Coming off another successful Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame (SGHF) induction gala last month at the Royal Regina Golf Club, Murray Eddy is pleased with where the organization is at.
Approximately a decade ago, the Saskatoon golfer approached Byron Harvie regarding the possibility of enshrining accomplished players in Saskatchewan. Eddy said local golfers that excelled at certain levels are already recognized but not by their designated sport.
“All the golfers that have had success are in the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame along with hundreds of athletes from other sports, just kind of buried in there. I thought it would be a good idea if golf had its own Hall of Fame,” the long-time Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member.
Eddy and Harvie continued to discuss the possibility for about a year before the date for the first induction gala at The Willows. 19 people were part of the inaugural class on Sept. 18, 2010. Since then, 49 individuals and four teams have been enshrined. Eddy, who chaired the first event, said he’s happy with how the Hall has grown.
“I think it’s gotten pretty good. Byron (SGHF chair), Brian Lee (SGHF secretary) and whoever did the lion’s share there, but they’ve done an excellent job of setting it up. The first event was a bit of a fundraiser as well, we’ve had a bank account ever since,” he said.
Eddy said ensuring the inductees earned their success in the province is an important factor in the qualifications. He added that expanding on the criteria could help promote the game.
“Maybe we could have a separate section for juniors, I don’t know,” he said. “You can do something spectacular at the junior level and not play anymore golf after going into the working world. Something you do at the junior level may not necessarily qualify you for the Hall of Fame except maybe for a junior level. That’s a discussion that hasn’t been had yet.”
The SGHF committee consists of 11 people, Lee, the executive director of Golf Saskatchewan is a non-voting sitting member. Inductees must meet several criteria before being nominated, the Hall has categories of player, distinguished service, and teams. The Wascana Country Club in Regina hosted the second induction gala. The Riverside in Saskatoon hosted the others until the committee decided upon the Royal in Regina. Eddy said eventually he hopes the Hall finds a permanent showcase somewhere.
“I’m glad the group took the bull by the horns and got it going. I think we have somewhere around 50 people in there, I think the next thing there would be a home for it,” he said.
All the inductee’s bios and more information on the SGHF can be found here.