Reviews

THE TEE TIMES

PLAYING AROUND

The        HINTON GOLF CLUB             Rating 94%

Just got in from a great weekend away at SWITZER PROVINCIAL PARK for a couple days of rest.
Saturday morning was looking great and the wife said well "it looks like your itchin' to go golfing so let's get ready and go".  Ten minutes later we were on the road with my rag tag set of clubs that I only take camping and we headed back into Hinton, about a 10 minute drive. Around 10 am up the gravel road a new subdivision and into the course lot we mosied into the club house where we were met with a polite hello.
I asked if a twosome could get out soon for 18 holes and they fit us in right away--2 people @ $90.00.

This was our first time playing this course so we were happy to be joined up with two ladies ( Rhonda and Nichole) from Hinton who were new golfers and they told us to play through, but my wife Terri let them know I was a golf teacher and they may benefit by playing with us. We teed off and the day started with a nice par 5, 516 yds dog-leg to the right. As we played along this course it was playing out very nice and each hole required some wounderful and skillful shot making. With 30 to 45 degree slopes in the fairways to uphill green and mountain views to green below the front nine had a lot to offer with not-so-easy pin placements and the greens were in great shape. Overall, the course was excellent and with a few little golf tips both ladies had some wonderful shots through the round. The front nine is a great walk.
Front 9, shot 44 with a driver, 4 iron, 6, 9 ,60degree, and putter in the bag ...(two balls lost in bush/water).

The 10th was a great start to a green 300 feet below and 400 plus yards away dog leg left (par) and after ringing the bell a few times it was onto the 11th hole and it was back up a golfing valley 511 yrds--one tough par 5 you're always adjusting your stance with a ball above your feet or below and talk about slopes (would make a great toboggan hill/run). By then, the heat of the day was on high and the hills were taking a toll on Terri (rent a cart for the back 9) and after getting to the 13th we found out it was not playable (not told at the pro shop) it was a long walk and both Terri and I were suffering from heat stroke and we made a call to the club house (could not find the cart girl) Mike from the pro shop brought us out some water right away and then at the end of that hole a girl from the club house brought us out more water and also offered us the use of a cart for the last few holes (which was very much needed and appreciated).
Top marks go out to the staff and crew of the Hinton Golf Club for being so accommodating ..... Well Done!!!!!!
Beer, water and pop all priced out well and they had a great menu to choose from. It looks like some good tournaments are coming up there soon so if you're interested look them up!

RATINGS              COURSE                          SLOPE
MENS                BLUE         71.2                    129
                            WHITE    68.7                    121

LADIES               WHITE     74.3                     134
                             RED         69.5                    125

www.hintongolfclub.com
Box 2523
Hinton, AB T7V 1Y2

In the Pro Shop          Graeme Kreiner
Food & Beverage        Jeff Lidgey
Ph: 780-865-2904

Twin Willows Golf Course 96%

I drove up to the course located at 14110-156 Street in Edmonton, Alberta and the parking lot was near full, in the club house you could see why-- a tournament of ladies and looked like a great time! I was there just in time for some cake, muffins and assorted fruit which I snacked on while I made my notes. The day was turning hot so this would be good to see how many times the cart girl would come by and come by she did. Make sure you have some cash!!!

Named after the two original trees on the property, which still stand to this day in the middle of # 9 fairway. The front nine features large tree- lined fairways that lead to its mature and traditional look. The back nine was designed by Robert Kains Golf Course Design in 2003 and it opens to a scattering of hills and fescue. The Twin Willows clubhouse which has been open for business since 1964 is a family run business that goes hand in hand. Rose Gourley has been managing the club for over 25 years and with her dedicated staff they spare no effort in making your time spent there enjoyable. I met with Rose and she was a great charm to see first time through the door. Had my tee off time booked days ahead, but with luck same day would also be able to jump right on a join a good group of players. On that day I golfed with quality golfers; Alice from Calgary, Bill from Toronto and Daryl from St. Albert, they were all fair to good golfers.

Ed Sims is the Superintendent and for a course that is both old and new, was in good shape with the greens able to hold your ball with a nice 110 yard pitch shot, I was very impressed with the amount and placement of sand traps. Forty five to count and some water hazards (a word of caution to all of you who don’t fix your ball marks--leave the course better then you find it and if you don’t know how to fix them please ask the pro shop to show you.) Visit www.twinwillowsgolf.com to get a vast amount of information from pricing to tournaments, menus, pictures and discount clothing.

Across the street you will find a nicely laid out driving range and practice facility for putting, chipping and sand development. A great place to come and have lunch and just try some new shots, (we can all use some of those). I always see a cool shot on TV and that same weekend I want to go out and master it and by doing this you’ll soon see your score drop and on this day I shot a 76. From the tips you will hit 6284 yards with 4 par 5`s always a good chance for birdie, greens were nice and large in the back and target golf in the front. Even with a tournament in front and coming up to a hole with 4 groups on it we finished the front in 2 ¾ hours and the back I golfed alone and breezed through in 1 1/4 hours, the ladies will hit 5268 yards and have a great time doing it.

Till next time ...Thank you

End of season golfing was very good. Rating 96 %...(consider letting the golfers use their visa for beverages purchased from the cart)

Rating/Slope: (Men) Blue: 69.6/116 White: 68.4/115 (Ladies) White 72.8/118 Red 69.7/112

TEE TIMES / CLUBHOUSE: 780-447-2934

FAX: 780-447-2922

Rose Gourley
Clubhouse Manager, Tournament Coordinator
780-447-2934
golf@twinwillowsgolf.com

Ed Sims
Superintendent
780-441-1962
esims@twinwillowsgolf.com

Barrhead Golf Course Rating 97% www.golfbarrhead.com

Over the past few years through various rounds of golf, I was told of a very nice track in Barrhead. My wife and I book ahead and crossed our fingers for good weather. As we started our hour-long drive to the course, the sunny day in Edmonton turned into a cloudy and windy one in Barrhead. As we pulled into the parking lot the wind picked up and we looked at each other thinking we came all this way so we’d better dress appropriately and be prepared for whatever Mother Nature had in mind for us that day. As we approached the first tee, the marshal looked at me with my Staff Bag slung over my shoulder and said “that’s a big bag to carry for 18 holes”, to which I replied “I’m a big boy who wants to get stronger”. I recommend that you try carrying your bag more often to build up the strength in your legs which is where your down swing is started and this should give you more power and the ability to stabilize yourself for better balance.

As we prepared to tee off (with no time for a warm-up) the marshal informed us that the other two that were supposed to join us didn’t show up (the weather probably scared them off). I started off slow with a 75% swing speed and reached the middle of the fairway and my wife, Terri got off to a good start as well. The course had a great amount of trees to shelter us from the wind and as we played, we found the layout to be fantastic. Nice and narrow long par 4’s, reachable par 5’s and they had some good approach finishes over water. One of the most interesting tee shots you'll find is on hole #6, the small opening over the water to a sloped fairway made club selection a challenge and it’s not a hole to get greedy on. Find the fairway and move on. Your approach is to a well bunkered green that is two-tiered. By the 7^th hole I found my groove and a few sand traps and after 9 holes, I came in with a score of 40—not bad for a first time and it took us only 2 hours to complete. We started the back nine with the threat of rain looming over us. The back nine is more open and beside the airport. It had a nice par 3 that was 200+ yards and a few holes where ball placement is key. I managed to shoot a 39 and I’m proud to say that I played with the same ball for the whole round! It took us 3 ½ hours to complete all 18 holes.

This is a great track for all levels with a camp and RV site which makes for a great weekend getaway. Food and cart service was great and over all condition of the course was fantastic. We’ll be back next year to make a weekend out of it and hope the weather cooperates.

The Barrhead Golf Club is an 18 Hole Championship Course designed by the renowned Les Furber . It has been included in Golf Digest's "Best Places To Play" for the last three years and is remarked as a must stop for all Central Alberta golf enthusiasts.

The course is highlighted by a challenging 6650 yard layout coupled with pristine manicuring making the trip to Barrhead well worth the drive.

TEE TIMES and PRO SHOP: (780) 674-3053 or 1-888-674-3053
FAX: (780) 674-3638
C.P.G.A. Professional Danny Grant

stnygolf@telus.net

STONY PLAIN GOLF COURSE Rating 95%

I have been coming to this course since 1983 back when some of the trees were just knee high to a grass hopper. The course has gone through a few changes since then and all for the good. The fairways are lush and there you can take a nice swing and get a flying beaver pelt half way down the fairway, you know it will bite into the green and give you the roll you need. I can remember playing some bad army golf here, those were the days when I took bad advice to fix bad problems--hooks, slices, pushing, pulling, trees and shoot a frustrating round of 99. Well those days are well behind me and on this second day of play at the Stony Plain Open, I don’t know what it is, but I placed upon myself (as we all do) the pressure to perform better and do we sometimes no. On the first day I shot 87, and on the second, 80 and trust me you do need to play a course beforehand if you really want to place high on the leader board. Between 9`s it`s off to the snack hut and kudos to the girls, the dogs and burgers were great, but $4.50 for a hotdog is a bit steep! But I understand the bills have to be paid. This course runs through a few houses on the back but is not in range for the low handicappers. But if you’re on your heels then for sure you will find a yard or two (been there, done that). Mature trees line most of the course and with the help of some wind this course will have you playing under those trees a lot so slow down your swing and you will find the middle a lot more. I find by not going for it all the time it give you a sense of accomplishment and you end up with a lower score. To accomplish this I do carry two drivers and will play it safe on a majority of holes. They have a great layout and with some uphill dog legs and downhill flag placements this course will always give you your money’s worth, four par 5`s give you a good chance at a few birdies and with par being from the back black 72.3 , blue 71.2 , white 69.0 red 72.8 and white 75.3 for 18 holes. Top marks go out to superintendant, Paul Kaufmann, as the course is always in great shape and with the guidance of Tracy Hayden PGA as General Manager and Head Pro it looks like there will be a lot of satisfied golfers on this great course. Oh and by the way, wait for the TRAIN it always gets ya!

Address: 18 Fairway Drive

Stony Plain, Alberta T7Z 1M3
Canada

Tel: 1.780.963.4022; 1.780.963.2133

Fax: 1.780.963.7404

TOP MARKS FOR A GREAT COURSE

J.R Golf Course 96% www.jrgolfcourse.ca

J.R. Golf Course is a friendly, value-based golf experience, affordable to all.

Our golf course is located just a few minutes northwest of Edmonton, near St. Albert.

We pride ourselves in being friendly - both to our customers and to the beautiful environment in which we are located.

Our goal is to make the game of golf accessible and affordable to anyone. We strive to continuously deliver the best customer service possible while operating in a safe, ethical, and environmentally sound manner.

Drop by and give it a try!

Course Location
26329 Meadowview Drive
St. Albert, AB
T8N 1M8

Mailing Address
Box 40, Site 4, RR 1
St. Albert, AB
T8N 1M8

Since opening in 1985 this course has had some good years and bad as have all courses in the Edmonton market place (weather related). But with the hindsight to giving the Edmonton golfer a great deal this course comes out on the top of its class. Joan, Carroll and staff have always looked to the customer as the drive to offering a golfing experience at great value with a designed plan to develop a course that is challenging and fair...you get this by having 2 different 9`s. You will need to play a placement style of golf on the front with water on almost all 9 holes and let the driver stretch out on the back with the open and long par 5 on the back, and I mean long 619 yards and 640 back to back. And if it is windy--god bless getting par--hats off to you with a birdy.This course finishes off with a great 201 yard par 3 over water and the scuttlebutt is--a new member in his 70’s first time out made a hole in 1!!! There are 13 new sand bunkers, new tees being built and improvements being made to the greens, better irrigation and the addition of a new greens roller will give all golfers a new experience and great value for their money.

Through my last round service from the cart girls (refreshments and snacks) was top notch with them coming by 5 to 6 times per round ...this is a lot better than higher price courses we have been to. Driving nets, sand traps and putting greens let are located right near the first tee which allows you to warm up close by so you won’t miss your tee time. The starter and marshal will help your group off without a hitch. Between 9`s going to the food counter gives you a chance to get your hunger pangs looked after with a wide variety of menu choices. Average time 4 1/2 hours ,par 71/6425 yards, 50+ golf carts for any size tournament with addition of solar carts makes this a great small business golf tournament choice. Round will cost $9.00 for 9 holes and $18.00 for 18 holes Monday through Thursday and Friday, Saturday & Sunday are $14.00 and $25.00. Great course, great service and environmental sound practices and Golf School availability gives this golf course a top mark of 96%.

Indian Lakes Golf Club Rating 92%

Indian Lakes Golf Club is accessed from Edmonton on Yellowhead Trail (Highway 16), go west on Yellowhead Trail out of the city andtake the up ramp on the Devon turnoff (Highway 60) and go south for 5km. Indian Lakes Golf Club will be located on your left hand side.
Indian Lakes Golf Club is also accessed from Edmonton on the Whitemud Drive by going west on Whitemud Drive till you reach Highway 60,
turn left, go south on Highway 60 for about 1km. Indian Lakes Golf Club will be located on your left hand side.

I wanted on this day to visit a young course, but a challenging one as well so I called and made a booking for 9am and was also told to chat with the General Manager, John Bellcourt. I had heard a few stories (which I believe to be true) from the older- timers about this course when it was first built. The story goes that back in the war it used to be a bombing run and the back swamp was littered with unexploded powder kegs and to this day as they tried to build a new 9 hole course on the sand hill on the back lot they still came across some unexploded pieces of metal and this project is on hold for now. John is a good man with great foresight to see this course and the change in weather patterns these past few years was in desperate need of some big time water, so they drilled 5 holes and 3 produced, however, not in time for the 2009 season, so the fairways took a beating but they knew enough to keep the greens and tee boxes in great shape. I’ll wait until next year to go back to see if there are any positive changes for all the hard work done. I did notice that any where you go you will always get good and bad staff but, I am not giving up on the challenges John has to face and I hope all golfers in the Edmonton area feel the same way.

The wind was blowing and you could tell by the bite of the greens that they were firm and fast. I can’t stress enough to always fix your ball marks! Nothing more I dislike is getting to the green and looking at birdie a putt and have to fix 3 to 4 ball marks ...if you fix a ball mark right away it takes 2 days to repair its self, if you leave it and don’t fix it, it takes 6 days. After 9 holes, breakfast had settled and I needed some libation. I asked for water and at $2.50 I asked if it came out of the new wells. A $1.50 for water would be okay but $2.50? Ouch! They made some changes to the course and the club house, again good and ok the # 10 hole was moved and it was a okay idea but from holes 10 to 11 it is a good hike where a short par 3 would have been good but it also gives you time to gather your thoughts to try to bring home a good back 9 and finish with a good score. The 11th hole is a nice par 5 and a challenge into the wind to try for a birdie so a 6 for me was good, the fairway was hard and I topped the 2nd shot, but no big whoop. The 12th hole was a really nice par 3, 199 yards over water with traps side back and water at front edge well. Three years ago there was water there! I`ll took my par and moved on that hole makes the walk all worthwhile now #14 which was #18 is on the right edge of the water and the green is hidden by a big growth of trees and placement is the key to a par here. However, for me, the wind and a few branches stopped me from achieving that.

The ground crew and Marshal Lyle were very friendly and accommodating and you could see they had a vision of what the course could and should be (in 2 years). Lyle gave me the impression that it was a great year there despite the weather and that people were looking at coming back for the golf and hospitality that was shared with all their friends and business associates. Four par 5`s over 500 yards and well-placed greens give this par 72 course a good challenge for your money.

On this day my score was 79. Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Indian Lakes Golf Club is a public course only 15 minutes west of West Edmonton Mall on the Enoch Cree Nation.

Indian Lakes Golf Club Ltd.
Box 120
Enoch, Alberta
T7X 3Y3

Phone:	(780) 470-4653
Fax:	(780) 470-5600
Email:	info@indianlakesgolfcourse.com

A.G.A. Course Rating & Slope

Blue 70.5 / 133, White 68.5 /127, Red 65.0 / 118 from the tips 6764 yards and with some work it could be longer

6764 yards 6277 yards 5605 yards

WATERTON LAKES GOLF COURSE

92 %

It was our second day into our summer vacation and we wanted to check out the southern tip of Alberta and headed for Waterton National Park. If you’ve ever seen pictures of this place, they won’t measure up to when you actually see the beauty of it in person. It’s a good drive from home base (Edmonton) and a few hours south of Calgary. My wife and I found a great camp site looking over the lakes and that was surrounded by towering mountains. We set up camp and settled in and woke to a beautiful morning. With some hardy camp breakfast in our stomachs, it was off for a round at Waterton Lakes Golf Course. It is a very open front 9 lay out and the back gets you into the hills and some very scenic lookouts. With the mountain back drop and awesome views you will be hitting some well placed locations to navigate the fairways and have a good approach shot to the green, and being down south you also have to realize the effect the wind will play on all your shots. On this day I can honestly say I was striking it (pure) and the wind was my best friend, club selection was minimal, where I was going for it every shot, but I can also see this course has been built where placement is critical due to the cross wind/breezes. The 5th hole was one of the toughest I`ve played in a few years with a long fairway and steep hill approach to a small green with sand both in the front and back left & right--give yourself a big pat on the back if you achieve par here! By the time you get into the hills and trees the 8th hole has a view of the valley that lets you know for sure you’re in Alberta. This hole through to the fairway leads to a green perched on a bluffs edge with the panoramic lake and mountain vistas. Finishing the front with a 32 had me smiling.

Into the club house for a hotdog and some libation and it was time to get the cart for the back as it was into the hills and mountains and if we had to out-run a bear it was going to be full of gas and not poop. For me the back 9 looked harder with narrow fairways and the warning signs that grizzlies and black bears were in the area, which really didn’t affect me until I shot a ball into the brush and when I went to retrieve it a squirrel scared the crap out of me! Needless to say I was a bit skittish after that and my game went downhill from that point forward (the squirrels need to wear moccasins). By the11th & 12th with back to back par 5`s the course took hold and started to beat me. The 13th is one of the best par 3`s in the book, having you shoot 100 yrds over a deep fairway valley to a tiny shallow green, this was not only visually challenging but the view was daunting the wind ,the bears that showed up, the deer and all the wildlife made this the hole of the day. As we moved on the fairways got narrower and the trees over hang more the every other hole the occasional bogie shows up on the score card.

Elevated tee boxes gave a bird’s eye view to these testing holes. By the 16th the bears were king and the game and I was a shot close to the 17th all up hill was another tough par 3 to a two tiered green and all I could say was—WOW! Homeward bound and not made into a meal I didn’t have pants full of poop and no scratches from going into the brush. The 18th was our last camera shot and was a great drop of rolling fairway into the clubhouse and to finish with a birdie in front of the club house crowd it was just great to sit back and reflect with a few barley sandwiches and revel in the mastery of this course built in 1929 and the back in 1939 and to know that Stanley Thompson planted the grass personally tells you a lot about the love for the area and the game of golf he and other Albertans have. It was a great day for golf in the Waterton area, situated in the heart of nature’s wonderland.

The Links of GlenEagles Golf Course- Cochrane, Alberta 98%

It’s a short little drive south on hwy 2 into Cochrane, Alberta to a new course,The Links Of GlenEagles Golf Course. It was built in 1999 along the escarpment of a housing development. A word that comes to mind as you turn into this course is—impressive and you may wonder to yourself did I bring enough balls? Looking over the Bow River and the town of Cochrane is this Les Furber design and it’s literally carved into the foot hills 200 feet above the river below and what a view for your eyes to feast on with the valley below and the Rockies in the distance.

Every hole is a great golfing experience and with that, every choice of club is another step to a great round. This course has it long dog legs, short uphill par 3`s, long plateau to plateau par 3`s and the 16th is by far the most scenic. It’s one of those holes you will always remember for the rest of your playing life—a 251 par 3 with a 130 yard drop to the green down in the valley. I met some great people who lived along the course and it’s true to say people in Alberta are very friendly. I suggest visiting their fantastic website to view this spectacular course.

GlenEagles has a wild driving range with its limited space and you use floating water balls which is pretty cool to see all the balls floating in the lake. Everything was very cool and this is a great course to walk but if you do not want a heart attack I would rent a cart. I believe it is included in the price already. On this day with the games we were playing while in the Volvo demo days challenge I shot a 85 and it was a very good start to a great vacation.

NK’MIP Canyon Desert Golf Course 98%

Near the end of our golf trip through the Okanagan Valley we heard about a desert canyon course with rattlesnakes in it and I had to go (I kept it quiet from the wife until we got there). As we drove through wine country with some great temptation we came to Oliver, British Columbia, home to NK’MIP Golf Course. This course started in 1961 and was originally named Cherry Grove and opened in 1962. It was built for about $100K and with today’s prices, that would build 1/2 a hole. It was rebuilt in 1999 and became the championship 18 hole course you see today and renamed NK’MIP ((Inkameep). There is no one word to describe this course with its beautiful views, gorgeous weather, great service and tremendous golf. This course has a 3 hole practice round before your regular round course which I found very helpful, because if you’re like me it takes a few holes to warm up and find your groove. You can walk this course or cart it with GPS which will let you know where the other golfers are in front of you because sometimes as you know you can`t always see them up there in front. The 7^th hole is a nice par 5 and a deceptively tough hole, #8 a short par 3 that will bite you and ,#9 is a par5 uphill dogleg to a small undulating green(quality golf!!!). (Other golf courses take note), in the club house you can hand over your Visa card to the bartender and have all your drinks and snacks consumed on the back nine tallied up after you’ve completed your round. The back nine was into the canyon and hitting your drive up into a stone walled canyon is a thrill to feel the power you are putting into the drive to get it up there close to the green on this the 11th hole and it was up hill dog leg left with trees, water and side hill lies (just to mess with your head). And don’t look to your right to the next hole because for sure you are going to mess up big time, for me, leaving that hole with a bogie was good enough. The 12^th hole was straight down hill 195 yrds and it needed to be a 52 maybe 9 iron for some stop on the green control or it was goin down that hill another 30 yrds into the nature area (did I mention that on the first hole the warning sign tells you to play in the fairways because the rough is dangerous as that is where the rattlesnakes reside) needless to say, I didn’t hit the ball all that hard that day to stay a little more in control and down the middle.

As we break back into the valley we come up to the 15^th hole and it is called the Chief and not only is a great looking hole in the distance you can see a great massive big rock and on the top the way the pine trees grew it looks like a Indian head dress and as you look harder at it, the face in the rock appears and you find yourself looking at the great Chief that overlooks the valley with a welcoming look--it is quite an amazing site to behold. Well, I could go on and on about this course and all it has to offer, but I suggest you experience it for yourself. It will be a favourite destination of mine for years to come.New for 2006: will be environmentally sensitive areas all marked with green stakes, in order to protect the natural surroundings of plant and wild life.

Championship yardage playable from 6,800 to 7,000 yards Front tees from 5,100 yards to 5,600 yards

Driving Range with 14 stalls & 5 target greens Practice area beside the driving range

Separate practice area for chipping 3 additional practice holes (2 par 4's, 1 par 3)

Very walkable golf course GPS available on Power Carts Golf course designed for all levels of player ability.

The award winning "Canyon Restaurant" - available for hosting tournament, business or social functions

Beautiful views, gorgeous weather, great service, tremendous golf "Come experience our Desert Oasis!"

For Smagy G , It is off to golf Cuba`s MELIA LAS AMERICAS at Varadero Golf Course.. I'm back and have a review upcoming, this was the hardest weeks work to date.
To Contact    goto www.solmeliacuba.com
Ms. Dayanet Torrent  http://solmeliagolf@solmeliacuba.com
or    Mr. Reynaldo Leon Dias jefe.ventas.mla@solmeliacuba.com

Meliã Las Americas 4 stars hotel/ Golf course 98% :)

All inclusive Beach & Golf Resort – Varadero, Cuba

Although architect Herbert Strong designed the first golf course with 18 holes, it was later built with only 9 following a design by Sim Cuthrie. The first four holes were built on natural soil, while the others required refilling. The golf course was started in December 1931, and shortly after completion, in September 1933, was hit by a hurricane that swept away with greens and fairways from holes 5 to 9. From April to December 1934, over US$ 10 000 worth of soil had to be dumped on the land and the golf course was fully operational again in 1936.

The first 18 hole Golf Course in Cuba, was designed by architect Les Furber, President of the Canadian company Golf Design Services LTD (GDS). It covers a narrow 3.5 Km strip located between "Breezes SuperClubs ", LTI "Tuxpan", "Bella Costa", Meliá "Las Américas", "Golf & Suites Resort", "Meliá Varadero","Sol Club Palmeras", and "Sol Club Sirenas" hotels.
varaderogolfclub.com

Amazing is a word that is often over-used but in this case it’s the only word I can use to describe the view of the sun rise over the island sea and shone onto the golf course below. Our hotel room overlooked the 14^th hole and I would say it was one of the most challenging holes on the course. I started the morning with a double shot of espresso and a ham sandwich at the bar in the lobby and then it was off to the course to meet up with head pro, Pedro Klein. I was playing this day with Luis from Montreal, Quebec and Bill from London, Ontario. In the clubhouse we were told we had the first tee time, however, when we got there, there were 3 other groups already on the course. I also heard stories that a few years ago there would be 4 parties booked to tee off all at the same starting time of 8 am. Thankfully things seem a little bit more organized in this area and a solid future is at hand for the golf course and Hotel. Communication between the hotel and the golf course will be the biggest key to their success. Once that is in order you will see more groups coming back 3 to 4 times per year.

A start time of 7am will find you playing through a few dew-soaked holes but once the temperature hit 29⁰C, suddenly everything was dry and the greens were fast. Being from Edmonton, AB, there were no complaints about the heat and the beverage cart was always nearby to quench our thirst. As the temperatures rose, so did the humidity and with that comes the need of one more club to go the distance. I travelled light this time and took only my 10.5 Acer Mantara 460 driver and 4 Iron Nickent Rescue, 9, 7, and 5 irons and a 60⁰degree wedge and the club that gets the most interest and is a great conversation piece is my Lexa back putter. You will not need to bring too many balls as there are balls for sale “on the course” and at great prices (Pro V1‘s for 1 peso=1.00 each). As it was mid November the staff kept busy maintaining the course by applying top coat to the greens with a type of sand I had not seen or worked with while working on various maintenance crews throughout different golf courses in Ontario and Alberta. In conversation with the greens keeper, it seems that they have found a simple solution to not having the greens get burned off and hey whatever works go with it. That solution being a mixture of sand and sea minerals which I thought were a bit rough and walking on the greens after application would cut into the grass blades and cause damage but I was assured that this was a great system they were using.

A golf cart is mandatory and not included in the all-inclusive holiday package, which means if you plan to golf every day you will need to pay this fee once each day and the cart is yours for the day. So be sure to bring a few hundred dollars for cart rental and beer (it is not free on the golf course). The Meliã Las Americas All inclusive Beach & Golf Resort just turned 10 years old still has a few bugs to work out but they had a huge learning curve which will help to build a successful course. However, I did notice many leaking sprinkler heads and which caused a lot of plugged approached shots to the green , but as the week went on this situation was being worked on and better conditions equals better golf, which equals more revenue. A gracias goes out to Dayanet Torrent who provided me with my required daily golf pass, Reynaldo León Diaz, Sales Manager who I look forward to working with in the near future, and last but not least, Pedro Klein, Golf Pro. He and the rest of the staff did their best trying to organize the early morning rush to get on the course and beat the afternoon heat. On my last day I had the pleasure to golf with some guys from Ontario, François, Rick & Manny ,thank you for a great round of 77 and the beers are on me next time.

The course had many great characteristics to it including volcanic rock walls and water on at least six holes, challenging uphill greens with big slopes to drive you nuts with your chipping. If you missed the green, the view of the ocean and inland sea will ease your frustration and teeing off on the awe-inspiring 18^th hole to the sound of the waves crashing on the 40ft. cliffs is a song that will bring you back for one of your best golf vacations ever.

THE TEE TIMES

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