July 8 – Centennial Event.

We are extremely happy with the upcoming event tomorrow Saturday July 8. We have over 140 golfers teeing up at 9:00 am. in a scramble format.  We will be enjoying each others company and the Club will be offering special pricing throughout the day (hamburgers/hotdogs $3.00 and beverages $3.00)  We will be celebrating some long time members and presenting a keepsake of appreciation at a windup/presentation at the Clubhouse hopefully around 2:30 p.m. For those of us that missed out on playing in the Scramble format you might like to drop by at 2:30 for the presentation, cost of wine and cheese, appetizers is only $15. Please contact the office to confirm. 

 

HLGC History Sidenotes
– Courtesy of Rod Morrice, Hans Lisowicz and Lethbridge Herald
Some interesting notes to pass on before our Centennial Celebration on July 8, 2017 

Sidenote 1
A nine hole municipal golf course with sand greens was completed in August of 1916. Seasonal memberships went on sale to city residents for five dollars with the payment to be made to the Treasurer at City Hall. From those members, a Committee was formed to help the City with managing the new course. Play on the new course continued on that fall and because of the extremely warm winter some golfers played on New Years day 1917.The R.C.M.P. boat house on the west side of Henderson Lake served as a clubhouse for the infant club.

The formal organization of the Lethbridge Municipal Golf Club took place at a meeting held on March 27, 1917 at the Chinook Club. Annual dues for the nine hole 2650 yard course were set at $5 and green fees at 25 cents. Full support was given by the City Commissioners as they felt the course would be another attraction to Henderson Park and prove a big benefit to the residents of the City in general. The first Annual General Meeting of the Lethbridge Golf Club was held on October 29, 1917. The Club had 89 members and in their first year of operation they felt that had a very successful season ending with a profit of $75.

Sidenote 2
The following Officers were elected for the 1917 season of the Lethbridge Golf Club: Honarary Presidents, W.A. Buchanan  M.P., Major W.D.L. Hardie, President S.J. Shepherd, Vice President. W.A. Parker, Sec. Treasurer James Dawson, Executive Committee: W.V. Poapst, David Hume, and D.A. Duff, Ladies Committee: Mrs. Shepard, Mrs. Buchanan and Mrs. Richie.
Right from the start the Executive Committee felt that golf was an honorable game and that members should adhere to the rules of the game. Interestingly enough it was admitted that the frustrations of the game could lead to profanity but the game could still teach self control and honor.  A score card was created that contained rules and information concerning handicap. The first tournament was organized and held on July 2, 1917 and Dr. William Craig (a City dentist) won the Ewert Cup as the Club’s first mens’ champion.

Sidenote 3
The Lethbridge Herald – Wednesday May 8, 1919

Lethbridge Is Now On The Golf Map Of Canada

Harold Addison McKillop, vice-president of the Golf Club at Henderson Lake, got a hole in one while playing on the Wednesday half-day holiday with his partner W.J. Nelson on the ninth hole. Harold stated that he felt a strange twinge in his left side after he played his shot but thought it was a passing flash of his darn rheumatism. He said he was just naturally ashamed to go and look in the hole although he saw a track in the sand running across the green and ending abruptly at the lip of the cup.

Besides the immortality of golfdom, Harold received a season’s membership, the best golf club at Consumers Hardware, a dozen golf balls presented by the maker of the golf ball used, which by the way was a “Plus Colonel No. 1”, a year’s subscription to the “Canadian Golfer” as well as Canada wide publicity.

 

 

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