COLUMN: Viewpoint – Memories of the golf course

The re-opening of golf courses this month got me thinking about the Steinbach Fly-In and the important role it’s played in our family’s life.

My husband took up golfing after landing a summer job on the maintenance crew of a Winnipeg course during his university years. Just two days after our wedding, he was assigned to cut the greens at 5 a.m. I rode along on the mower with him. Very romantic! One of the perks of his job was free golf rounds. He bought a second-hand set of clubs and using abandoned balls he’d find on the course, started playing the game. He quickly learned to love it almost as much as he loved me.

So when we moved to Steinbach, several years later, he immediately purchased a membership at the Fly-In. When our sons were born, one of his first acts of fatherhood was to buy them each a membership too.

I was a more reluctant recruit to the game. My husband provided plenty of well-intentioned tips when I first gave golf a try. I wasn’t always open to his advice since my reasons for golfing were slightly different than his. I was there primarily to enjoy nature, spend time with others and get exercise while he was more concerned about the arc of my swing and my attention to course etiquette.

However an invitation from a friend to be her partner in the Steinbach Fly-In Ladies’ League changed things. I found out that many of my female course companions had the same golf goals I did. The women were so encouraging, helpful and affirming. The league also provided a great social outlet for me. I began appreciating golf in a whole new way.

We started taking our sons out on the Fly-In course when they were quite small. We lived, for a time, just off the eighth green. We’d often visit the course for a few holes, later in the evening when it wasn’t very busy, so a toddler running around on the fairway wouldn’t bother other golfers. One night our little guy ambled off the fairway into the creek. My husband quickly pulled out a mud-covered kid we hardly recognized. Experiences like that didn’t deter our sons from golfing, however. Both our children maintain an affection for the game to this day.

Another thing I appreciated about the Fly-In was that our boys were hired for summer jobs on the maintenance crew at the course during their high school and university days. Rob Fast, the head greenskeeper, was a friendly and fair boss who I credit with helping teach my kids, plus a whole raft of other young people he’s employed over the years, the important virtues of punctuality, responsibility and hard work.

When my husband Dave served on the board of directors of the Steinbach Fly-In, including a number of years as club president, I gained a new understanding for just how many volunteer hours went into making sure the course stayed in good condition, suitable employees were hired, the venture remained financially afloat, and there were solid plans for the club’s future. A successful course required community effort!

Even though we’ve lived in Winnipeg for the past 15 years, my husband still golfs almost weekly at the Fly-In every summer, with a loyal group of his Steinbach friends. That speaks to the important role the course continues to play in our lives.

The Fly-In Golf Course has provided many benefits for our family and I am sure for many other Steinbach area families as well. I wish them a successful 2026 year of operation!