The Windthorst Golf Course, now known as the Windthorst Country Club, was built in the mid-1920s by a group from Windthorst.
The golf course is laid out on land owned by the village, just east of the last street in Windthorst.
An early and remarkable development of the Windthorst Golf Course was the making of course hazards. Created were a series of elongated pyramid “hazards” made of sod laid something like brickwork, strategically placed close to the sand greens – some straight, some curved.
There were minor pyramids about a foot-and-a-half high, and if a player had the misfortune to have his ball come up against one of these hazards, he was in deep trouble.
The natural prairie grass supplied the cushion for the fairways. The bluffs, poplar, willow and buck brush were also the hazards.
The sand greens remained a problem. The oiling of the sand used was not commonly known in those years.
It’s been said that sometimes, when driving off the old rubber mats, mounds of sand were used as tees, and there were sand boxes handy at most teeing-off places.
The area doubled as a sportsground during the late 1930s, although it was relocated in the late 1950s west of the rink.
Since those days, a clubhouse has been built, and a new executive and organizing committees have actively participated in membership drives.
When the course was first started, some found golf not to be their cup of ‘tee,’ chasing a small ball around a pasture, but since then the average single memberships have reached 100, and family tickets are at 10.
“We run on an honour system, and due to COVID, our honour box was definitely up last year,” said Bernard Steele, president of the Windthorst Country Club. “Our attendance at the golf course was increased.”
One Windthorst resident commented that he sees a lot of golfers at the Windthorst course who are unknowns to the area, due maybe to golfers just passing through and trying out the course.
Skins games are held every Wednesday at the Windthorst course and the annual golf tournaments are extremely popular.
“The golf course hosted a Texas Scramble two years ago and hopes to hold the same again this year on the third Saturday in August and possibly turn it into an annual event,” explains Steele.
“The fairways are in good shape today because of the snow a few weeks ago,” says Steele and adds “because they’re not watered fairways, we do rely on rain.”
“We plan to oil our greens soon so everything will be in good shape for the summer,” Steele says.
Steele goes on to say:
“One of the main reasons a person should try the Windthorst Golf Course is that it’s economical for families. It’s a great price to golf the Windthorst course.”
“I personally think it’s a very beautiful course because of the established trees that line the fairways.”
“One of my favorite holes is number 4 … to look from the green back at the tee off and in evenings the shadows from the trees stretch across the fairway. That makes such a picturesque view.”
Windthorst Golf course is great for any skill of level golfer as they are not long holes. For families, it’s a great place to learn to golf as many students did way back when the school was in operation at Windthorst.
“There’s a group from Kenosee Lake who contacted me at the beginning of April asking if our course was open yet,” explains Steele “they couldn’t get on any other course at the time but wanted to get out and ‘warm up’ their golf swings.”
Windthorst doesn’t necessarily have a start date for their course. It’s more like when the snow has melted, it’s time to golf. Some have even been out there on Christmas Day but may have used a colored golf ball.
You could say Windthorst has an all-season golf course.
In the winter months, cross country skiers make their way around the course for outdoor exercise and some families take cover in the bush for a wiener roast. People walk the course all winter for exercise.
So whether the temperature is 13 or 30, try a round of golf at Windthorst.
