37 of 70: Eagle Rock Golf Course, Edmonton, AB

View of the approach shot on the 9th hole



On Friday the 27th of July, I played the Eagle Rock Golf Course in Edmonton. As I was by myself, I was rather happy to join up with a young man named Clarke. We had a nice sunny day and the weather held up until late in the evening allowing us a full round. The course has suffered considerably from an above average amount of rain this summer and many of the fairways have large pools of casual water. In spite of that, the course is in pretty good playing condition. The greens are impeccable and the rolls true and predictable.





Eagle Rock is a championship course of moderate length playing at 6590 yards from the back tees and 5967 from the whites. The front nine has two rather short par fours of less than 300 yards. The back nine plays longer and has more treacherous water hazards. All the par 3's are fairly long and are consequently more demanding for the average golfer, making up for the short par 4's. I played rather well on the front nine, gaining some confidence in my game. I had one really bad hole on the back nine along with far too many bogeys. I still managed an 87 which was my best round in a long time.

Putting for par on the par 3 fifth hole.





36 of 70: Mill Woods Golf Club, Edmonton, AB

Opening hole, water on left, out of bounds on right, a daunting first shot.

After more than a week of daily thunder storms, on Wednesday July 25th, Brenda and I hoped for a break in the weather pattern and headed to the Mill Woods Golf Club on Edmonton's south side.

Mill Woods is a popular public golf course, well maintained and well worth playing. It is a fairly long course, playing at 6778 yards from the back and 5872 from the front, which in today's standards is considered too long for the red tees. However, as Brenda was the first to concede, under normal conditions, one can expect a fair amount of roll. However, this year has been far from normal and the fairways are quite wet. The only distance you get is all in the air. The pace of play was far too slow, there were some tournament players still on the course and the group immediately ahead seemed to move like a bale of turtles.

The weather had been threatening right from the outset but we still hoped for a full round. With the slow pace, it started to drizzle as early as the fourth or fifth hole. On the par 3 seventh, it rained in earnest but cleared for the eighth giving us a faint ray of hope. We could hear claps of thunder getting nearer and nearer but there was no lightning in sight. We took our drives and approach shots on the 9th hole but by then it started to rain cats and dogs so we picked up our balls and ran for cover in the clubhouse. We were granted a rain check, no questions asked. We are pleased to see that Mill Woods is run professionally and courteously. Now there was a good side to the downtime we experienced on the golf course as Brenda was able to hunt a hawk with her magic zoom and get a couple of good pictures. Here is my favorite one.

35 of 70: Pine Hills Golf Club, Rocky Mountain House, AB

Number ten, in my opinion, the signature hole.

While our friends and family were on their third and final day of canoeing on the North Saskatchewan river, Miguel and I, having completed our shuttle duties for the day, decided to drive to Rocky Mountain House for a leisurely round of golf. The weather was perfect, the course in great shape and our mood upbeat. To keep the ball rolling, so to speak, we decided on a best ball format and found enjoyment in such collaborative play. This was a rare occasion for the two of us to socialize one on one and we took advantage of it. At the end of the day, the memories of the round mattered a lot more than any individual score we might have had.

The Pine Hills Golf Club, is, as it claims, a true retreat amongst tamarack pine trees. On every hole, one is invited to relax and enjoy the natural environment and scenery of the Rocky Mountains foothills. That being said, one still has to concentrate on the execution of each and every shot for the fairways are at times severely undulated. The number one fairway demands a perfectly centered drive to the top of a crest dropping severely on each side making the approach shot quite difficult. One's skills are challenged right from the start as the first two holes are quite demanding. The following two holes are a lot easier offering perfect balance to a fine layout. And the pattern seems to repeat for the full eighteen holes yet, each hole is unique in its design and playability.

I would love to play Pine Hills over and over again as there is so much to discover in each and every hole. Do I have any favorites from playing them only once? Of course I do. I loved both the view and the challenge of the number 10 hole, the most difficult on the back. On the front, I particularly enjoyed the long downhill par 5 sixth hole and the attractive uphill number nine. On the back I certainly enjoyed both par 3's. Number 12 plays really short but is well protected by a hidden pond at the back. Number 16 plays long and demands an accurate tee shot. Number 18, pictured here, is radically different from all others. It demands a 200 yard drive to the corner before turning ninety degrees right to a severely uphill approach shot of some 175 yards. It is both beautiful and extremely demanding. A par here is good but birdies are possible. We missed ours however and had a six inch tap-in to conclude our round. We had a good time. Thanks Miguel!

View of number 15



34 of 70: Nordegg Historic Golf Course, Nordegg, AB

What to do while waiting for my companions to return from a day of paddling the North Saskatchewan River?  Go golfing, of course.

The Nordegg Historic Golf Course was recreated starting in 1990 by some of Nordegg's Old-Timers with the help of local enthusiastic golfers.The original course conceived in 1916 offered a layout of 7 holes. In the 1930's, it was expanded to nine. When the mining operations closed in 1955, it signed the death of the golf course which returned to nature. I have not seen pictures of the original course and, therefore, would not be able to say whether the course is today anywhere near its original design. Suffice to say that it is called the Historic course and that each year, in July, it hosts an Historic Tournament to the benefit of local charities.

As it stands, it is a very primitive layout with little design per se. It feels as if the fairways have been cut out of the overgrowth, four of them at least on very flat land. Holes 5,6,7 and 8 offer the most originality and appeal to the eye as well as a bit more challenge to the golfer. The very small greens are the equivalent of our late Fall or early Spring temporary greens. They are cut out of the fairways, but only shorter so as to allow putting. I enjoyed playing by myself, practicing with two balls in play. I was alone on the course on that day but a thunder storm was threatening and although I could have played all day for my $13 senior fees, I decided, after playing nine, to retire to the nearby Saunders campground and the security of my tent!!! The thunderstorm arrived later in the evening, and I remained dry.

33 of 70: Lancaster Park Golf & Curling Club, CFB Edmonton, AB

When I first played the Lancaster Park Golf & Curling Club, it was a 9 hole course, rather short, flat as you can see, and well treed. It has since been extended to 18 holes, most of the new holes in total open space. The course is now longer but just as flat. The original course was integrated in the new layout so that the round is played in and out of the trees at various interval.

On Sunday, the course was well overbooked and we had to wait on every tee box. We often ran into two groups on the tee box, one in the fairway while an another was putting out on the green. Things were even worse on par three's. A six hour round is rarely enjoyable but this one was the pitts.

32 of 70: Cardiff Golf & Country Club, Morinville, AB

Gord's drive on number 1

On july 5th, I played the Cardiff Golf & Country Club at the invitation of the head golf professional Shaun Westhaver. As I was on my own, I was joined by Ed, Gord and Jim, a trio of local golfers and course marshalls who happily and proficiently guided me throughout a most pleasant round.

Built on the site of Alberta's first underground coal mine dating back to 1895, Cardiff was designed by John and William Robinson who have also signed Lewis Estates Golf Course in Edmonton. William is also the architect of the Creek at Qualchan, in Spokane, which I played two weeks ago. Cardiff offers a good but difficult layout playable by golfers of all skill levels thanks to four different sets of tees. It plays at 6889 yards from the back down to 5246 yards from the red which would make it quite attractive for ladies.

The first impression is that of a fairly flat layout when sitting on the first tee box (pictured above). But  then, number four here on the right offers some undulation and when you get to number ten you face a serious elevation to a quasi blind green. The fairways are routed amongst clusters of mature trees that often come into play as on number 1. If you look at the top picture, you will see that the first drive has to split the fairway between two clumps of trees before it finds a landing area also protected by two sand traps on the right of a fairway that then doglegs left. Stretch that hole to more than 400 yards for an opening par 4 and you will understand why it is the most difficult hole on the course

There are very few water hazards at Cardiff and perhaps only one that really comes into play seriously and that would be on number 11 where your drive should seek the left side of the fairway. Anything right is in grave danger of finding the pond as I did, of course. It is not that long nor that difficult a hole but as it doglegs right you get tempted to cut the corner, and if you are a bit short, particularly in the wind, which was pretty strong that day, it is a risky shot. As I said earlier, this course is more difficult than it looks and deserves some respect.

Cardiff is in really good shape, the fairways are generous and receptive. The greens are impeccable, neither slow nor fast, they roll true and with predictability. You would have to play them more than once to understand the breaks. I would see breaks where there were none, and play half the break needed when there was an obvious one. I have read somewhere, or have been told that, because the course was built over an underground mine, the greens still shift and, consequently, the breaks and undulations are never the same from year to year. It is most likely a myth, but nonetheless a fascinating one.

Cardiff Golf & Country Club is well worth visiting and fun to play. I invite you to visit their website and to take advantage of their Monday discounted rates ($29), the best golfing deal to be had around Edmonton. And don't forget to claim your free birthday green fees.

View off number 5 tee box.

31 of 70: The Broadmoor Golf Course, Sherwood Park, AB

According to the 2012 Central and Northern Alberta Golf Pass Book, and I quote, '' Established in 1961, the Broadmoor is known throughout the province as one of the premier golf course to play. The mature trees, well designed layout and excellent playing conditions make it a pleasure for players of all abilities''. Well, on Monday, July 2nd, when we played at Broadmoor, the course was in terrible shape, by far the worst course we played this year. I will comment on the fairways in a bit, but half the greens were unplayable because they had suffered unbeleivable winter kill or they have been killed by some form of disease or extremely poor maintenance. Many of the green surrounds have been patched with uncut grass strips and marked as ground under repair. Very unfriendly.

The fairways, for the most part were in good shape with the occasional ground under repair as you approached the green, as on number 9 shown here from the tee box. I first played Broadmoor in the early 70's. The routing has been reversed since then and I would agree with the change. Number 10 was far too difficult as a first hole with players not yet warmed up. Far too many drives were sliced into the adjoining forest slowing down the pace of play. The course was originally designed with large forgiving fairways but the present day maintenance staff has decided to make the course more difficult to play by narrowing down the landing area. Consequently, no matter how long or short your drive might be, it will rarely find the middle of the fairway, which averages probably between 15 to 20 yards wide. The rough on each side is often wider than the fairway and all the holes have the same straight cut with no imagination at work here.

We had, however, a gorgeous warm day to play and made the best of it. One has to appreciate the large Alberta blue skies, made even more dramatic by fluffy clouds. The front nine with all its water hazards is the most picturesque and pleasant to play. My game is starting to come together again, not that I scored as well as I would have liked, but it was a marked improvement over my last outing. Pretty much right on with my handicap. With more than half the games in this adventure still to come, there is time for improvement. In closing, here is the shot of today's wild life!