A new disc golf course in the Bella Coola Valley is nearing completion thanks to the efforts of some local enthusiasts.
The Snootli Disc Golf Course will be at the Snootli Creek Regional Park, said Josh Wulfekotte, director of the Bella Coola Disc Sports Club.
“It’s in a clearcut at the end of the Bella Coola Airport runway that was required by Transport Canada. It’s a biking, walking area. There is six hectares of cleared field.”
The club, which is “just a really a handful of people,” he said, got together last summer and decided to pursue building a course.
In August 2024 they began doing some strategic planning and in 2025 incorporated as a non-profit, pursuing grants with assistance from the Central Coast Regional District.
“The CCRD jumped right on board and hooked us up with their grant writer. She helped a lot and was able to point us in the direction of Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT),” Wulfekotte said.
Success with an NDIT grant of “just shy of $24,000” in the spring, made the project viable and they were able to proceed.
Bella Coola Heli Sports contributed and the CCRD gave them a small grant to help with volunteer work and administrative costs.
During the airport’s off hours they were able to deliver supplies to the area and held a work party on Saturday, Aug. 15 and Sunday, Aug. 16.
He said they had 25 cubic yards of soil, 33,000 pounds of paving stones and 1,000 linear feet of 4x4s to work with.
After the work bee he told Coast Mountain News 26 volunteers came out on Saturday and they had another club workday on the Sunday with a total of 214 man hours over the weekend.
He gave special thanks to El’Con who donated their Bobcat machine hours, and the Nuxalk Clean Energy Department who loaned their quads.
“Both were invaluable” he said.
The course is now 75 per cent complete and the club will finish it up over the next month, with the front nine holes ready to play early September.
Bolstered by the excitement about the course from people in the valley, Wulfekotte said he’s heard from people who he hadn’t met yet who are enthusiastic about it.
“I’m excited about how the excited the community is about it. It’s nice to see general support when we’ve posted our progress.”
The club has also given disc sets to the schools.
Wulfekotte got into disc golfing himself in 2001 and said he soon learned a valuable secret about the sport.
“You are always playing just against yourself and you are with other people. When I first started playing, changing that mindset helped a lot. I’m not playing against the people I’m with, I’m just trying to do the best that I can and hanging out with everyone else.”
Originally from the U.S., he is a rafting guide and an electronics technologist.
He has lived with his wife in the valley for about five years where they have a hobby farm.