The Lynbrook Golf Course was the place to be for golfers on June 15 as around 75 members – including a few new faces – teed off in celebration of 100 years in Moose Jaw.
The highlight of the Lynbrook Golf Club’s centennial celebration was, without a doubt, the newly revived Tombstone Challenge, which brought a former tradition from the club’s earliest days back to life this past weekend.
“We all had a good time,” recalled Deb Higgins, president of the Lynbrook Golf Club’s board of directors. “It was a very good tournament to have to celebrate our 100th anniversary, and people are still commenting on it now, (saying) that they had a good time.”
The inspiration behind the foreboding tombstones that blanketed the course on June 15 came from quite a positive origin, according to Higgins.
“Because we are celebrating our 100th anniversary of the club, we went back (and reviewed) some of the (club’s) old documents,” she said.
“On May 26, 1924, (the club’s original members) kicked off the opening of the original club with a Tombstone Tournament,” she explained. “So, for the 100th anniversary, we decided that we would have the same event.”
A full century later, the tradition was revived to celebrate the club’s latest milestone achievement.
With competitors playing in each of the club’s five traditional leagues, the winners of the 2024 Tombstone Challenge were:
- Men’s division: Curt Breton
- Senior Men’s division: Bob Cooper
- Ladies’ division: Chantel Mack
- Senior Ladies’ division: Debb Higgins
- Junior division: Ben Lynds
Higgins, who took the Senior Ladies’ title, said she was quite surprised to have earned the spot.
“I actually had a good day golfing, and we had a beautiful day weather-wise, so it was a little surprising – but it was good,” she said.
The Tombstone Challenge added an interesting element to the traditional 18-hole golf format.
“It’s a handicap stroke play tournament,” the club’s general manager Ray Wareham explained earlier. “So, each individual gets a little tombstone to carry with them throughout their play.”
To calculate the handicap, Higgins said the details are personalized for each player using a calculation made by Golf Canada, which averages each player’s past best 10 games. The calculation is somewhat complex, she noted, and includes the course’s specific rating, the slope on each green, and other factors, but this handicap is automatically generated and is simply added to the given par to generate a final number.
Once this handicap has been reached, players plant their tombstone on the site of their final shot before continuing the game – although they’re officially done where the tombstone now lies.
“Probably within three hours, the course looked like a graveyard,” recalled Bev Arnold, captain of the ladies’ club.
Arnold said the tournament was followed by a cake cutting, which involved the club’s longest-serving member, Ken Jattansingh, alongside one of the club’s newest junior members, Ben Lynds. The cake made a reminiscent mention of the club’s earlier name, the Citizens Golf Club which ran from 1924 – 1936, and the name of the Lynbrook Golf Club running from 1936 – 2024.
“Lynbrook never would have lasted 100 years if it hadn’t been for the membership we’ve had over the years,” Higgins said, adding a message of appreciation to “The many members who have donated time, volunteered at different events, and really contributed to the club (in any way they could).
“I think, all in all… it’s as much the social activity as it is the physical activity of golfing” that made the club successful over the past century.
Beyond discounted rates at tournaments such as this, members of the Lynbrook Golf Club enjoy access to golf clubs, cart storage, and can apply for participation in a variety of tournaments and leagues. To apply as a member, visit LynbrookGolf.org/Membership.
The Lynbrook Golf Club is located at 1525 Fourth Avenue Northwest and the Pro Shop can be reached at 306-692-2838. For more information, visit LynbrookGolf.org or follow ‘Lynbrook Golf Club’ on Facebook.
