Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Arviat (May 26/04) - You can't blame RCMP Const. Sean O'Brien for being a little amazed at how the sport of golf has taken off in Arviat.

At first glance, golf and the Arctic seem to be an unlikely match, but nothing could be further from the truth.

O'Brien says there was only a spark of interest in golf when he first arrived in Arviat two years ago.

However, that spark came from people who wanted to play bad enough to create a little course from outdoor carpeting and flags they were able to pull together.

"That was about where the sport was in the community until Canadian golfer Mike Weir won the Masters tournament," says O'Brien.

"Then, all of a sudden, kids were whacking golf balls all over the hamlet.

"They use proper clubs now, but, back then, it was mostly copper pipe with the end hammered flat."

When O'Brien saw some of the town's older golfers form an association to help develop the game, he sent an application to the Mounted Police Foundation for financial help.

Supporting youth is a top priority within the RCMP, and O'Brien hoped he could secure the money to buy proper clubs.

The association has already purchased two artificial greens, at a cost of about $15,000, which will arrive by barge this summer.

O'Brien says being able to partner with the association was the key to his proposal's success.

"The RCMP can't look after everything.

"We have to be able to drop the funding into a club for it to be properly looked after, and that's what was so important about the Arviat Uvagut Golf Association's involvement with my proposal."

O'Brien became even more motivated to help develop golf among Arviat's youth when a teenager died last year after sniffing propane.

He says having more constructive activities for youth may help steer them away from such self-destructive behaviour.

"The balls and clubs will be purchased by the golf association, which, in turn, will turn them over to the hamlet.

"The kids will then be able to go to the hamlet and sign them out.

"It's great to see the kids enjoying golf and not having to worry so much about them being involved in less-constructive activities."