The Tamarack Golf Club is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a Labrador West landmark with a long and storied history. Despite where we are located on the map and the many challenges being this far north brings to us with the short seasons and unpredictable weather, this golf club has many successes they should be proud of.
The Tamarack Golf Club is a volunteer executive-driven organization that has come from humble beginnings with a vision of a quality golfing facility always in their crosshairs.
The first course was built on what is now Tamarack Street in Labrador City in 1968 with contributions from the Iron Ore Company of Canada and Wabush Mines. Their funding and efforts along with the many efforts of all of the dedicated volunteers saw this first course up and running with great success.
In 1972, as the Golf Club continued to grow, a move to its present day location and facilities occurred. The golf club has continued to grow and is a full 18-hole course with a beautiful club house that is open from the end of May or the first week of June each season and sees its closing near the end of September or into the first part of October, depending on the individual weather patterns on any given year.
Along with the 18-hole course, Tamarack also have a great water range and a grass range that provides a great deal of fun for the golfers, as well as a regular opportunity to sharpen their skills.
Scheduled nights are set aside each week throughout the season when there is a Ladies night on Tuesdays and a Men’s night on Wednesdays that are met with enthusiasm as a golf night out, a good bit of exercise and for all of the social benefits that these nights provide. Multi-year involvement also forges and maintains friendships that go beyond the golf club itself.
The club also provides a youth golf program that is run from the first week of July until the third week of August for youngsters ranging in age from age seven to 15 years.
This initiative is very popular and provides many positive benefits to youngsters. The obvious is, of course, the opportunity to learn the basic skills that go with the game of golf. Other far-reaching benefits include the exercise and the social network created that will many times reach much further than the golf course.
The club has a great club house that includes a pro shop with equipment rentals and golf gear for sale. It also has a kitchen that is open seven days a week for its members and the public. It also has a Friday lunch special that is very popular.
The club is always busy hosting club and company tournaments that create a constant buzz of activity.
All of these initiatives along with their list of sponsors provide the funding that keeps the club up and running.
All of the day-to-day operations are delivered by a dedicated staff of 14 people and a network of equally dedicated volunteers. These folks are the lifeblood that provides the 200 to 300 members the great club they are part of.
The week of August 6 through to August 12 will see the 50-year celebration in full swing. The golf, the social, educational and physical fitness benefits will all be celebrated along with the recognition of 50 years of dedicated efforts in solidifying the wellness of the community. This represents an incredible job on so many levels done for 50 years, so far.
If anyone has any questions about this celebration, call the club at 944.3007.
