Blue Trail RV Park and Camping opens SunShadow 9 hole golf course in time for tourist season

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Every man should have a dream.  For Ted Shipley that dream was to take 70 acres of the family farm and turn it into the Blue Trail RV Park and Camping and SunShadow 9 hole golf course just north of Glenwood, Alberta along the Waterton River.

"We've owned the property as a family for 40 years and it was a part of Shipley Ranches Ltd. that I acquired from the family," said Shipley.  He sold the rest of the farm in 1999 and retired, keeping 70 favourite acres back for himself.

 SunShadow golf course

"I did that not knowing for sure why I kept this piece of land, other than I dreamed of it being a campground at one time and I've always had a special interest in this area down here."  The family used to keep cattle in a sheltered area down close to the river in the winter but with retirement "That time has come and gone."

Susan and Ted Shipley

Ted and his wife Susan have been operating an RV park and campsite at the location for the past 4 years, and they opened a new golf 9-hole par-3 golf course there this year.  "We're planting evergreens and 200 special new-variety poplars to separate the fairways with trees."  The course uses artificial golf turf for the tees and driving range.

Annual RV Park beside the Waterton River

Shipley designed the course himself from his extensive knowledge of 11 acres of land it occupies.  "It is quite a small area, as you can see, but it's very well defined.  It's out of the wind down here.  We do have some days when the wind blows, but other than that, day after day, it's just like this," he said, referring to the calmness of the area.

The golf course is open, but "I'm still tweaking it."

In keeping with the history of the site, there is an old combine parked on a hill 250 yards from the golf shack.    "You see that combine out there?  We have a $50 reward for anyone that can put the ball into the hopper in one swing."  The golf course offers low rates, rents golf equipment, and is a family friendly walkable course.

$50 if you can get your ball into the hopper in one shot

Shipley is equally proud of the Blue Trail RV Park and Camping site.  "Our trailer units are along a band of river, in an L shaped piece, where we have 90 sites."  This area is for annual rentals.  "The other side of the road is for overnight camping."  Group camping is also available on that side of the property.

People who stay at the site appreciate that they have their own river frontage and two swimming holes.  "Our campers have a beach area, and I have a deal with a buddy up the river five or six miles to put in rafts, canoes or kayaks, whatever they want to use to come down the river, and then they can come out on the beach here."  There is no other publicly available river access along the Waterton River in the area.

Both the camping and golfing areas are quite and peaceful, with large trees in a sheltered area.  The campsite is also a favorite spot fot nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, rock collectors, and fishermen.

"Our fishermen here have first dibs on everything,"  laughed Shipley.  "The University of Quebec did a fish study last year, and they said 'The size of the brown trout is unbelievable'." Varieties include brown and rainbow trout all year, and Rocky Mountain Whitefish in the fall.

Overnight and Group camping on the other side of the bridge

Shipley sees his pastoral golf site and camping area as a hub for golfers, families and adventurers alike.  It's an equdistant from Cardston, Fort MacLeod, Pincher Creek, just a little further than that to Waterton, and within an easy driving distance to the Crowsnest Pass.

For more information visit the Blue Trail website at www.bluetrailrv.com