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Sturgeon Valley Golf Club marks 60 years of play

Renewed interest in golf despite pandemic, general manager says

Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club members celebrated 60 years on Sunday with a flower-powered day of golf, peace and love.

On Aug. 30, more than 100 members signed up for staggered tee-times to mark the occasion out on the green, most dressed in 60s themed attire.

It was a nice way for members to celebrate a course that's come a long way from when it was first established in 1960, said Mark Beckwith, general manager. 

"Our members are a huge part of the place and very important to us, and days like today certainly prove it," Beckwith said Sunday.

Located just 10 minutes outside downtown St. Albert, the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club was born after five entrepreneurs purchased 140 acres of farmland in Sturgeon County on March 2, 1960. The course dealt with hard times during its early years, including financial woes, repairs, flooding, and a tornado.

But the vision of the original founders and members persevered. The club made its last payment on the land in 1975, paving the way for Sturgeon Valley to forge ahead with the construction of the new golf course and clubhouse. 

Originally, the first nine holes were located across Sturgeon Road from where the current clubhouse stands, separating the green in two until a land swap brought the new 18-hole layout all together in 1981.

The club celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1985 and also introduced a new golf tournament called "Fighting Cancer from the Fairway" to raise funds for cancer research. In 2010, the club estimated it has raised over $100,000 in 24 years. 

The course continued to grow and improve on the existing course over the years.

In 2016, Sturgeon Valley underwent a $3.5-million facelift to its course and clubhouse to rebuild some of its ageing infrastructures, Beckwith recalled.

"The redevelopment of the golf course and upgrading the clubhouse was huge. That was a lot of work, but the course turned out really nice and the clubhouse was busy," Beckwith said. "That was certainly a milestone for me, to be involved in that committee."

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for the club with the cancellation all of their usual tournaments and events, but Beckwith said he’s seen a renewed interest for golf in recent months. 

"When we first opened we were really surprised. We had no idea how busy we were going to be and what golf was going to look like in general, and it's turned out to be a very busy summer," he said.

Rob Parrotta was just getting ready to head out on the green Sunday morning. He has been a member of Sturgeon Valley for the last 30 years. His dad, who has been a member since 1978, introduced him to the sport, he said.

"I've been a member since I was 10 years old, and it's almost like a second home to me," Parrotta said.

With six decades in the books, Beckwith said he's looking forward to more milestones to come at Sturgeon Valley. 

"Sixty years in the lifespan of a golf course is not a long time. I mean, there are golf courses that are 150 to 200 years old. And so we're just getting going," he said. 

"The golf course is always changing, and so there are still big projects ahead of us. The next 60 years will be just as exciting."

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