A Sundre resident was one of two Albertans recently inducted into the Alberta Golf Association's 2017 Hall of Fame.
Les Swelin was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award alongside Calgary resident Martin Blake during a ceremony held Wednesday, May 17 at the Sundre Golf Course.
"He's been, I would say, one of the best leaders that the association has had," said Jack Lane, the association's director of business development.
"He's a longtime volunteer with Alberta Golf."
Over the years, Swelin, a past president of the association who joined the board in the fall of 1989, has volunteered his time as a rules official as well as a tournament chair, and he has also been heavily involved in promoting and growing junior golf in the province, he said.
"His early contributions were in junior golf. He quickly became the chair of the junior committee and with his fellow members truly modernized the provincial junior golf program. New camps, tournaments and team events would soon be producing elite golf talent never before seen in Alberta," said a press release prepared by the association.
"His voice of reason, calm demeanor and reach for high standards of excellence helped set the course for amateur golf for three decades."
His efforts to foster excellence among junior golfers in the province culminated in 2002, when players who started their junior careers under Swelin's leadership went on to win for the first, and only time to date, the Junior America's Cup team championship.
Being inducted into the hall of fame and recognized with other upstanding individuals was great, Swelin told the Round Up.
"It was a special evening for sure."
Once a member of the committee that introduced the provincial golf association's hall of fame in 2005, Swelin never particularly imagined one day actually being inducted himself.
"We just thought we needed a hall of fame dedicated strictly to amateur golf in Alberta."
The avid golf enthusiast said he loves the challenge of the sport.
"I tell people it's an easy game to play, but difficult to play well. Anybody can play, but it's very difficult to play at a high level."
Putting is among the greatest challenges for any golfer, and Swelin confessed occasionally enjoying spending time practising on some mini-golf courses with his grandchildren.
But balancing one's emotions on the fairways can also be an uphill battle.
"To be a good player, you have to level your emotions."
Refraining from getting overconfident is as important as being sure not to get stuck in a rut of frustration. Just like the rest of the world, golf has its ups and downs, he said, adding one's mental approach to the game also translates to daily life.
The association's hall of fame has a total of 34 members that have been recognized as players and builders, including volunteers who have gotten involved over the years, Lane said.
"Alberta Golf owes a great deal of gratitude to the vast array of volunteers that have propelled the game forward to such popularity over the past 30 years," the press release said.
"But at the front of the wave are captains of industry such as Les Swelin. He stands apart for his energy, enthusiasm, longevity and leadership."
During his address to the crowd that gathered for the ceremony at the Sundre Golf Club, Swelin teasingly cautioned people they might end up wanting to move to town after playing the local courses.
"We're really lucky to have these courses, that's for sure," he told the Round Up, referring to the Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort as well as the Sundre Golf Club.
"To have two quality courses in one relatively small town, that's quite exceptional," he said.
"I'm not aware of any other place in the province that has that."
