MOOSE CREEK REGIONAL PARK - Alayne McNab is into her third season as the Moose Creek Golf Course's manger.
The course is located in the Moose Creek Regional Park that overlooks Grant Devine Lake.
The reservoir, formerly known as the Alameda Dam, was constructed in 1994 to control flows from Moose Mountain Creek and the Souris River.
McNab was born and raised in Oxbow and graduated from the Oxbow Prairie Horizon School.
After graduation, she attended Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Saskatoon to earn her degree as a journeyperson, red seal chef and continue her love for cooking.
She received employment at the Happy Nun Café in Forget, but shortly after she was hired the pandemic hit.
Looking for seasonal work to fill in the gap, she began to work at the course part time in 2021, and in 2022 she was hired as the course's manager.
It was her hope to be a chef at the Nun and work at the golf course, but this was not the case when the Happy Nun Café burned down in December 2022 and was not rebuilt.
Focusing on the golf course, she said the clubhouse is licensed and has nine qualified staff and five excellent groundskeepers, with Kallis Harper as the grounds manager.
Harper is also in his third season in Oxbow, but had worked at the Carlyle Golf Club before he moved closer to Oxbow with his family.
The course becomes quite busy during July and August when the park fills with campers that come to golf, fish and enjoy watersports like boating. McNab said the lake is quite busy with boat traffic throughout the summer.
The nine-hole course offers a men’s league on Thursday evenings and a women’s league on Wednesday nights.
Every second Friday is pairs' night with a nine and dine, best-ball evening. The meal is prepared by McNab, and she loves the opportunity to put her cooking skills to work.
With the amount of rain lately, McNab said the course dries up quickly with the wind from off the lake, but they did have to close early on June 5 due to the extreme wind.
On May 25, they held their first tournament which is a memorial for Trevor Spearing, who passed away in 2022. This will become an annual event and this year brought 112 golfers.
On June 18, they will hold their annual seniors' tournament, which is well attended, and on Aug. 16 they will host the Oilmen’s tournament. On Aug. 20 another tournament is booked for the youths. Both these tournaments see a great turnout.
McNab said the park is a beautiful place and they are lucky to have Trent’s Place in the park to offer people a place to eat.
“It is worth the drive,” said McNab. “The park and golf course offer so much to those that attend.”
