Kimberley Golf Club celebrates 90 years

Nine decades of a welcoming community

When it was first constructed in 1924, the course at Kimberley Golf Club consisted of only six holes. As time went by, more were added, and the final 18 holes that we know today were completed in 1983—nearly six decades later.

Now, in 2014, the club is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than to host a charity event for cancer research. The event took place on the weekend of May 24 and 25, and consisted of a green fee and cart sale to raise funds.

“A portion of every green fee and cart fee that was collected went to the Canadian Cancer Society,” said Tom Vold, Director of Golf at Kimberley Golf Club.

In total, the club raised $1159.30 for the society and had a great turnout of people eager to contribute.

“There were a lot of individuals that came out to the event,” said Vold, “and those that couldn’t come contributed online.”

The club is set to continue celebrating throughout the season, including gifting special commemorative Celebrating 90 Years bag tags to participants at their Jack and Jill event—a two-person tournament with teams typically consisting of one member and one guest.

“It’s a very social event,” said Vold. “They’ll come out to play and then stick around for cocktails or dinner afterwards, and there are prizes awarded.”

Enduring community

Though a lot of things have grown and evolved for the Kimberley Golf club over nine decades, the incredible feeling of community is one thing that has endured.

“One thing that has stayed consistent is that it’s a very community-minded membership,” said Vold. “The individuals that come out from Kimberley, Marysville and even Cranbrook just have a real sense of belonging, and I’m extremely proud of it.”

Vold said that one of his greatest joys as a golf club director comes from the golfers' attitude toward the game.

“With all golf courses, it’s a place where people choose to come. It’s not a game of ‘I have to’, it’s a game of ‘I want to’,” he said. “It’s something that we’ve done that has made them choose to come in on their leisure time. Something that we offer is something that they choose to participate in, and that’s just a fantastic feeling as an operator.”

Building a legacy

Despite the years of history that the club has, Vold said that some of the most historically significant events for Kimberley Golf Club have taken place in just the past year or so.

“Recently something happened that is very low odds, and that’s the fact that in the last year we had one of our juniors sign a full-ride scholarship with the University of Idaho, which is an NCAA Division 1 school,” said Vold. “And another one of our juniors this year has been signed on full-ride to go to Texas A&M Corpus Christi.”

The two juniors are Kimberley locals Jared du Toit—headed off to Idaho—and Julia Dereniwsky, who's going to Texas.

“Both schools are NCAA Division 1 universities, which is just remarkable,” said Vold. “I’ve been around a long time and they’re the only two from this area that I’ve ever heard of coming out of one golf course. For a small community to have that happen back to back is pretty rare.”

Looking to the future

So what are the big differences between the Kimberley Golf Club of 1924 and the Kimberley Golf Club of 2014?

“What’s important, I’d say, is that it’s not what’s changed really—it’s what has stayed the same,” said Vold, “and that really is that sense of community. They have a tremendous giving spirit among them. I’ve been around here as a member and an employee from the 80s, and that has been a very common thread that I’ve seen throughout my time.”

Golfers need not worry about that changing anytime soon. Vold plans to keep enforcing the same welcoming and positive environment well into the future, and hopes to see the club through to its 100th anniversary in 2024.

“We just want to remain offering great golf at a great value, with great service to community and guests,” he said. “That is essentially our mandate, to have a golf facility for members and guests to enjoy at great value, and that is what we are here to do to the best of our ability—to maintain that tradition.”