When The Observer was looking for a new Golfer of Week from the Stoughton area, other golfers from the club suggested that we definitely should interview Albert DePape.
"They say you're quite a golfer."
"I don't know about that," says DePape with a little chuckle. "Well, I get out there as often as I can.
"I try to golf five times a week," he says. "Sometimes it's every day."
DePape, who is 84 now, has been retired for more than a few years now, as he says.
After retiring from farming 20 years ago and moving to Stoughton, DePape needed to find something to do with his spare time.
He started golfing in his early 70's, although he says he did golf a bit way back, about 50 years ago when there was a little bit of a golf course at White Lake north of Forget.
"I always liked the game of golf but just didn't get into the game until recently," DePape said.聽
There was no time for golf when he was farming.
One of the highlights of his golfing career happened last year during a men's night to boot. He got his first hole-in-one at the Stoughton course on #7, which is approximately 140 metres.
"The funniest thing about it was a thunderstorm came up and the two other guys that were golfing with me were like 'Oh, that lightning was pretty close.'
"We didn't finish our round!" says DePape and adds, "I didn't make any money off of it."
There is no particular reason for passion for golf, but the game was always dear to DePape.
"I just get a kick out of the game. I've always liked it," DePape says.
"At times I'm not that great at it but it's lots of fun!
"I use a cart all the time but there's still a certain amount of exercise involved."
DePape has tried out the courses at the Lakes but says that they're a little too tough for him.
DePape is glad to help when he can with the local golf club. Due to the COVID restrictions in 2020, golfers weren't allowed to touch or remove the flags on the greens so he and a few others came up with an invention to fabricate ball lifters which are still being used to this day. Other improvements were also made at the Stoughton Golf Course.
"Our greens were in pretty rough shape in early spring but they're coming around not too bad now and the fairways are in good condition.
"The fairways are also lined with lilac bushes, which are an asset to the course because they look and smell great but not so good when you're looking for a lost ball."
DePape says he always looks forward to men's night for the camaraderie and the good-natured bantering that goes on.
"It's a real blast," DePape says.
