Energy industry event scores high marks with virtual golf and curling combo

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

Shaunavon Standard

The organizers of the first-ever Southwest Energy Industry Virtual Golf and Curling event were thrilled with the outcome of the tournament, which took place during the weekend of March 27-28. Perhaps the only people who enjoyed it more were the participants, who seemed to be having an absolute blast.

“I think, for the first year, things went really well,” reflected Shawn Lingenfelter, a member of the organizing committee. “The participants really enjoyed the round-robin and playoff format, and the inclusion of virtual golf was highly praised. We will definitely build on this success for next year.”

The event marked a departure from previous renditions of the Oilman’s Bonspiel, with the addition of virtual golf introducing an exciting element to the event.

The golf rounds were held at Vanner’s Clubhouse in the upstairs Greenslade Lounge at the Veren Wickenheiser Centre.

The event kicked off on Friday evening and continued through Saturday night. Teams alternated between rounds of golf and curling, earning points through a designated scoring system in each game.

The final saw the teams play four ends of curling and four holes of golf.

In the end, Vanner’s emerged victorious in the A event after a closely contested battle throughout the weekend. The winning team, consisting of Ashley Lind, Wayne Rhodes, Darryl Rhodes, and Dyson Stevenson, defeated Lufkin in the championship finale on Saturday night to take the top spot.

Whitecap Resources won the B event, while Durham Creek took home the C event title.

The organizing committee included Lingenfelter, Gordon Brown, Brett King, and Dyson Stevenson.

This year’s event drew 11 teams, and based on the positive feedback from participants, the organizing group is confident that the new format can attract even more teams next year.