It was a simple question that produced a comprehensive answer.
“Somebody said ‘how old is the Hillcrest?’ and I said ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out,’” said Ken Bradley. “I would like to know who that was because they caused me a whole lot of work for the last five years.”
That work turned into a labour of love and the result was Out Of Bounds: A Century of Golf In Moose Jaw — a 232-page book chronicling the history of the sport in the Friendly City.
Bradley will be holding a book launch at the Moose Jaw public library Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Copies of the book will be for sale and Bradley will be there to share some of what he has learned.
The timing of the book coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Hillcrest golf course, which was originally called the Moose Jaw Golf Club.
One of the displays he is bringing for the launch are diagrams showing all of the changes to the course from 1913 on.
“The layout itself has changed very little,” said Bradley. “The original course that was laid out as 18 holes in 1919 stayed essentially the same until the mid-80s.”
The book details the achievements of the people who played the game in Moose Jaw and other who were vital in helping the game grow — both on the golf course and off of it.
In addition to discussing the creation and evolution of the Hillcrest and Lynbrook, the book features a chapter on pros and volunteers and some of the top local players. A detailed appendix lists past champions, tournament winners, executives and more. It also features photos and illustrations spanning the eras of golf in the city.
The foreword was written by Dr. Garry Andrews.
Bradley was the Hillcrest’s club captain when he began the project in the fall of 2007. He spent several hours a day, three or four times a week in the fall and winter in the library researching for three years. Despite the amount of time he dedicated to the project he admits in the prologue that in some ways the research feels incomplete.
“The more I researched, the more I found,” said Bradley. “The more research I did, the more interesting individuals and situations I came across.”
Bradley said that as word got out that he was doing some research people began to contact him with information about who he should contact. Invariably those sources then led to further leads.
“It led to actually talking to some of the old pros from the 1950s and ’60s who are still alive,” said Bradley who spoke to former club pros Buddy Loftus, Garnet Lineker and Clayton Robb.
“In retrospect there are always things you think you could have done differently, but I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” said Bradley who said he got great support from the golf courses, Golf Saskatchewan, the Sask. Sports Hall of Fame history committee.
The book is currently available at the Hillcrest and they will also be available at the Lynbrook when they open for the start of the season.
