Peter Semko
Golf (2000)

Peter has been active as a golf professional and course designer since the early 1960s, notably with construction of the Holiday Park course, the redesign of Wildwood course and the launching of his own Greenbryre course in 1979. He also designed six courses near Saskatoon.

Peter was born Oct. 16, 1934, at Glaslyn, moved with his family into Saskatoon when he was six years old.  One of his first attractions to golf was picking balls, which he often did at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

While was attending high school in Saskatoon, hockey became a prime wintertime interest and he played most of four seasons with Charlie McCool's Wesleys and was the team's captain in his final year in the Saskatchewan Junior League.

His early years in golf were spent at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, where he was a caddy for Pat Fletcher, worked in the shops and then, while honing his skills, became an assistant professional.  Peter's friendship with Fletcher grew into an offer to become an assistant professional with Fletcher at the Royal Montreal Club. While he was an assistant in Montreal, Peter had the opportunity to play some winter golf as well at Dunedin, Fla.

A dramatic change in his life occurred in 1960 when he was approached by Alderman Blair Nelson to become associated with the city's development of the Holiday Park course. Peter was seen with Blair Nelson, John McAskill and Len Harvey in the early construction stages of the course.

After working on the redesign of Wildwood, Peter had his own dream. The development process for Greenbryre began early in 1978, the course was ready for play in July 1979, and it has been a challenge, which turned into a lifetime dream for the Semko family.

Peter started junior golf instruction programs at Holiday Park in the early 1960s, continued the city-wide program for 18 years, and maintains a strong interest in the junior program at Greenbryre as well.

His teaching programs have extended to all ages, working often with adult groups and getting great satisfaction in teaching the physically handicapped.

His wife, Sherrill has been a partner right through the Greenbryre venture, and their children, Jay, David and Shauna, also have roles at the club.