Why golfers have been teeing up at Saskatoon's Holiday Park for 60 years
Holiday Park Golf Course turned 60 years old on Monday morning, and just like the day it first opened when Mayor Sid Buckwold took the first swing, Mayor Charlie Clark was on hand to tee off with a couple of shots.
“I made a lot better contact on my first one, although it was a pretty deadly slice,” laughed Clark.
“The second one I just topped it so I wasn’t too proud of that, it makes you want to get back and try and get it straight up the fairway but that's why people play golf.”
Director of recreation and community development with the City of Saskatoon Andrew Roberts says in the early 1980’s Holiday Park was the busiest course in the country, nearing 90,000 rounds a year, and frequently saw people lining up at all hours of the night to book a spot.
“I do remember individuals lining up at like four in the morning to get a tee time,” said Roberts.
Now, he says, the course will see about 60,000 rounds a year, with other courses in the area lightening the load.
“A lot of golf courses would be envious of those numbers,” he said.
At least 120 of those rounds are played by longtime member Dianne Bethune.
“My husband introduced me to the game and this is the course that he played as a child because, he grew up around here,” she said.
“He loves his course so much that I came out and joined him and started playing golf myself, and I've loved it ever since.”
Bethune says she’s a four handicap with eight hole-in-ones at the course.
“I've had two on number two, one on number five, two on number 13, and one on number 16,” she said.
No brag, just fact.
One of the reasons she keeps coming back to Holiday Park is the aesthetic.
“I think it's one of the nicest courses there is in town,” she said.
“It's just like a wonderful place to just spend your time and enjoy it with your friends.”
Greenskeeper Marc Robert is one the people charged with keeping the course looking fresh after 60 years.
His day starts at 5:30 a.m.
“A lot of people would think we have a lot of staff, we have 10, 11 staff right now,” he said.
(Pat McKay/CTV News)
“We start on greens, tees, fairways, rough and we just go out every day, cut that, and then we start the small stuff after that.”
Roberts says the biggest reason for the course's continued popularity is the city’s investments.
“We did a big project back in 2016, about $2 million, so we've committed to continually to improve the facility make it better and make it more modern and more enjoyable for our patrons, but still keeping it as affordable as we can in the market.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.