Golf is a hobby for many in the Battlefords and area, but for one man, golf is a passion.
For years Frank Fowler has worked and taught lessons at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club, but before that, he was a professional golfer, playing on courses across the province, country and world.
At the end of July, Fowler learned he would be inducted into the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame.
For this inaugural year, Fowler will join 18 other individuals at the Willows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon Sept. 18 for the induction banquet and golf tournament.
"It is terrific," said Fowler of his induction. "I am honoured and grateful," he added about the somewhat surprising nomination he received from his friends in the Battlefords, who were inspired to submit his name.
Neil Lampitt, who Fowler considers a long time friend since moving to the Battlefords in the late 1970s, took it upon himself to submit Fowler's nomination and explained how Fowler is extremely qualified to be in the 2010 class of inductees.
"He is a great golfer and great friend," said Lampitt. "Frank is very deserving of the nomination and induction."
Fowler was introduced to golf at a young age, as he was a "gofor" on his father's greens crew at Mayfair Country Club at eight years old. There he cut grass, hauled clippings, taxied labourers, was on gopher patrol, eventually ran the mowers and, most of all, honed his golf skills.
At 17, Fowler started gathering prestigious golf trophies. He won the Edmonton Junior Golf Championship, and the next year won the Highlands Junior Championship.
From 1952 to '54, he finished first, second and first respectively at the Edmonton Amateur Championship.
The next golf season, Fowler became a golf professional after taking a job at the Richmond Hill Golf Club in Grand Prairie, Alta.
The next year, Fowler made the move to the Red Deer Golf and Country Club and two years later he was named the head pro at the Canyon Meadow Golf Club in Calgary.
During his 15-year tenure in Calgary, Fowler took his competitive golf to a new level.
In 1975, Fowler joined the Canadian Tour and for 12 years he play on the Canadian Tour and other professional events across the country.
Fowler finished in the top five nine times in the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Opens in a 10-year span.
In 1966, Fowler finished second to the legendary Moe Norman in the Canadian PGA Championship.
Following that impressive finish, Fowler was invited to play with George Knudson at the World Golf Championship in Tokyo, Japan.
At the World Gold Championship he shared the course with the American duo of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.
"The World Cup was the biggest thing in my golf career - you don't get that chance to represent your country very often," said Fowler.
Fowler later went on to win the Alberta PGA Pro Am Championship twice.
He won the Canadian Seniors PGA Championship while he was the club pro at North Battleford Golf and Country Club.
"I felt quite proud about - bring it back to the little town of North Battleford," said Fowler, who also finished third in 1983 at the Canadian Seniors PGA Championship.
He is a winner of the Alberta Seniors' PGA Championship twice, the second time in 2001 at 69.
In Saskatchewan, Fowler won the Senior Championship four straight years beginning in 1994.
His golf accomplishments have helped Fowler earn a spot in North Battleford Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 as well as honorary lifetime memberships in both the Alberta and Saskatchewan PGAs and he is one of only two recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alberta PGA.
His credentials speak for themselves, but Fowler is proud to be going into the Hall of Fame with other prominent and well deserving players and builders of golf in Saskatchewan.
"It really puts you on a high pedestal I think," said Fowler. "To be inducted in with some of the people there is a great honour."
The list of inaugural inductees includes: players Gayle Borthwick, Barbara Danaher, Margaret Elliott, Pat Fletcher, who at one time Fowler caddied7for, Joanne Goulet, Nancy Harvey, Wilf Homenuik, Phillip Lederhouse, Robert Reid, Tom Ross, Jim Scissons, Geri Street, player/builder Keith Rever and builders Bill Taylor, Peter Semko, Jack Leddy, Alex Kozakovich and Hubert Cooke.
Fowler continues to golf and teach lessons and has been a great influence to the current director of Golf at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club Dana Johnson.
"It is a great honour to have a chance to have worked under and now with him," said Johnson. "This is something that is long over due for Frank and the other individuals."
