for the public, and there was a great turn-out from their family and friends to support their new business. As I grabbed a bucket and took to my stall I noticed several young kids just watching on with their parents. I went straight for the driver with the intention to impress!! I caught a few that were decent enough to make a nice loud noice and travel a fair distance and in return, I got what I was looking for; “Oohhhh!!! Did you see that, Mom!!” After I knew I had their attention I made a subtle comment that I was about their child’s age when I began coming to the driving range. My top secret intention of course was to hopefully get these kids to the range more often. “Get the bug kid, you won’t regret it!”.

As I prayed my ligaments and joints would hold up since i’d skipped a proper warm-up, I overheard someone say the owners were going to invest in a putting green on the side of the range for the public to use. I looked around and saw brand new mats, new paint, pavement, range carts, netting, and more and thought, yes, these folks are definitely creating something special here and perhaps a golf green is in the cards.

3000 Square Foot Practice Green

My next visit in I introduced myself to one of the owners and the rest is history. I created a design that met their criteria, was awarded the contract and began work on the project shortly thereafter. Below are simple progress pics resulting in a fully functional, 3000 square foot. 9 hole, putting and chipping green.

The beauty of this space is the ability to transition from one kind of practice to the next on a durable surface. There are straight puts, slight breakers and one or two “benders”. It should give the golfer a little bit of everything.

The owners encourage all who come to hang out as long as they wish – they are even installing a cappuccino machine so that their patrons can relax into the practice session!

Beyond that, there is a first class roof to hit from and a lounge area inside as well.

Well Done!!

Target Greens at the 25

The Owners agreed that a few targets might help the visual out on the driving range. Since the practice green allows chipping in lessons only (mostly to avoid chaos) they proposed we create some targets at the 25 yard markers (3 to be exact). This would be a perfect solution for those that would have otherwise liked to have chipped on the practice green.

I designed the targets with a band of fringe surrounding my SureSpyn Target Green Material. This particular system is designed to catch shots from over 150 yards away. I invested much time coming up with a defined contrast in colour and pile height – I think these products complement each other well while showing the golfer a definite target to shoot for.

The brilliance of this distance of target is that it is quite addictive. I installed cups and pins in each. Hitting the green is a challenge given its 7 foot diameter, but you can do it. And, beyond that, it isn’t impossible to try and dunk one right in the cup. I unloaded 60 balls in about 4 minutes during my test period after they were completed. The next day there were hundreds of balls unloaded around each of the targets.

The targets achieved 3 things for the new owners:

1. It concentrated the ball dispersion for easy pick up

2. It increased ball sales as patrons found it easier to unload 60 pitch shots versus driver swings and subsequently came back to the counter to reload.

3. It gave the golfer a strong visual, and a specific target making their experience slightly better.

Thank you to the great group of new owners at Eagleview. As a golfer, I genuinely appreciate all that you are doing to create a positive golf environment. I plan on dialing in the 25 yard shot this winter which has been my nemesis for the last many years!

And, of course, thank you for putting your trust in The Golf Park Company to create something fun and functional and built to endure!

The post Eagleview Golf Range: Practice Green and Targets appeared first on THE GOLF PARK.

Cultus Lake Golf Club: Tee Line + Hitting Mats

Scott McCartney — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 19:40:19 +0000

Welcome to one of my favourite places on Planet Earth. Cultus Lake Golf Club is a family owned, brilliantly managed slice of B.C. paradise. They sell beauty and they sell fun, and both are available to anyone who wishes to experience golf on any scale, in about every way possible.

I will be writing a BLOG on the facility itself, because it surely deserves it, but for now I will offer a short write-up on my small contribution to this remarkable facility.

HITTING MATS:
FLEXTHREAD TECHNOLOGY

A big thank you goes out to Cultus Lake and the Bahnman Family for putting their trust in The Golf Park Company as we introduce to the Canadian golf market what we feel is a revolutionary new technology in Hitting Mats.

Made of premium nylon yarns and a durable foam backing, the true technology comes from the Flexthread middle layer that allows for perfect compression with any club, regardless of how steep or shallow the golfer comes through the hitting zone.

As a person who suffers from severe golf elbow, this tech allows for firm, realistic compression without the grab or snag of a taller pile height yarn. I typically take wedge divots that you could bury a small animal in, so that makes taller pile mats, or regular mats with no real forgiveness totally off the table for me in a driving range scenario.

The response I have gotten from local pros and avid golfers who have utilized the mat is beyond what i’d hoped for and proved that it was not just my personal biases that made me love this product.

Golf Park Co outfitted the entire facility from the entire top deck, all of the regular hitting bays as well as the entire Top Tracer Lounge.

The tech has been there from very early in the season and is wearing much better than mats that are currently deemed the industry standard. The Flexthread Technology allows for a responsiveness that reduces wear on the nylon and foam components of the mat. Where you regularely see depressions in the hitting zone, our tech has stayed level and true.

TEE LINE @ THE BUNKER

Golf Park Co was lucky enough to have the full support of Cultus Lake Golf Club to help create what I would consider as the perfect tee line construction at The Bunker Training Facility. Built upon a concrete foundation, we glued down a 1/4″ foam shock pad for club shock absorption. On top of that we glued down a 1″ tall pile height premium grade tee line.

In the infamous words of Borat, “Isa Very Nice!! Great Success!!”.

The advantages of a tee line are fairly obvious and straight forward; they reduce the stress on a natural grass tee line when needed, they are fun to plug an actual golf tee into as opposed to using a rubber tee, you can distrubute wear patterns by moving tee blocks around as needed, and the durability and longevity of a tee line is known to last 7 to 10 seasons, or more. And they look pretty cool when built properly.

Thank you again to Cultus Lake Golf Club for your trust and support!

The post Cultus Lake Golf Club: Tee Line + Hitting Mats appeared first on THE GOLF PARK.