Helicopters, airplanes… and golf

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2021 (1795 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What do airplanes, farm tractors, glass towers, hay balers, flat land, helicopters, and military history all of it have in common? They can all be found at the Southport Golf Club.

Southport is a former military base, CFB Portage la Prairie. Its former name gives away its approximate location. The complex is south of Portage la Prairie on Highway 240. If you’re coming from Winnipeg, take the Portage bypass and watch for the 240 overpass. Proceed south from the bypass on 240 and you’ll find yourself on the well-maintained grounds of the Southport campus. Follow the blue signs pointing out the golf course.

Following the signage will lead you down an ever-narrowing paved road, and along that road, you will read signs picturing a helicopter and saying, “Beware! Low-flying aircraft.” As you pass the aircraft control tower, you may feel you’re in the wrong place, as there is nothing but open fields and runways, and the road that you are on keeps narrowing.

Not to worry; look for the three or four tall, obviously out-of-place evergreen trees on the horizon and keep going. Once you’ve reached those planted conifers, you have entered the golf course. Now, be cautious here, because the road runs right through the middle of the course.

People on the seventh tee will literally be shooting right at you, and those teeing off on No. 5 might welcome your car with their errant, right-drifting mistakes. The clubhouse is, literally, at the end of the road.

Southport is a training ground for pilots of both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, or, in more colloquial terms, airplanes and helicopters.

While playing, planes and whirlybirds were overhead in abundance. The course is surrounded by agricultural lands, and while there, the big machines were actively hay baling.

If you have young golfers, this would be a great place to bring them. Visuals are everywhere. Even if your youngsters aren’t quite ready for the course, Southport Golf Club has a great driving range with modern tee boxes, and a practice putting green. The clubhouse is very modern and spacious, with a large deck overlooking the first tee and the ninth green. Hosting an event of 40 to 80 people here, post-COVID, would be worthwhile.

Par for this course is 36/37. The two par fives are easily obtainable for any level of golfer. If you’re a hitter who tends to send your ball to the right, this course may give you some challenge. Most of the sand traps are located right of the greens, with the exception of the trap behind the green on three, which is a short par 3. Hole 6 is lined on the right with thick bush, and the fields along the right of holes 7, 8, and 9 are marked as “out of bounds.”

The course offers riding-cart rentals, but it is definitely worth walking. No elevation changes, and it does not play long at all. There was some winter damage to their large greens but the crews were actively working the greens during my visit and they have done a great job bringing them back to life. They are so focused on greens restoration that their irrigation systems were running during play.

Thankfully, the heat of the day made the inevitable sprinkle a welcome bit of respite.
Green fees are very reasonable, and another reason to bring the kids with you is that they play for free if they are under 12. Tee times are available by visiting the website at southportgolfclub.ca or by calling 204-428-3174.

Ryan Desjarlais is a high school physics teacher looking to shed some light on rural golf. This summer, he’ll feature a different rural course each week.