By Carson Ellis
In early April of 1923, it was reported that a group of local citizens were looking to organize a golf course. On Sat, June 17 of this year, the Stettler Golf and Country Club marked 100 years.
The ceremony marking the special anniversary started a little after three in the afternoon. Ed Ouellette, Marketing Coordinator for the golf course board, was the master of ceremonies for the event.
In his opening address, Ouellette noted that they had achieved the milestone thanks to the many members over the years and their dedication to the course, and by extension, to the sport in the community. He noted the dedication that has brought them to this day was especially important in the early days when members worked to clear the land and design the course.
“It is our privilege to maintain the traditions and work they established,” said Oullette.
The board decided to rebrand last season with a plan to kickstart a new century at the club with a new look.
Ouellette welcomed honourary members Ron and Elpha Senft. The Senfts have been a club staple for many years. A quilt that Elpha had made herself was even being offered by the club in a draw, as part of their fundraising efforts. Ron also thanked those over the last several months who have shared stories and contributed photos for the occasion.
Board president Mary Anne Awe spoke on how she had gotten involved in golf many years ago when her son talked about playing in school. Awe notes she bought a $90 set of clubs at Zellers shortly after and took golf classes with the high school, and has been playing ever since.
Club Manager Cathy Mailer, who has held the position for seven years, then addressed the guests. She noted that the club has gone through many changes over the years. She used the clubhouse as an example. She explained that the course had originally been across the street to the north before being moved onto its current location to make way for the construction of the hospital complex. Mailer said that the course has been fortunate over the years, in they have had an excellent staff, and that this year is no different.
Mailer explained that the board meets once a month to deal with course business. She also said they have been working on a variety of fundraisers to help update and improve the facility. Fundraising events have included volunteering at Casinos, night golf events and Turkey dinners.
Town of Stettler coun. Cheryl Barros represented the town in her congratulations to the Stettler Golf Course on reaching 100 years. She said that the excess was due to the staff, board, sponsors, and members.
After the short speeches from the different representatives, Ouellette spoke on the club’s talks with Golf Canada. According to Golf Canada, Stettler’s 100 years make it one of the few clubs in Canada to do so. He then thanked the volunteers who had worked to make the anniversary celebration come to life. He also noted that the staff had even pitched in to help organize the afternoon’s ceremony in addition to their regular duties.
Coun. Barros and president Awe then unveiled a plaque from Golf Canada commemorating the 100anniversary.
After the plaque was revealed, guests were able to enjoy a rib and fried chicken dinner for $10. Many of them purchased the tickets for the meal and shared stories of the golf course with friends and fellow golfers.
To mark the special event, the Stettler Golf and Country Club was also offering free green fees all day, in exchange for a donation to the Stettler Food Bank.
