Saturday, June 9, Miniota Golf celebrated their 50th birthday – and there was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the clubhouse addition.
Miniota Golf Club President Barry Doole reflected on the celebration Saturday saying, “There was a good crowd, and we had a crazy evening for the auction – over $10 grand taken in.” There were 21 teams of four golfing the course, plus another 80 people enjoyed the supper. With the green fees and supper tickets added in, it was a profitable day as well as a fun occasion.
A hidden jewel, this par 65, small-town course has reached maturity with watered fairways and grass greens on a course lined with oak trees on the edge of a ravine near the Assiniboine valley.
The clubhouse addition, finished in 2017, means the kitchen is well equipped to serve meals and golfers can relax in a cool, clean dining area.
Inside the white event tent on June 9, a crowd of local people, plus golfers from home and abroad, dined on barbequed meat courtesy of Ross and Crystal Howard, with salads donated by the golf course campers.
Reeve for Prairie View Municipality Linda Clark, a long-time Miniota resident, congratulated the club, giving a history of the founding visionaries (on behalf of Susan Poppel who could not attend).
“I want to acknowledge the work of the first board… and also this present board for their foresight in taking the risk to add on to the Club House…continuing upgrades to this beautiful course.”
Clark pointed out that the course and associated campground facility (about 35 camping spots, many of them seasonal) has put Miniota on the map, making the little town on Hwy 83 a good place to live.
“Indeed this is a rural attraction for this area and brings many people to our community, which of course gives not only recreational pleasure, but an economic spin-off.”
“There’s been a lot of good volunteer help. It’s a nice course. This year it’s exceptionally good,” said Doole, crediting greens keepers Lee Reid and Braydon Bohrn.
Clark recounted the history behind Miniota Golf Course: At a meeting held in July 22, 1968, 25 people met to discuss the formation of a golf course. The original committee nominated was Chairman - Chris Webber, Vice Chair - Pat Dale, Secretary-treasurer - Ernie Preston.Board members were Larry Gilchrist, Bill Gilchrist, Bob Marten, Jack Hanlin, Lorrie Kendal and Russel Lelond.
Fourty people each donated $20, to be paid back at $5 per year deducted from their membership fee; 50 Acres of land was rented from Jack Hanlin for $300 per years until, in October 1968, the land was purchased by Miniota Community Centre for $1,500, and then leased it to the Golf Club.
More recently, for the expansion of the Golf Club grounds and camping area, Doole noted, “the Howard family has done a lot for the course.”
