LAC LA BICHE - With the warm days of summer winding down, there’s nothing quite like catching some rays while enjoying a day on the golf course. On Aug. 17, 52 golfers hit the links at the Lac La Biche Golf and Country Club for the first-ever Voyageurs Golf Classic.
The golf tournament, which is a fundraiser for athletic programs at Portage College, got underway with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Throughout the late morning and into the afternoon, 13 teams faced off against each other not only for raffle prizes, which included a Roku smart TV, a patio cooler, and a deck chair, but for the chance to go home with a $10,000 hole-in-one prize sponsored by REMAX.
Following the event, which was played in a best ball format, the golfers returned to the tent that had been set up near the gazebo on the grounds of the local golf course for a banquet, silent auction, and prizes for the top three teams. There were also contest holes for long putt, closest to the pin, and long drive.
Jim Knight, manager of the athletics and recreational department for Portage College, stated that money raised from the Voyageurs Golf Classic will go towards scholarships and to support the college’s hockey, soccer, golf, curling and futsal teams.
“It’s all about enhancing the experience of our athletes,” Knight said, adding that the operational costs associated with college sports teams, particularly travel, equipment, clothing, hotel rentals, as well as ice and field rentals, are generally quite high.
“For this upcoming season, Portage College will have 72 athletes from around Canada and the world studying in full-time programs," he added.
