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Win a vacation to Saskatchewan's newest 18 hole track!
Northern Meadows Golf Club near Meadow Lake , Saskatchewan has teamed up with Tourism Saskatchewan and SaskGolfer.com to offer the best contest yet. Win a two-night holiday at their bed and breakfast, along with four rounds of golf and a shared cart at their recently expanded 18-hole track. Enter today ! MORE>>
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Golf music while
you surf !
If you haven't heard some of the golf song classics out there – Golf Rehab by Brandon Ayre, Itsy Bitsy Golf Ball by Rex Fowler, Jesper Parnivik by The Divots, O Stupid Tree by Danny and The Divots come to mind – you haven't really lived.
This month SaskGolfer.com has introduced a golf music player to the website to allow its thousands of viewers a chance to listen while they surf. Information is provided for those who much buy a copy to add to their CD collection and check out more samples.
There probably isn't a sport in the world that has such a fanatical following that reveals itself in culture – go to a bookstore and there are shelves of books about golf, look long enough and you'll find golf art and paintings, and then there's golf music. It ranges from country to goofy to down-right clever. MORE >>
Katepwa Beach 's reputation growing
If any of us were asked to describe a memorable course, such factors as great conditions and panoramic views would certainly rank toward the top of the list. As many golfers have discovered, the 3,176 yard, par 36 track at Katepwa Beach , Saskatchewan nestled in the quiet beauty of the Qu'Appelle Valley, has more than its share of both.
Since opening in 1998 and adding a clubhouse in 2000, the Katepwa Beach Golf Club quickly started attracting golfers from the Qu'Appelle Valley, the Regina region and beyond. MORE >>
Albatross shot
at Murray
Jay Smith would rather play football for the Regina Thunder, but you've got to wonder why. The 18-year-old Riffel High School student scored his second double eagle – also know as an albatross – on the 18 th hole at Murray Golf Course on May 9.
Smith was playing in a high school tournament with two other students when he pulled his Taylor Made R7 with a 65-k-mph wind at his back. The threesome thought he had overshot the green out of bounds so a provisional was hit, but the ball had cleared the trees and rolled in the hole.
Smith, who plays to a 2 handicap at Deer Valley , normally hits his drives about 300 yards. “All I could do was kneel down and take the ball out of the hole and say ‘wow,'' says Smith, who carded a round of 74 that day.
In 2005, Smith also shot an albatross on the 317-yard 13 th hole at Wascana Country Club. It was announced recently that Smith was named a recipient of the Saskatchewan Academic and Golf Excellence (SAGE) award from the Saskatchewan Golf Association, as well as an Athlete Assistance grant.
Best golf deals in 2007
Depending on how many balls you put in the bush, how long you spend on the 19th hole and if your family golf, golf can be an expensive game. Golf courses around Saskatchewan offer you a number of incentives to save a few dollars and to try a new course. Here are dozen great ways to stretch your golfing dollar a little further . MORE>>
Saskatoon
celebrates 100th
Anybody reaching 100 naturally likes to reflect a bit on their achievements and kick-up their heels. So it is with the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club in Saskatchewan , which celebrates its founding at the Empire Hotel on April 6, 1907 , at a time when the population of Saskatoon was about 4,500.
From modest beginnings, the club has grown from nine holes on what is now Kinsmen Park , to become a premiere 36-hole golf facility, offering 18 holes of private golf and 18 holes of semi-private golf. The second oldest club in Saskatchewan plans to celebrate with the release of an illustrated history, a membership drive and a few parties . MORE >>
Happy Gilmor, Part 2
Everyone has seen strange and bizarre things happen on a golf course. The best collection of golf antics ever found are on this video. You're going to love them. Enjoy http://bubblare.se/
golf_ar_fantastiskt_kul/
Step aside Scotland !
Step aside Scotland – In 2007, there are three new courses, two expansions and several upgrades underway or planned in Saskatchewan . Read all about it. MORE >> hotlink to April homepage.
Sweet Stay-n-Play packages
The annual list of Saskatchewan stay and play packages has started on SaskGolfer.com on Hole #10. More deals will be posted during the coming weeks, so check back again.This year's special deals include packages at Spiritwood, Harbor, Elk Ridge, Evergreen, La Verendrye, Weyburn, the hawood at Waskesiu, Deer Valley, Golf Kenosee and White Bear - check it out at www.saskgolfer.com/travel.php Win The Perfect Drive !
Head to www.theperfectdrive.ca for your chance to win a complete set of Tour Edge Clubs and bag. Your prize package includes Tour Edge graphite J-Max QL Driver, #3 and #5 graphite woods, a Tour Edge Bazooka J-Max QL hybrid iron set - all hybrids with graphite shafts - a Tour Edge Putter and a stand bag. All compliments of Loney's Golf Shop in Regina. Contest also sponsored by Tourism Regina and Tourism Saskatchewan.
Amen Corner
“A golf ball simply cannot find the hole by itself. Even if it could, the ball would never go so willingly, after the hatred and hammering you've heaped on it to get it to the green.”
-Cartoonist Dick Brooks
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Willows is more than just golf
The Willows Golf and Country Club, built in the southwestern tradition and operated year-round, has emerged as one of Saskatchewan 's premiere golf facilities.
A large clubhouse, one of the finest in the province, sits in the middle of the property located in the south part of Saskatoon . This course offers a challenge to both the novice and accomplished golfer with 36 holes of rolling dunes-style golf. With four sets of tees, the course is built around a theme of dunes, sand and water.
“We have 36 championship designed holes, the only one of its kind in the province,” says CPGA head professional Brennen Gee. “With 36 holes, there aren't too many times when we can't accommodate your requests. The facility is ideally suited to guests and travelers.”
In 2006 Willows opened five new holes routed through an extensive housing division. The Willows residential development is currently in stage 2 of their housing development. The facility is owned by Growth Works Capital Ltd. and Dundee Developments. MORE >>
The Willows also stresses customer service and friendly staff, says Gee. “In a competitive marketplace if the golfer doesn't enjoy their day they will go elsewhere,” he added.
“We believe the small things at the Willows can make the difference.”
The club facilities are second-to-none. For many, the 19 th hole is the large patio that overlooks the property. Says Gee, “The view off the patio to the west in the evenings when there's a setting sun is unbelievable.”
The full amenity, year-round clubhouse caters to large functions, banquets, meetings and weddings. The clubhouse also offers upscale dining featuring creations by their new executive chef. There's also a fully stocked pro shop with a wide selection of clothing - open year-round - that places an emphasis on “personalized fittings.”
As for the top practice facilities, there's a driving range complete with target greens, practice fairway bunker, and two practice greens to help sharpen up that short game before you hit the links.
“The key to success and scoring at Willows is keeping the ball on the short grass and not straying to the dunes,” says Gee. “Course management is the game here.”
There are not a lot of blind shots and heavily forested areas – although the many trees on the course are now fully mature. But, the courses include 22 beautiful lakes, 150 silica sand traps and an island green, the course's signature hole. A testy par 3 –surrounded by water –it ranges in length from 90 to 172 yards. You'll need the right club selection and full commitment to the shot.
One of the newest holes, the fourth on the Zena nine is also turning into a golfer's favorite. The par 3, 160-yard hole will also need you to judge the right club and commit.
Greens at Willows tend to be medium large, moderately fast and undulated. The greens are known for their quality and consistency.
Tee times can be booked at 1-306-956-1100 with green fees ranging from $47 to $52 (tax included), with added special rates for early bird, twilight, juniors and seniors, and corporate specials. For more information go to, www.willowsgolf.com
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The Saskatchewan Skinny
by Bob Hughes
`My sister-in-law lives and works in Halifax , Nova Scotia . Actually, she lives on the side of a steep hill in the community of Bedford . She also loves to golf. She is getting married in October in Halifax . This is good. Because then my and my wife get to spend a couple of weeks down there. My wife, who is The Realtor, will be there to help her younger sister get ready for the wedding. I will get the chance to jump in a car, drive over that long bridge, and golf at the magnificent courses that adorn Prince Edward Island . That is why it is good.
Meanwhile, my sister and her fiancé are coming to Saskatchewan in August. They are coming so everybody out here who won't be at the wedding can meet the new guy. The other day, my sister-in-law phoned to say they were going to come out here a few days early.
"You rave so much about the golf courses you play, we want to come out and play them and see if you're telling the truth," she says. "Come along," I says to her. "You won't be disappointed."
People in this country have no idea what a golf paradise Saskatchewan is. There are some of the country's most wonderful golf courses right here. And the cost of playing them is so reasonable, it is astounding. My sister-in-law and her new fiancé are going to be in for a huge treat. Why, they might not even go back. They might just move here.
I already have the agenda. They will take us out for supper each night. This might not go over well with the sister-in-law as she does not exactly throw money around. Once, she treated us to a doughy pizza that came out of her fridge. I can write this because she will never see it.
The first place I will take them is to the Wascana Country Club. It is undergoing a spectacular $5.3-million clubhouse renovation which should be completed by then. The course itself, as are most courses around these parts, is in great shape. So, that is where we will start our brief Saskatchewan golf tour. After golf, the sister-in-law can take us into the clubhouse and buy supper.
After that, we will head out to Deer Valley , which is one of the most stunningly beautiful courses in the province. Set in a valley, with a creek running through it, Deer Valley is something to behold. And it has greens that can torture even the best of putters. Yes, that will be our second stop. After golf, the sister-in-law will take us to Greko's and treat us to the best Greek ribs in Canada . Yes.
From there, we will journey on down to Avonlea where Wally Nelson's Long Creek Golf Course beckons. The little jewel on the prairie has rarely been in better condition, thanks in large part to the work of superintendent Tim Crosbie and his remarkable crew. It is one of the most peaceful golf courses I have ever played. In the early morning or at dusk, the views from the huge clubhouse are breath-taking. There isn't a better place to stage a golf tournament because the combination of golf and steaks can't be beaten. Yes, we will stay there after the golf and my sister-in-law will order up barbecued steaks.
And, if we have time, we will close out the Saskatchewan golf tour with a trip down to Mainprize where the most undiscovered golf course in Saskatchewan awaits. The links-designed Mainprize Park course is set in the middle of the bald prairie, surrounded by endless rolling farmland and oil wells pumping the black gold out of the ground. The course design is hard to match and if the wind is up, it will challenge every golfer around. After we're done there, it'll be back to Regina where my sister-in-law will treat us to the nice dinner at the Lakeshore restaurant. Ah, bliss. I am sure she can hardly wait to get here,
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Putting for doe
Drive for show and putt for doe. This expression has been used for so many years, yet very few take it seriously. Every year countless drivers are purchased in the hopes of gaining another 5 yards at a cost of close to $500. Oddly enough the averages scores of people don't improve.
Maybe its because driving has no real factor on scoring as compared to short game ability. The best rounds played are those that have the lowest amounts of putts to count up. You could miss every fairway and still shoot your record low score if your putter is hot that day. If lowering your score or handicap is what you desire, then grab your local CPGA pro and when getting a lesson, go to the putting green and not the driving range. That's my first tip for you.
If you're one to experiment on your own at first, here is some things that you can get working on now. Many amateurs I work with tend to try to steer the ball into the hole and use their hands to do so. I want my players to feel the stroke in their shoulders. All too often the wrists start bending and the arc of the putting stroke goes all over the place.
Feel your takeaway with your shoulders and the arc of the stroke will instantly be more solid. It's a little awkward at first but most catch on very quickly when they see their ball go where they want it too. The angle of your arms at address should be the same in the backstroke and follow-through. The angles of your arms shouldn't change. Get comfortable over the ball and use the grip of your choice, but let your stroke start with your arms and shoulders, and take the wrists out of it. It's a feeling of rocking your shoulders back and forth.
Another putting approach I use with some of the great players in our province is the “Quiet Eye Approach”. Dr. Joan Vickers introduced me to this at a National Coaching Workshop in Toronto at Glen Abbey three years ago. She has done a scientific study of what good putters do differently than poor putters. It's not a gimmick to help you but a study of what good putters already do. It's helped so many good players become even better.
You can find this article on the web when it was published in Golf Digest, and I promise it is worth the look. It teaches people how to focus over the putt.
The last tip I have is about breathing. I am big fan of proper breathing in golf. Any athlete knows how breathing can affect the sport they play and golf is no different. Proper breathing allows you to minimize stress levels and level out your heart rate to allow better consistency for shots. Most people do not breath properly and suffer when getting the yips from 3 feet away or having to get up and down for a new record score on the last hole.
It's a sure thing that most players hold their breath when the lungs are full, causing unneeded tension in the body. There's a lot to breathing but a quick run down to get you started is to take a deep breath as you line up over your putt. Then let all the air out and at the end of the breath, let your stroke happen.
By concentrating on your breathing you relax your heart rate from pounding so fast, you are calm because you aren't thinking about missing the putt, and your mind will let you stoke normally because you didn't have time to tell yourself to try to steer it in the hole. This is a very quick breathing tip, but should get you started on your way to lower scores.If you want to lower your score, head to the putting green and maybe invest in a quality weighted putter.
Jeff Chambers, SGA Provincial Coach jchambers@saskgolf.ca or www.saskgolf.ca
Tee-Off reinvented for greater savings
Depending on how many balls you put in the bush, the number of golfers in your family, and how long you spend on the 19th hole, golf can be a pricey past-time. For about 15 years, thousands of golfers have trimmed their golf budgets and have been encouraged to try new courses with Tee-Off Golf Course Guide, the dominant play-and-save program in Canada .
After falling on hard times - competition from discount books, programs and the Internet took a slice of business - the glossy Tee-Off began to struggle like so many other discount programs. Then, new owners Jim Davidson and Rod Macintosh bought the company and moved it from Manitoba to the sleepy Vancouver Island town of Shawnigan Lake .
“We saw a quality product that everyone seemed to think was a great ‘club' to have in their bag,” says Macintosh. “But, as we found out, not everyone had heard of it.”
The new owners Outtabounds Publishing, which prints versions for the B.C., Alberta , Manitoba-Saskatchewan and Ontario markets, bought Tee-Off from IDG Holdings in 2004. With the help of computers, it's printed by Friesne's, an Altona, Manitoba-based company renowned for its high quality, specialty printing.
When the company was purchased it showed sales that were declining and heavily discounted.
“One change we've made – other than doubling the number of courses across Canada – is ensuring every course makes at least four offers,” says Macintosh. “No longer are courses allowed to run a page in the discount program without offering rewards to the golfer.''
Typically, the $39.95 to $49.95 ( Ontario edition) discount book offers 2 for 1, 4 for 3 or 50 per cent off green fee discounts.
It's illustrated with photographs, course layouts, maps and a brief description of the course. The savings can be substantial depending on how much you golf. For example, in the Whistler, B.C. area you can save $600 if you golf three days with rounds at Chateau Whistler, Nicklaus North and Big Sky.
The Internet has been turned into a friend rather than a foe. The company introduced the Tee-Off Plus program that allows customers to use coupons in other provinces. For example, somebody from Vancouver who is visiting Toronto can go online to print a discount coupon from a Toronto course like Angus Glen. The coupon can be used without having to buy an Ontario edition of Tee-Off. Courses also benefit by attracting out-of-province golfers.
In addition, the Western Canada editions now also include course discounts in the United States south of the particular province. An edition for the Maritime provinces is under consideration.
While Macintosh won't reveal how many copies were printed in 2006, he says it was the largest printing since the publication began in the 1990s. No competitor can match all 900 discounts that they now offer through the Tee-Off Plus program, he says. That said, it seems the play-and-save Tee-Off is well-positioned for the future.
“With the Boomer population moving through in the next 25 years, these years promise to change how and where we golf. With the number of golfers and courses in Canada not to mention all those courses recently constructed - I think customer service and loyalty will be paramount. It will certainly be interesting times and painful times for some courses,” says Macintosh.
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Around Saskatchewan links
“The Perfect Drive ” is a 13-part series about rural golf courses in Saskatchewan that will be shot this summer and broadcast starting in April 2008. The series will be done by Saskatoon-based Juxtapose Productions and aired on SCN….
The sale of Riverbreaks Golf Resort by Palliser Regional Park at Riverhurst, one of the province's nine-hole gems, is pending , and currently under the ownership and management of Palliser Regional Park….. White Bear Golf Course, owned by White Bear First Nations , is under the new management of Mike Lothian…
Over the course of a century
“A cloudburst drove Saturday afternoon golfers to the friendly cover of the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club's bungalow. Probably 30 or 40 of us were seated in the screened-in veranda swapping tall tales of imagined and real golf oddities, and generally exchanging lies about this and that in the world of sport.
This was 1924 or 1925 as memory serves. In those halcyon days the clubhouse was located just south of the southwestern boundary fence of the Exhibition Grounds.
The first tee ran west to east, and only a short putt from the southwest corner of the big veranda, barely out of sight. Looking out into the pouring rain, somebody opined that even the ducks had disappeared from the nearby slough. “It isn't fit for man or beast, said another. Both were wrong.
Suddenly, like the sharp crack of thunder, it came. Someone had driven a ball off the first tee. There was a rush for the side of the veranda facing the first fairway. Out of the rain and the mist strode a burly figure, clad only in a pair of golfing brogues, and an athletic support. He shouldered a set of clubs.
The phantom disappeared up the first fairway, playing his second shot to the green. Then he was lost in the rain, marching to the 18 th tee. In those times the 18 th was near Lorne Avenue and pointed to the final green smack in the middle of the clubhouse.
There was a 15 to 20 minute pause between the surprise cloudburst tee shot and the return of the rain challenger. The “phantom of the storm” was still unidentified. Then he showed through the haze, following a pitch shot to the green. The veranda crowd set up a roar of applause as the fellow holed out. “
“It's Bill Kinnear, someone shouted. “Who else could conceive such a show.” But Bill wasn't listening. He marched to the veranda outfitted like a Royal St. Andrew's fashion plate. “Gentleman,” Bill solemnly greeted the gathering, “there's never a dull afternoon at the Sasktoon Golf Club. Now I suggest a spot of something to remove the chill.” Which was promptly arranged.
- Bill Kinnear, pro at Saskatoon Golf Club from 1910 to 1945, excerpt from “Over the Course of a Century: The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club 1907-2007, by Penny Guest
Golf threesome making their mark
If Jason Hoium and his golfing buddies, Brad Wallin and Drew Krainyk have their way, golfers will never again need to search for their ball marker.
The trio from Weyburn , Saskatchewan invented a unique putting grip, one that conveniently includes its own built-in magnetic ball marker.
“We're three friends that have golfed together for about 10 years,” Says Hoium. “Nearly three years ago, we were golfing together one day when I realized I lost my ball marker. The rest of the game we spent coming up with ideas on how a golfer can avoid losing their ball marker.”
The budding entrepreneurs – all University of Saskatchewan students – decided to form JDB Golf and take their invention to the marketplace. While there were a number of rejections, U.S.-based Karakal, which counts Wilson, Yonex and Prince as customers, agreed to partner with the trio and manufacture the grips at their Chinese plant.
“It's been pretty slow going,” says Hoium. There were several prototypes made in Saskatchewan , as well as at the Karakal plant. This past winter about 100 were distributed to Weyburn golfers as part of a test market. It turned out an important step in the evolution of the magnetic ball marker.
“We found out the glue used to install the grip wrecked the adhesion of the magnetic marker,” explains Hoium. Since the glue included paint thinner to help lubricate the shaft, the entrepreneurs had to reinvent the magnet so it just snaps in place.
To date, JDB Golf has spent $25,000 securing patent protections and developing the product. Starting in mid June, the Magz grip line will be available online at www.jbdgolf.com for $15 plus delivery. The company also hopes to have it available for sale in some Saskatchewan retail outlets.
“We invested enough money, so we're hoping it works out for us,” says Hoium, who works as a groundskeeper at the Weyburn Golf Club during the summers. The main distribution thrust will be selling the magnetic marker rights – the company has just had the grips approved by the U.S.G.A.- to grip manufacturing companies.
Are you getting better?
It's always helpful to know if you're actually getting better at the grand old game of golf. That's where the Saskatchewan Handicap Trakker comes in. The Trakker will give you an individualized record of your progress and automatically calculate your handicap on an ongoing basis. While the handicap is not RCGA approved for competitive tournaments, it's a lot better than sandbagging (cheating) with your handicap in unofficial tournaments. Courses periodically change their slope and rating numbers, plus new courses are added - so double check the numbers on the Trakker and change them if you need to. Have a great season!
MORE > Win One of 4 Free Golf Passes
Win one of four free rounds with a cart at Willows Golf and Country Club by surfing their website and answering this question: "What do you see in the top left corner of the home page?" Send your answer to Contest@SaskGolfer.com by the end of June. Good luck!
For tee times phone 1-306-956-1100 and visit their extensive website at www.willowsgolf.com |
