Nipawin's Evergreen Golf Course will host the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship in June. (Clark Stork/northeastNOW Staff)

By Clark Stork

Tee it up

Nipawin’s Evergreen set to host Golf Canada event

Feb 3, 2023 | 11:38 AM

Golf Canada will host a championship at Nipawin’s Evergreen Golf Course for the first time this June,

The NextGen Prairie Championship will be held from June 15-18 in the northeast Saskatchewan town.

Kevin Duchscherer is the Evergreen’s club president and a Golf Saskatchewan volunteer. Duchscherer is also a Golf Canada Rules official and volunteered for the last NextGen event in Saskatchewan back in 2019 when it was hosted by Yorkton’s Deer Park Municipal Golf Course.

Duchscherer said he’s been working with Golf Canada to bring an event to the Evergreen and is excited to finally host some of western Canada’s top junior golfers.

“We’re really hoping that we can show them just how wonderful our course is and perhaps gain more interest for other events in the future,” he said.

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The 54-hole tournament is a fixture on the annual Golf Canada calendar. The event rotates between Saskatchewan and Manitoba host sites. The tournament was cancelled for two years due to COVID-19, but returned last summer to Quarry Oaks in Steinbach, Man.

The last time the championship was in Saskatchewan, players from Vancouver to Toronto were in the field. Duchscherer said the players of high calibre that compete will see the Evergreen provides challenges for any player.

“The Evergreen is a very challenging course,” Duchscherer said. “You have to be precise, you have to be smart. You have to play positional golf. If you do that, you can be rewarded.”

The Evergreen hosts several club-level championships throughout the year and always plays host to the Scotia Wealth Open on the first weekend of June. The last provincial event in Nipawin was the 2019 Saskatchewan Junior Championships. Golf Saskatchewan Tournament Director Steve Ryde was on hand to orchestrate that event. Ryde is also a PGA of Canada professional that has competed in the Scotia Wealth. He said the Evergreen will be a great host for a top-notch event.

“I love playing it, I have had some good rounds, had some bad ones, but overall it’s going to be a great week in Nipawin. We’re already planning and getting ready for it. Hopefully, we get a big crowd out supporting the town and the golf course,” Ryde said.

Saskatoon’s Alex Swinnerton won the junior boy’s championship last year. Yorkton’s Ella Kozak was the top Saskatchewan on the female side placing fourth.

Golf Canada will announce the registration date in the future.

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clark.stork@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ClarkStork