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Win a round at Long Creek Golf & Country!
It's a favorite Regina district course, an 18 hole challenging track meandering through a beautiful prairie river valley. On the 19th hole, find a a great clubhouse facilities and friendly staff. All this without emptying your wallet. Win one of two rounds at Long Creek Golf and Country Club near Avonlea. MORE >>
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Graphite mine discovered
Steven Clarke, the graphite mine coordinator for Balantyne Cree Nation in Southend, Sask., confirms that one of the biggest graphite discoveries in the world has been discovered near the northeastern community. Graphite is used for pencils, fishing rods, but most importantly, golf clubs. Southend is accessible via an all-season gravel road 222 km northeast of La Ronge. The community of Southend is currently trying to secure partners to develop the mine.
Around Saskatchewan links...
Jeff Gross, formerly the manager at Saskatchewan Landing Golf Resort, is the new general manager of Elmwood Golf Course in Swift Current... Ken Skibstad of Calgary is the new manager of Saskatchewan Landing Golf Resort just north of Swift Current... While Sask Sports didn’t choose Lindsay Bernakevitch of Regina as 2003 Male Athlete of the Year, golfers around the province had picked the striker for his stellar year on the links. But by the time the votes were counted he had lost out to Simon Bairu of Regina who won his second straight Canadian men’s senior cross-country championship. Bernakevitch won the Saskatchewan amateur championship, two other Canadian tournaments before posting four top-10 finishes at international events... Jamie Windjack of York Lake Golf Course in Yorkton has been appointed the new pro at the Wilows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon...
New club needed
QUESTION: It gets a little windy in this part of the country so thought I'd buy a driving iron for my arsenal. If I can find one with a double edged surface can I use it left-handed next time I'm against a tree or something - would it be legal to use?
ANSWER: A club other than a putter may only have one striking face
GOT A QUESTION?Send us your rules question and we'll post it within a week.
MORE >>
Tiger Wood roars again
SaskGolfer.com viewers, click on the image of Tiger and his sidekick head cover, this video is hilarious and will soon be on TV. Enjoy!
Annual course roundup
There are 250 courses in Saskatchewan and counting. During the last several years there have been an unprecedented number of golf courses that have been expanded, upgraded or created such as Perdue, Saskatchewan Landing, Tor Hill, Dakota Dunes, Elk Ridge and Moose Creek. Stay tuned next month - new editorial goes up May 1st - for the latest.
Amen corner
Two golfers were sitting at the 19th hole discussing their games this spring when one says to the other, "My game is so bad this year I had to have my ball retriever regripped !"
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Dakota Dunes launches track
In less than a year, Whitecap Dakota First Nation near Saskatoon has changed a sandy wasteland into a $4-million Saskatchewan "links-style" golf course which takes advantage of the natural landscape. The rolling dunes that once posed a barrier to economic development are now covered by sprawling fairways and a smattering of well-manicured greens. The dessert-like terrain is now confined to a string of well-placed sand traps that only pose a challenge to golfers.
There's still work to do before the 18-hole Dakota Dunes Golf and Country Club is fully operational this spring, but band officials are pleased with the progress and excited about the future. "The pieces are falling into place," Chief Darcy Bear says. "Sometimes you've got to take chances in the hope that it will lead you down that golden path."
A major and somewhat unexpected piece of the puzzle was the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority's (SIGA) announcement to make Whitecap Dakota home of Saskatchewan's fifth First Nation-run casino. Dakota Dunes was originally envisioned as the anchor for a modest 54-room hotel/convention centre and spa that would link into many other developments, such as a confectionery, RV park and an industrial park.
But since SIGA's announced plans for a $45-million casino project, band officials have been busy updating their economic development plans and talking to federal government officials about expanding their infrastructure. "Infrastructure will be a key issue," Chief Bear says, adding he's confident the First Nation can overcome any challenges by working in partnership with others.
As for the golf course, Whitecap is drawing upon the financial support and business savvy of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation * two First Nations with extensive business experience. "A lot has to do with maintaining a positive attitude, building good relationships and sound partnerships," Chief Bear says. "We can't work in isolation."
The golf course currently employees 13 people, most of whom make up the grounds crew that has been working throughout the summer. General Manager Ron Erikson says the First Nation couldn't have picked a better year in 2003 to seed and establish the 18-hole, links-designed course and driving range.
"In my 24 years in this business in Saskatchewan, this has surpassed my wildest expectations," Erikson says. "We are absolutely thrilled with the way things have turned out." He says the hot weather this summer * combined with plenty of fertilizer and a world-class irrigation system * provided the perfect conditions for establishing a strong, mature root system that will allow the grass to survive the winter. While growing grass in sand poses a challenge, good drainage and the infertile, disease-free sub-surface also make it easy to maintain once its established.
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The golf course is very well planned and perfectly matched to the landscape, he says, adding the dunes required very little landscaping. The area is also ideally suited for a golf course because of its proximity to the South Saskatchewan River (for irrigation). More importantly, it's a short 20-minute drive for golf enthusiast in Saskatoon. Chief Bear says the project has brought a renewed sense of optimism and hope to the reserve community. "There has been a definite change in our outlook," he says. "It has let our young people know things are happening and given hope to people in the community who have been struggling."
Privileged Play Program pays
Like a private club member, a daily fee golfer would like to have a sense of community, enjoy special benefits and have access to booking tee times in advance. Now, daily fee golfers can through the Privileged Play program of International Club Network (ICN), the largest alliance of independent private and daily fee clubs in the world.
For a fraction of the cost of a private golf club membership, our members enjoy privileged access to a growing number of premier daily fee golf facilities, ski resorts, spas and other leisure and travel opportunities throughout Canada. The Privileged Play program offers services, programs and events that have been previously unavailable to people who are not members of private clubs.
Benefits of the Privileged Play program include:
- 20 percent reduction in green fees and cart fees at all times
- Three-day advanced tee time booking privileges ahead of the public
- A complimentary greens fee pass - in other words, a free round to be enjoyed annually at courses such as Taboo, Le Géant or Bell Bay, when playing with a full paying Privileged Play member
- Reduction on hotel rooms, spas and special travel experiences
In addition, Privileged Play Members can:
- Play in exclusive Member tournaments. Obtain a handicap online and track game improvement. Attend informative and entertaining seminars on business golf, rules, etiquette, and more. Take advantage of special offers, social events and exclusive travel opportunities. Receive an ICN e-newsletter on a regular basis
The entrance fee for the program is $150 with annual dues of $125. Members of ICN’s Privileged Play program have special access to more than 50 courses in Canada, including Big Sky in BC; Wolf Creek in Alberta; Angus Glen, Whistle Bear and The Marshes in Ont.; Le Manoir Richelieu and Le Diable in Que; and Twin Rivers, Granite Springs, Fox Meadow in Atlantic Canada and Good Spirit Golf and Country Club in Saskatchewan. MORE >>
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NEW 2004 Golfers Handbook
I've been reading a new book, if any of you would like to borrow it
just let me know. It's called the "Useful Golf Book". It contains some
really good articles such as:
How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt
How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee.
How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in the bunker.
How to get more distance off the shank.
Using your shadow on the greens to maximize earnings.
Proper etiquette when you are playing with a complete jerk.
I am sure you have heard or read it all but just in case we offer the
following lessons:
Crying and how to handle it.
How to rationalize a 7 hour round.
How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water.
Why your wife no longer cares that you birdied the 4th.
How to let a foursome play through your twosome without getting
embarrassed.
How to relax when you're hitting five off the tee.
When to suggest swing corrections to your opponent.
God and the meaning of the double bogey.
Now working on the book's sequel, "When to Re-grip Your Ball
Retriever". Let me know if you are interested.
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The "Local Rules" of golf
Life is full of do’s and don’ts. Don’t do drugs. Don’t spit on the sidewalk. Don’t lob your bowling ball. Don’t bend over and pass gas in a woman’s clothing store. Don’t ever ask my wife about that last one, etc. Do’s would include: Do good in school. Do eat your vegetables. Do love your neighbor. Do carry a semi-automatic pistol. Do empty the clip on passing motorists as they cut you off, etc. At most courses and in most regions, the game of golf has its own do’s and don’ts as well. Sometimes they call these the "local rules." MORE >>
Golf Digest website rocks
In our search for a golf website that as good as SaskGolfer.com, we have to admit www.golfdigest.com merits a long look. It’s not surprising about the richness and depth of the website, considering it’s the online version of what’s arguably the best golf magazine with the largest circulation available on the newsstand.
Its strengths include big sections on lowering your handicap, rankings of courses to play in the US and elsewhere, and its equipment articles. There’s also a great linkup with Business Week Magazine where you’ll find stories about the most remote course in the world, the best buys in golf (balls), five days in Toronto and other cities, building a golf course and a regular feature called the Golf Doctor - all good reading from the big guys.
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