Enjoy Virden’s historic Wellview Golf Club

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/09/2023 (846 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Travelling westward, towards that province with the green football team, one of the last larger towns you’ll encounter on the Manitoba side of the border is Virden. Around there, one notices the oil pumpjacks peppered throughout the fields. This town has a rich history with the oil industry, one which goes back to the 1950s. History and oil are also themes of the local golf track, called the Virden Wellview Golf Club.

Historic is one adjective that is very appropriate when describing this week’s course. Virden’s club was established way back in 1892 — which makes it the oldest organized golf club in Manitoba. Of course, it doesn’t appear that way when you first pull up, as the new clubhouse is only five years old. The previous facility succumbed to fire in 2017. This new building is very spacious, and the kitchen seems to have a large capacity. A function here would be well catered, and the outdoor patio space gives people options for their dining experience.

Wellview has a driving range right off the clubhouse, as well as a practice green. Warming up for this nine should be no problem. In addition, they have a fleet of golf carts for rent, and you may want to take one here. You can walk it, but the course is designed around a reservoir system creek with banks and slopes aplenty. It is also a busy course, so if you come during regular tee times, a cart may be needed to maintain pace.

Starting off, you’ll find yourself on a par 4 with not too many tricks. The next hole starts to add some difficulty with a mild dogleg to the right. Hole 3 begins to add the course’s theme of water. This long par 5 requires two distant fairway shots to make the third easier. The third needs to hit a green fronted by a large water hazard and flanked on either side by sand traps. Behind the green? Bush.

The fourth hole finds a tee over water through a narrow opening, which eventually leads into a wider fairway closer to the hole. A bit of a journey follows to the tee of hole 5, a par 3 hole over water and another greenside sand trap. Hole 6 is a more relaxed par 4, but the sand to watch out for here is mid-fairway. The highway on the right is out of bounds.

Hole 7 is my pick for the signature hole. It is another par 3, but there is nothing easy about this short hole. The fairway, or lack thereof, is mostly water hazard right or left, and with the banks of the creek, shots that don’t make the green often find trouble. Oh, and there is lots of sand for folks who just miss the green left or back right. Hole 8 is another par five and another dogleg right. A huge right lateral water hazard punishes those right handers who tend to slice. Coming home on 9, you tee off beside an old oil horse, and the right side has sand, and water, and another highway marking out of bounds. Stay on the left, my friends!

The course is just a bit southwest of town, but it’s easy enough to find. Give them a call at 204-748-1721 for tee times, and you can also visit wellviewgolfsuper.wixsite.com/virdenwellviewgolf