PARKSVILLE – Morningstar Golf Club is no longer in receivership.
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) pension fund, which operates under the name Realcor Golf Inc., has been awarded ownership of the 18 hole course in Parksville, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Morningstar Golf Club General Manager Barrie McWha
“We are excited about the future,” states General Manager Barrie McWha, who was hired along with business partner Ray Riva in 2019 to bring the course back into physical and financial shape. IUOE has retained McWha and Riva to continue with plans for the future of the development., and John Randle has joined the team as Director of Golf
Upcoming improvements will include adding forward tee boxes which will appeal to juniors, seniors, women, and high handicappers, and creating innovative skills development programs under the banner of the Randle Golf Academy.
“The past two years have seen significant improvements with Morningstar once again being highly regarded as a place golfers want to play,” says McWha. The club hosted a successful BC Golf Junior Championships in June and looks forward to getting back to hosting notable golf events.
“With membership now at a full complement, there is a waiting list for those who would like to join the club,” he adds. “The course is open to the public with a good restaurant and great patio dining for everyone to enjoy.”
Morningstar was originally the dream project of Vancouver Island real estate developer, Mladen Zorkin, was designed by renowned course architect Les Furber, and opened in July, 1991.
Furber’s goal was to create a big, bold tournament-length course and the success of the course was immediate. In 1992, and for the following five years, Morningstar hosted the Canadian Professional Golfers Association’s Qualifying School, and the Morningstar Classic was a Canadian Tour event from 1994-1996.
