Quarry Oaks to mark 25 years

Since the day the Links at Quarry Oaks opened on July 1, 1992, it has been considered one of the top golf courses in Manitoba. In fact, the 27-hole layout, just east of Steinbach, is often mentioned as one of the top public courses in western Canada.

And although the quality of the golf course and the golf experience has never been in question, the financial stability of the golf club has been on shaky ground at times over the past quarter century, partly because of its location, away from the city of Winnipeg.

Although certainly not remote by any stretch of the imagination, being only a 30-minute drive from the outskirts of Winnipeg, its rural setting has created some challenges, as it is considered a destination golf course.

Now into its third year under the ownership of Steinbach brothers Arthur and Harold Rempel, Quarry Oaks has again returned to financial stability with a renewed business plan that is already paying dividends. The Rempel brothers are also the owners of Pro Vista Agriculture and a number of other agriculture-based companies in the Southeast.

As far as stability is concerned, one needs to look no further than head professional Robin Henderson and greens superintendent Wilf Peters, who have been at Quarry Oaks since Day One.

Harold Rempel, an avid golfer himself, has played at Quarry Oaks for more than 20 years and says it wasn’t always in his plans to own a golf course.

“But about three years ago there was a recruitment to get some local people to help and I was approached about getting involved.”

Rempel told The Carillon his father had been one of a group of original investors, and that is how he became familiar with the course.

The golf course was purchased from an Ontario group of owners that was led by Dave MacDonald, who purchased Quarry Oaks from the original group of owners in 2003. On both occasions, the golf club was in financial difficulty prior to its changing hands. Today, there is renewed optimism by the new owners that some of the financial problems at Quarry Oaks are long behind them.

Both Rempel and Henderson speak of Harry Fehr’s vision of getting this golf course built, transformed from a gravel quarry. Designed by Les Furber, the vision, dream and “can do” for the project came from Fehr, who helped put together an original group of four investors, which included Paul Loewen, Ernie Penner, Ruben Fehr and Germaine Frechette. Additionally, more than 200 founding members’ shares were sold for $5.000 each.

The golf course was built at a cost of about $6 million, including the 7,000 square foot clubhouse, which was a significant investment at the time construction began in 1990.

Nine holes constructed in a gravel quarry, and another nine through a stand of oaks and open meadow, created stunning results as golfers flocked to Quarry Oaks from far and wide to play the impressive new layout.

A third nine was added in 1998, and Quarry Oaks remains today as only one of two courses in Manitoba with 27 holes. The other is the exclusive St Charles Country Club in Winnipeg.