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Enter To Win The Perfect Saskatchewan Drive Contest!
The perfect golf vacation is waiting for you in Canada's friendliest province, the Land of Living Skies. Your prize package includes a two-night stay at the Sandman Regina, rounds for two at the Tor Hill, Murray and Deer Valley. Plus, win a new set of Nicklaus clubs and a golf bag. MORE >>
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Stay and play here
The annual list of stay and play packages are available on SaskGolfer.com on Hole #10. This year's special deals include packages at Jackfish, Spiritwood, Harbor, Elk Ridge, Evergreen, La Verendrye, Weyburn, the hawood at Waskesiu, Deer Valley, Golf Kenosee and White Bear – MORE >>
Save your money
Depending on how many balls you put in the bush, how long you spend on the 19 th hole and if your family golf, golf can be an expensive game. Here are dozen great ways to stretch your golfing dollar a little further. MORE>>
Different strokes
A Canadian goes on his first trip to Scotland . On the first tee at the Old Course, he slices is tee shot out-of-bounds. As he re-tees, he turns to his caddie and says, “What do you call a mulligan in Scotland ?” The caddies replies, “We call it hitting 3.”
The Golfinggods featured
If you're a fan of the PGA Tour, or any of the other tours, check out Bunkershots. The section features weekly – new info posted by Tuesday every week – commentary about who's hot and who's not. Check it out at http://saskgolfer.com/phpBB2/
Develop a practice plan
By Jeff Chambers, SGA Provincial Coach
Ask yourself how often you go to the range at this time of year, and hit one to two buckets of balls, or until you're tired trying to hit a straight shot over and over. Then the next day you go out and hit it everywhere but straight on the golf course and then complain to your friends that its so different than on the range?
This is a common problem and can be fixed easily, but first I'll tell you why this happens:
- No pressure on the range
- Body gets in a rhythm from hitting over and over the same shot
- No water or trees to worry about
- Perfectly flat lies every time
- List goes on and on!!
What to do instead on the range:
- Try not to hit the same shot more than twice (you only get one chance on course!)
- Change your target and distance each time with the same club
- Use a 5 iron 5 different ways (fade, draw, slice, hook, low punch)
- Play a golf hole in your head using range targets
- Play the ball out of different lies (divots, bare patch, fluffy lie, etc..)
- If you're with someone, challenge each other to shot making
It's important to learn the game of golf and all the shots on the range otherwise you are wasting that range pass you bought. Practice effectively and the handicap will drop. The same goes with putting and chipping. Play from all over the place and be creative. Do you think Phil and Tiger hit 10 chip shots from a perfect lie every time when they practice? Get creative and then not only will it be more effective for you but practice can be fun and enjoyable.
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Amen Corner
“Pick up the ball, have the clubs destroyed and leave the course.”
- British journalist Viscount Castlerosse, to his caddie after topping three straight balls
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Northern Meadows reinvented
as championship golf resort
The last bit of grass seed is being planted at Northern Meadows Golf Club, Saskatchewan 's newest upscale facility located just outside the Meadow lake Provincial Park and the town of Goodsoil . In recent years, the course has expanded to a four-season resort destination with a cottage area and full-length 18-hole layout. “We ask customers what's great about this place - the quality of the course, the layout, the playability – and we've never had the same answer,” says owner-operator Ken Olan.
“But we do know that once people visit Northern Meadows, they keep coming back and they tell their friends about us. We're in a different league now - like a small Elk Ridge Golf Resort at Waskesiu.”
The fairways of the 6,756-yard, par-72 championship golf course are cut out of the Northern Boreal forest and share some of the same environment as other northern courses such as Waskesiu, Elk Ridge and Candle Lake. Fairways have wide-open landing areas bordered by spruce, tamarack, poplar and jack pine trees. Wildlife ranges from deer, to ball-stealing foxes and ravens, and to an occasional bear or lynx.
To score well at Northern Meadows golfers must stay on the fairways, otherwise your ball will find the bush or one of about 60 sand-traps. Water is in play on 10 holes including the two-mile long Bousquet Lake by the clubhouse.
“Even though there are challenges, it's still a family friendly course,” says Olan. Many of the hazards are placed down the fairway which penalize the long-ball hitter and scratch handicapper, he says.
The course stresses conditioning and maintenance The bent-grass greens – which tend to be large – are smooth-rolling, often contoured and fast on the stimpmeter. The front nine opened in 1998 and plays down through a ravine, and the new nine, through a ravine, a coulee and by various water holes. |
As a family-owned and run operation, Northern Meadows prides itself as being one of the most hospitable courses in the province. “Our staff take great pride in what they're doing and people love to come and visit,” says Olan.
The two-story clubhouse is an attraction to golfers and many of the 300,000 people who visit nearby Meadow Lake Provincial Park every year. It's the largest park in the province. The licensed dining-room and restaurant seat 65 and the deck area another 50 people. The facility also includes a pro-shop, driving range and club/cart rentals.
The upper floor of the clubhouse has been renovated and includes a year-round bed and breakfast operation. Five rooms of varying size overlook the front nine and Bousquet Lake . The facility is also a convenient stop on the TransCanada Snowmobile Trail.
“There is a growing demand for recreation property in our area, not only because of its affordability and revenue generating potential, but because of its unspoiled rural areas, wilderness, and great recreation opportunities,” says Olan. To date, 38 of the 93 cottage lots are sold.
If you go : Depending on the weather and growing season, it's expected the new nine will be open in September. Green fees run $30 for 18 holes and may be booked at 306- 238-GOLF. Rooms at the B&B are $49 nightly plus taxes. There are 900 campsites at nearby Meadow Lake Provincial Park
www.northernmeadows.com
www.northern.sask.info
www.saskgolfer.com/realestate.php
MORE GOLF COURSE REVIEWS >>
Win a pass to Northern Meadows!
Win One of 3 Free Golf Passes: Win a free round at Northern Meadows Golf Club by surfing their website www.northernmeadows.com and answering this question: "What does the logo picture in the top left corner of the homepage?" Answer to NorthernMeadows@saskgolfer.com by the end of August. Good luck!
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Around Saskatchewan links
Amanda Minchin , a 24-year-old who plays and works at the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Club , took home her first cheque as a pro from the CN Canadian Women's Tour last month. She tied for 32 nd in an event at Duncan , B.C. and won $178. Minchin had a solid amateur career winning the junior women's title in 1999 and 2000 and qualifying for five Canadian women's amateur championship's, finishing in the top 25 each time ….Dallas Mengel of Saskatoon was named to the CJGA Team that attended the world junior championships in San Diego July 11-14 …. Tim Acaster , 17, of North Battleford and Kyla Reay, 17, of Saskatoon have been named to compete this month at the Scotland Kingdom of Fife Team Matches in Fife, Scotland in August, - the so-called Junior Ryder Cup - as one of two girls chosen for the eight-person Maple Team Canada team…. Cornel Smith , 17, of Regina is one of eight players on MJT Team Canada to Mexico l representing Canada in the 5 th annual International Junior Golf Invitational , which is held just outside of Mexico City at Club de Golf Sante Fe in Cuernavaca, in August…. Cornel also won the Saskatchewan Junior Men's Championship in Saskatoon after a his closest opponent slept in and missed the final round…
Welcome aboard
SaskGolfer.com welcomes the latest golf courses at Sherwood Forest, Greenbryre, Katepwa Beach and Meadow Lake to join the growing list of hotlinks on Hole #1 Featured Courses.
The nine-hole Sherwood Forest Country Club , a few minutes outside of Regina , sports a lovely new clubhouse and new management this year. Visit www.sherwoodforestcc.com …The friendly 18-hole Greenbryre Country Club on the edge of Saskatoon has been operated by the Semko family successfully for years. See www.greenbryre.com In the Qu'Appelle Valley, the nine-hole Katepwa Beach Golf Course has build a strong reputation for its course conditions especially in recent years. It is now under new management, namely Betty Metzler. See www.golfkatepwa.com Finally, Meadow Lake Golf Club with its scenic views, challenging track and new clubhouse is on board at www.meadowlakegolfclub.ca
Adding up golfers
While the numbers of golfers and the rounds played have rebounded significantly in Saskatchewan during the past five years, it's still short of the golfing population in 1998, according to a recent landmark study by Ipsos Reid and the RCGA .
The study found that in 2005, the participation rate in Saskatchewan for golfers is 29.2 per cent, the highest in Canada . There were 255,000 golfers who play an average 18 rounds each for a total of 4.6 million rounds.
This compares to 2001, when 28.5 per cent of the population in the province golfed. Some 227,000 golfers played an average of 17.5 rounds on average, totaling 4 million rounds.
Importantly, in 2005 the number of “core” golfers (eight to 19 rounds annually) has grown 47.5 per cent to 2.73 million Canadians. The study polled almost 21,000 golfers in what's considered a very reliable study.
But the increase in numbers seem to be odds with some industry experts who say there are fewer golfers playing on the courses in Saskatchewan . In recent years, there has been a boom in new courses and courses expanded. The provincial population has dropped to less than 900. The weather also has a major influence on the numbers of rounds played.
Of note, Ipsos Reid also reports that in 1998, 31.8 per cent of the population golfed 271,000 rounds. MORE>>
Golf in the dark!
An Alberta entrepreneur figures a new invention that allows golfers to play past sun down has the potential to change the game.
"This technology breakthrough will revolutionize the golf industry,” says Greg Firlotte, who holds the distribution rights for the product for Alberta and Saskatchewan . Sun Products has created a product that has all the characteristics of a professional golf
ball in regards to feel, accuracy, distance and conforms to official size and weight.
Twilight Tracer is a regulation golf ball with an inner core that contains proprietary circuitry, a lithium battery, and two red LED lights that are programmed to flash at a rate of 7.2 flashes per second for a duration time of 5-6 minutes.
The proprietary design is motion activated by either striking the ball with your club or dropping the ball from approximately 12 cm. You can follow the ball from the moment it leaves the club face to its final destination. The remaining layers are made from conventional materials. The final cover material is Surlyn used by the golf industry for decades.
Twilight golf, night tournaments, driving ranges, miniature golf, and practicing in the back yard are just a few examples of how to use Twilight Tracer, say Firlotte. The compression ration of the ball is 80 and the battery life is about 40 hours.
The Twilight Tracer was recently chosen PGA product of the year. Available online from Wise-Shop, Calgary , Alta. at www.wise-shop.ca or email sales@wise-shop.ca. Retail and distributorship are available.
Golf course roundup 2006
With about 220 courses in Saskatchewan , the most difficult decision is choosing where to get your next par. Keep in mind that in recent years there have been an unprecedented number of courses upgraded, expanded and built. Here are some of the major changes you will expect at courses this year.
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Elk Ridge $15M expansion
Arne Petersen, founder and sole shareholder (CEO) of Elk Ridge Resort and Conference Centre Inc., has announced a $15 million expansion to their four-season resort 40 minutes north of Prince Albert and just outside of Prince Albert National Park .
This next phase of this exciting destination resort will see the construction of a high quality, 35,000 sq. ft. conference and recreation hotel. The hotel will include a full range of conference facilities, a balanced room mix, fitness centre, spa, indoor pool and waterslide, restaurants and licensed areas. In addition to the hotel, this expansion will include a staff housing complex, a community based amenity facility with an outdoor seasonal pool and 8 additional rental cabins.
Elk Ridge currently boasts 27 holes of championship golf, endless year-round recreational activities, residential and condominium developments, and rental facilities all nestled in the serene setting of Saskatchewan 's boreal forest. This major expansion will position Elk Ridge as the leader in Saskatchewan destination tourism and will draw tourists from around the globe, says Peterson.
Construction will commence within the next three months and the new hotel will open to the public in May 2008.
For more info about Elk Ridge and other resort properties in Saskatchewan MORE>>
Golf injuries rare
By Calgary humourist Andrew Penner A few years ago I joined ten billion other guys in watching a Sunday afternoon football game. A guy by the name of Joe Theisman was playing quarterback. In the third quarter Joe went back to throw a pass and a cement truck (a.k.a. defensive lineman) came at him grunting, flailing, and foaming at the mouth. A few other cement trucks and a whole lot of testosterone converged on Joe and Joe went down. Unfortunately for Joe, one of the cement trucks landed on his leg and it snapped like a stick. The ten billion guys watching grimaced in unison, then reinserted the plastic hose, which was attached to the 20-gallon keg of Bud, back in their mouths. The three women that were watching screamed and fainted. Joe had sustained an injury.
Golf is a wonderful sport because of so many things. I'm so thankful that golf is a sport in which compound fractures, getting poked in the eye, or getting blindsided by cement trucks are rare occurrences. Golf is also a sport that you can rigorously partake in for five hours and burn only four calories. I like that to.
I'm going to go out on a limb here (one that has never been snapped) and say that one of the reasons why golf has such widespread appeal is because of its “safe” nature. For example, think of the oldest living person you know, who plays golf. Now imagine if every other time that person - let's call him “Bob” - pegged it up, a four hundred and thirty pound opponent (foaming profusely at the mouth) would charge Bob and clothesline him, sending him violently to the turf. I just bet that Bob, after he came to, wouldn't really like that very much and might decide to take up bridge, lawn bowling, or gum gnashing in a non-threatening environment. Just a hunch.
This is not to say that you will never succumb to injury while playing golf. Injuries happen from time to time in any sport. In fact, one time my buddy Rob sprained his finger playing poker. In golf, however, rarely do we see the paramedics running onto the course with stretchers in hand. Some of the most likely scenarios in which you might suffer an injury while playing golf would be…
#1 – Eating Too Many Hotdogs At The Turn
Just like your leg doesn't like feeling the weight of four linemen, your stomach doesn't like feeling the weight of nine hot dogs. Use caution when eating the “mystery meat.”
#2 – Getting Run Down By A Powercart
Sometimes people make their playing opponents very mad. Sometimes these playing opponents take things a little too far. Try to be nice to your opponents and you increase your chances of making it through the round without having tread marks branded on your forehead.
#3 – Falling Off The Powercart
I've done this only four times. Thankfully, each time I escaped with only minor flesh wounds. On my stag my pal Dave escaped with major flesh wounds. Other than the fact that he's having trouble growing into his wooden leg, he's more or less OK now.
#4 – Getting Struck With A Ball, Club, Or Both
I hate it when people yell “fore!” after the golf ball has already been imbedded into the skull. Likewise, standing too close to someone making a swing can reap you a permanent “Northwestern” tattoo on an area where your girlfriend's name would have done just fine.
If you're like me, then you like your golf sans smelling salts, head casts, and broken bones. Unlike the NFL, NHL, and Nascar, I'd like to see golf remain a sport where wearing protective headgear is completely optional. Because the only thing I need to see charging at me on the golf course is the beverage cart.
Estevan Woodlawn showcases its new $1.3-million clubhouse
If you have a passion for golf, there's no better time to add Estevan Woodlawn Golf Club in Canada 's Sunshine Capital to your travel plans. The 18-hole, par 71 championship course has just opened a new $1.3-million clubhouse and the course is in great shape. Last month it also hosted the province's most prestigious tournament, the 2006 Saskatchewan Men's Amateur. www.estevangolf.com
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