The following article has been reprinted from Golf Saskatchewan website.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With what started as a casual golf conversation over coffee with a co-worker, Blair Lothian took it upon himself to get an eye-witness account of every 18-hole, grass green golf course in Saskatchewan, two decades later the bucket list is complete.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In late May, the retired 60-year-old SaskTel employee used the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club鈥檚 鈥渕ember for a day鈥� promotion to play his 60th course and wrap up his provincial tour. Growing up in Carlyle (the son of the late Ronald and Joan Lothian), Lothian has always been an avid golfer, as his life progressed he stopped short of saying the sport has become an addiction, he simply says he鈥檚 passionate. The first 鈥渜ualifying鈥� course he said he played was Golf Kenosee, which makes sense being a youngster from the region. Lothian explained that he can鈥檛 recall the first course he played regarding this task, if he had teed off at a course prior to his idea to play the courses he didn鈥檛 make a point to revisit the club. Of all the courses he鈥檚 visited, he said one private club in Saskatoon stood out.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淩iverside Country Club,鈥� he said to Golf Saskatchewan via email. 鈥淭he entire course is so meticulously maintained and includes spectacular views along the 麻豆视频 Saskatchewan River.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although he pointed to the Bridge City club as his favourite he said the province boasts several amazing facilities.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here are many fantastic courses in Saskatchewan, Golf Kenosee, White Bear, the Evergreen in Nipawin, and Dakota Dunes all come to mind. My home course of Deer Valley has one of the most beautiful natural layouts in the province as well and the rebuilt 12th green is only days away from being in play,鈥� Lothian said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Many of the rounds he played alone, but in 1998 a group of his co-workers started an annual trip playing courses in Saskatchewan. The group of golf fanatics 鈥渃hristened鈥� the event the 鈥淭he Spackler,鈥� named after Bill Murray鈥檚 famous character from Caddy Shack. The friends even got their own green jacket for the winner to proudly where. He said one trip took them to Blueberry Hill Golf Course near Livelong, SK. During the round a proud peacock strutted onto the course. One of the group quickly quipped, 鈥淚 wonder what those taste like?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pet!鈥� replied the course owner, much to the hilarity of the rest of their playing partners.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When asked about memorable shots or moments Lothian recounted a mid-week round at York Lake in Yorkton, which is now a 12-hole facility that wouldn鈥檛 make Lothian鈥檚 list today. He said he was close to that magical ace, but he was alone.
鈥淚 hit my tee ball solid and right at the flag, but then strangely as the ball was in mid-flight I had a brief anxiety attack as it occurred to me that as I was playing alone, what would I do if it went in?鈥� he said. 鈥淭he elevated heart rate was short lived as the ball rolled over the edge of the cup and about six feet right past.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He did secure his first, and only hole-in-one on March 27, 2015 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Aside from playing the many beautiful courses the province has to offer, Lothian said the people he鈥檚 met and just the roads leading far and wide across the province added to the value of his completed mission. He said many trips stand out for more than the golf.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧erhaps most memorably was the trip on the July long weekend in 2014,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淎t this point I had four courses remaining to play, Riverside and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, and two in the northwest, Meadow Lake Golf Club and Northern Meadows near Goodsoil. My wife (Val) and I drove up there for the singular purpose of playing these two golf courses. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Pierceland that was spectacular in every way. One is very far north and west at this point in Saskatchewan, so we drove 50 minutes to Cold Lake, Alberta for dinner one evening.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lothian鈥檚 passion for the game continues and he is now spreading his golf experiences across North America and across the ocean. He recently attended a practice round at Augusta National during the Masters, he鈥檚 going to take in an Open practice round at Royal Portrush and in July he鈥檚 鈥渇ulfilling a lifelong dream鈥� of playing the Old Course at St. Andrews.
