In the Ile-a-la Crosse area of Saskatchewan, hundreds of people enjoy the sport of golf, unfortunately the nearest course is approximately 90 minutes away in Meadow Lake.

A group of northwest Saskatchewan area First Nations has signed a memorandum of understanding to further investigate the construction of an 18-hole golf course just south of Ile-a-la Crosse on Highway 155

In August, the Sakitawak Development Corporation, alongside four First Nations including Kineepik Metis Local #9, Canoe Lake Cree First Nation, Buffalo River Dene Nation, and English River First Nation.

Graham Cooke has been hired to develop and design the 18-hole course. Cooke is behind the design of Dakota Dunes Golf Links.

Tyler Morin, the Chief Executive Officer of the Sakitawak Development Corporation hopes that shovels are in the ground in May of 2024, and the ultimate goal of the three phase development is a casino, much like Dakota Dunes.

Morin spoke with Golf Saskatchewan following the announcement in Ile La Crosse.

The fall season of college golf is in full swing both in the United States and Canada.

Jace Carlisle of Estevan didn’t shoot his best scores this week at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational at the Northern Spy Golf Course in Townsend, Mass. on Sept. 10 and 11, but the senior did help the Post University Eagles win their first team win of the fall season. The TS&M Woodlawn member shot 78 in round one and improved to 72 during the second round. The Eagles were 4-under par for the event.

Next up for Carlisle and the Eagles is the SNHU Granite State Opener in Concord, N.H. on Sept. 18 and 19.

Coming off a third place finish a week ago to start his final fall season, Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy tied for 31^st at the Joe Feaganes MU Invitational at the Guyan Golf and Country Club on Sept. 10 to 12. Competing with Robert Morris University, Nagy fired rounds of 71, 72, and 72 for a 54-hole total of 215, two over par.

The Colonials placed 11^th as a team. Next up for Nagy and Robert Morris is the Virtues Intercollegiate in Nashport, Oh. on Sept. 25 and 26.

Caden Loeppky of Saskatoon was in action alongside his Waldorf Warriors teammates in Marion, Iowa for the Mount Mercy University Fall Invitational. Loeppky carded rounds of 83 and 85.

The team results were not published. Loeppky is scheduled to be in the field for Waldorf’s next event on Sept. 16 and 17 for the Buena Vista Invitational.

After winning his second collegiate tournament last week, Saskatoon’s Alex Swinnerton and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks battled a tough course in Canton, Oh. for the Malone-Glenmoor Fall invitational.

Swinnerton placed tied for 19^th at 7-over par 223 (75, 73, 75) on Sept. 10 and 11. He was the team’s lowest shooter at the event hosted by the Glenmoor Country Club. Teammate and fellow Waskesiu Golf Course player Guillermo Salazar of Calgary tied for 25^th place at 10-over par 226. Salazar carded rounds of 78 and back-to-back 74’s.

The team was ninth in the championship, the team travels to West Virginia on Sept. 18 for the 54-hole Dr. Wally Edgell Invitational.

In Bemidji, Minn. On Sept. 11 and 12 the Minot State University (MSU) Beavers were competing in the Tracy Lane Memorial. Chaplin’s Holly Knudsen helped the women’s team place fourth thanks to a 13^th place finish at the Bemidji Town and Country Club. She posted rounds of 83 and 81 to finish at 20-over par.

The men’s team didn’t fair as well placing 11^th at the event. Estevan’s Chase Gedak led the way for the Beavers going 78-75 and tying for 32^nd place.

MSU is in Hudson, Wis. on Sept. 18 and 19 for the CSP-MSU Fall Brawl at the Troy Burne Golf Club.

In Butte, Mont. Battleford product Colby Friedrich competed in his first event with the University of Providence Argos. He led the team placing 10^th at 224. The team was sixth.

Next up is the Argo Invitational in Great Falls, Mont. on Sept. 18 at the Meadowlark Country Club.

Nipawin product Cole Taylor made his collegiate debut competing as an individual alongside the Park University Gilbert Buccaneers. The Evergreen Golf Course staff member shot back-to-back rounds of 79 at the South Mountain Community College Invitational at the Aguila Golf Club in Laveen, Ariz.

The Bucs will be in Sunrise, Ariz. on Sept. 25 for the OUAZ Invitational for their next event. Nipawin’s Nick Kitchen is also attending Park.

Also making their collegiate debuts were Saskatoon’s Chase Pochylko and Tommy Danielson for the Nicholls State University. Competing at the Argent Financial Classic in Choudrant, La. from Sept. 10 to 12 Pochylko shot 77, 74, and 78, at 13-over par 229 he was tied for 81^st, Danielson shot 80, 86, and 78, he was 93^rd.

The Nicholls team was 16^th. They are Jackson, Tenn. for the Grover Page Classic on Sept. 18 for their next event.

North of the border, Symone Ripley, Hunter Kutcher, and Max Regier were in Kelowna for the Battle at the Bear competing for the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat (UBCO).

Ripley shot 87 in round one and 85 on day two to finish at 26-over par, the Saskatoon product was 18^th. The women’s Heat team ran away with the team competition winning by 23 strokes over the University of Victoria.

On the men’s side both Kutcher and Regier tied for 19^th at 9-over par. Regina’s Kutcher shot 77 and 76 at the Kelowna Golf Club on Sept. 11 and 12. Regier, making his college debut fired a 76 on day one and 77 during the second round.

Josh Guthrie of Prince Albert was also in the field competing for the University of Alberta, he shot 76 and 74 at the event, he was tied for 11^th.

The men’s UCBO #1 team consisting of the Saskatoon duo was third, Guthrie and his teammates from Edmonton were sixth.

The Saint Martin’s Invitational in Lacey, Wash. Is next for the Heat on Sept. 22.

A large number of events featuring other Saskatchewan student-athletes will start on Sept. 18.

Golf Saskatchewan is returning to Nipawin’s Evergreen Golf Course next July for a provincial championship event.

The 2024 Senior and Men’s Mid-Masters (40+) will be hosted by the club from July 23 to 25 next year. Golf Saskatchewan last hosted an event in Nipawin in 2019 when the Saskatchewan Junior Championships were hosted by Evergreen. General Manager Derek Tallon said hosting a championship is always exciting for the club.

“Having the opportunity to host a Golf Saskatchewan provincial championship is an honour that not many facilities get,” Tallon stated. “It is a chance for us to showcase the high quality golf course we have. Our course management team, staff, and members put a lot of effort into providing a first class golf experience and this is a way to share with guests from across Saskatchewan.”

The Senior Women’s Championships were held at the Evergreen in 1995, the events were separate then. The Senior Men’s Championships have never been hosted in Nipawin. The course was the venue for the 2023 Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship which produced rave reviews from all players and attendees. Kevin Duchscherer is the president of both the Evergreen and Golf Saskatchewan. He is also a senior competitor that plays in the event every year. He said hosting the championships next July is invigorating.

“The members of the Nipawin Evergreen Golf Course are very excited to host these Championships in 2024. We are confident our course will be a challenging test for Saskatchewan’s golfers playing in both the senior championships and the men’s over 40 category,” Duchscherer said.

Golf Saskatchewan is finalizing the schedule for 2024 now and will have more announcements in the following weeks.

Registration for all the championships in 2024 will open on the first official day of the golf season, April 15.

The Canadian Senior Men’s Championship concluded in Pemberton, B.C. Friday with Swift Current’s Brent Wotypka being the top local finishing in 40th position.

The Elmwood Golf Club member started the event hosted by the Big Sky Golf and Country Club from Sept. 1 to 4 with a 77 on day one, Wotypka carded a solid 73 on day two to make the cut. He went on to post a 75 during the third round and an 81 to cap the event on Friday. Wotypka finished at 18-over par, 306 for the championship to lead the local contingent. His stellar performance left him in seventh in the super-senior (65+) division as well.

Saskatchewan senior champion Rick Hallberg tied for 59th at 25-over par, 313. The Golf Kenosee player posted rounds of 75, 79, 79, and 80.

Delisle’s Colin Coben and Marty Ring of Prince Albert both made the cut and played all 72 holes as well. Coben was 64th at 27-over par, 315 (74, 76, 79, 86) while Ring bookended his four rounds with 80’s, the Cooke Municipal Golf Course member shot par (72) during round two, he carded an 87 during round three, he placed tied for 67th.

Four other Saskatchewan players made the trip to Pemberton for the championships.

Cliff Selander of Prince Albert shot rounds of 80 and 81, Trent Kachur of Christopher Lake and another Cooke member shot 80 and 84, Brad Phelps of Saskatoon shot 82 and 88, Nipawin golfer Dave Christiansen carded an 84 and 88.

Team Saskatchewan (Hallberg, Phelps, Selander) was eighth in the 36-hole inter-provincial competition that concluded last Tuesday.

That concluded the national championship schedule for amateur events in 2023.

The 2023 Autumn college season has started in the United States and Saskatoon’s Alex Swinnerton has found the top of the podium to start his sophomore season.

Swinnerton won an event in April for his first collegiate win with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), now the Riverside Country Club member has another victory on his resume. Opening the season at the Glade Springs Kickoff in Charleston, West Virginia on Sept. 5 – 6. Swinnerton found himself on top the leaderboard after 36 holes on day one with back-to-back rounds of 68 before cruising to the win with a 75 in round three to claim the win.

The victory earned Swinnerton his fourth PSAC men’s golfer of the week award.

Guillermo Salazar, a Calgary product who played junior golf at Waskesiu with Swinnerton also competes for IUP, he posted rounds of 75, 80, and 84.

The Crimson Hawks were second overall as a team. Next up for Swinnerton and Salazar is the Malone-Glenmoor Invitational this weekend in Canton, Ohio.

Josh Nagy of Saskatoon has began his final fall season with Robert Morris University. The reigning Saskatchewan Amateur champion tied for third at the Colonial Shootout in Richmond, Kentucky on Aug. 30 – Sept. 1. Nagy carded rounds of 71, 68, and 68 to finish at 207.

The Colonials were eighth as a team. RMU travels to Barboursville, West Virginia this weekend for the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational.

Chase Gedak of Estevan made a solid first impression on his new teammates south of the border. After transferring from University of Arkansas at Monticello to Minot State University this summer, the Beavers were in Minnesota State, Mankato for the Maverick Invitational on Aug. 28 – 29. The Golf Kenosee member carded rounds of 78 and 67, good enough to finish eighth overall in the tournament and help the Beavers claim third in the team battle. Gedak’s 67 is the second lowest round in MSU Div. II golf history.

Chaplin’s Holly Knudsen placed 12th overall for the women Beavers’ squad thanks to back-to-back rounds of 83 at the Maverick Invitational.

The lady Beavers team was also third. Next up for Gedak and Knudsen is the Bemidji State Men’s Fall Invitational starting Monday.

Results from the events are not available due to a web issue with Spikemark.

Many other players will begin the season this weekend including Saskatoon’s Tommy Danielson and Chase Pochylko. The duo will compete for Div. 1 Nicholls State University for the first time after committing in the summer.

Golf Saskatchewan spoke with the two freshman this week ahead of their debuts that Danielson had to wait for the news on.

To follow along with all the Saskatchewan student athletes click here.

The City of Saskatoon’s Holiday Park Golf Course is now hosting Golf Saskatchewan’s second SoloRider golf cart.

The cart is used for people living with disabilities that allows them full access on a golf course as well as being stood up either left or right handed enabling a golf swing. Golf Saskatchewan has had a SoloRider cart at Silverwood Golf Course since 2014 and delivered another cart to Holiday Park on Sept. 1. Saskatoon Recreation Services Manager Roxanne Melnyk said adding another cart to the city’s golf courses is an important initiative.

“We’re really excited to partner with Golf Saskatchewan and to have them allow us to bring the SoloRider to Holiday Park Golf Course,” Melnyk said.

According to the City of Saskatoon the SoloRider at the par-3 Silverwood course is used once a week during the season. Melnyk said adding a cart to the fleet at the city’s flagship championship course that has 27 holes to play will hopefully get more people out playing.

“It’s used on a regular basis over there, so we’re really excited to increase accessibility to people in the Saskatoon area,” Melnyk said.

Golf Saskatchewan purchased the carts with grant assistance from Para Athletics and Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association. The amateur golf association also has a third cart that could potentially end up being housed at Wildwood Golf Course in Saskatoon. Melnyk said anything the city can do to make physical activity more accessible is key for Saskatoon.

“Our goal is to ensure we have facilities that are accessible to everybody and to be able to provide recreation to everybody in the city of Saskatoon and this is just another amenity that we are able to now provide,” she added.

The trio of SoloRiders in Golf Saskatchewan’s fleet have travelled around the province. Royal Regina Golf Club had one for several years, most recently a cart was in North Battleford that allowed a few locals to get back into the game according to Golf Saskatchewan Executive Director Brian Lee.

“Even if they want to go out and tag along with their friends, they can now do that. If they want to play one hole, 18 holes, or they want to start competition again, this unit definitely allows someone to come back and experience the game in a positive light,” Lee said.

The carts are available at the golf courses for anyone needing mobility assistance to play, there is no charge to use the cart.

Golf Saskatchewan hopes to increase their fleet in years to come and have as many as 10 across Saskatchewan if the need is there. Lee wished the carts weren’t needed for anyone, but unfortunately accidents occur, and health cycles will continue, but he added if one person is able to use the cart at any facility to play one more round, it’s a moment that may live on for many years.

“We just want to have them available, especially to now the citizens of Saskatoon, so that they can come out and enjoy this great game. We call this the greatest social game ever created and I think everyone if they are able, or want to come out and play,” Lee concluded.

The Canadian Senior Women’s Championship concluded Friday prior to Labour Day in Woodstock, PEI with Kathy Ziglo leading the local contigent.

The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member placed 14th at the championship hosted by the Mill River Golf Course from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Ziglo carded rounds of 80 and 83 to easily make the cut in the 54-hole event. She posted a final round score of 80 to finish at 27-over par.

Pauline McDougall of Prince Albert finished in 60th place in her first national event posting rounds of 85, 94, and 89 for a three-round total of 52-over par 268.

Also making the cut and playing all three days was Robin Acton of Lloydminster. The Saskatchewan Mae Balmos (60+) winner shot rounds of 88, 91, and 94 to leave her in a tie for 65th at 57-over par 273.

The trio made up Team Saskatchewan that competed in the 36-hole inter-provincial competition. The team placed seventh.

Jo-Anne Schiller of Lloydminster, Saskatoon’s Maureen Bowerman, and Bev Bellerose of Regina were also out in Prince Edward Island competing. Schiller shot 95 and 97, Bowerman carded rounds of 99 and 97, Bellerose posted a 102 and 99.

Mary-Ann Hayward won the event at 11-over par.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) made its final stop in Saskatchewan for the season on the weekend at the Legends Golf Club in Warman.

Olivia Johnson of Calgary was the winner of the girls under-15 division with a two day score of 151 (73, 78), one shot lower than Regina’s Tayla Perry who shot 70 on day one and 82 during the second round on Sunday. Grace Odnokon of Saskatoon was third at 160 (84, 76).

In the 15 to 19 girls division it was Annelie Rafferty taking the victory with a 36-hole score of 161 thanks to rounds of 80 and 81. Sarah Henderson of Saskatoon was second at 167, Niya Friesen of Swift Current rounded out the top three with a score of 173.

The overall winner on the boy’s side was Brandon golfer Zostrianos Giordani-Gross. The 17-year-old shot impressive rounds of 67 and 66 at the Legends on route to the win by 11 shots.

Coming in second was Drayjon Sparvier of the Ochapawace First Nation with a two-day score of 144. Winston Grayson of Kipling was third at 148.

In the juvenile boys category Brayden Skene (above) was the champion. The 16-year-old Martensville product shot 70 in the first round and 72 on the second day to win the under-17 division by three shots over a trio of players.

Ryan Mosher, Dade Bernatchez, and Ryan Badger all tied for second at 145.

In the bantam age group Saskatoon’s Aricin Franklin won again. The Riverside Country Club member has won every MJT event he’s entered this year. The 14-year-old shot 69 on day one and 72 on day two to claim the title by seven strokes over Shae Maunula of North Battleford.

Estevan’s Jayden Chernoff was third at 149, just a stroke behind Maunula for second.

The under-13 age group was won by 10-year-old Jun Lee of Regina. Lee carded rounds of 70 and 75 to edge Austin Nesbitt by just two shots.

Tylan Wallin of Humboldt was third.

The complete results can be seen here.

The MJT National Championship will be held in Litchfield Park, AZ. from Nov. 9 – 12.

Moose Jaw Hillcrest Golf Club members Lorie Boyle and Chris Knoop are the 2023 Saskatchewan Mixed Team champions.

The duo edged Alex and Wayne Schmidt Sunday afternoon in a playoff to claim the championship, a staple on the Golf Saskatchewan event calendar.

The team of Boyle and Knoop were the first day leaders of the alternate-shot format event that took place on Aug. 24 and 25 in the “friendly city,” but the daughter-father pair of Schmidt’s fought back to force the playoff. Boyle sunk a par putt to secure the win on hole 18 at Hillcrest in the playoff.

Claiming third was Lethbridge golfers Lisa Reid and Brett Sheridan.

To see the complete results of the event click here.

Kim Brown has now won the Ladies Lobstick six times after a thrilling match between her and fellow Saskatoon Golf and Country Club combatant Kathy Ziglo on Friday.

Each chasing their sixth win in the historic event at Waskesiu Golf Course, Brown and Ziglo were neck and neck through the final match play round, but a par on the final hole was enough to give Brown the 1-up win and switch the fate of the 2022 final that saw Ziglo win the tournament.

Brown spoke to Golf Saskatchewan following the awards ceremony.

To see all the results of the Lobstick click here.