Rick's Golf Course Features

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Crowsnest Pass is one of the high mountain passes through the Rocky Mountains in western Canada. It is located very near the Alberta/British Columbia border in the southern part of the two provinces.

The pass itself is essentially a valley running east-west with the Crowsnest River flowing east into Alberta and Summit lake draining out through the Elk River to the west and eventually into the Columbia River.

This area is historically significant because the first transcontinental rail line, the Canadian Pacific, was pushed through the pass in the 1890s as a pre-condition of B.C. entering into the Canadian Confederation.

The Crowsnest Golf Course is actually located in Blairmore, Alberta, just east of the town of Crowsnest Pass on the Alberta side of the border.

The course is open to the public and is situated in a majestic mountain setting about two hours south of Calgary. It doesn't have the same sizzle as you'll find in the big name courses nearer Calgary, but it doesn't have the same high prices either, with green fees in the $45-$50 range.

The golf course website features a very nice shot-by-shot look at the course.

A.G.A. Men's - Green: 73.0/134 - Blue: 71.9/129 - White: 70.0/120
A.L.G.A. Ladies - White: 74.6/132 - Red: 70.

Crowsnest Golf Course
Box 332 10701 - 24th Avenue
Blairmore, Alberta TOK OEO

cnpgcc@shaw.ca

Proshop: 403-562-2776
Fax: 403-562-7725
Maintenance Shop: 403-562-8234

Apr 2, 2007 - The Weekend Golfer >>

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An Introduction To Golf For The Adult Beginner - by Matt Canham

Every day more and more people are taking it up for the first time. I was once a beginning golfer myself and I remember the frustrations of learning the swing and playing well. And that was with a Golf Pro Father.

There are a lot of books and other information products available for established golfers, but not a lot for adults who are brand new to the game. Amongst all the tour talk, long drives and 400cc drivers, it seems beginners are left out.

Golf is a great game providing a lifetime of enjoyment and when you finally achieve a certain level of proficiency, a whole new element of the game appears, ensuring there is always a challenge.

Many schools offer an introductory 4 hour class - usually for around $320 - on the basics of golf, but you are better off to work on those yourself, then pay for lessons when you are comfortable with the basic knowledge. You won't be effective until you have mastered at least the basics, so by doing it at home, by yourself can remove much of the embarrassment that is often felt by...

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Feb 11, 2007 - Linknet Golf >>>

Well, here we are in the deepest part of February '07, and I'm thinking about golf. We're trying to decide whether to head over to Scotland again for a golf holiday this summer, spend a week in Cape Breton at Highlands Links, or make the trek to Alberta to do a little foothills golf.

Alberta has the upper hand at the moment. Judy spent a few years in southern Alberta near the little town of Brocket so if it's Alberta we choose, we'll likely be heading to the southwest corner of the province. That would be south and west of Calgary.

But what about golf in that area of the province? Typically what I do is look for courses that cost less than $100/round, offer afternoon or twilight rates that are about half that, and are therefore usually off the beaten track. That way we stay well away from the crowds and can golf just about every day if we want -- often at some pretty remarkable places.

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That leaves out Banff Springs ($200), but includes some courses in the Canmore, Kananaskis and locations south and west of Calgary such as Bragg Creek and De Winton. That would be the first leg of our trip.

The second would take us further south to Lethbridge, Fort Macleod and Waterton Lakes National Park. I'll be researching possible golf courses in that area very soon.

Nov 23/06 - The Weekend Golfer >>>

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Blue Springs Golf and Country Club in Acton, Ontario, Canada - photos by Aaron Stanger

Here are some photos taken by my nephew, Aaron Stanger, during a round we played back in May at Blue Springs Golf and CC in Acton, Ontario. Blue Springs was my home course for quite a few years, so I know it rather well -- must have played about 500 rounds on this really great course. As you can tell from the photos, it was a foggy day. The entire course was incredibly green due to the large amount of rain we had -- typical of the rest of the year.

Teeing off at No. 1

Looking back at #10 green and fairway. A challenging hole.

#14 is a fairly long par 4.

Aaron at #14 giving it a ride with Big Red.

#15 is a tight, fairly short par 5.

#16 requires a carry of about 180 yards.

#17 is the hole everyone remembers at Blue Springs.

Oct 8/06 - The WEG - This Thanksgiving weekend in Ontario turned out to be one of the nicest long weekends of the entire year, so it was a perfect opportunity to drive down the road to Grey Silo in Waterloo and take some photos. By the time Judy and I got to the course it was just about 5 pm -- not long enough to play a round -- so we decided to just walk as much of the course as we had time for. Grey Silo is a fairly new course -- opened just four or five years ago -- and is owned by the City of Waterloo. So it is spartan when compared to your typical new private or semi-private course these days. But it has a beautiful setting, is nicely designed, and is well-maintained by the muni staff.

Here are some photos taken during our walk...

The Grand River beside hole #2.

See more pics...

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See more golf course features at Golf Travel.

A few days into our Saskatchewan trip last summer (July 2005) we headed up the road towards Saskatoon to play the new golf course called Dakota Dunes. This course is located on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation lands in the impressive sand dunes beside the South Sasktchewan River.

Dakota Dunes was selected by Golf Digest as the best new Canadian course of 2005. I don't know about all the rest of them, but this course is pretty impressive.

Like many new courses being built these days, Dakota Dunes is a "links style" course. This one is the real deal. It has all the regular characteristics of a "modern" links course: hard, fast fairways, long fescue rough, very few water hazards and no trees to get in the way of shot making. There are also very few hazards in front of the greens making it possible (and fun) to run the ball up with your woods or long irons.

See my more extensive review of Dakota Dunes here.

Oct 7/06 - The Weg - Here are some pics from two recent rounds at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario.

Glen Abbey was designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1976 for the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was intended to serve as the more or less permanent home of the Canadian Open, and has in fact hosted that event many times since then. The last Open held at the Abbey was in 2004 when Vijay Singh narrowly won over Mike Weir.

Glen Abbey is now owned by Club Link and who continue to operate it as a public course. The property is also home to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the RCGA headquarters.

October moon over Glen Abbey

Fritz and I played Glencairn near Milton (Ontario) this afternoon (Sunday, October 1/06), and although it was quite cloudy and windy early on, it was a great fall day without any rain. Later in the afternoon the sky turned blue and the sun came out.

Glencairn is a "links" style course with deep pot bunkers, long fescue, and hard, fast fairways. Unfortunately the fairways have been a bit mushy for the last couple of weeks due to the abundant rain we've had during most of September.

The fall colours have not been as spectacular this year as the past few years, but very beautiful nonetheless.

From near the tee deck at #9, Scotch Block

Fall colours at Glencairn

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Sept 20, 06 - Travel Canada - >>>>

This summer (July 06) we headed down to PEI and Cape Breton to play some of the highly rated courses in that neck of the woods.

Our trip included rounds at Rustico Resort, The Links at Crowbush Cove, and Dundarave in PEI, and then over in Cape Breton we played Highlands Links and Bell Bay. See my comments on Bell Bay here.

The highlight was undoubtedly Highlands Links, an older course originally designed and built by Stanley Thompson in the late 1930s.

Highlands Links is in a small town called Ingonish Beach, up on the northwest coast of Cape Breton. We were staying in Baddeck in the central part of the island at the Inverary Resort, and the trip to the golf course was a good hour and a half. Ingonish just happens to be on the famous Cabot Trail, so we took the long way around to catch the scenery -- a trip well worth taking.

I had been hearing and reading about Highlands Links for years, and was well aware that it is rated among the best courses in Canada. In fact, it is usually considered the #1 Public Course in the country. So being sceptical of these ratings, and assuming its ranking was considerably influenced by the Stanley Thompson heritage, I was ready for a disappointment.

Killiecrankie, #7, Par 5 - 570 yards. Highlands Links has what many consider to be among the best set of par 5s in the world.

But I am happy to report there was no disappointment. In fact the opposite is the case. This is among the most interesting, unique, challenging and, dare I say, exhilarating courses I have ever played.

If you appreciate links golf you will find Highlands Links to have all the time-honoured virtues of the great links courses -- minus, perhaps, the wind off the sea and the biting rain in your face.

The course is built on the sea, facing out into the Atlantic, but it is hardly what you would call a "seaside links." Rather than being nestled into the sand dunes, it is carved out of the forest, rocks and hills of a chunk of the Cape Breton Highlands jutting out into the ocean.

It is a true links course because of the hard undulating fairways, the contours that cry out for the run-it-along-the-ground game, and the bump and run approaches to most of the greens.

Indeed these fairways are such a contrast with every other course we played during our trip -- including the highly touted Crowbush Cove -- that I still wonder if my imagination wasn't playing tricks on me.

Take the lumps and bumps, for example, that make every shot an experience. From the shot-making perspective, they make features like the bare rock outcroppings on courses like Rocky Crest and Taboo (in Ontario) downright boring -- mere diversions to avoid. But at Highlands Links the lumpy fairways are an integral part of the playing experience. Stanley Thompson made many of these fairway humps by taking chunks of rock from the surrounding terrain and covering them with soil. The result is nothing short of fantastic.

Perhaps the most outstanding example of the links character of the course is the hole called "Laird", #13, a 435 yard par 4 featuring a massive hump extending all the way down the right side of the fairway until just in front of the green.

#13 from the tee. Bounce your drive down the left side of the hump and you will get maximum distance and end up on the flat area on the left.

There is no way to properly play this hole without making an attempt to negotiate the contour of this giant hump. If you try to run your second shot across the top of the hump onto the green the chances are very good you will end up in the swale to the right. If your drive ends up on the flat area to the left of the hump you may have a chance to bounce it on by trying to avoid the hump all together.

Another outstanding hole is #16 called "Sair Fecht", Gaelic for "Hard Work", because it is a 460 yard uphill par 5 with what is a virtually blind approach shot. The fairway is a mass of those now familiar lumps and bumps. The ball in the picture was my third shot which I made for a birdie. I managed to squeak out a 79 for one of the most memorable rounds of my 11 year golfing career.

Like most "serious" golfers I have played many courses with many interesting, challenging, even outstanding features. But Highlands Links is a one of kind course -- a rarity -- like nothing else. If you ever get to Eastern Canada you absolutely must play this course.

- Story and photos copyright Rick Hendershot 2006. No reproduction without express written permission.

L'ile de Montreal is a 36 hole facility located in Montreal-Est, on the eastern end of the Island of Montreal.

Both courses, South Course and North Course, were designed by Irish golf architect Patrick Ruddy.

The North Course is a more traditional parkland course, par 70, 6603 yards.

The South Course is an Irish style links course and has been the home of the Montreal Open, a stop on the Canadian Tour. It is par 72, 7255 yards from the back tees.

According to the online description:

"You will not forget this spectacular layout. This course, open to all winds, protected by sand traps of the type pot bunker, will challenge the boldest players. Moreover, three double greens, with gigantic dimensions, testify the original character of this course inspired by the origins of the game of golf."

Green fees are quite reasonable.:

North Course: Week - $45, Weekend - $55
South Course: Week - $55, Weekend - $65

info@golf-de-montreal.com
Phone 514.448.6000
Club du Golf de l'Ile de Montreal
3700 rue Damien Gauthier,
Montréal, Qc.
H1A 5S2

Golf Around the World

In the summer of 2001 we had the privilege of visiting the historic course at Machrihanish, near Campbeltown, Scotland.





Campbeltown is located on the east side of the peninsula and near the south end of the Mull of Kintyre which is a long peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea on the west side of Scotland.


To get there you can take the highway from Glasgow. It runs up past Loch Lomond (the usual location of the Scottish Open), and then turns south around through Inverarry and down towards Campbeltown. The trip takes about three hours and is very scenic. There are also ferries that run to the mainland and to various islands.


Machrihanish is located on the west side of the peninsula, and just a bit further to the south. This part of the country was the scene of Irish migrations since the early 3rd century AD, and was occupied by the Vikings on and off for close to 500 years until it was ceded by Norway to Scotland in 1266. So, while it takes a bit of digging, if you are interested in Celtic, Viking, and Scottish history, there are interesting things to be found here.


The Machrihanish Golf Club was designed by Old Tom Morris in the 1870s. Old Tom is supposed to have said of this place..."The Almichty maun hae had gowf in his e'e when he made the place."


So, as you can imagine, the course itself is one of those rare "natural" links courses built by the sea, with only the dunes to protect you from the wind that whips in off the water.


The most famous hole at Machrihanish is the opening hole which requires you to hit your drive over the end of the bay. My first couple of drives ended up short and on the beach. But if I recall correctly, they are playable from down there.


The course is quite intimidating if you are not familiar with the holes. Unlike your typical tree lined and visually defined North American course it is never completely obvious where the fairways are, or what is over the dune that lies between you and the green. My impression was that until you get to know the course there will probably be lots of errant shots and lost balls.





Down the coast even further towards the south is Dunaverty Golf Club near Southend. This is a much shorter course, but an impressive links nevertheless.





Dunaverty is another natural, unspoiled links course with spectacular views over the landscape, Sanda Island to the south, Ailsa Craig and Ayrshire to the east and Northern Ireland to the south west.


Machrihanish Golf Club
Machrihanish

By Campbeltown
Argyll PA28 6PT

Tel: 01586 810 213
Fax: 01586 810 221

E-Mail: secretary@machgolf.com

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After spending a few days at the Moose Mountain region of Saskatchewan, we headed towards Regina to stay the last two days in the Qu'Appelle Valley near the Katepwa Beach Golf Club.



Hole #1, par 5 - 532 yards from the back tees


To reach the course you drive up the hill past a camp ground and RV park. It has a little par 3 course with lots of families and kids enjoying the golfing experience.


Drive a bit further and there is the clubhouse, perched on the hill overlooking the valley where you can see the course spread out before you.


Built on more than 100 acres of land, Katepwa is only a 9 hole course, but doesn't feel like it. The holes have enough variety and tee positions that they don't seem repetitive at all. In fact I found myself wanting to get back to a couple of the more challenging holes to give them another crack.


The middle holes are higher, built on the upper areas of the valley. This makes them more exposed to the elements, and offers great views of Katepwa Lake. The 5th hole is a short but tough par three with an uphill tee shot and a vista that conjures up the Saskatchewan motto "Land of the Living Skies."




Hole #3, par 3, 182 yards from the blacks


Number 7 is another great par 3 - 212 yards -- which I almost managed to birdie the first time around. According to the card, it can also be played as a par 4.



Hole #8, par 4 - 445 from the blues, 474 from the blacks


It is followed up by a challenging par 4 - 474 from the back tees. From the elevated tee you can play your biggest drive to the right side of the fairway and have a shot at running it up with a long iron or 3 wood.


This course is a real gem. If you're ever in the Regina area, and don't mind driving an hour or so, it is worth a visit.


The Course: 9 holes, 3233 yards

Green Fees: $29 for 18 holes
Directions: District of Katepwa, east of Regina, 306-332-6645

website: http://www.katepwabeach.com

During our visit to the Dornoch area of Scotland in 2001 we had the opportunity to explore some of the local points of interest. A trip up the coast to Dunrobin Castle at Golspie, half way to Brora, was well worth it. The falconry exhibition was outstanding.


In the afternoon we played the golf course at Brora, further up the coast another 15 miles or so. It was perfect Scottish golfing weather. The gusty wind was blowing in off the Firth bringing short burst of light rain punctuated by sunny breaks.





This was one of those rounds you never forget. Brora is the only course I've played where neighbouring sheep and cattle are free to roam the links and the greens are fenced off with electrical wire. The course features lots of interesting shots over rugged grazing terrain. A fairly decent round can easily be ruined by a miscalculation at 18. It's a longish par 3 (190) with a huge catchment area in front of the elevated green sitting right up beside the club house. I've been short every time I've played it.


After a thoroughly enjoyable round we visited the dining room in the club house for an early dinner. Then we headed back to Linlithgow to prepare for the next leg of our trip -- our trip out past Loch Lomond and down the Kintyre peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea.


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This is one of my favourite golf courses. We had the privilege of playing this course in the summer of 2004 during an extended visit to the northwest region of Ireland.


Enniscrone is a small town located on the Atlantic Ocean in County Sligo, about 65 km from Sligo town.


There are two courses, the Dunes and the Scurmore. The Dunes is the "flagship" course, set amongst the impressive sand dunes. It plays to 6948 yards from the back tees, 6814 from the whites.




We played the course on a beautiful summer day. As on all links courses, the wind is a major factor, but on this day it was fairly benign. And there are plenty of areas on the course where you are sheltered from the wind by the large dunes.


This is a must-play if you get the chance to visit Ireland. It is less busy than the big name courses. The course itself is just as good as many of the best, and the price is much more reasonable than at the top tier Irish courses. Like most courses in the northwest part of Ireland, green fees (2005) are about 50 euros.


Visit the Enniscrone website.

This course is on every Saskatchewan golf course reviewer's list of courses to play. It is located in south eastern Saskatchewan near the North Dakota borner. It is next to the Raffery Reservoir which gets its water from the Souris, Roughbark and Jewell Rivers.





The course itself is a treeless links style course with large greens and yardages varying from 5672 to 7022 depending on which of the four tees you play. In her list of top 10 Saskatchewan courses to play, Mainprize is listed as the #1 pick among 18 hole courses. She says: "It's my favourite in the whole province. There isn't a tree on it. It's like a British course. It's different every time tyou plan it, depending on how much of a breeze there is."


Doug Mader, Saskatchewan's 1996 senior amateur champion also lists Mainprize as one of his favourites.


Course details:
Gold tees: 7022 yards, slope 136

Green fees: M-T: $20 for 18 holes, F-S: $25 + cart: $22-$26

This is a Stanley Thompson course carved out of the woods of central Saskatchewan. Prince Albert is 75mi north of Saskatoon, and the golf course is in the Prince Albert National Park, another 50 minutes north of Prince Albert. Waskesiu Golf Course was opened in 1935.





This course has the look of a very "traditional" parkland course. Like most of the Stanley Thompson courses I am familiar with it is pretty much a sea of green (at least going by the photos on the website). Reviews on the website are mixed. The course hosts the annual Lobstick Tournaments in June -- one of the oldest continuously running tournaments in Canada.


Course information:


Black tees: 6301 yards, Slope 126

Fees: $36 / 18 holes, + $30 for cart

Grey Silo Golf Course is a new (2002) upscale municipal golf course in Waterloo, Ontario, about two miles from my house. It was originally part of the extensive sports complex built in Waterloo with the aid of RIM (Research in Motion).


According to the web site: "The Grey Silo Golf Course presents golfers with 18 breathtaking holes of championship golf. The links styled course has gained an outstanding reputation and respect from players of all abilities. The Grand River coupled with an unspoiled environment creates a setting for the game that is unprecedented."


I'm not sure the holes are "breathtaking", but they are certainly well designed and fun to play. And yes, like many courses being built these days, it is "links style" course. This means the turf is generally hard and fast (when they let it dry out), the greens are accessible to bump and run shots, and there are not very many trees in play. It's claim to being a "links" course is enhanced by the fact that it is built in the "flats" beside the Grand River.


Course: Back tees: 6532 yards, slope 128, par 71
Rates: M-F: $60, WE: $65, Cart $15

Directions:
Grey Silo Golf Course

2001 University Ave. East
Waterloo, Ontario

N2J 4K4


Golfshop: (519) 880-8181
Toll Free: (866) 366-6696

Fax: (519) 884-7947

Rattlesnake Point Golf Club is part of the Clublink group of "private" clubs. It is located just east of Milton, Ontairo off Hwy. 401 along Hwy. 25 (on the way to Oakville).


The Rattlesnake complex opened somewhere around 2000, and consists of two 18 hole Championship courses called "Copperhead" and "Sidewinder". Many of the holes are "links" style with hard, wide fairways, and large, subtle, perfectly manicured greens that play as true as any I have played (other than maybe Royal Dornoch).


This makes these two courses sound relatively easy, but they are anything but easy. They are sloped 133 (Copperhead) and 130 (Sidewinder), and require a complete range of shots, including a couple of 180 yard carries off the tee, and several tee shots over ravines to the par 3s.


Most members prefer Copperhead because it has a less "links-like" character with a number of parkland holes. Personally I prefer Sidewinder.


The club house at Rattlesnake is a large impressive edifice with an extremely well-stocked pro shop.


For more information check out the Clublink website.


Copperhead: 6,854 yards, slope 133 (blue tees)
Sidewinder: 6,590 yards, slope 130 (blue tees)



(905) 878-6222

Located on the historical Whitecap Dakota First Nation lands at the heights of the South Saskatchewan River Valley Basin, Dakota Dunes Golf Links opened its golf course to the public April 30th, 2004. This 18-hole, full service, natural masterpiece is the Province’s only complete Graham Cooke / Cooke- Carleton designed golf property.


Dakota Dunes Golf Links is laid spaciously throughout natural sand dune formations and the indigenous prairie grasses that surround it's edges. Five tee deck yardages ranging from 5100 to 7300 yards remove the threat of being over-powered by today’s technology. Undulating fairways with large greens will welcome shots of every shape.





Golfers playing on a special day or choosing to make the Dakota Dunes their regular place to play will experience ever-changing beauty and character that this special property has to offer. Flora changes regularly throughout the golf season. Crocuses, cactus flowers, wild roses, yellow violets and more repaint the dune-scapes in the rugged land that frames in this golf course.


Whitecap Dakota First Nation Chief, Darcy Bear, and his Council were instrumental in developing a land use planning study for their designated lands on Reserve for economic development. The idea to build a golf course was born, but Whitecap Dakota First Nation needed partnering as the capital required to undertake a golf course development project was beyond the resources found within the Band.


Dakota Dunes Golf Links is a partnership venture between four First Nation Bands and their economic development corporations. Their purpose is focused on economic growth and in creating financial self sufficiency. The Partnership is also committed to providing an avenue to train, develop and retain First Nation employment.


The host partner is Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Chief Darcy Bear and his Council brokered partnerships to see this development come to life with the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Chief Gilbert Ledoux; the Prince Albert Grand Council, Grand Chief Gary Merasty; and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Chief Harry Cook.


From the onset, the Partnership has chosen to go first rate in its approach to their golf course development. Hiring one of Canada’s best Golf Course Architects in Cooke- Carleton International started the move towards excellence. Graham Cooke and Wayne Carleton are internationally renowned for their design approach and product.


General Inquiries: dakotadunes@dakotadunes.ca
Address: Site 507, Box 70, Rural Route #5, Saskatoon, SK., S7K 3J8


Office - Phone: 306.244.8400

Nestled in the quiet beauty of the Qu'Appelle Valley, the Katepwa Beach Golf Club is one of the most scenic golf courses on the Canadian Prairies. Play the course once and each hole will be vividly imprinted in your memory.


The first two and last two holes have the feel of an inland valley course with teeing areas high above fairways and greens. Many shots are framed against steep, densely treed valley walls; others must be played over rolling fairways, ravines and water.


The middle holes are higher and thus more exposed to the elements, and offer exceptional views of Katepwa Lake. The 5th hole is an intriguing par three with an uphill tee shot and a vista that conjures up the Saskatchewan motto "Land of the Living Skies."


Built on more than 100 acres of land, Katepwa has a very expansive feel. Each hole remains in complete isolation from the others, creating a course that evokes a sense of adventure. It is easily manageable for mid and high handicappers but begs to be attacked by low handicappers.


The Course: 9 holes, 3233 yards
Green Fees: $29 for 18 holes

Directions: District of Katepwa, east of Regina, 306-332-6645

Moonlake Golf and Country Club is 15 minutes southwest of Saskatoon. Built in 1989 it has 27 holes and is "a links, dunes style golf course, reminiscent of the old Scottish design."


As the website says, "The course follows the traditional Scottish Links design with water hazards, heavily mounded fairways and long native grass roughs."


Green fees: M: $27, T-F: $36, WkEnd: $45, Carts: $32 for 2.
Course: 27 holes, gold tees 3453, 3392, 3296. Slope: 130, 123, 123


Contact: 1030 Ave L. South, Saskatoon, SK, S7M 2J5

Tel: 306-382-7787
Website

email: mlgcc.proshop@sasktel.net

Sitting in a 40,000 hectare park on the highest plateau in the southeast, Golf Kenosee is nestled in a forest of poplar, ash, fir and white birch in Moose Mountain Provincial Park.


The 18-hole course was recently named one of the Top 10 courses in Saskatchewan by Doug Sauter, host of the Saskatchewan Golf Tour produced by Access Communications. At 5,483-yards with fairways lined with trees, a premium is put on straight, accurate shots.


Eight kilometres down the road from Golf Kenosee is the recently opened Bearclaw Casino. Moose Mountain's rugged landscape offers many activities in the great outdoors. Attractions include Kenosee Superslides (waterslides), hiking, horseback riding, tennis courts, nature trails, camping and year-round accommodation at the Kenosee Inn. The park is also home to an abundance of wildlife including waterfowl, beaver, muskrat, bald eagles, elk, golden eagles (and moose of course!).


As of May, 2005 the course was undergoing a major reconstruction. This is what the web site says:


"You may have heard that Golf Kenosee is "under construction" and that is true. However the construction project has been designed in such a way as to insure 18 holes of play, with no temporary greens, at all times during the up-grade. (Two entirely new holes were built to enable this.) To date we have 11 new greens, built to USGA specs, two totally new holes carved out of the bush complete with 4 teeboxes and sand bunkers per hole. Several tee-box extensions accommodate the low handicap golfer with forward tees to suite the novice. Come play Golf Kenosee, you'll be impressed."


Golf Course: 5860 yards, par 70, slope 129
Green Fees: $28 week, $30 weekends


Location: 15 minutes north of Carlyle, near White Bear Lake Golf Course.


Accommodation Suggestions


Kenosee Inn Resort Hotel, Box 1300, Carlyle, Sask. SOC ORO, Phone 306-577-2099

One of the top-rated courses in Saskatchewan in the scenic Moose Mountains near Carlyle. The 18-hole championship track is famous for its white silica sand - trucked in from Golden, B.C. - and its white birch forest. This soft spike course opened in 1985 and is part of White Bear Lake Resort located near the shores of White Bear Lake.


At 5,403 yards to 6,723 yards off three sets of tees, the Bear offers a well-treed, full-length course suitable for all levels of golfers. The long challenging fairways, bentgrass greens and the only white silica sand bunkers in southern Saskatchewan combine to give a most enjoyable golf experience. White Bear Lake Golf Course also provides full practice facilities, a driving range and putting green. The log clubhouse contains a lounge, restaurant and pro shop that can cater to individual golfers as well as tournaments.


If you play the Bear, you will want to take in some of the attractions of the Moose Mountains.


Course: 6261, slope 129, par 72
Green Fees: 18 holes: $30 week, $35 weekends + cart


Location: Southeast of Regina and Qu'Apelle, near the Manitoba border. Located on the White Bear First Nations Reservation.

Phone: (800) 577-4902


Accommodation suggestions

Link: http://www.westerngolfmanagement.com/dir_torhill.html

Tor Hill is one of two public municipal courses in Regina. Both are located in King's Park. The other one is Murray Golf Course.


Tor Hill was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1931. If you are familiar with any of the other Stanley Thompson creations (Banff Springs, Jasper, Highlands Links, St. Georges, Capilano, Westmount) then you know what to expect. A traditional park land layout with lots of trees. Unfortunately the website does not have any photos!! If we get there this summer I'll be sure to send them some.


Location: King's Park (take McDonald St. n.e. from Regina)
Scorecard: Back tees

NorthWest - par 72, 6390, slope 122
EastNorth - par 72, 6599, slope 124

WestEast - par 72, 6499, slope 124


Green fees: $30.50 (18 holes), + $29 cart or $3 pull art.

Murray Golf Course is located in Regina Saskatchewan. It was designed in 1928 by Stanley Thompson as a "sister course" to King's Park in Regina (Tor Hill), but did not open until 1950.





Location: King's Park (take McDonald Street n.e. from Regina)
Scorecard: Back tees: par 72, 6,802 yards, slope 115

Green fees: $30.50 + $29 cart or $3 pull cart.

We're considering a trip to southern Saskatchewan this July, so I am cataloguing some of the courses that look interesting. Weyburn Golf Club is located just outside of Weyburn, which is about 50 miles southwest of Regina.





Scorecard: Back tees: par 72, 6515 yards, slope 124
Green fees: (2004) $25 + $25 card or $3 pull cart.



Comments: Claim to have "the best greens in Southern Saskatchewan". Website could use some better photos.

Donegal is located in the extreme northwest corner of Ireland, in the town of Donegal, in the county of (you guessed it) Donegal. I had the privilege of playing about 15 rounds there in July 2004.


This is not one of the top rung courses in Ireland that get all the publicity (and traffic), but it is a great course none the less. In fact in November 2004 it was rated in the top 10 courses in Ireland by Golf World Magazine. The wind is a major factor, and it rained just about every day we were there. The rain comes in spurts off the Atlantic -- 10 or 15 minutes of rain that dries up before you know it.





It is often difficult to find a flat spot on the fairways, and you'll find quite a few blind shots. Even the easy holes are a challenge at Donegal.


The course at Murvagh is 7,160 yards, par 73 and is one of the longest in Europe. It winds its way through 180 acres of sandhills and carefully maintained fairways and greens. The sheltered bay, ensures that the course is playable all year round while the Atlantic Ocean provides weather to make the course a challenge to all golfers.


Lying in the bosom of Donegal Bay, this superb links occupies an elegant peninsula which is backed by the magnificent Blue Stack Mountains. "Hauntingly beautiful and an excellent test of Golf", is how Peter Dobereiner of the English Observer described it. The course is presented in two loops of nine where the fairways wind their way by the Atlantic dunes and the sage-green grasses of the bay. The course suits big hitters of the ball as the ever-present ocean breezes ensure that it plays long and challenging most of the time.


The par 3 fifth is called "The Valley of Tears", and it has proved just that for the golfer short on skill and nerve. Depending on the wind you will need anything from a six iron to 3 wood to reach the green perched out on the dunes.


Course: 7160 yards, par 73 (back tees)
Rates: 50eu in 2004

Contact:
John J. McBride,

Administrator,
Donegal Golf Club,

Murvagh,
Laghey,

Co. Donegal,
Ireland.


Secretary Office

Tel: +353 (0)73 34054
Fax: +353 (0)73 34377


Email : info@donegalgolfclub.ie

Web: www.donegalgolfclub.ie<br />

Blue Springs is one of those courses you can play a hundred times and still look forward to the next time. Located in Acton, Ontario, about 40 minutes from Toronto. Bought by Clublink in the late 90s.



The approach at Hole #7, Blue Springs



The course features lots of water and is a serious walk if you're looking for some exercise. The greens are a bit quirky. Once you get used to the place you'll expect every putt to break no matter how straight it looks. Unlike most Canadian courses built in the late 80's, Blue Springs was not built by Thomas McBroom. No, it was designed by the then-owners of "The Old Hyde House" in Acton. They did a pretty good job for a bunch of amateurs.

Glen Abbey is one of Canada's finest courses, located in Oakville, Ontario about 25 miles from downtown Toronto. Tee times: 1-800-276-9542, Linkline: 1-800-273-5113.

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Public course in Milton, Ontario. We pass this course on the way to Glen Abbey most Saturday mornings during the golf season, and have played it a number of times. Nice course. Not too expensive. 905-319-5991 or 1-866-319-5991. Here is what the course architect says of the course:

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