Manitoba couple golf every course in province

For one Manitoba golfing couple, it’s not “fore,” but 142.

That’s how many courses the couple have logged in Manitoba — teeing off at every single one.

Doris and Frank Talbot started keeping score of the golf courses they visited in 2003 and decided they would play a round at every one in the province, finishing this fall, 17 years later.

“We went throughout the whole province — corner to corner, pretty well — and golfed 142, and seven of those are private ones,” Doris said.

“We found lists through the telephone book. We just looked around and sometimes we would add one when we are driving. And we put the brakes on and stopped in Ste. Rose in our northern tour. We didn’t have much of an idea and it kept growing.”

The couple found the most time-consuming part was getting into the private courses.

“Quite a few would let us on a time where it wasn’t too busy. A couple of times we had contacts from people who golfed there. It took a little more planning until we were both retired it was hard for us to do so. That’s why it took us 10 years to do the private ones,” Doris said.

“Really it was a matter of getting the right contacts. We are happy we were able to do the private ones.”

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For Frank, sometimes it was the adventure rather than just the nice course that made a course memorable.

“We had to drive from Thompson the three-and-a-half hours to get to Leaf Rapids and the golf course was sort of open but because they knew we were coming, they decided they would mow the grass on a few holes that weren’t open and they did that for us and that was pretty amazing,” he said.

“It was a summer that rained a bunch and there was one hole we remember well. There was water running across the fairway and the only way to get across was to build a bridge. I went into the bush and grabbed some logs and built a bridge to get across the stream.”

The couple say it was a great way to visit the province — something they would encourage people to do now that COVID-19 may have changed people’s travel plans.

“It was fun visiting Manitoba this way,” Doris said. “We’d stop at some bed and breakfast and do a weekend of golf around there, just discovering little towns we didn’t know existed that had nice golf courses, nine-hole courses, but totally surprised sometimes.

“Some weren’t so great but we enjoyed them because they were an experience.”

Frank echoed her sentiment.

“The golfing part was fun but the other part that was fun was to be able to visit Manitoba. Every town has a golf course we’ve been to and it’s a great way for us to visit Manitoba,” he said.

Since finishing up their tour, the couple are golfing at courses around Winnipeg, like River Oaks Golf Course. Next on their list: a Canadian tour.

“There’s still a few provinces we haven’t golfed in so maybe start with golfing in every province and then after that maybe every state — we will see,” Frank said.

Manitoba golf courses the couple played:

1. 1. Oakview Golf & Country Club
   2. Northernaire Golf and Country Club
   3. Ashern Golf & Country Club
   4. Whispering Sands Golf & Country Club
   5. Beausejour Golf Course
   6. Pleasant Valley Golf Club
   7. Binscarth Golf Course
   8. Birtle Riverside Golf Club
   9. Boissevain Golf Club
   10. Deer Ridge Golf Club
   11. Glen Lea Golf Course
   12. Northern Pines Golf Course
   13. Sunnyside Golf Club
   14. Wheat City Golf Course
   15. Lake of the Sandhills Golf Course
   16. Sandhills Golf & Country Club
   17. Carman Golf and Curling Club
   18. Cartwright Town & Country Golf Club
   19. Cromer Golf Course
   20. Dauphin Lake Golf Club
   21. Deloraine Golf & Country Club
   22. The Meadows (closed)
   23. Whitewater Centennial Park Golf Club
   24. Scotswood Links
   25. Emerson Golf Course
   26. Bob’s Bunker Par 3 Golf
   27. Falcon Lake Golf Course
   28. Fisher Branch Golf & Country Club
   29. Phantom Lake Golf Course
   30. Gilbert Plains Country Club
   31. Gimli Golf & Country Club
   32. Links at the Lake
   33. Girouxsalem Golf & Country Club
   34. Ridgewood South Golf Course
   35. Gladstone Golf & Country Club
   36. Glenboro Golf & Country Club
   37. Beaches Golf Course
   38. Southside Golf Course
   39. Hamiota Golf Club
   40. Hartney Golf Club
   41. John Blumberg Golf Course
   42. Lakeview Hecla Golf course
   43. Prairie Oaks Golf Course
   44. Inwood Golf & Country Club
   45. Killarney Lakeside Golf Club
   46. La Verendrye Golf Course
   47. Black Bear Golf Club
   48. Granite Hills Golf Club
   49. Holiday Mountain Golf Course
   50. Kingswood Golf & Country Club
   51. Leaf Rapids Golf Course
   52. Mars Sandhills Resort & Golf Course
   53. Heritage Golf Course
   54. Lorette Golf Course
   55. Lundar Co-op Golf & Country Club
   56. MacGregor Town & Country Golf Course
   57. Manitou Town Golf & Country Club
   58. McCreary Golf & Country Club
   59. Melita Golf Club
   60. Miami Golf & Country Club
   61. Miniota Golf Club
   62. Minnedosa Golf & Country Club
   63. Minnewasta Golf & Country Club
   64. Riverview Golf & Country Club
   65. Neepawa Golf & Country Club
   66. Old Drovers Run
   67. Oak Lake Golf Club
   68. Oak Island Golf Resort
   69. Lakewood Hills Golf Course
   70. Poplar Ridge Golf Course
   71. Netley Creek Golf & Country Club
   72. Pilot Mound Town & Country Golf Club
   73. Pinawa Golf & Country Club
   74. Pine Falls Golf Club
   75. Portage Golf Club
   76. Valleyview Golf Club
   77. Reston Golf Club
   78. Riverdale Golf & Country Club
   79. Roblin Golf & Country Club
   80. Roland Golf Club
   81. Rossman Lake Golf & Country Club
   82. Russell Golf Club
   83. Sandy Hook Golf Club
   84. Sandy Lake Golf Course
   85. Selkirk Golf Course & Country Club
   86. Shilo Country Club
   87. Lakeside Golf Club
   88. Snow Lake Golf & Country Club
   89. Souris-Glenwood Community Golf Course
   90. Southport Golf Club
   91. Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club
   92. Manipogo Golf & Country Club
   93. St. Malo Golf & Cabins
   94. Maplewood Golf Club
   95. Ste. Rose Golf Club
   96. Bridges Golf Course
   97. Cottonwood Golf Course (closed)
   98. Oakwood Golf Course
   99. Steinbach Fly-in Golf Club
   100. Quarry Oaks Golf & Country Club
   101. Swan River Golf & Country Club
   102. Teulon Golf & Country Club
   103. Halcrow Lake Golf & Country Club
   104. Thompson Golf Club
   105. Grand Pines Golf Course
   106. Delahunt Golf & Country Club
   107. Victoria Beach Golf Club
   108. Virden Wellview Golf Course
   109. South Interlake Golf & Country Club
   110. Clear Lake Golf Course
   111. Elkhorn Golf & Country Club
   112. Waskada Golf Club
   113. Winkler Centennial Golf Course
   114. Assiniboine Golf Club
   115. Bel Acres Golf & Country Club
   116. Breezy Bend Country Club
   117. Charleswood Golf Club
   118. Crescent Drive Golf Course
   119. Elmhurst Golf & Country Club
   120. Fantasy Lake Golf Course (closed)
   121. Fast Golf / Champion’s Nest (closed)
   122. Glendale Golf & Country Club
   123. Golf Land
   124. Harbour View Golf & Country Club
   125. Kildonan Park Golf Course
   126. Niakwa Country Club
   127. Pine Ridge Golf Club
   128. The Players Course
   129. River Oaks Golf Course
   130. Rossmere Golf & Country Club
   131. Shooters Family Golf Centre
   132. Southwood Golf & Country Club
   133. St. Boniface Golf Club
   134. St. Charles Country Club
   135. The Towers Golf Course
   136. Transcona Golf Club
   137. Tuxedo Golf Club
   138. Wildewood Golf Club
   139. Windsor Park Golf Course
   140. Winnipeg Beach Golf Course
   141. Winnipeg Canoe Club Golf Course
   142. Sagemace Country Club