The clubhouse at the site of the PGA Tour Americas’ ATB Classic went up in flames recently, and firefighters were contending with temperatures of 40 below while battling the blaze.
The Northern Bear Golf Course in Sherwood Park, Alberta, one of just three Jack Nicklaus Signature Courses in Canada, has a deal to host the PGA Tour Americas event through 2025. But the iconic clubhouse at the course — which sits about 40 minutes from downtown Edmonton — caught fire on Saturday morning.
Neighbors saw the structure billowing smoke and called the authorities, who sent numerous emergency vehicles to the scene. But with temps dipping so low and gusts making the wind chill even lower, crews had trouble on-site with frozen pump ports and lines, according to Dana Terry, deputy chief of operations for Strathcona County’s emergency services department.
The course is one of the longest on the PGA Tour Americas schedule and is known for tree-lined fairways, five lakes and huge greens. This year’s ATB Classic is scheduled for June 27-30.
There were no injuries, but the building is a total loss with just the skeletal remains standing in the Alberta cold for the foreseeable future. Temperatures in the region are not expected to get above zero Fahrenheit until Friday.
A message on the club’s Facebook page gave thanks to the crews that fought the fire in such difficult conditions.
“We are all devastated about the loss of our beautiful clubhouse. We are so grateful no one was at the clubhouse and there was no one injured. We want to thank the Strathcona fire department for their work in treacherous weather. Thank you to everyone for their well wishes and we vow to rebuild better than it was before,” the post said.