With the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey this week it has us thinking about where our national championship should be hosted in the future.
No doubt, Glen Abbey has its critics and some feel that this year should be the last Open played there. I am not the biggest fan of the golf course but I can appreciate the history that has been made at 'The Abbey' and it still holds up well to today's game, provided they can get the course playing fast and firm (not easy at this time of year). It's also worth noting that the course was Jack Nicklaus' first solo design and he did it while still in the prime of his career. From a fan point of view, there are few better courses to watch golf with the numerous amphitheatre green settings. Glen Abbey should be on the rota to host the Canadian Open.
St. George's is far from ideal from a logistics standpoint...middle of the city, tight property, etc, but the golf course is outstanding and deserves to be on the rota. Rain left the golf course defenceless a few years ago but if the greens are firm and fast it could be a fantastic test of golf.
Same deal for Hamilton...great classic course that the pros love.
Other Ontario courses deserving of consideration for the rota include Westmount (Kitchener/Waterloo), Eagles Nest (Vaughn), Coppinwood (Uxbridge) and Beacon Hall (Aurora).
Out west, Shaughnessy has proven to be a player favourite and stern test with its small, sloping greens. I do think they went a little overboard with the rough last time out.
In Quebec, Royal Montreal - Blue is a no-brainer. One can argue the merits of the recent Rees Jones renovation but it has certainly made the golf course difficult and, for better or worse, the type of course many PGA pros enjoy playing. The history of the club (oldest in North America) plays an important role in its prominence in Canadian golf.
It's been heavily rumoured that Laval sur le Lac - Blue will host the Open in 2017. The course was rebuilt by Mike Weir and Ian Andrew and by all indications is a wonderful course suitable for both members and championship golf. We'll have to reserve judgement as to whether it deserves to be a permanent fixture on the rota.
In the 'We Can Dream' catagory there are a few courses that are world class but perhaps don't have the length to properly test the pros, or are located in remote areas of the country.
Toronto Golf Club - A timeless Harry Colt classic that is reminiscent of the heathland courses west of London, England. For good amateurs it is a stern test at par 70, but would it hold up to the modern game? I say firm the greens up, grow the rough a bit and let them have at it. If the USGA can do it at Merion then Golf Canada should be able to do it at TGC.
Highlands Links - Stanley Thompson's masterpiece in beautiful Cape Breton. There are few better walks in the game and it is a 10/10 on the fun scale. How great would it be to see Bubba Watson carving a big hook off the 2nd tee trying to run the ball down to the green. Maybe they can play the Canadian Open as Match Play that year.
Cabot Links - Canada's only true links course, the pros could go right from the links at the 'British' Open to the links of Canada.
We're lucky to have so many great courses in Canada, it's too bad our national championship can't find its way to all of them. Let's hope Golf Canada finds a way to 'spread the love' around a bit.
Friday 26 July 2013
Friday 19 July 2013
Is East Lothian the True Home of Golf?
With all the attention being heaped on Muirfield this week, it has us thinking about the incredible golfing area where this year's Open Championship venue is located. Sure, St. Andrews has its reputation gained through centuries of championships and the manner in which golf is intertwined with the town. However, a strong argument could be made that East Lothian, that amazing stretch of links land east of Edinburgh, is the true Home of Golf.
Let's examine some of the reasons why East Lothian has such an important and lofty place in the game:
1. History - The first links course you stumble upon heading east out of Edinburgh just happens to be the oldest golf course in the world, and a 6-time host venue for the Open Championship. The Musselburgh Links - Old is a course where you can sense the ghosts of golfing's past as you navigate the 9-hole layout that lies within a horse racing track. The course is tons of fun to play and a great way to stretch the legs and get introduced to links golf after an overnight flight. For those that want to feel what it would have been like to play the course in the late 1800's, the club has hickory shafted clubs on hand.
Championship Pedigree - Anyone watching the best golfers in the world fight tooth-and-nail to make pars can easily make the determination that Muirfield is one of the world's best championship tests. The course is renowned for being a 'pure' test of golf that will reward the best players. The list of winners at Muirfield...Nicklaus, Watson, Player, Faldo, Els, etc, lends credit to the notion that great golf courses produce great champions.
For those of us with less talent, Muirfield remains a must-do experience. One of the best days you can have as a golfer is the traditional schedule that has visitors playing a Fourball in the morning, followed by a leisurely (and delicious) lunch in the historic clubhouse, followed by a round using a Foursomes (alternate shot) format. After a big lunch and a few pints, the format is a perfect way to have some laughs and settle bets from the morning round.
Fun - That's why we play this game, right? No course does fun better than North Berwick - West Links. Just a few miles down the coast from Muirfield, North Berwick has gone from being a cult favourite of golf course architecture aficionados to being recognized as one of the top 100 courses in the world. What makes it so good is the pure, almost childlike joy it elicits from those that play the course. There are so many unique holes that require a combination of skill and creativity, including a hole where the green is guarded on it's right side by an ancient rock wall and another green that has a 4 foot swale in the middle. We GUARANTEE that you would want to go immediately back to the 1st tee to have another go.
We can understand why the first time visitor to Scotland would want to make St. Andrews their home base. But for those looking for a perfect blend of history, championship courses, and pure links fun, no need to look any further than East Lothian. You can check out a sample trip itinerary to East Lothian here:
http://www.golfawaytours.com/index.php/sample-trips/scotland/east-lothian
Let's examine some of the reasons why East Lothian has such an important and lofty place in the game:
1. History - The first links course you stumble upon heading east out of Edinburgh just happens to be the oldest golf course in the world, and a 6-time host venue for the Open Championship. The Musselburgh Links - Old is a course where you can sense the ghosts of golfing's past as you navigate the 9-hole layout that lies within a horse racing track. The course is tons of fun to play and a great way to stretch the legs and get introduced to links golf after an overnight flight. For those that want to feel what it would have been like to play the course in the late 1800's, the club has hickory shafted clubs on hand.
 |
| The 4th green at Musselburgh. Golfers have been known to pop into Mrs. Forman's pub mid-round. |
Championship Pedigree - Anyone watching the best golfers in the world fight tooth-and-nail to make pars can easily make the determination that Muirfield is one of the world's best championship tests. The course is renowned for being a 'pure' test of golf that will reward the best players. The list of winners at Muirfield...Nicklaus, Watson, Player, Faldo, Els, etc, lends credit to the notion that great golf courses produce great champions.
For those of us with less talent, Muirfield remains a must-do experience. One of the best days you can have as a golfer is the traditional schedule that has visitors playing a Fourball in the morning, followed by a leisurely (and delicious) lunch in the historic clubhouse, followed by a round using a Foursomes (alternate shot) format. After a big lunch and a few pints, the format is a perfect way to have some laughs and settle bets from the morning round.
 |
| Muirfield - maybe the best of the Open rota courses? |
 |
| Bite off however much you want to chew on the 2nd hole at North Berwick. |
We can understand why the first time visitor to Scotland would want to make St. Andrews their home base. But for those looking for a perfect blend of history, championship courses, and pure links fun, no need to look any further than East Lothian. You can check out a sample trip itinerary to East Lothian here:
http://www.golfawaytours.com/index.php/sample-trips/scotland/east-lothian
Thursday 11 July 2013
How to book a time on the Old Course
The question we probably get asked the most by golfers wanting to plan their next tour is "Can you guarantee me a time on the Old Course?" The simple answer is yes, but it's not necessarily a simple process, and depending on how much notice is given, it could get quite pricey! Let us explain.
There are essentially four ways to get on to the Old Course, each varying in reliability and cost.
1) The best way to book a time is to plan your trip well in advance and reserve a time, for the following year, at 2:00 p.m. UK time (9:00 EDT) on the first Wednesday of September (September 4th this year). As long as you are not a single, you can book a time by filling out an application at www.standrews.org.uk. If you want to book as a single, you can try for a time between April and July, but spots are few and far between. There are very strict guidelines for this reservation system, however it is still the best option for securing a time on the Old Course for the posted green fee rate (£155 or $243 CDN for 2013 peak season). During the peak season, you can book a group of between 2 and 8 players. The application process is first come, first served, so be sure to get your application in as close to 2:00 p.m. UK time on September 4th as possible.
Your odds of securing a time are much better in the shoulder or off-seasons, but if you want to play in the high season, you will have to choose a second course in the St. Andrews Links Trust rotation to book at the same time. You can choose any of the other courses, including the New Course, Jubilee or Castle, and if your application is successful, you will be required to pay green fees for both rounds. If your second course is not available, you will be assigned one of the remaining courses for your second round.
2) The only other way to secure an advance tee time is more expensive, as you have to go through the Old Course Experience, the Links Trust's exclusive travel partner, who have secured several tee times that are wholesaled out to golf travel agents such as Golf Away Tours for resale to golfers.
The Old Course Experience also offers 3, 4 and 5-day packages, which start at £1,995 ($3,134 CDN) and include multiple rounds, including one guaranteed on the Old Course.
3) If you don't have an advance tee time reservation there are two other options for getting onto the Old Course, the first one being through a daily ballot. The "Old Course Ballot" is conducted every day at 2:00 for tee times two days later. You can register for the ballot every day if you wish, by either phoning, visiting the clubhouse, or online. You must enter the ballot as a group of at least two golfers, singles cannot enter the ballot. Depending on the time of year, this is a great way to get on to the Old Course, although in the peak season, it can be difficult.
4) The final way to access the Old Course is as a walk on. You can check in with the starter as early as 6:00 a.m., and you may be paired with twosomes or threesomes that have tee times. Again, in the peak season, there are more people wanting to play, so you may have to line up very early. We have heard of lineups starting as early as 3:00 a.m.!! It is difficult, or nearly impossible in peak season, to get a foursome on together by walking on, but as a single or twosome, your odds are relatively good.
Also of note is that the Old Course is closed every Sunday when it transforms into a public park which would allow you to walk the course and shoot an imaginary 59!
So, the moral of the story is that it's best to plan your St. Andrews golf vacation well in advance to ensure you get to experience the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world. Don't be disappointed, start planning your 2014 trip today!
 |
| Where better to play a round of golf with your dad! |
1) The best way to book a time is to plan your trip well in advance and reserve a time, for the following year, at 2:00 p.m. UK time (9:00 EDT) on the first Wednesday of September (September 4th this year). As long as you are not a single, you can book a time by filling out an application at www.standrews.org.uk. If you want to book as a single, you can try for a time between April and July, but spots are few and far between. There are very strict guidelines for this reservation system, however it is still the best option for securing a time on the Old Course for the posted green fee rate (£155 or $243 CDN for 2013 peak season). During the peak season, you can book a group of between 2 and 8 players. The application process is first come, first served, so be sure to get your application in as close to 2:00 p.m. UK time on September 4th as possible.
Your odds of securing a time are much better in the shoulder or off-seasons, but if you want to play in the high season, you will have to choose a second course in the St. Andrews Links Trust rotation to book at the same time. You can choose any of the other courses, including the New Course, Jubilee or Castle, and if your application is successful, you will be required to pay green fees for both rounds. If your second course is not available, you will be assigned one of the remaining courses for your second round.
2) The only other way to secure an advance tee time is more expensive, as you have to go through the Old Course Experience, the Links Trust's exclusive travel partner, who have secured several tee times that are wholesaled out to golf travel agents such as Golf Away Tours for resale to golfers.
The Old Course Experience also offers 3, 4 and 5-day packages, which start at £1,995 ($3,134 CDN) and include multiple rounds, including one guaranteed on the Old Course.
3) If you don't have an advance tee time reservation there are two other options for getting onto the Old Course, the first one being through a daily ballot. The "Old Course Ballot" is conducted every day at 2:00 for tee times two days later. You can register for the ballot every day if you wish, by either phoning, visiting the clubhouse, or online. You must enter the ballot as a group of at least two golfers, singles cannot enter the ballot. Depending on the time of year, this is a great way to get on to the Old Course, although in the peak season, it can be difficult.
4) The final way to access the Old Course is as a walk on. You can check in with the starter as early as 6:00 a.m., and you may be paired with twosomes or threesomes that have tee times. Again, in the peak season, there are more people wanting to play, so you may have to line up very early. We have heard of lineups starting as early as 3:00 a.m.!! It is difficult, or nearly impossible in peak season, to get a foursome on together by walking on, but as a single or twosome, your odds are relatively good.
Also of note is that the Old Course is closed every Sunday when it transforms into a public park which would allow you to walk the course and shoot an imaginary 59!
 |
| Road Hole Bunker - ok, it took me a couple of whacks to escape! |
So, the moral of the story is that it's best to plan your St. Andrews golf vacation well in advance to ensure you get to experience the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world. Don't be disappointed, start planning your 2014 trip today!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)