A 40-foot golf tee might sound like a punchline, but in Trochu, Alberta, it's a point of civic pride — and an easy roadside stop if you're driving through central Alberta.

The giant tee landed in town back in 2009, courtesy of ATB Financial's province-wide "Teenormous" contest, which pitted Alberta communities against each other for the oversized statue. Trochu made the final three alongside Marwayne and Camrose, then ran away with the public vote, claiming more than two-thirds of the ballots. ATB formally handed it over on September 30, 2009, and it has stood in town ever since.

You'll find it at the Trochu Golf and Country Club on Devilder Avenue, where it's visible from the highway as you pass through. The site has been landscaped and lit, with a waterfall nearby, so it's worth more than a drive-by honk. The nine-hole public course itself winds through natural coulees with a creek running through it, and it's open to everyone from April through October.

While the tee is the headline act, Trochu has enough going on to fill an afternoon. The Trochu Arboretum and Gardens on North Road has walking paths threading through more than 3,000 trees, shrubs and flowers — best in the warmer months when it's all in bloom. The Trochu and District Museum covers the town's early French settlement and the history of local grain elevators, with vintage printing equipment and old photos on display. For lunch, the Red Bird Diner on Arena Avenue does burgers, sandwiches, soups and a daily special. And if you want to stretch your legs further, the Centennial Trail runs 2.7 kilometres through town with bridges, benches and historical markers, open all year.

Trochu sits in Kneehill County, roughly 120 kilometres northeast of Calgary and about 140 kilometres south of Edmonton, which makes it an easy detour on a road trip between the two cities — or a side trip if you're already heading out to Drumheller's badlands, which aren't far away.

It's the kind of quirky roadside attraction that rewards travellers who like their holidays with a bit of oddity: snap a photo with a 40-foot tee, play nine holes, wander an arboretum, and grab a diner lunch, all in a town most people would otherwise blow straight past.