Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 24/02) - The Inuvik golf course teed off last week with its first major donation.

Arctic True Value bought the first of what club promoters hope will be nine donations of $10,000 towards the construction of a new golf course.

Club vice-president Arnie Brown doesn't golf himself, but is excited about the new project for the town.

"Everybody's been really, really supportive," Brown said.

Businesses have come forward with donations of labour, electrical and heavy equipment, and even porta potties have spurred on the development of some reclaimed land that was once part of the landfill.

There are 42 people signed up as volunteers on the project.

"That's from contractors to MLAs to just the basic man on the street," Brown said.

The Town of Inuvik is expected to kick in $50,000 they received as part of a land reclamation project.

The course will be nine holes and 2,000 yards, boasting real grass fairways and greens.

"Grass grows better here than any place else with the 24-hour sunshine," Brown said.

The group are looking to pipe irrigation to the greens from a nearby lake, that Brown says will have to be aerated anyway.

"We'll need two pumps automatically, because we have to aerate any standing water," he said.

Rough excavation began last weekend on the course and Brown says they hope the project continues to snowball.

They plan to have the fairways and greens seeded this summer, the driving range built and the pro shop and clubhouse built this summer.

"There are so many resources available at this time, I think this golf course is a done deal," Brown said.

"We hope to be teeing off by the first of August."