By paNOW

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Lobstick tree’s last stand

Sep 2, 2013 | 6:18 AM

Two lucky men got a Tiger Woods-style ovation as they teed off at Waskesiu on the Labour Day long weekend.

They weren’t competing in a tournament, but their swing had special significance to both the golf course and the community of Waskesiu.

They were paying homage to the iconic Lobstick tree. The over 100-year-old black spruce stood tall in the centre of the course’s first fairway since 1935. It was left there when amateur golfer and famed architect Stanley Thompson designed the Waskesiu golf course.

Herb Pinder is quite possibly the only person from the region who has golfed with Thompson. Years ago, Pinder and his wife had dinner with Thompson and his wife after playing a game.“He wanted to know all about Waskesiu and how it was getting along because he had designed the place originally. I think he’d be really proud to see what has happened to his golf course if he was here now.”

Pinder also caddied on the course when the first nine holes of Waskesiu opened in 1935.

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He recalled what the tree, which stood over 50 feet by 2013, looked like back then.

“It would be maybe twice my height, if that much. Ten feet maybe, with the markers on it.”

The markers are what gave the Lobstick tree its name. The branches of the old tree were cut in a specific way to act as a guide for Aboriginals over a century ago.

No one knows why architect Thompson decided to leave the tree in the middle of the fairway, but it’s been a trademark at the course for almost 80 years.

Since then, the course’s signature tournaments have been named after the tree and designed its logo after the Lobstick tree.

However, nothing lives forever and the tree started to look worse and worse over the years.“We knew that the old, original Lobstick tree was going to have to come down because it was dead. So we put a special committee together to have a special day, a tree renewal day. I think with the number of people here today we can sure see the passion and the love people have for Waskesiu,” said the course’s general manager Peter Anholt.

The committee held a fundraiser, which Rob Phillips’ family contributed to so that he could get the last drive towards the old Lobstick tree.

“It was the most-watched shot of my life, without a doubt. I’ve never had so many people watch me swing a club,” said Phillips.

He admits he’s no professional, saying he is a novice golfer at best. But he was happy with his swing.

“Well, I made it past the tree and I stayed in bounds so I thought it was a fantastic shot.”

The golf course and the tree have a special place in Phillips’ past. He has been golfing at the course for over 50 years, and made special mention of his mother, who was sitting in the crowd.

“My family has a long history at Waskesiu and my father’s love of the golf course, it was very meaningful for me to take the last shot.”

The entire community got to join together for a final picture with the Lobstick before it was taken down by chainsaw.One man sat in the bucket of a cherry picker truck and cut each branch off up to the final few feet of the tree.

Finally he cut through the center of the tree as the top of the tree toppled to the ground. Bit by bit the pieces were cut with a chainsaw and pushed to the ground.

Watching the tree go down wasn’t the only entertainment for the hundreds of people who came out. There was also a barbecue lunch and pro shop activities on the practice green.Pinder followed up the new tree’s planting with a ceremonial first drive past the new tree. He fondly recalled the old tree.

“There were times I liked it when I hit the ball over it and there were times when I’d have like to blow it up when I hit the darn thing. So I had a long history of working around that tree, which I got to know rather well.”

He remembers one qualifying round at a medal tournament where he teed the ball off straight into the tree three times before finally getting a drive past it.While the new black spruce tree was planted on Sunday, it will be a while before the branches will be cut to mimic the old Lobstick tree. Its roots need to settle before the chainsaw gets to come out again.

claskowski@panow.com

Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk