A once and future giant golf ball could be temporarily repurposed as a Welcome to Peachland sign.
Members of the town’s tourism and economic development committee would like to use the distinctive Highway 97 roadside attraction as a high-profile marketing tool.
Other roadside signage promoting Peachland’s shops, services, and attractions are thought to be either lacking in appeal or out-of-date.
A 25-foot-tall structure in the shape of white golf ball perched on a black tee was placed near the corner of Highway 97 and Ponderosa Drive in the mid-1970s to promote a golf course that had then recently opened on nearby Pincushion Mountain.
The course closed as part of an ill-fated comprehensive redesign, which attracted the sponsorship of golf legend Greg Norman, who flew in one day on a helicopter to promote the ambitious project.
Although land was cleared for new fairways, the project foundered and the proposed new course never opened.
In 2018, the town, perhaps recognizing that an eye-catching symbol of a failed project was perhaps not the greatest image for Peachland, commissioned artist Dean Lauze to repaint the golf ball a peachy yellow-and-orange colour, and add some green leaves.
But signage was never installed, despite the site being wired for electricity and the availability of a large frame that could hold two message boards. The structure is still owned by the company that is building some housing units near the failed golf course project.
“There is an agreement (between the town and the developer) that it will return to a golf ball when the time comes,” says Cheryl Wiebe, Peachland’s director of community services.
“The committee is looking to potentially work with the owners to get the sign portion, below the peach, improved,” Wiebe said. “It’s very speculative and fluid as to what that might be — a Welcome to Peachland sign, wayfinding, etc.”
Whatever marketing use might be made of Peachland’s peach sign, sticklers for accuracy on waymarking.com have noted the tee and ball are out of proportion to one another.
Based on the height of the tee, the golf ball should be about three times bigger than it is.
Maybe Fore!