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Enter to win The Perfect Drive!
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. Contest is sponsored by Tourism Regina and Tourism Saskatchewan. www.theperfectdrive.ca
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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 . MORE>>
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>>
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>>
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
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!
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Last Chance!
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. Contest is sponsored by Tourism Regina and Tourism Saskatchewan.
Amen Corner
"A perfect golf spectator must have the eye of an eagle, the neck of a giraffe, the skin of an alligator and the bladder of an elephant." - Anon
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Aspen Links Country Club launched
After major upgrades to the course and a complete clubhouse makeover during the summer, Emerald Park Golf and Country Club in White City has been renamed Aspen Links Country Club in time for its grand opening Sept. 7.
"We're very excited about the new look of the clubhouse and the new restaurant," says Greg Jahnke, president of Aspen Village Properties, the new operator of the 27-hole facility.
"But the real work has gone into the course itself. There's new mowers and maintenance equipment to bring the course back to its championship status, and new electric carts for our guests," says Jahnke.
Designed in the links style by Cornish and Robinson Golf Course Designers, responsible for more than 100 courses in Canada and abroad, Aspen Links Country Club is a championship course with enough challenge to excite any golfer.
“True to its Scottish heritage Aspen Links Country Club plays open, with expansive fairways and very large greens. Most contain two to three tiers and average about 8,000 square feet in size, and are framed by mounding and strategically placed traps. Greens are moderately fast, consistent in speed and well-maintained.
In addition to great golf, Aspen Links boasts a 16,000 square foot clubhouse (with indoor and outdoor dining), banquet facilities, a pro shop and the best practice facility in the region with a night-time driving range.
"Aspen Links Country Club has also become known as having a relaxed atmosphere and a place where events happen all the time year-round," says marketing manager Harry Mitchelson.
For starters, the course has hired executive chef Gregg Krauss - from Sage restaurant and Assiniboia Club fame - who has introduced a new breakfast, lunch, appetizer and supper menu in the restaurant and lounge.
This month sees live music with recording artist Marc Horn, wine tasting by Marc Anthony Wines, couples night on Fridays and the popular Sunday Brunch. An Octoberfest and Gemini Awards celebration are also under consideration. Men and Ladies night, along with Rider games, are also always a big draw. The clubhouse is open year round and is now taking bookings for Christmas parties, weddings and other events.
Call the clubhouse to register for the Canadian Cancer Foundation charity tournament is set for Sept. 8. Reserve your ticket by calling 791-7467.
Aspen Links Country Club also appointed Glenn Hill - the former head pro at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton - as the new teaching pro at the course. Tee times can be booked by phoning 791-7466.
Win a round at Aspen Village
Win one of four free rounds at the new Aspen Links Country Club by surfing their website and answering this question: "What's the name of the new housing development at Aspen Village Properties?" Send your answer to aspen@saskgolfer.com by the end of Sept. Good luck!
For tee times phone 306- 791-7467.and visit their extensive website at www.aspenvillage.ca
Craik sighted for environmental excellence
Craik & District Golf Course has achieved designation as a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP), the educational division of Audubon International. Austin Eade, superintendent, has led the effort to obtain sanctuary status on this course and is being recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International. Craik & District golf course is the 1st in Saskatchewan, 63rd in Canada and the 644th in the world to receive the honor.
"The Craik & District Golf Course has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for preserving the regions natural heritage by protecting the local watershed and providing a sanctuary for wildlife on their property," said Shawn Williams, Staff Ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs.
"To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas," explained Williams. These categories include: environmental planning, wildlife & habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.
The Craik & District Golf Course has shown leadership in conservation projects and practices. Superintendent Eade captures and composts all clippings from the greens along with organic kitchen waste from the Solar Garden Restaurant which is used as top-dressing on the golf course. By-products from the composting toilets in the Eco-Centre are used as natural fertilizers. Nesting boxes have been installed throughout the course in an effort to control mosquitoes in a natural way, thus eliminating the use of insecticides.
The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, Mexico and southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the program.
For more information on golf and the environment, visit www.golfandenvironment.org. In addition to golf courses, the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program also provides programs for schools, individuals and businesses. For more information, contact Audubon International, 46 Rarick Rd., Selkirk, NY 12158, USA, (518) 767-9051, e-mail them at acsp@auduboninternational.org, or visit www.auduboninternational.org.
Slow golfers are ahead of us
Joe decides to take his boss Phil to play 9 holes on their lunch. While both men are playing excellent, they are often held up by two women in front of them moving at a very slow pace. Joe offers to talk to the women and see if they can speed it up a bit. He gets about half of the way there stops and jogs back.
His boss asks what the problem is. "Well one of those women is my wife and the other my mistress," complained Joe. Phil just shook his head at Joe and started toward the women determined to finish his round of golf. Preparing to ask the ladies to speed up their game, he too stopped short and turned around. Joe asked "what's wrong?" It's a small, small world Joe, and you're fired."
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Around Saskatchewan links
Major renovations to the front nine at Candle Lake Golf Resort begin Sept. 11 and will be completed June 1, 2008. The back nine will continue in play during this period….Two chocolate coloured puppies are being trained to scare away the gees at Wascana Country Club and the Royal Regina Club to prevent them from defecating and destroying the grass. The Labrador retriever and Cheaskeape Bay retriever crosses - named Arrow and Chiro - were obtained from the Candle Lake Golf resort whose canine parents have been effective in chasing away the geese. They don't bark or chase golf balls, and if trained properly, chase the birds right into the water….There was something in the water at the Lobstick golf course in August at in Waskesiu. Holes in one by 2 golfers, Ken Shaaf and Don Sanderson in the same foursome on the same hole. Golf Digest says the odds on two players in the same group acing the same hole are 17,000,000 to 1. A day later Simone Kerby of Calgary aced the 4th hole. Doreen Kerby of Saskatoon is her mother in law….
True confessions of a golfer
A man goes to the confessional. "Forgive me father, for I have sinned." "What is your sin, my child?" the priest asks back. "Well," the man starts, "I used some horrible language this week and I feel absolutely terrible." "When did you do use this awful language?" said the priest.
"I was golfing and hit an incredible drive that looked like it was going to go over 250 yards, but it struck a phone line that was hanging over the fairway and fell straight down to the ground after going only about 100 yards." "Is that when you swore?"
"No, Father." Said the man. "After that, a squirrel ran out of the bushes and grabbed my ball in his mouth and began to run away." "Is THAT when you swore?" asked the priest again. "Well, no," said the man, "You see, as the squirrel was running, an eagle came down out of the sky, grabbed the squirrel in his talons and began to fly away!" "Is THAT when you swore?" asked the amazed priest.
"No, not yet." The man replied. "As the eagle carried the squirrel away in his claws, it flew towards the green. And as it passed over a bit of forest near the green, the squirrel dropped my ball." "Did you swear THEN?" asked the now impatient priest.
"No, because as the ball fell it struck a tree, bounced through some bushes, careened off a big rock, and rolled through a sand trap onto the green and stopped within six inches of the hole." "You missed the %#$*& putt, didn't you?" sighed the priest.
Sherwood Forest opens year-round
Sherwood Forest Golf and Country Club, located just 15 minutes west of Regina, is blessed with a challenging nine-hole course in the treed setting of the beautiful Qu'Appelle Valley. As a result, it has become one of Regina's favorite locations for a round of golf, a tournament or a special occasion in the new year-round clubhouse.
"It's a laid back, casual and fun atmosphere," says general manager Ken Kovacs. "A lot of people prefer to play nine holes and then retreat to the restaurant, one of our picnic areas or the Red Barn facility to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere."
In 2000, Sherwood Forest built a lovely, full-service Georgian-style clubhouse complete with three upscale meeting rooms on its second level. The facility can accommodate groups of up to 120. It is open 12 months a year to accommodate your meetings, conferences, banquets, weddings and Christmas parties and offers a full catering service.MORE>>
X-treme golf seeks addicts
Golf obsessed junkies who can never get enough golf and are interested in taking an all-expense paid, six-day golf holiday this Fall are invited to submit applications to X-tremegolf TV by September.
The second season of the X-TREMEGOLF TV series is looking for male and female golf-passionate addicts who would do almost anything to play golf for six straight days on world-class courses. For those who missed the first series this past spring, X-tremegolf is a 6-day elimination golf tournament where competitors are advised to "expect the unexpected" - on and off the course 24/7. FAQ's and Applications can be downloaded at www.xgolftv.com The submission deadline is September
The prohibition days
Known as the "snake room", a small room in the basement of the Lorne Avenue clubhouse served as a place for card playing and socializing for men from the 1930 to the 1950s at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.
Before the liquor license was granted the booze was purchased by the club and sold to the male members. Liquor was rationed - a person could buy one 40-ounce bottle a day, so the caterers would give the men who worked on the course the money for a bottle each, and they would purchase the liquor to be sold at the club. The money didn't go to through the books because it was against the law to sell liquor.
One day the club got advance notice, as usual, of a police raid, but the person who took the message thought it was a joke and disregarded it. When the police came they were surprised to see the liquor, and charges were laid against the club. The first liquor license was obtained after the lounge was completed in 1961
One of the members of the club was a judge. As long as he didn't see the liquor being sold or consumed he left well enough alone. He would come in the back door and never go near the snake room or the lounge. He only went to the locker room
Excerpt from "Over the Course of a Century: The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club 1907-2007, by Penny Guest
Golf Town in Saskatoon
Golf Town is one-step closer to being the pre-eminent golf store on the planet with its addition of a new megastore in Saskatoon.
Golf Town stores are "sanctuaries where devotees of golf come to try, buy, learn about and improve their game. "Each store is 14,000 to 25,000 square feet of brand name golf clubs, bags, apparel, shoes, accessories, gifts and pro services. The size of the store now under construction on the south-side of Saskatoon is unknown. MORE>>
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The Skinny on Last Oak and Madge
By Bob Hughes
Tucked well into some of the most appealing and breathtaking sets of scenery in the province are a pair of distinctly different golf courses that share a common thread. They are both largely undiscovered by much of Saskatchewan's golfing population. Those who golf in this province are surely aware by now that not all the best courses can be found in or around the major cities. Because out there, across this province, are some of the finest courses you'll find anywhere in Canada. Oh, yes.
Take the two I managed to play in the merry month of August. I managed to play for six straight days at the Madge Lake Golf Resort and one or two rounds at the Last Oak Golf Course. They are both beautifully laid out courses set in scenic forests, and shouldn't be missed if you're on the look for something different, creative and wholly appealing.
Last Oak has been around for a number of years. Set in the Qu'Appelle Valley near Crooked Lake Provincial Park, the par 72 18-holer plays the longest at 6,558 yards. A few years ago, it ran into some course conditioning problems that cost it players and reputation. But, that's been reversed. Mother Nature and the grounds crew have combined to bring the course along, to the point where it is now is pristine shape. I would suggest that Last Oak has one of the most appealing layouts and settings of any course in Saskatchewan. It winds through the valley, offering wonderful views, and a creek that wanders lazily through the course is in play on 12 of the holes./p>
Madge Lake can be found in the Duck Mountain Provincial Park, a short drive east of Kamsack. The 18-hole course rolls through aspen, fir and birch trees. It plays to a par 71 and the yardage of only 5,522 suggests it might not be much of a test. But, it is a great test of golf and also a gorgeous place to play the game. Get out early enough in the day, and you'll encounter deer lazily standing off to the side of the fairways, grazing on the greenery.
Madge Lake has had its up and downs over the last few years with changes in ownership and a shortage of golf carts. But, all that has settled down and it is well on its way back. In all the years I have played Madge Lake, which goes back well over a decade, I have never seen the course in better condition than it was in August. The tee boxes, fairways and greens all are in tip-top condition, and make playing the course a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
There you have it - two golf courses not that far away awaiting you. Give them a shot. You won't be sorry. And, there is plenty of accommodation available in both spots.
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Laser rangefinders illegal
The Saskatchewan Golf Association has determined that rangefinders are illegal in competitive play in this province.
But the Golf Association of Ontario has given approval to the use of laser rangefinders for provincial championship play. Accurate to within one yard, the rangefinders may be an advantage to some golfers. The USGA and the R & A ruled that committees will decide if distance-measuring devices should be permitted by local rule.
For more info on the accuracy and usage of rangefinders see the August issue of Golf Digest Magazine.
Golf real estate booming
The cottage-buying frenzy caused by retiring baby boomers and prosperous Albertans has spilled over to the golf courses in Northern Saskatchewan. Lot and real estate sales have been brisk at Northern Meadows Golf Club, Elk Ridge Resort and Candle Lake Golf Resort. MORE>>
FreeLabels affiliates
Who hasn't said, “ @!#%$&^* ,” after forgetting a club at the last hole?
Saskgolfer.com has joined FreeLabels.com to make high-quality, adhesive address labels available for free - well, you have to pay $1.86 (Cdn.) in postage. A small price to pay for helping to get your club returned.
To order, find the FreeLabels column ad on www.saskgolfer.com or through the link on Hole 17 click and fill in the form. By the way, it's wise to add your phone number on the address label. The secure transaction is done through a credit card and they arrive in the mail within a few weeks.
FreeLabels will ask if you want to receive more information on their company products by e-mail. If you don't want to, that's ok, just indicate on the form.
Harvey to retire
LPGA golfer Nancy Harvey of Swift Current, Sask., tied for 39th at the CN Canadian Women's Open Aug. 19 in Edmonton. Harvey shot 72-73-70-68-283 to pick up $11,448.
Harvey was one of three Canadian women to make the cut. She told reporters it may be her final LPGA tour event, although she might play the Canadian Open again if asked.
Lorena Ochoa of Mexico shot 268 to win $377,5000 +in a strong field to win her fifth LPGA event this year.
Harvey earned about $800,000 US in 386 tournaments. While she never one on the tour during her 19-year career, she finished second twice in 1997. The 45-year-old says she's thinking about playing on the Legends Tour.
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