Calgary and Surrounding area - Golf Thread

[8sPOT]

Has anyone mentioned Strathmore on here? I might be biased as I live out here but talk about great value.

$55 is the weekend rate, the greens are suprisingly lightning quick, the course is overall usually in great shape. And perhaps the best part are the marshalls. On numerous occasions one would be driving up and you naturally assume they're gonna be on you to pick up the pace etc. But he'll tell you where your shots landed, or what to avoid for your next shot. They have more of a Wal-Mart greeter vibe to them.

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

They have more of a Wal-Mart greeter vibe to them.

So, destitute and on the verge of suicide?

[8sPOT]

Well yeah, but thats better than being on a mission to become the golf marshall czar of the world.

[Mayer]

What about The Canal at Delacour?

From the photo gallery on the site it looks pretty nice. Anyone played that one recently?

[iggnuef]

A big problem with slow play is that people watch golf on TV too much and think they are Tiger. "Plumb bobbing" there putt when its for a double or triple birdie......waiting to go for the green in 2 and when the green is clear they snap hook it into the trees 150yds up. And the people who won't walk anywhere cause they paid for there cart.....driving all over the place.

As for courses in the "area" I like Highwood in high river and the Canal at Delacour, Heatherglenn and Beaver damn. All descent prices and good/interesting tracks.

As someone mentioned earlier, I ususally go a step below the best. Taylormade Burners, Callaway hx Hot or Titleist DT's. I will only buy top end if they are a great deal. I golf in the 80's and dont feel a big difference.....but I can't stand the cheapies, especially Pinnacle's.....why not hit a rock!!

[iggnuef]

Originally Posted by Mayer

What about The Canal at Delacour?

From the photo gallery on the site it looks pretty nice. Anyone played that one recently?

Played it about 3 weeks ago......great links style course!! Just hope for lil to no wind, which is tough to come by. Challenging greens, thick "fescue" type rough and lots of fun!!

[DuffMan]

I played at Beaver Damn this past weekend, and that course can kill you some holes. #4 & # 11 really stand out in that respect. #4, a par 3, you are shooting 190 yds to a green about the width of a driveway, with trouble on both sides. #11, we all shot what we thought were good drives, until we got to our balls, and no one could see the green. 2nd shots were basically shooting 200 yds, towards where you think the green is, Of course the green is surrounded by crap, on all sides.
Great course though, for the money. Almost every hole is interesting in its own way.

[FlamesKickAss]

yes 11 is brutal there. two blind shots

[JohnnyFlame]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

I find trying to organize people to golf is a pita. People know I have a membership and I tell anyone if they want to play to let me know, but I hate trying to organize stuff with people. If i waited around for other people, I'd probably never get out. Once you start going out as a single, you get comfortable with it after a few times. I can golf with or without people. either way is good.

The whole reason I started golfing was, I was in a beer league mixed baseball team. Super fun, had lots of good times, but after awhile less and less people were showing up, until we were forfeiting games, and finally merged with another half team, who had some real pricks on it. The next year, we didn't have a team. I decided I needed something to do, that I didn't need to depend on others. Golf, the perfect solution. Sure, I'd like to have a few good friends that were into it as much as me, and had lots of time, but that just isn't working out. Also a lot of people I know who do golf prefer really easy courses, and I hate those courses.

I'd say most of the actual "golf" I've played was as a single. When I was single and could play whenever I felt like it I went almost exclusively as a single player. Really it's ideal when you are trying to play some good golf. Other than a few "nice shot" comments you are just out there on your own thinking golf. I enjoy going out with the buddies/relatives but it's a social occasion. If I'm working on my golf game I'd rather be out there with people I don't know.

[Mayer]

Originally Posted by FlamesKickAss

yes 11 is brutal there. two blind shots

I love that hole. So challenging to hit the green in regulation.

That whole course is great though. Not the prettiest to look at, but it will challenge you for sure, even the short par 4's.

[Mayer]

I played Boulder Creek on Friday. I can't say I was impressed at all with the condition of the course. Good thing it was cheap.

Has anyone played Silverwing? I had never even heard of it until today. All the pictures look great, but thats not always accurate.

[FlamesKickAss]

Originally Posted by Mayer

I love that hole. So challenging to hit the green in regulation.

That whole course is great though. Not the prettiest to look at, but it will challenge you for sure, even the short par 4's.

oh yeah that is one of my favorite courses in the area. that hole is just tough to hit.

I love how the first two holes you play with people that have never played there and you think its going to be the crappy little prairie course and then you get number 3 and 4 and its totally different

[flamesdyehard]

Just for information, the Lethbridge area has some good golf for reasonable prices. By my count there are 5 good courses within 1/2 hr. of or in the city. You will pay around 50-60 bucks with a cart, except at Paradise Canyon where you're looking at 85 bucks. The courses are all in very good shape and not crowded at all. Anyone looking for a weekend out of the city might consider a little jaunt South. It can get a little windy though.

[chid]

Originally Posted by Mayer

I played Boulder Creek on Friday. I can't say I was impressed at all with the condition of the course. Good thing it was cheap.

Has anyone played Silverwing? I had never even heard of it until today. All the pictures look great, but thats not always accurate.

I played Silverwing on Saturday with a tournament, its not a course I'd go back to, I have no slice in my swing but even I had trouble keeping it on the fairway - there were some holes where it was just so slim - most of my shots went into sand traps *pughah*

[Bobblehead]

Played 4 rounds in BC last week. All the courses I played were in great shape, but lots of rain made some of the bunkers tough to play out of.

Kimberley GCC - Greens were tough to read but that was because there was lots of rain (my Tee time was delayed) and as the greens dried out it changes speeds drastically.

Bootleg Gap - The greens had been punched a week before but they had recovered enough that the roll was still true.

Trickle Creek - Greens just punched a day or two before. As a result, putts would bounce all over the place. Not that I'm a great (or even good) at putts, but it is annoying when you have the right line and a few bounces half way along markedly slow the shot. The bunkers were the only course to have them in great shape. I only went in once (whew) but when I did the sand was nice and it was reasonable to get the club under the ball. The other courses the sand had been packed by the rain and were pretty hard packed.

Copper Point - Greens in best shape of anywhere. Perfectly smooth and lightning fast. Course was in excellent shape. Bunker issue as mentioned above, but they were working them up so they may have been better later in the day. (I put a ball in a bunker the guy was working on. He through it out declaring ground was being worked on. Mixed blessing - no sand but he tossed it out so I had to carry over the bunker onto the lightning fast greens).

Speaking to a few other people, Grey Wolf got hammered this past spring and had to fully re-sod a few of their greens and partially re-sod a number of others.

[Mayer]

Just played Silver Wing on Friday. I was very impressed with the condition. Pretty fun course too.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Quick - delacour or water valley. Which should I play and why?

[Fire]

If you can't keep the ball straight you will be in the trees a lot at Water Valley. I think overall Water Valley is the nicer looking course but harder, but Delacour is a nice course as well.