The Course

The Fernie Golf Club – 1918-2018

The first home of the Fernie Golf Club course, which started in 1918, lay in the area of today’s soccer fields in Prentice Park. The Crow’s Nest Pass Coal Company supplied the land for the first holes with additional funding generated through donations, membership fees, and fundraisers.  The early success of the club, as it remains today, is largely attributable to the hard work of its volunteer members.

The 1918 course had only a few holes but by 1921, there were a further nine, also located on coal company land. The layout of new holes continued to move the course north of the town and a clubhouse, reclaimed from a nearby sawmill, was moved to where the present golf cart house is located. Club members played on grass fairways that were maintained with a horse-drawn roller.  This presented some challenges for the club when the horse ran away and the club owed $100 to the owner.  The horse was eventually recovered and the club continued to grow and expand.

The original greens were made from different mixes of sand, sawdust and used oil, collected from local garages.  The greens keeper’s job would be to get the mix just right so a golfer could predict his putting speed. The club consistently employed a greens keeper from the early years. One of the first greens keeper Andrew Lees was paid $100 a year in 1927 and lived in the clubhouse rent-free. In the hard times of the 1930s, the club could only afford to pay the greens keeper $70 a year.

The Fernie Golf Club, which joined forces with the local tennis club, was renamed the Fernie Golf and Country Club in 1928. The same year, the Ladies Club, which had been active since the early days also joined the larger organization and became a strong force organizing events and tournaments.

From the 1930s into the 1950s, the club struggled to maintain operations from year to year and had to develop creative ways to pay unforeseen expenses. In 1942, the old worn tractor, used for untold maintenance tasks, broke down. Faced with a lack of funds to fix or replace it, club members were asked to prepay upwards of $10 of their membership fees for the next season, in hopes of raising enough money. Many members stepped up, and along with the agreement of the coal company to forego that year’s property rental fee of $300, a used tractor was purchased and the season carried on.

The clubhouse was the center of social activities for club members, with Ladies Club members inviting guests to tea to show-off the club’s amenities and golfers meeting for post-game libations. At the 1936 AGM, House Committee chairman Mr. Stewart reported that the clubhouse “had been run very satisfactorily, the house not having been visited by the red coats during the season”.

In 1968, the construction and planting of new grass greens began and other course upgrades took place including piping for underground sprinkling systems and realigning holes.  A few years later in 1972, a new clubhouse, with a pro shop and maintenance building, was built at the end of 2^nd Avenue.

As the 1980s arrived, club members started dreaming about 18 holes. With the generous help of local industry, government grants and a bank loan, members were golfing on one of the most beautiful and majestic courses in the province by early 1986. A few years later the present clubhouse, maintenance building and golf cart house were added to complete the outstanding facilities. Now, no longer a true country club, the name of the organizations has returned to its roots as the Fernie Golf Club.

History of the Fernie Golf Club

100 Year Celebration

Since 1918, the golf course has been a spectacular amenity that both residents and visitors alike have cherished through the years. To honour this long history and to celebrate the people who helped create this treasured community asset, the Fernie Golf Club will play host to a weeklong centennial celebration from July 3-7, 2018.

The 100 Year Celebration was a great success. Here are some photos of happy faces courtesy of Dave O’Haire.

Fernie Golf Club Scorecard

#1 – Par 4

Black 396 – Blue 383 – White 331 – Red 318 – Green 255

A slight dogleg to the right. Keep your drive down the right side as to not go through the fairway on the left. Keep your approach shot below the hole on this severely back to front sloping green.

#2 – Par 4

Black 379 – Blue 364 – White 333 – Red 321 – Green 256

Keep your shot down the left side so that you can avoid the large trees by the green on your approach. The front half of the green slopes severely back to front.

#3 – Par 3

Black 218 – Blue 187 – White 164 – Red 143 – Green 89

This is a long and tough par 3. Pay attention to the wind as proper club selection is a must. Target the left center of the green to avoid the water on the right.

#4 – Par 5

Black 528 – Blue 503 – White 440 – Red 428 – Green 338

On this reachable par 5 you want to hug the left side of the fairway to have a shorter approach shot. An accurate approach shot is a must on this severely sloped green with bunkers left and right.

#5 – Par 3

Black 169 – Blue 144 – White 96 – Red 96 – Green 87

The 5th green is well protected from all sides making club selection very important. A creek runs from the back left around to the front edge. Keep the ball below the hole if possible on this severely back to front sloping green.

#6 – Par 4

Black 401 – Blue 375 – White 356 – Red 288 – Green 253

A straight away par 4! Let the big dog eat, hit it as far down the left center of the fairway as you can. Watch for the subtle breaks on this seemingly flat green.

#7 – Par 3

Black 182 – Blue 144 – White 124 – Red 124 – Green 66

It will take a mid to long iron to hit this par 3 green in one. The key to making birdie here is to keep the ball below the hole.

#8 – Par 5

Black 513 – Blue 500 – White 460 – Red 428 – Green 358

The shortest par 5 on the course but the narrowest as well. Everything is set up from a good tee shot down the left center. The tough decision is whether to layup to the water or split the middle. A good approach to this large but fairly flat green will give you an excellent chance at birdie.

#9 – Par 4

Black 438 – Blue 395 – White 329 – Red 329 – Green 285

This hole plays long from every tee and therefore a long and accurate shot is a must. The left side of the fairway is your target as the right side slopes towards the water. Watch the false front on your approach, it has halted many good shots to a front flag.

#10 – Par 4

Black 396 – Blue 373 – White 343 – Red 343 – Green 294

This well protected par 4 will require an accurate tee shot to avoid the bunker left and water right. It takes a 200-260 yard carry to make it past the trouble, if you try, make sure to aim at the fairway bunker closer to the green. The approach should be aimed at the middle of the green.

#11 – Par 3

Black 190 – Blue 153 – White 136 – Red 105 – Green 96

One of the only uphill shots at the Fernie Golf Club, this tee shot will need an extra one or two clubs. Aim up the right side of the green as everything slopes downhill to the left.

#12 – Par 4

Black 402 – Blue 379 – White 352 – Red 352 – Green 272

This short but big dogleg right par 4 sets up for a left to right tee shot. Aim it straight over the right fairway bunkers and you will be rewarded with a shorter approach to this two tiered green. Pay attention to the yardage on your approach as this green is surrounded by 5 bunkers.

#13 – Par 4

Black 436 – Blue 397 – White 367 – Red 301 – Green 269

The beginning of a tough stretch of holes. Your tee shot should be played to the widest part of the fairway about 150 yards from the green. That will leave you with a reasonable approach to this long and narrow three tiered green. Par is a good score here.

#14 – Par 4

Black 417 – Blue 390 – White 367 – Red 367 – Green 302

Place your tee shot down the right side of the fairway to take the large trees on the left out of play. Err on the short side on your approach to avoid the penalty area directly behind this green.

#15 – Par 4

Black 426 – Blue 412 – White 310 – Red 310 – Green 243

A long and straight tee shot is the key to start the #1 handicap hole with out of bounds right and big trees left. The green is very deep so pay attention to the pin placement as this approach can play two to three clubs different from front to back.

#16 – Par 3

Black 173 – Blue 159 – White 150 – Red 135 – Green 96

You’ve made it through the tough stretch and are rewarded with a relatively easy par 3. Keep your ball below the hole when the pin is at the front of this severely back to front sloping green.

#17 – Par 4

Black 385 – Blue 355 – White 333 – Red 308 – Green 248

Watch out for the water that lies hidden past the trees on the right. Play it safe up the left center and take dead aim at the flagstick on this flat green.

#18 – Par 5

Black 521 – Blue 493 – White 450 – Red 416 – Green 371

A tricky par 5 to finish out the round. Keep your tee shot to the left to open up the hole. A layup to the corner will give you a short iron or wedge to this huge and exciting green. Make sure to keep your approach shot on the pin side of the hump in the middle of the green.

Fernie Golf Club Map

Fernie Golf & Country Club has joined the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada (ACSSC), an international program designed to help land-owners preserve and enhance the environmental quality of our property. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses is coordinated by the ACSSC and is sponsored in part by the Royal Canadian Golf Association.