Golf Kenosee was established in the mid 1980s when 135 stakeholders put up a total of 1.35 million dollars to take over the golf course in Moose Mountain Provincial Park. Since that time, a number of renovations have taken place driven by volunteers in an attempt to ensure that Golf Kenosee remained the quality course that it is.
During the days when Kenosee Lake was a popular attraction for tourists as a result of a nice swimming area and pike and pickerel fishing, the course was fully booked with golfers daily. When the lake level dropped, having an impact on the fishing and swimming, the golf course too began to struggle. New courses being developed in the area increased the competition faced by the course. It was at that time, the board of directors of Golf Kenosee faced the reality that the course was struggling.
In 2002, the board of directors held a Special General Meeting of Shareholders to discuss the options. Rather than sit back and watch the course continually degrade, the directors decided that something must be done. Many options were discussed ranging from the expensive option of renovating and modernizing the entire golf course to the least expensive option of rebuilding the greens.
The decision was made to go ahead with a full course redesign and renovation that would take place over five years. Funding for the renovations came by way of shareholder's loans that would be paid back as a result of the expected increased cash flow that the newly renovated course would generate.
In the summer of 2002, a construction committee consisting of Ed Smith, Joe Weatherald, Howard Baker, Lenn Dovell and the late Carl Brady was established with Kenner Lees chairing the group. The group wasted no time breaking two brand new holes that summer. The work meant a reliance on volunteer hours to produce the best possible course at the lowest cost.
The work included tree and stump removal, landscaping and shaping, irrigation piping and wiring, green site development and drainage construction. Sand, pea gravel, peat moss and top soil was required, as well as earth-moving equipment and trucks.
In September of 2002, the 18th green was reduced to only a memory and the renovation was underway. Work continued through the fall in an attempt to prepare the greens and fairways for the following spring.
The work continued over the following years with work always beginning mid-September, after the last tournament of the season. The goal was to finish the renovations in a timely fashion while causing the least disruption to the course's members. The committee had promised shareholders and season-ticket holders that they would not have to play any temporary holes during the renovation.
The Construction Committee faced the task of ensuring that the course renovation was challenging enough for the serious golfer, at the same time remaining playable for the average tourist or those just starting out. To ensure this was the case, the committee incorporated four sets of tees into the course design as well as a combination set of tees.
The overall haul of the golf course included upgrading the on-course bathroom facilities and the addition of a new washroom and rain shelter on both the front and back nines. The location of these buildings means that golfers are never more than two or three holes away from a shelter.
Renovations to the course came close to a million dollars in cash expenditures. However, the actual cash value including donated labour, equipment and materials was close to two million dollars. The committee did not stop on the golf course. Once golf course renovations were completed, the committee constructed a large storage building for equipment and a large heated workshop in which the Superintendent and his assistant can maintain the turfgrass equipment and the course's fleet of golf course.
Additionally, Club 19 has undergone a total kitchen renovation complete with the addition of a handicapped-accessible bathroom on the dining room level. Last winter, Club 19 was renovated with new flooring and chairs in addition to the rebuilding of the deck.
On the Pro Shop level, the renovations continued with renovations to the washrooms and a complete overhaul of the rental suite in order to upgrade the space for tenants. Additionally, redesigning the storage areas has provided new office space and the creation of a boardroom which is available for meetings at no charge if they are accompanied by a golf-related event.
One of the most recent additions has been the addition of an AED (automated external defibrillator). AEDs are increasingly being put in public places in an attempt to provide that extra lifesaving measure for the public. Twelve staff members have been trained on the defibrillator.
The continued renovations of the course has meant that Golf Kenosee has been the host to Saskatchewan Golf Association tournaments. This has included the Mid Amateur and Ladies Provincial tournament and this August, will include the Provincial Mixed Tournament.
The Board is currently in negotiations with the government to secure a new 20-year lease over which time they plan to continually add to the quality of the course and its facilities.
