Golf Course Reviews Archives - THE GOLF PARK

Kings Links by The Sea

Scott McCartney — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 01:23:07 +0000

A GIFT TO GOLF IN METRO VANCOUVER

This Championship Par 72 cozy’s up to Boundary Bay, a lovely little inlet off the Strait of Georgia, and the Pacific Ocean. As you settle in to sashay your first tee ball of the day you can’t help but notice you are in the great wide open – like nowhere else in the lower mainland, you have a 360 degree panorama view of it all. As you feel anything from a one to four club wind blowing you are entirely distracted by the beautiful surrounds. Looking North you’ll see city sky lines and the backdrop of the north shore mountains. Panning east you’ll catch twin prop engine planes gunning hard to take flight from Boundary Bay Airport. You’ll see the continuation of the mountain ranges that seem to only bookend themselves at the glorious site of Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. Now staring South you gaze across the Strait of Georgia at the silhouetted Gulf and San Juan Islands while Vancouver Island backdrops it all. Finally, looking south east you see the unmistakable outcropping of Point Roberts and the sand cliffs of Lily Point Marine Park. With eyes wide open you are witnessing one of the most beautiful panoramas anywhere. Bring your gaze in a little closer and you’ll see you are in one of the most incredible bird habitats in Canada. I have personally been regularly awe struck from the flight of the Great Blue Herron; the majestic hunt of a Northern Harrier, who can hover almost motionless just above the tall fescue as it searches for field mice. I even saw a live catch once. Bald eagles are plenty. I have counted as many as 14 in the same tree, and you get a close up of a nest with two adults just behind the 18^th tee. Most special of all sightings perhaps was a snowy owl chilling out in the bay. Apparently, they migrate South only once every four or five years.

If that’s not enough beauty for you, you now have the golf course to look at. The first thing you’ll notice when getting ready to swing it and ding it is the stunning contrast of green grass fairways against the tall, yellow fescue. You’ll see perfectly pronounced mounding and well-designed bunkers built into the hills in such a way that reveal their existence to the player before taking them on. As you pour into the course, you’ll get large, reflective ponds which, on a calm day will perfectly mirror the seemingly endless sky. You’ll get more intriguing vistas of the Strait and the Islands, and you’ll see strategic aiming trees sitting lonely atop mounds, wind-swept as they lye exposed to the elements.

Do you actually play golf at this course or just stare at stuff? Well, yes, golf is played here. I must preface that before coming to Kings Links I never thought I would feel as embraced by the love that golf can offer as I had when playing Peace Portal or other tree-lined golf courses, especially during twilight hours, as the sun is setting. But Alas! Early morning or late into the evening, this is the place where I call home for playing golf, and I’ll tell you why. Aside from all that I have mentioned, you can show up to the course any given day and it can be playing one of a thousand different ways. You see, depending on which way the wind is blowing and at what strength, the course can already be playing a variety of different ways but, add in the fact that these green complexes are freaking awesome and have 3 or 4 distinct pin locations defined by exquisite mounding on each hole, then what you get is a course playing hundreds of different ways. But!!! If you add in the season, you’ll get anywhere from 1 yard of roll out to 40 yards of roll out on a 7 iron!! And now, what you are looking at is a course that plays thousands of different ways. I’m not even going to add on what we are looking at when you have to consider whether you are going to land your 7 iron, with 40 yards of roll out, into an upslope or downslope, into the wind, or down wind. What trajectory should you try and hit this shot? High? Low? Can you draw it? Can you fade it? If you can, it might help! The course will never never never bore me. You don’t have the luxury of working on the mechanics of your swing out here, which is a blessing, because all you are trying to do is navigate. Consider the elements, be aware of the danger, and navigate. To most golfers that might mean just putting your foot on the gas and white-knuckling it until you get back to their world-class patio and clubhouse for a well-earned coca cola, but to the golfer who embraces the nothing-less-than-spiritual experience of Kings you’ll be best served to embrace the challenges, smile at the risk and swing as freely as you can regardless of consequence. Feel the wind, breathe deeply and experience nature at its finest – allow golf to be secondary to your experience and the day will treat you right.

Legend has it that Bob Ahoy, the original owner of the course did the entire design. They say he worked the machines to shape the course before the zoning was even approved. At first, I didn’t believe it, it HAD to be a professional design – every single mound and slope is so well thought out its absurd. The routing is brilliant and the holes are all distinct – there isn’t a “throw away” hole on the course. And the par 5’s! All “gettable” for the lowish handicapper, but not if you swipe at one – you have to hit it on the screws. So, back to the design; I have resolved to believe that perhaps it had to be Mr. Ahoy himself all along as only the person with the land, the vision, and the time to spend could have thought this course through so much as to have it end up the way it did. It must have come from deep inside the mind of the man and expressed perfectly into this physical reality we now call Kings Links. Thank you Mr. Ahoy for this gift to golf.

Lastly, I have to make mention that the reason it is what it is today is because of the love that is poured into it from the Newell Family. Brad and Maria have made every decision based on the value of the golf experience. They have supported the vision of golf course superintendent Mike Kiener in making well thought-out adjustments to the course in regard to design, maintenance, and playability. They added all measure of drainage and sanding protocol to have the course play well in the shoulder seasons and they all agreed on the addition of a 15,000 square foot putting green complete with gnarly mounding and fun backstops to make the all-important putting contest a reason to visit all on its own. Head in and say hi to the amazing shop staff- Mike White and Co. And finish it off with a meal and a beverage in what is one of the best kitchens in town.

All around, I rate this course five stars on the “Why Wouldn’t Ya” scale.

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Bowen Island Golf Club

Scott McCartney — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 19:47:37 +0000

9 HOLES OF GOLF HEAVEN

We ferried into Snug Cove on Bowen Island, and it felt like something out of a storybook. A perfect little harbour, marina and shops, with treed mountains tumbling down on three sides. The Village near the harbour had infinite character and it was noticeably clean and well kept. The feeling was warm and inviting. As we meandered toward the golf course we quickly realized that the speed limit was about 10km per hour under the posted sign. My three buddies and I were chicken-necking back and forth trying to catch glimpses of all the unique houses and properties, each with their own wild terrain and landscape. I felt my shoulders relax and my heart rate mellow as my friend Paul announces passionately, “Bowen is Bitchin’!”. We laughed that maybe this should be the welcome slogan as you come onto the Island.

As we approached the course, we found ourselves driving through the trees on a gravel road with glimpses of the 1^st and 9^th hole adjacent. My honest thought was that Magnolia Lane at Augusta National couldn’t possibly measure up to this approach. I find my way into the small pro shop and there are two beautiful dogs on leashes just hanging out with their owners. One of the two dogs was about to head off onto the golf course with his owner for their 11:15 starting time. That’s right, dogs are allowed on the golf course! Brilliant!

As I exited the shop and stood admiring the beautiful terrain and the view of Howe Sound, Bowen Island was quickly becoming a special place in my mind. And, to add to the relaxed feel, tee times were 15 minutes apart. This really made me smile because I know that 15-minute spaces between times makes it feel like the course is all yours. Rarely will you catch the group ahead of you or be caught, especially over 9 holes.

Off we went. Gorgeous rolling terrain, grass that was lush and thriving, beautifully treed fairways, and inspiring nature walks through BC rainforest between holes. To quote my youngest daughter when she had one of those moments where you feel life can’t get any better, “I just feel like I’m….in place”.

Allow me to nerd out on two aspects of the design I found to be remarkable. One thing I noticed was that for a 9-hole course, I think I hit about every club in my bag. I had quite a few difficult long iron shots, a couple opportunities with wedges in my hand and everything in between. There were plenty of risk/reward opportunities off the tee and, if played well, the opportunity to get to the par fives in two. In golf design I believe this would mean that the course designer, Russ Olsen, created a course with outstanding “shot values”. The second major detail that I was wildly impressed by were the golf green complexes. As someone who studies, practices, and loves the art of golf green design, these greens were fun, fun, fun. There was steep mounding and slopes which helped highlight 2 to 4 distinct portions of the golf green to place the pin, each with its own level of difficulty. Knowing where not to miss these greens would be a distinct advantage. The greens wern’t very large but they were highly interesting and visually pleasing.

It is a course that could take many rounds to learn how to play it best. This, in my opinion, shows the strength of the course. The design, the challenge, the dogs, the tee time spacing, all of it adds up to an amazing experience. There are few courses that I could say I would want to hang my hat on and play every day, but this is one of them. I think too that the 9-hole layout is a big plus for me. For some reason, I find 9 holes to be more and more in line with the kind of golf I like to play. This was a somewhat challenging walk, but I felt strong after 9 holes, it left me in a good mood and wanting to come back again another day. 18 holes might have burned me out or it may have made my experience a little different. Perhaps I would have been less appreciative of the nature, the vistas, the shot values, etcetera. 9 holes of golf is perfectly in line with the pace and peacefulness of the Bowen Island experience.

As we finished a post round drink and appy we walked out onto the large practice green. It so happened that we would have to walk across the length of it to get to the car so of course we took the opportunity to have a long-putt contest. After I missed, our buddy Paul stepped up and made a 93 foot putt!!! If you don’t know what 93’ looks like go outside and take 31 big steps in one direction. What are the odds!? What a perfect send-off to a perfect day.

As we missed our ferry, we praised the golf gods as this gave us ample time to explore the Village and have what I think might have been the world’s finest fish n’ chips at Doc Morgan’s Pub. We explored the marina and the shops, and our friend Dennis recalled memories of weekends at the Marina growing up, as his dad moored a boat there for a time. Dennis has been many places, but he proudly states that Bowen Island is his “favorite place on Earth” to which I cannot argue as it is all too well known that at the deepest level of expression, we all would agree, unequivocally, Bowen is Bitchin!

Shout out to the three best golf buds a guy could have. Dennis, Paul, Cory and I have been on some beauty golf roadies together and I hope that health and circumstance allow us more opportunities to explore this amazing game together.

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Golf in the Park

Scott McCartney — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:06:21 +0000

How North Vancouver set the precedence for fitting golf into their community at Sam Walker Park

Mayor Darrell Mussatto and Parks Manager Dave Turner putt at Sam Walker Park

One resident had the idea to bring golf to this small park in North Vancouver. It was a space in the park that was seldom used because of the slope of the hill and the shade that it gets. But, with the advantages of synthetic turf in a situation like this, it would be all too possible to create a golf green that fills the space in a way that would look like the park was designed around it. The Mayor at the time, Darrell Mussatto, liked the idea. The “said resident” had a petition signed by neighbors and took it to a council meeting some weeks later. She made a harrowing case for golf in the community, the Council was all on board, they fast tracked the project, and away we go, we now have golf in a small park in North Vancouver.

Mr. Mussatto put his Section Parks Manager and student of golf course architecture, Dave Turner, on the job to lead the project. This project was Mr. Turner’s as much as anyone as he knows what it means to kids to be able to try golf for the first time. Golf can be a meaningful experience that has the capacity to change ones life, as it did his. Mr. Turner did an excellent job of negotiating the sloping terrain with a living retaining wall, utilizing the City’s own resources to do the brunt of the base preparations and finally searching out and hiring the most qualified firm to be able to create what he envisioned for the project : )

Me testing out the installation with rhododendrons in bloom

The golf green turned out to be a great success. As Mr. Turner, Mr. Mussatto and I have all witnessed, the golf green remains busy daily. There will be mother and child relaxing, workers having a contest on their lunch break and even husband and wife settling disputes on the putting green. That’s right, when I ran into one of the neighbors on a routine visit to the park, she told me that her whole family uses the golf green almost every day. She also mentioned that her and her husband settle their arguments in a good old-fashioned putt-off. Amazing!

People enjoying the new green

The community members who were opposed at first are now on board and see the delight that has come from this simple park addition, the coffee shop across the street has set out a bin of putters and balls to be used by anyone at any time, and over 5 years after the installation, the green is still doing well.

Putter bin at the neighbouring coffee shop – free to use.

A usable surface throughout drought season

And now, as we have seen the proof of concept first-hand, we can use this example as a spring board to inspire other communities to do the same. For relatively low cost, and a very manageable maintenance practice, a golf green in your local park is the perfect addition. If people, especially kids, can ride their bike to the park and try golf like they can with almost all other sports, well, I for one would think that is pretty special.

Golf is Canada’s most popular sport year over year. Imagine what we can do with this game if we just find ways to scale it down for everyone to enjoy!

Please read more about the Sam Walker Park project in this British Columbia Golf Article (exerpt below)

“young kids through to seniors living nearby all love coming out to the green. Mussatto believes these types of projects work really well in high-density areas of the city where most people do not have backyards. People can come out of their apartments, have their own little putter and ball and go. These are things that don’t take up a lot of space, they have a high utility, and not a lot of cost. They check all the boxes of what you want to see in the community.“

Blending colour, texture, and fibre height to complement natural grasses grown on the West Coast of British Columbia.

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Meridian Par 3

Scott McCartney — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 00:27:32 +0000

A WALK THROUGH PARADISE

You have heard about the allure of walking the fairways at Augusta National or the feeling you get while driving down Magnolia Lane – that special sense of being somewhere that nature is holding you in her arms – Meridian Par 3 delivers that feeling every time you walk it. Meridian for me holds great memories, is an expression of fun in nature and is one of the most beautiful properties I have ever seen.

The characteristics of the land are as good as anything I have seen in golf.

My long-standing love affair with Meridian began when I moved to White Rock from Moose Jaw when I was 10 years old. It was the closest golf course to me, and the only one that fit our budget at the time. The 125-yard first hole (original and best layout in my opinion) was viewed from an elevated tee, played over a meandering creek to a simple green with a tall hill in the background, decorated with towering cedar trees (the site of the 17^th green now). It was entirely spectacular. When I was first starting to play here it took a full unleashed 5-wood for me to get home on that puppy, and did it feel great the first time I cleared the creek! For a time, that is all the first shot was for me, the opportunity to get over the creek in one shot. As time passed, the shot evolved into a perfect, full pitching wedge. I played most of my golf here when I was young, trying to get better with every round.

What I see in Meridian, and the way it has always been, is a fun and safe place for people to go play in nature. It is a true course for everyone. Beginners, Seniors, Juniors, Professional Golfers – everyone. You can play in your flip flops, you can bring some music and you can relax and enjoy yourself, or you can lock-in and try and shoot your best score. The experience is great whatever your mindset might be.

At Meridian you don’t mind waiting for the green to clear. What’s the rush really…

Like all great golf courses, the play of golf is secondary to the beauty of your surroundings, and that is Meridians strongest feature. Towering trees, rolling hills and a picturesque, meandering creek embrace you while thick forest surrounds the property. You are held in its beauty. Occasionally, when the evening hits and the light is right, I get a sense of perfection, like life can’t get any better. A few times now, the moon has been hanging in the blue sky as a warm summer evening approaches and, seeing it, I feel as though I’m in space or on another planet, or even golfing in the heavens. This land is special in a way that this blog post doesn’t describe – It tells a story and creates a feeling of love and welcomeness. It is a true gift to our community, and I hope it stays here for a thousand years.

Simple. Perfection.

I have three specific, very fond memories of playing here. Long ago, when I was 12, I won the Meridian Junior Championship and still have my name on an old well ignored plaque somewhere in the clubhouse. Meridian was also home to the best shot I ever hit. What is now the 4^th hole – uphill to a plateau green that drops off hard on the right and is protected front left by an imposing 150 year old maple tree. I hit a hard 8 iron that cut about one yard left to right and came down right online. You couldn’t see the cup from the tee, but I heard the faintest “tick” after the ball came down and I had a feeling I dunked it. When I walked up there was a ball mark 2″ in front of the cup but no ball in sight! It was an Ace! Another great memory was always buying a coke either at the turn or after the round. A simple memory of being a boy and drinking a Coke.

I recommend you grab three of your very best friends and go spend a few hours here. Find my plaque, hit some shots, have a Coke, and avoid hitting your ball in the creek but don’t avoid admiring its beauty.

P.S. Thank you to Cindy and her family for putting so many years of love and attention into the course. Your dedication to the course and community will forever be appreciated. As Ownership changes hands now, I wish the new people every success and I for one will continue to support you as best as I can.

Cindy on crowd control during Covid golf boom. “No fivesomes!!”

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Queen Elizabeth Park Pitch n’ Putt

Scott McCartney — Sat, 10 Sep 2022 17:34:01 +0000

A WALK IN THE PARK

I had an opportunity to play Queen Elizabeth Pitch n’ Putt today for the first time and it gave me that giddy, butterfly, excited feeling like when you’re a kid going somewhere fun. Basically, I was a kid again today. There is something about the modest little kiosks at these pitch n’ putts, the ones where you pay through the window and kink your neck to see what kind of chocolate bars and snacks they have on offer behind the counter, that brings up this feeling, for me.

That excitement seemed to sustain itself throughout the round today. One reason might be that I hadn’t played in a while and had a new “swing theory” to test out. The other was that I played as a single and this meant I could hit a couple balls off the tee and practice my chipping as I went along. Oh, and I was catching a Canadians baseball game afterward with an old friend. Oh, and I drove Norabel (my old convertible Chrysler LeBaron) to the course today. Oh, and it was a perfect 25° day. Happiness was tee’d up high today my friend.

I birdied the first hole with both balls. Nice start! I played the first round with a new used putter I bought off a friend (usually a mistake). It didn’t take long before I ran into a beginner foursome, which is totally great to see. I am a low handicap golfer playing as a single so I know to be as patient as I need to be and let time just do its thing out there. A nice couple caught me on the the 5^th tee. They were originally from Germany and mentioned “back home” they make you pass a test before they let you onto the course. You need to understand etiquette and take a lesson before trying the game. My initial thought was that this would be a huge barrier to entry for new golfers, but then I recalled an entirely amazing program posted on the window of the kiosk. Fraserview Academy has a “Get Golf Ready – Par 3 League” program they are running from August to mid-October that covers skill development in interested golfers, and it’s only $30!! Why wouldn’t ya?! What an offer!! Probably best that learning the ins and outs of the game be a voluntary endeavor.

There was a lot I admired about the course today. It was in the middle of a beautiful park setting surrounded by other activities like disc golf, tennis, walking and riding bikes. The course meandered brilliantly in every direction and utilized strategic interest from the effect of being on a significant hillside. The fairways were dried out so you could anticipate fun bounces or could try playing the “ground game” (with the ball hit low to run along the ground), and the fully grown trees were a brilliant place to plant your gaze or grab some shade.

I thought the course was fantastic. It had a good mix of yardages, the greens were in good condition and the teeing areas were level with mostly new mats. The thing I think I loved most about the course today though were the dry fairways. I love, love, love the philosophy of not watering when it’s not required. The days of Augusta National Golf Course being the benchmark for how a golf course should be kept are long gone. In the modern game we all know that water conservation is sexy and that golden brown fairways contrast spectacularly with the deep green of the trees, bushes, and the golf greens. I personally love the textural complement of taller fescue grasses grown into places that balls don’t often go. The tall wispy grass moves in the wind and adds a third grass height to the playing area. Fun.

I played over my head today, I think. I got on a run and had it under par but blew it coming home. I needed to birdie the 18^th hole but when I got there it was closed! I failed to read the sign or acknowledge the discount they gave me for this little inconvenience. But I still needed a birdie to finish even par and had only played 17 holes so I pleaded my case to Natalia in the kiosk. Instead of shutting me down, she surveyed the area, saw nobody was on the first hole and told me “If you’re quick you can play the first hole one more time”. Natalia, you are the greatest! The birdie roll took a peek inside the cup but in the end the golf Gods just teased me and the ball stayed out.

Some of you may ask, “how did you keep a score whilst playing two balls?” True, this is somewhat unofficial, but I always played and kept score with the first shot on each hole. I also missed 4 putts within 3 feet which makes me kind of wonder if my friend has a return policy on this putter…

Either way, it was a day of magic at Queen Elizabeth Park. I’m stoked to do an official tour of the pitch n putt courses through Metro Vancouver. There are a few beauties out there and a couple more that I haven’t played yet. I’ve been around golf most of my life and I see the game trending this way, toward the smaller game – less time, less money and much less intimidating than the larger, more recognized game. I want to understand it better. I want to make golf a game that everyone can enjoy. So thank you QE and Vancouver Parks for getting me started on my pitch n putt quest!

More to follow…

Lastly, I have to mention I am stoked to see The First Tee program running in Vancouver. Golf Canada and others are working hard to launch this program in Canada and I’m proud to say I took the NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) through Golf Canada and the PGA of BC to become a Certified Community Golf Coach. So, any local courses running The First Tee Program please let me know if you need a volunteer because I would love to help out!!

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Top Golf

Scott McCartney — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 18:42:18 +0000

GOLF DIFFERENTLY

As usual I’m late to the game as I attempt to write about Top Golf several years after it has hit the mainstream. I just happened to be in Ohio, doing my Ohio thing, and from my hotel parking lot I saw poles and nets that shot up high into the night sky, almost disappearing into the clouds from my perspective. Immediately I thought driving range but, as my mind calibrated the ridiculous height, I thought…Top Golf! For what else could it be!?

I checked in to my room, did a little bag toss onto the bed, and a quick Google search. Yup, Top Golf. I GPS’d it and it is a 3-minute drive. 3 minutes later I stood below the great and mighty poles. Telescoping poles one hundred feet high. I’m in awe as I stone-gaze 3 levels of hitting bays, 34 stalls to each level, and flood lights too many to count. It was busy! I had to park perpendicular to the 175 yard marker making it quite a walk from the truck. I figured it takes less time to walk my kids to school than it did for me to get to the counter but, I was buzzin’, floatin’, ready to lay eyes on it. I was a Top Golf virgin about to understand firsthand what everyone before already knew.

There were four employees at the counter. Who should I make eye contact with, I wondered? Someone speaks. “Hello”, they say. “Hi”, I reply. I stumbled through the chit chat until I understood everything. It’s half price Tuesday. That’s nice! There is a 2 hour wait for the top level, a 40-minute wait for the second level, but they can get me on the first level right away. The top deck certainly hosts’ the best views, making it easier to see all the targets, but I’m not fussy, down I’ll go.

Scott, the range attendant is there to greet me. Cool! He kindly shows me what is what with the machine and the screen, points out a couple of games I should try, shows me where the clubs are, then introduces me to my waitress. This is all too cool. I quiz Scott on a few things. He tells me that the clubs are made by Callaway and that they are a big investor in Top Golf. He tells me the facility is 4 years old and then hits me with a mega fact bomb that Top Golf employs almost 300 people at that one location! I couldn’t believe it but then I looked around and I notice it – food and beverage craziness. To my dismay I realized that golf was not everyone’s primary objective here. Aghast, I nervously tried to limber up a little while looking around. There were many people not even hitting balls, or they were at least taking their sweet time while they finish a fry or bury a beverage. Okay, okay, I get it. So, I order a beverage to try and blend in. Nobody knows I’m a golf junkie with a habit to feed! Stay cool, McCartney.

The golf was interesting and new. There were microchips in the balls and big, brightly coloured, lit up targets out on the range. Hit the target and earn the points. Extra points the closer to the middle of the target you are, and even more points when you get the targets farther out on the range. Okay, cool, I understand.

I had fun blasting balls and racking up points for an hour. I had nobody to play against so that was kind of lame as it didn’t register as just practice either. I understand it is more of a place to go for date night or the hot spot for a business lunch when your team is trying to get the creative juices flowing. It has a high energy atmosphere and allows the all too important release of energy that many other entertainment platforms can’t match.

I’m glad I took advantage of the opportunity and gave it a whirl. If there was one down the street from me, I’m not too sure how often I’d go but I’m cheap and have young kids and a wife, so my pleasure comes from 8 hours of sleep. But, if I were younger, wealthier, or in a business that thrived off a good old-fashioned meeting of the minds, then this might be more suited to me. I would however like to say thank you to Top Golf for breaking the mold, taking a chance, and bringing golf to more beginners than anyone likely ever has, all while making the game super fun and giving it that cool image that it so rightly deserves.

Thank you, Top Golf, for a fun experience and for growing the game I love.

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Hillcrest Golf & Curling Club

Scott McCartney — Fri, 28 May 2021 10:37:45 +0000

I was born and raised, up until 10 years old, in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Hillcrest was one of two golf courses in town (the one that didn’t have oil sand greens to putt on). Soon after my Grandpa Hank took me out to the fields to try swinging the golf club for the first time, we both recognized that the game was fun for me. Between my interest in golf and the amount of balls we lost down gopher holes, we just had to move on to a real course.

I remember vividly my walk from the parking lot to the proshop – Grandpa wanted to show me around the place. The smell of fresh cut grass and the pronounced sound of metal golf cleats crunching aggressively on the pavement from golfers passing by was as clear and definite as the perfection of the day. My Grandpa asked me to wait outside while he went into the proshop only to come out a few minutes later with the head teaching professional. He mentioned hearing I have an interest in the game and, if I would allow him, he would like to teach me a proper golf grip. From what I recall he may have shown me a few variations but I only ever remember going straight to the interlock grip. Perhaps it was his encouragement or maybe it just felt best, but that was and always has been the grip for me (and Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods…just sayin’).

And that’s where it all began.

My Grandma Jean, Grandma Verna, and Grandpa Hank took me out for my first round not too many days after that lesson. I recall being very nervous. I was bunkered green-side at the first hole and skulled one out of there so hard and directly at Grandma Vernas head. Oh man, lucky for me she went full Matrix and dodged the bullet. It took me a while to settle in to the round but my family was supportive. For the rest of the summer I beat balls down at Hooks N’ Slices, trying to hone my game. The driving range helped. The next time out with Grandma Verna, off the first tee, we both agreed I was safe to go and my ball sailed with a one hop past the group in front of us. We both went into a bit of shock – we then realized nobody was hit and we went into a mutual full belly laugh. I piped a drive and there was no looking back.

As that summer ended we moved out West to White Rock, BC where I would have to find a new way to play the game I loved but that summer of ’89 in Moose Jaw was two rounds of golf and a hundred buckets of balls – I was hooked.

As for Hillcrest, the course itself is pretty with several interesting shots. It is one of the few places in the town that has fairly significant elevation change as you play in, out, through and beside what I would describe as a large gully. The land isn’t huge so some of the holes are close to one another but what I find most charming is the trees they planted 100 years ago are now quite large and when they have their fullest foliage it is an absolute treat to try and rip a drive on a 400 yard par 4 without the luxury of being able to hit a 15 yard draw or fade, or push or pull. A great place to practice a fearless mindset as you have no choice but to split the middle. There are really only a few holes like that, and the course as a whole is a beauty!

Thank you to my loving Grandparents for taking the time to get me started in this great game. Rest in peace until we meet again.

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