Our History
Skeleton Lake Golf & Country Club
One of North Eastern Alberta's most challenging 9 hole golf courses is just a 3 wood from the
South/East shore of Skeleton Lake. Nestled among the majestic Spruce and towering poplar trees
lies the beautifully manicured Skeleton Lake Golf & Country Club.
The club is celebrating it's 42 year birthday in 2010 and is considered one of the premium 9 hole
grass green tracks in North Eastern Alberta. The course is 6.5 km East of Boyle and just 2 km
North of highway # 63.
Skeleton Lake is the Cree word for Cheply Sakhahigan which means "place of Skeletons". Legend has
it that a Cree indian chief is burried at the entrance of the golf course parking lot and Old Timers
Drive.
The original golf club was first known as the Boyle & District Old Timers Association which was formed
on April 26th, 1960 by Sidney S. Alexander, Fred E Olson, James McNamara, John S. Lund, Percey.
Gordinly, Ed Samersky, Randolf Lindstrom and Henry Whidden.
This association (BOTA) was started thinking of erecting a 9 hole golf course in the mid 60's and work
on the course which had previously been a mink farm owned by the Nordquist family.
The original course was open for play on June 12th,1972 using sand greens. Fairways had yet to be
seeded and that was started on April 1st, 1973. The course was basicly designed as to what you see
now with some minor changes. The first hole had the green just infront of the small creek. Holes 6 and 7
were also changed and reversed.
When play opened in 1972, the cost was $2.00 for 9 holes and $5.00 for as many as you wanted to
play. There was a metal pole near #1 T box with a small box where patrons placed their money on the
honor system.
Sand greens were in play until 1993 when the club made some major changes under Greg Reynolds
of Golf Course Design out of St. Albert. For instance hole #1 was lenghtened to it's present location.
Holes 6 and 7 were changed to their present location. The pond infront of # 2 was dug using a backhoe
from Nova Corporation and was completed in the fall of 1992.
All of the dirt and clay dug from the pond was used through out the course and used in the mounding
on every green on the course as it is today.
The first club house which is now a storage and cart shed just East of the present club house was built
in 1970 and the clubs first regular meeting was held there on May 22, 1972.
The present club house was built in 1986 and has gone through some renovating over the last 5 years.
Cec Tiedeman was the 1st club president in 1972 and the manager was Charlie Chiaro. Mr. Chairo
was paid the sum of $1000.00 per year, $200.00 at the end of each month for cutting the grass, collect
green and membership fees, looking after the clubhouse and virtually everything else to keep the
course clean and respectible.
The first executive was President Cec Tiedaman, Vice President Ken Lund , Sec. treasurer Walter .
Godichuk. The directors were Bernie Beaudry, Ross James, Sandy McMoran, Stanley Raaflaub, John
Alexander, Orest Urichuk, Floyd Hantiuk and Don Antonuik.
Here are some interesting facts about the golf course that will go down as some of the history on this
great golf club.
* There have been a number of names that the course has gone under starting with Boyle Oldtimers
Golf Club, Boyle Golf Club, Boyle Golf Course, and finally Skeleton Lake Golf & Country Club. The
reason for the change from Boyle Golf Club to Course was because some people thought you had to
belong to a club which was not the case and thus the change to course. Because of the Long Lake
Golf Club (Northern Ridge) it was decided to change Boyle Golf Club to Skeleton Lake Golf &
Country Club.This was done at an October 17th, 1991 meeting.
** Metal butler building which is currently used as a storage and work shed was built in 1972.
** The official opening of the course changing from sand to grass greens took place on June 29th, 1987
and was attended by many members that had looked forward to that day.
** First set of rental golf clubs (right & left) were purchased from Marshall Wells for a cost of $107.00
for both sets.
** First power carts were ownded by one of the directors, Wayne Witherspoon which were put into
use in 1991. Rental fee was $9.00 for 9 holes or $15.00 for 18.
** Current manager Larry Zayazierski was named manager on May 23rd, 1993 when there were 250
memberships.
** Interesting to note that in the early days the draft beer sales out sold canned/bottled beer by a
wide margin. Draft beer was dropped in 2008 due to lack of sales.
**Golf member ship in 1972 was 32 members. In 1975 it was 24 with 6 family, 4 husband and wife, 10
singles and 2 students.
**The membership price is 1974 was $40.00 per family, $25.00 for single, $20.00 for a junior and $30.00
for husband and wife.
** Golf fees went up in 1992 to $9.00 for 9 holes and $15.00 for 18 holes.
** Our first Visa machine was introduced in May 1990.
** Greens # 3 and 8 were originally going to be joined as one large green but when the course was
redone in 1993 but that idea had to be scrappped as the boy Scout property line was too close to
# 8 green and would not have left enough to work with.
** The annual Bryan Mudryk "Golf Classic Tournament" is now into it's 10th year at Skeleton Lake Golf
& Country Club and has raised just over $500,000.00 for cancer research. Each year Bryan and his
friends from TSN and professional sports take over the club every June for a day. June 11th, 2011 is
this years date. Bryan was a summer student worker at the course. His mother still resides in Boyle.
** The first Turkey Tournament was held on October 16th 1990 and usually signals the final weekend of
golf.
The above information was obtained by myself after looking at hundreds of pages of yearly minutes and
many conversations with old timers in the area. Many thanks to general manager Larry Zayezierski and
Robert Lund, a long time Skeleton Lake resident.
Larry Mitchell
Director
February 7th, 2011
Hole-In-One Golfers
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Lorraine Zayezierski Kenn Culbertson Red Whalen Roger Picard Grass greens opened Shari Culbertson Kim Schneider Wendel Pozniak Mike Mitchell Al Grant Fran Maguire Kevin Whitton Randy Hupka Shawn Maguire Roy Kip Vic Leno Ida Chamberlain Kurt Kalynchuk Peter Golanski Bill Matthew Fernando Custono Val Brooks Diane Nahoney Arnie Shawaga Jean Charrios Doug Elding Tom Meters Terry Kondratiuk Sylvia Lestus Glenna Rattray Jason Gordey Roger Picard Nicholas Cross Jason Gordey Lorraine Kellog Les Dornbush Tom Dunn Larry Irla Deb Clark Compiled by Larry Mitchell August 4, 2010 |
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