A Southern Road Trip

Winter Road Trip

It’s this time of year when I start missing golf again.  I’m lucky enough that I get to play a fair number of rounds during our short Ontario golf season at my beloved Scarboro GC, so come November, I don’t mind the break from playing, and December seems to fly by every year with holiday parties, shopping and family time over Christmas.  So it really doesn’t hit me until we stumble into the new year, and I then I get the itch.  And every year the itch gets worse.  I used to make it through our winters without swinging a club, but now I’m making frequent trips to the basement to waggle my driver (did that come out right?)

I have to say that I do enjoy hitting balls in the new golf simulators and have spent many an hour down at Lakeshore Links over the past few winters, however, despite the significant improvements in golf simulator technology over the past few years, it still doesn’t compare to seeing a ball soar into the air and travel further than 13 feet!

So, the past few years I have made a point of taking a winter golf trip to Florida, Arizona and Portugal among other places.  This year, I’m heading to the PGA Show in Orlando via Pinehurst.  I’ve been to the PGA Show once before, and this year I am looking forward to meeting with many industry colleagues while sneaking in a round or two of golf.  Matt and I already have our tee time booked at Sreamsong Resort, and I’m excited to get a first hand look at what has been viewed as the best golf resort to open in the US since Bandon Dunes. 

Normally I would fly to Florida, but this year, I’m making a road trip out of it!  It helps that I like to drive, and who doesn’t like a guy’s road trip?  My good friend Darren is joining me on the road this year, and I’m actually looking forward to the initial 12 hour overnight drive to Pinehurst.  Although many prefer the convenience of air travel – and I can’t blame anyone for flying instead of driving – there’s something exciting about driving south in the winter; the anticipation growing with every state you pass through on your way to the Carolinas, or Georgia, or Florida.  I get giddy when the outside thermometer on my car reaches double digits, and love rolling down the window every couple of hours, sticking my arm out to feel how “warm” it really is.  12 degrees is downright balmy!

I’ll be making a beeline to Pinehurst to see the newly renovated #2 course that will host both the Men’s and Women’s US Opens on back-to-back weeks in June.  I’ll be staying at the magnificent Pinehurst Resort, which is a must see for all golf enthusiasts.  We’ve had many requests for trips to Pinehurst in 2014, and if you’re interested, you’d better act quickly because after the Opens in June, #2 will be closed for a few months to change all of the greens from bent grass to Bermuda.  So in order to see how the best men and women in the world will be playing the course, you’ll have to tee it up there prior to June.

As much as the trip down is exciting, the drive home is the exact opposite.  I guess that’s the price you pay when you decide to drive south for a winter golf vacation.  Reality eventually strikes, and you realize you have to return to the cold Ontario winter and start counting down the days to April.  But at least this year I will have had my golf fix, and that should be enough to get me through the rest of the winter.  Aw, who am I kidding, I’ll be on the road again in February.

Bermuda - A Fabulous Golf Destination

Bermuda is one of those destinations that everyone has heard of but few have true knowledge of, causing many assumptions to be made. Most people know that’s it’s a tiny island ‘way out there’ but it’s assumed that it lies in the Caribbean, rather than its position due east of the Carolina’s. Most people assume it’s a long trek to get there, despite the short and direct Air Canada and WestJet flights that depart Pearson for Bermuda 8 times weekly. Perhaps most importantly, the assumption is that Bermuda is, to quote Randy Carlisle, just an ‘ok’ golf destination, when in fact Bermuda is a bonafide world class golf destination. On a recent tour of the island, I was lucky enough to have all of my assumptions shattered.

Who knew you could get to a civilized former British colony loaded with interesting history and more golf courses per capita than any other place in the world, in less time than it takes to get to Orlando?! That’s right, just over 2 hours, tarmac to tarmac from Toronto to Bermuda…the movie credits are just starting to roll as you catch your first glimpse of the rocky coastline peeking up over the crystal blue ocean. To me, it’s surreal whenever I fly to a far-flung place in the time it takes some people to commute to work, but Bermuda takes that feeling to a new level. Even better, within 20 minutes of landing you have cleared customs, hit the Duty Free for a couple litres of $13 Goslings rum and are hopping into a waiting taxi. Taxi isn’t really the right word for the omni-present vehicles. They are more like ambassadors on wheels, full of helpful advice and recommendations. It’s like having your favourite aunt or uncle drive you around. Because the island does not permit rental cars, taxis are a very important of the tourism product in Bermuda. The more brave amongst can rip around the island on a scooter, although that’s tough to do while carrying a golf bag.

For us at Golf Away Tours, the most important element of a great trip is the golf. Having a keen interest in golf architecture, I was well aware of Mid Ocean Club, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald, the man who studied the best holes in the UK and used them as templates on all of his courses. And I knew that Port Royal GC had hosted the PGA Grand Slam the last few years, but other than that I was skeptical that an island with 6 golf courses could keep a golf fanatic happy for 5 days. I was happy to find out other otherwise.

At the Rosewood Tucker’s Point Resort (which is a 5*, first class place to stay) there is the Tuckers Point Club, an old Charles Banks design that has been updated through the years to provide a stern test of shot making through the hills and valleys of the oceanfront property.

Riddell’s Bay is a very friendly club that has a similar feel to some of the better private clubs in the GTA. It is an easy walk and full of interesting holes with small greens protected by angled bunkering, highlighted by the incredible par-4 eighth hole which plays around a rocky cape. At 6,000 yards, it may seem short on the card but is more than most can handle when the wind picks up.

Turtle Hill is located at the fabulous Fairmont Southampton and is one of the world’s best par-3 courses. In fact, it is the host of the World Par-3 Championship this month.  Every hole has views out over the ocean and tee shots need to be precise in order to hold the small, well-protected greens. If your golf game is not cooperating, the Fairmont Southampton has a wide array of other activities including tennis and snorkeling, and fine dining overlooking their private beach.

Sitting on the patio with a long view over the course and out to the ocean, it’s obvious you are in for a treat when you play Port Royal. The host of the PGA Grand Slam, the course gives you a few holes in the valley to get warmed up and then takes your breath away as you crest the hill to the 7^th green. It seems you can see all the way home from that vantage point and it’s a good place to catch your breath before playing the par-3 eighth, one of the most difficult holes in Bermuda. From there, the ocean is always in view, never more so than on the jaw-dropping par-3 16^th perched on the edge of a cliff. It has to be one of the best ‘do-or-die’ holes in the world.

The granddaddy of them all in Bermuda is Mid Ocean Club. A fixture on world top 100 course lists, Mid Ocean is one of those courses where as soon as you step on the first tee you know you are somewhere special. Having played other C.B. Macdonald courses, it was fascinating to see how he applied the template holes from the great links courses of the UK, such as the Redan hole and the Biarritz hole. The course is very playable with relatively wide fairways, but it is the challenge on and around the large greens where Mid Ocean leaves its mark. It is well deserving of its stature in the world of golf.

After playing such a varied and good group of golf courses, I was sad to be making the cab ride back to the airport. One of our mantras at Golf Away Tours for keeping clients happy is ‘no surprises’. In the case of Bermuda, I was pleased to be surprised by the ease of the entire trip and the outstanding golf we were able to play. Instead of long weekends to cottage country or ski hills, I may be hopping back to Bermuda in the future.

The PGA Show and Streamsong Resort

I’m the first to admit that I really don’t give two titleists about golf equipment. A quick inside my golf bag will tell you all you need to know.  My driver is circa 2005 with a strip of duct tape holding down about a half pound of lead tape. None of my other three ‘woods’ have a head cover. My irons are beat up old Mizuno blades, and my putter is a Ping B60 that hasn’t been made for 20 years. Oh, and my golf balls are much more likely to be stamped ‘PRACTICE’ than have my initials on them. All this fits neatly into a single strap ‘Sunday’ bag.

All the more strange that I should myself a few weeks ago at the equipment porn show that is the PGA Merchandise Show. Every year in January, virtually the entire golf world meets at the massive Orlando Convention Centre to show off their latest wares and make dubious boasts about ’15 more yards’.  And along with the behemoths of the equipment world you also have mom and pop operations selling homemade putter grips.

Among the stranger things I witnessed at the show was a ‘state of the game’ panel discussion involving industry mucky mucks and The Donald himself. I expected Trump to brag about all the golf properties he has been buying up and I wasn’t disappointed. Somehow he was able to ignore the crux of every question and use it to ‘build his brand’.  The entire discussion was largely a waste of time, to be honest. If I learned anything having worked with and amongst golf’s various governing bodies, it is that they love to nod heads and pat each other on the back as they come up with the same old answers to the same old questions.

Ostensibly, I was at the show to meet with PGA of Canada members to offer our assistance with any travel plans they may have, and I have to extend my gratitude to the PGA of Canada for hosting a night for anyone from the Canadian golf industry to attend. The Labatt Blue was flowing and it was a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the highlight of our week was a round at the new Streamsong Resort south of Orlando.

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, Streamsong is the most talked about golf development in North America this side of Cabot Links and Bandon Dunes. It follows the theory of Mike Keiser, the man behind Bandon Dunes, that if you build superior golf courses that engage and inspire, golfers will flock there regardless of  how much of a pain in the butt it is to get there. And the beauty of Streamsong is that it is not really much of a pain at all…easy flight into Orlando or Tampa and a 90 min drive…no sweat.

As we drove south from Orlando, there isn’t much to give you an idea that a world-class golf facility is anywhere near. It’s quite an opener to leave the façade that is Orlando and enter into the Florida that very few tourists see. The landscape is dotted with mining activity (mostly phosphate), and it is because of the foresight of a mining company called Mosaic, that we now have a reclamation project turned into 36 holes of brilliant, heart racing golf.

I’ll save you the blow-by-blow, but I’m comfortable proclaiming the courses at Streamsong to be the best golf available to the public in Florida, and the Lodge is a stunning piece of modern architecture. Florida has always been a great place for a cheap and cheerful golf break for Canadians, but now we have a legitimate world-class destination that will particularly appeal to the discerning golfer who understands how the game should be played.

When I was searching the basement for my dirty old clubs to take down south, I didn’t feel terribly excited to play. The first thing I did when I got home was plop my clubs in the sink and gave them a good wash. That’s the sign of a good golf course.

Farewell to the 2013 Golf Season

Yesterday, as we strolled the fairways of Deer Ridge GC in Kitchener, Ontario on a crisp autumn day, it hit me like a ton of bricks that the golf season here in Southern Ontario is coming to an end. Every year, I fight that sinking feeling that soon the clubs will go into hibernation, but there was no mistaking the sure signs of another season coming to a close. The smell of damp leaves on the ground, the greens that looked about ready to be put to bed, the notable lack of people on the links...

All of this had me reflecting on the season that was and being thankful that I am privileged to play many great courses around the world. As a full-fledged golf geek, all rounds played are recorded in a spreadsheet and scorecards tucked away in photo albums (which btw are getting harder and harder to find in stores). I pulled the album out last night and it was full of great memories from 2013. Beginning with an incredible tour of Ireland and southwest Scotland in April, it's been a beauty. Here are a few highlights:

Ireland and Scotland - Arriving in Dublin, we booted over to the southwest to begin a 15-rounds-in-10-days saga. The weather was very 'Irish' to put it mildly, but the golf was sublime. Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portrush and Royal County Down are all world class, however many other 'hidden gems' such as Ballyliffin, Portstewart, Carne, and Enniscrone are all well worth the effort to play. 

The incredible 9th hole at Royal County Down

After a relaxing ferry ride from Larne to Troon, we enjoyed rounds at Turnberry, Royal Troon, and Prestwick. All three courses are must-plays in Scotland and are very different despite their close proximity.

Craigowan GC - Back here in Ontario, TJ and I had the pleasure of being hosted at Craigowan GC by Rick Young, long time golf journalist with ScoreGolf. The course, on the outskirts of Woodstock, is beautifully maintained and has a very interesting set of greens. 

Scarboro GC - TJ is lucky to be a member at this excellent club on the east side of Toronto. The only AW Tillinghast design in Canada, Scarboro is a blast to play and has perhaps the best collection of short par 4's anywhere. More than anything, Scarboro is a vibrant club that embraces the game and a few drinks and laughs afterward.

Wildfire GC- Although not in Muskoka, Wildfire is one of the best 'Muskoka-style' courses, full of the epic rock formations and white pines that are the hallmark of the area. I love the low-key feeling of the entire place and the golf course is stellar. 

The par 5 finishing hole at Wildfire (yes, that's a motorboat parked in the water)

Toronto Golf Club - TGC is 5 minutes from my driveway and I am known to take a detour down the club's entranceway on my way to get groceries. It has to be best entrance in Canada as you get a glimpse of at least half the golf course before you arrive in the small parking lot at the foot of the historic clubhouse. Of all the great courses in the Toronto area, TGC offers the most unique experience. It's like stepping back into time on the heathland courses west of London, England.

Stafford CC - As a Walter Travis enthusiast, I try to see as many of his designs as possible. This is made easier by the fact that most of his designs are along a line from Niagara to Albany. I recently made the trek to east of Buffalo with fellow golf architecture enthusiast, Mark Saltzman (he has played 800+ different courses !!!) to check out Stafford CC. We were not disappointed as the course had at least a half dozen vintage Travis greens and his signature mounding is found throughout. I still prefer the two Travis courses here in Ontario (Lookout Point and Cherry Hill) but it was worth the drive and hassle at the border from a guard who found it hard to believe we were driving all that way to play golf in Stafford!

Lakeview GC and Anderson Park - I'll save my sentimental favourites for last. I consider Lakeview my 'home club' even though it is municipal and does not have memberships. It is just a few minutes from the house and embodies what golf should be; accessible, walkable, and engaging to play. From 100 yards into the green, I would put Lakeview up there with any of the private clubs or high end public courses in the GTA. 

Anderson Park is a new cult favourite amongst those that seek out interesting golf architecture. A sleepy little Military 9-holer an hour from Toronto, Anderson Park is a gem. For $20, my 6 year-old son, Calum, and I enjoyed a beautiful early afternoon on a course that fits naturally on the sand-based land and harkens back to a time when golf was a simple game without the need for fancy clubhouses and fine dining. The only downside was the target shooting practice going on adjacent to the course, but at least Calum got a kick out of that.

My boy, Calum, on the 4th green at Anderson Park

The Benefits of Pro / Member Golf Trips

One of the most common trips we coordinate here at Golf Away Tours is the Pro / Member trip. Typically these occur in the 'shoulder season' for golf professionals in early Spring or late Fall when there is a little more time to enjoy some social golf with members. But there are many further benefits to a golf professional beyond finally getting to play some golf. Here are three good reasons why every golf professional should go on a golf trip with their members.

1. There is no greater way to build relations with members and strengthen their loyalty than by spending a week eating, drinking and playing golf with them. Most members only know their pro through making tee times or taking a lesson. The natural social situation of golfers enjoying golf removes that invisible barrier between pros and members and allows people to really get to know each other in a much deeper sense.

2. Similar to above, a golf trip allows members to get to know each other better and develop relationships that strengthen the fabric of the club. Healthy clubs tend to be ones where the members have strong bonds and everyone feels welcome. A golf trip will be a conversation piece amongst members for years afterwards.

3. Often a pro doesn't hear about issues or opinions at the club until it has passed through multiple filters that skew the original context. A golf trip provides a forum for members to give raw feedback to the professional about things they like about the club, things they don't like, suggestions for improvement, etc. It gives the professional a chance to get out ahead of any potential sore points that could fester into something more serious down the road.

Virtually all of our pro / member trips have been a resounding success and generally the group has already started planning their next trip by the time they land back home. The trips tend to grow in stature and numbers as more members want to join in the fun.

If your club is interested in this type of golf trip, feel free to give us a ring here at Golf Away Tours and we'll help get the ball rolling.

Our Thoughts on Golf Magazine's Top 100 Courses

You know what they say about opinions, they're like ***holes...everybody has one. Few things other than politics and religion get people riled up like golf course ranking lists do. Everyone has a style of course they prefer, be it links or parkland or heathland, and everyone has 'pet favourites' that they feel are being overlooked by those 'stupid raters'. Being raters for a few publications ourselves, TJ and I know how difficult it can be to decide which courses belong on a particular list and which courses we'd like to see recede from public consciousness.

The latest biannual World Top 100 Courses from Golf Magazine was recently released and we figured we'd give our 2 cents on the list. Golf Magazine's rankings are generally considered the gold standard, mostly due to the relatively small panel (~100) which is very well travelled and a group that considers the merits of a course very carefully. Here are a few thoughts on the list from Golf Away Tours' point of view.

-How great is Australia and New Zealand as a golf destination? 9 courses in the top 100...and they're all ACCESSIBLE. It's a shame more North American clubs don't open their doors to visitors. Everyone deserves to see great golf architecture. The diversity of courses down under is incredible, from the sandbelt courses near Melbourne, to the links courses at Barnbougle, to the spectacular cliff-top courses at Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs. Just think, with a trip to Melbourne and a quick jaunt to Tasmania you could play 5 of the world's top courses (and many other superb tracks).

-Links golf still rules, and always will. The list is littered from top to bottom with places at the roots of the game. Yes, the usual suspects for links golf are Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales, but it's pretty cool to see links courses from the USA, Australia, and yes, Canada crack the list. I have not been out to see Cabot Links in Cape Breton but by all indications it is well deserving of its place on the list.

-Happy that St. George's in Toronto moved up a few spots on the list. I think it's one of the best parkland courses in the world, with incredible bunkering. I would place it ahead of some of America's parkland courses that are ranked higher, including this week's host of the PGA Championship, Oak Hill.

-Disappointed to see Highlands Links fall off the list. Canadian golf architect, Ian Andrew, has been working to restore the Stanley Thompson features and improve conditions through tree removal, but the fact remains that the course is generally in sub-standard condition. It's too bad Mike Keiser, the developer of Bandon Dunes and Cabot Links (along with Canadian golf entrepreneur and all around good guy, Ben Cowan Dewar), has expressed little interest in taking Highlands Links over. The course deserves better.

-Continuing with the Canadian theme, other courses that could merit recognition include Hamilton, The National, Toronto GC, Capilano, Banff, Jasper, and Shaughnessy.

My final tally is 29 of the top 100 played. Can't wait to add a few notches to the belt!

Our Ideal Canadian Open Rota

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.