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Retired golfer recalls sport with fondness

Vernie Hornquist has looked back on his golfing years ahead of Fernie Golf Club’s 100th anniversary.
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By Jennifer Cronin

Verne Hornquist arrived from Kimberley to Fernie with his family in 1945 at the age of 10.

When Verne was a young fellow, his parents became members of the Fernie Golf and Country Club, and he would watch them play. This motivated him to take up the sport around the age of 18.

Playing on greens made of sand, sawdust and old car oil was the norm. It was the way the game was played. After putting, the “green” would be swept with a homemade sweeper consisting of a pole with a vertical pipe attached to it.

A motion of sweeping side to side kept the sand from disappearing. A ladle was then used to scoop out the hole in which there would be placed a flagstick, approximately three feet in height, the bottom of which was weighted to stop it from falling out of the hole.

Verne recalls the greens being small, and how he got used to tending the greens during the game.

“We had to do it all the time,” he remembers.

Most of the tee areas had platforms with a rubber mat. There was a standard on which hung two buckets - the first full of water, the second filled with sand. “We used to get the ball wet, and then rub sand on it to get it clean,” he said.

“It was a beautiful clubhouse, and originally the home of Alex McDougall, the owner of the Fernie Lumber Company,” the foundation of which you can see as you walk down the 15th hole of the Fernie Golf Club.

“There were good times in that clubhouse,” Verne stated.

He recalled that there was no power in the clubhouse until East Kootenay Power gifted it to the golf club. Prior to that time, lanterns fueled with white gas produced the lighting.

Andy Traska, Verne recalls, was the first caretaker of the course.

“He would mow all the holes with one tractor,” he said.

As there was no water on the course, when the weather warmed up, usually in June, the course would dry out and mowing became unnecessary.

“When this happened, we would play a preferred lie,” Verne chuckled.

Water was put in around 1960 using old piping from the old Coal Creek mine. The local members got together to install the pipe.

“People from all walks of life helped out, even those wearing ties,” said Verne.

There were heavy hoses attached to standards, with taps. The watering was done with sprinklers and water guns. The hose would be dragged to different locations.

“This made a big difference, it allowed us to put in grass greens around 1967 or ’68,” said Verne.

Local contractors and members pitched in to do all of the work to build the greens.

“We used to have so much fun, especially on men’s night. Sometimes we would play a dime a point, (winning) that dime was important as draft beer was only 10 cents,” Verne laughed.

As well as men’s night, Verne would usually play the course, which was at the time nine holes, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“Everybody had their turn throwing a club, which sometimes got stuck in the tree, and a couple of days later they would still be up there,” he smiled.

“There is always that one hole that will give you a hard time, and there are always some bragging points. We had so much fun, it was amazing,” Verne shared. “It (the Fernie Golf Club) is a beautiful course, people are sure lucky to have it.”

After playing with a regular group of 10-12 friends, Verne put down the clubs about 1994. Retiring with a seven handicap, he recalls his years of playing golf as “one of the best times he had”.