In Wolseley, the golf course isn’t just a place for sport, but also a place to have a good time with friends.

“Golf is sort of a supplementary activity to the social connection,” said Stephen Scriver, the town historian.

The course opened in April 1927, when they had about 50 people put up money to start a golf course.

Scrivers’ grandfather was the local newspaper writer at the time of the golf course’s founding. 

“To Prepare Golf Course; Club Organized,” reads a headline from the old Wolseley News.

The article reads, “A meeting of golf enthusiasts was held Thursday evening when it was decided to organize a club and lay out a course. It was decided, if possible, to use the athletic grounds.”

It features nine holes, hazards, and a beaver mascot.

Ever since the course opened, it has been running on an honour system, where people drop 10 dollars in a box outside the clubhouse, pick up their score card, and then play their round.

Despite their low course fees to generate income, they still have beautiful fairways and features on the course. The clubhouse, for example, is a large gathering space with historical golf displays and decorations inside.  

The course is one of about 60 sand green courses in Saskatchewan. A sand green course is good for a town like Wolseley, as it requires low maintenance, and very few people to manage the upkeep.

“There’s just a guy who mows the grass, and it’s left to its own devices,” said Scriver.

The staff and volunteers oil the sand greens about twice a year, this helps the sand pack down for smooth putting.

The mascot for the club’s logo, which is a beaver, came from a true story.

There was a beaver trying to cross from the lake to a creek after the bar had been closed for the night. It ran into a few guys and started hissing at them.

“He never knew he would be a mascot,” said Scriver.

At the corner of the course along the road is a big golf ball statue made by local artist Marty Happy. It is made out of concrete and includes the logo that Happy also designed. The statue serves to draw motorists’ attention to the course. 

Some of Happy’s other work can be seen around Wolseley, including the town’s entrance sign, hockey sticks at the Sportsplex doors, and the map sign at the tourist booth.

They have been making upgrades to the clubhouse, as it is very active in the summer and is used for gatherings. They have tournaments every year which bring in money, and they use this money to improve the course.

A big attraction there is glow golf night. The tournaments lift community spirit and give club members something to look forward to.

“It keeps me out of trouble,” said David Beck, a member at the course. He has been golfing there for about 16 years.

The golfers like having something to do in their small town of only 852 people. The nice thing about the sand greens and low upkeep is that people can golf any time of year if they want to.

“If it’s a brown christmas, there are people golfing,” said Scriver.