The 2011 Rivershore Senior Men's campaign wrapped up at the end of September and the following gents were the winners. Many thank to Rick Fadden for a job well done in his first year as Senior Men's Captain - outstanding!
After a brief break due to the Kamloops course construction the Ladies Rivershore/Kamloops Interclub was held this weekend with Rivershore hosting. 36 Ladies from each club attended and golfed Sat. at Kamloops and Sun. at Rivershore. From all the comments everyone had a great time, even with the interesting weather. The meal done by the Rivershore Restaurant was a huge hit with the ladies.
On Sunday Rivershore member Kimmy Jung added to the excitment by getting a hole in one on hole No 17. The score after two day was Rivershore 66.50 point and Kamloops 41.50, so congratulations to all the Rivershore Ladies and hopefully see everyone next year.
The Ladies Interclub Committee
This fuzzy guy may be a little early for Autumn considering it's 30+ degrees out:
Juniors
Junior Club Championship results: Junior Boys Champion - Riley Paxton
Runner up - Logan Van Damme
Junior Girls Champion - Georgia Miller
Runner up - Emma Bevan
Congratulations to all the contestants and a HUGE 'Thank-you' to Jack Croucher and his crew of helpers for a great job with the Juniors this season. You do us proud.
Men:
2011 Champion - Ryan Krisko
Runner up - Kevin Brett
Overall Low Net - Ken Gorsline
Second Net - Ryan LaSage
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Senior Men:
2011 Champion - Jack McDonald
First Flight:
Low Net - Keith Russell
Second Gross - Rob Huget
Second Net - Mike Moore
Third Gross - Greg Jackson
Third Net - Mike Applegath
Second Flight:
First Gross - Don Osmond
First Net - Terry Brunt
Second Gross - Greg Harnett
Second Net - Merv Sliz
Third Gross - Lloyd Radford
Third Net - Brian Reeves
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2011 Ladies Club Championship Results & Pictures
Congratulations to all players. The 2011 winners were:
Overall Low Gross - Wilma DeJong
Overall Low Net - Melodie Nakashimada
Seniors Overall Low Gross - Wilma DeJong
Seniors Overall Low Net - Melodie Nakashimada
Super Seniors Overall Low Gross - Hazel Rockvam
Super Seniors Overall Low Net - Heather Cline
Some scenes from the PGABC Championship:
Have you purchased your Keek Kard yet?? The Keek Kard is a Clubhouse (food and beverage) gift card that you can load with any amount you like. The bonus is we will add 10% to the purchase price. I.e. purchase a $200 Kard and we will load it with $220. That's $20 of free food and/or drinks!!! Keek Kards are available through the office or the Clubhouse staff. Make sure you get yours today!!
Solheim Cup Teams:
August 11
2011 Jack McLaughlin Memorial Pro/Junior
Recently Assistant Professional, Shawn Fagan, and three Junior Members – Logan Van Damme, Tim Birk, and Brooks Miller – represented Rivershore Golf Links at Seymour Golf Club for the annual Pro/Junior Golf Tournament in Vancouver.
The weather for the tournament was beautiful, however, due to previous storms, the course was absolutely saturated, and participants played "lift, clean, and place."
At the banquet following play, Team Rivershore, was not only the best dressed team, but also won a prize for traveling the farthest to participate in the event.
All participants were encouraged to attend the Pro-Am being held at Shaughnessy Golf Club the following day, where our Juniors were able to get up close; for autographs, pictures, and even signed golf balls; with some of their favorite golfers: Ernie Els, Rickie Fowler, Vaughn Taylor, Stephen Ames, and Matt Kuchar; even Sean Foley came over and spoke with the team for 5 minutes while Hunter Mahan played a hole.
All in all it was a great experience that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. All three Juniors are already talking about swing changes, tempo, and hopefully playing in the tournament again next year.
We would all like to personally thank Jack Croucher for all his effort and support to the Junior Program. Without him, none of this would have been possible. All of the Juniors who play at Rivershore recognize his dedication and commitment.
Thank You Jack!!
August 9th
Solheim Cup round one today. Pretty festive:)
Greens Aeration
First the greens are 'aerated' (1/4" holes punched in them). The aeration removes a core from the green. The cores are harvested by machine and by staff with snow shovels.
Then the sand is spread over the entire surface of the green:
Then the sand is brushed into the holes:
Then we blow any excess sand off the greens:
And finally we water the sand in. 10 days from now the greens will be back to perfect!! Many thanks to the crew for their hard work.
Aug 2nd
More congratulations for Riley Balson - 2011 Rivershore Men's Amateur Champion. Quite a year for young Mr. Balson!!
Congratulations to Rivershore's Riley Balson (T9), Shawn Vanderwahl (T34) and Ryan Krisko (T58) at the recently completed 109th BC Men's Amateur Golf Championship. You do us proud gents!!
Ladies Only golf clinic on August 13th from 9-noon. Cost is $60 plus HST including lunch. Instructors are CPGA Assistant Professionals Chris Power and Shawn Fagan. Please call the golf shop at 573 4622 to register. Golf proficiency is not a prerequisite:)
July 28th
Maybe some nice weather on the way??
Aug 12-14 is the next Little Swingers session for juniors aged 3-14. Cost is $60. Lessons are from 4:00pm to 5:00pm over the three days. The third day is a 3 hole scramble and BBQ. Topics covered will include Putting and chipping, bunkers and full swing and then the 'Tournament' and banquet. Call the Golf Shop at 250 573 4622 to register.
July 27th
Next time you think it's a good idea to play throught the lightening try and remember this picture of a golf bag and pull cart struck by lightening:
Men's Amateur Draw Masters at work:
July 26th
4 days until the Men's Amateur...are you signed up yet? 250 573 4211 ext 205 or admin@rivershoregolflinks.com to enter.
July 18th
Two Lady Team competitors:
The Applegath Group was kind enough to sponsor again - thanks gents!!
Two Lady Team Overall Low Net winners resplendent in pink:
July 13
Little bit of rain this morning
July 3rd
June 9
Day one of the Western Championship:
May 31
Big weeks ahead - very busy weekend (welcome NGK Sparkplugs and the Slump Cup boys), then the Western Championship and Rotary event, then the Overlander Seniors. Might need a cool refreshing libation around the 16th:)
May 27
Interested in obtaining your level one Rules of Golf certification? You can now complete the course on-line at http://rulesofgolf.golfcanada.ca/01-00-0001/
May 24
A neat touch - Mick the mechanic attached magnets to the handlebar of the greens mowers. These are used to attach a pitch mark repair tool to each greens mower and the crew does touch up when they mow. I know some golfers who could use some of this:)
May 4th
Aptil 24
Our two days/36 holes per day in Nairn were the first really windy days of the trip. Both Clark and I remarked after the first day that if the conditions we endured on the driving range (umbrellas overlapped and completely horizontal trying to shelter behind them and the lone tree on the range tee line as a 50 mile an hour wind and painful rain hammered us) had continued we would not have been able to play. But the winds died down to 35 mph and the rain switched to squalls and the sun came out during the other times of the day's weather. Nairn is another James Braid design and the course occupies a relatively flat portion of land hard by the Moray Firth. As their website mentions, it is possible to hit your shots into the Firth on all of the first seven holes (I only managed to do it once and Clark not at all – rookies!).
In the conditions we encountered the first two holes required a sledge hammer to play but the overall design of the course is really quite subtle. In particular the third, fifth, eighth and seventeenth holes are gorgeous examples of short par 4's (made a little longer by the wind but none the less manageable) and of the superb raised bunker work that Braid employed to defend his targets and deceive the eye. On-course conditions were very reminiscent of coastal BC…medium speed poa greens, yardage marked sprinkler heads etc. The Clubhouse (built in 1991 – hat tip to Stan behind the bar for that tid bit) has some Rivershore traits with nothing but glass on all of the walls that face some part of the course.
Nairn was where we experienced 'The Guy in Red' who we decided was the major reason that we suffered our slowest round of the trip to that point (4 hours). We all know a 'Guy in Red'. He's the person that never seems to leave his clubs in the right place to go from the green to the tee in an efficient manner, who stands by his ball (club in hand) for 60 seconds while others hit and then goes to his bag for a different club, who never seems to be finished putting (they putt first and last – twice and it still doesn't go in!!), who lingers around the edge of the green fiddling with something in or near his bag and then heads back onto the green etc etc. That guy is 'The Guy in Red'. All clubs have them and anyone reading this knows one. This one happened to be from "Toronto and Montreal" (his words - honest). No further comment required.
While we had been on the course waiting for 'The Guy in Red' the foursome behind us caught up and a conversation began (over a slurp of whisky) and continued in the Clubhouse ending in an invitation to dinner the next evening. We weren't able to accept (driving on the wrong side of narrow roads in an unfamiliar land is hard enough without opening up the possibility of doing so after a beer or two) as we had to get on down the road to Lossiemouth but we did learn that there was a Scotland vs. USA match the next day (our final two rounds at Nairn) and Clark and I did wait until the players came into the Clubhouse to hear the result (sorry Scotland – you got your haggis handed to you) before leaving for Lossiemouth.
Our accommodation in Nairn was at the Sandown House Bed and Breakfast. Liz and Andy Burgess (and their two teenage sons) were wonderful hosts (Andy and the boys are Members at Nairn and the boys combined handicap is five – look out dad!). Of all the places we were to stay this was the one with the most familiar amenities (i.e. wireless internet, a fridge etc). I don't want to rant but if you are in the accommodation game at any level in this day and age then wireless is right up there with running water and clean sheets – an absolute must-have service. Clark and I ended up on the upper floor of a new building with all of the required and many unexpected comforts/perks. A heartfelt thank you to the Burgess family from Clark and me.
Nairn appears to be a little more affluent town than many of the others we have passed through and I can easily imagine spending more time there doing things other than golf - might have to bring Leslie instead of Clark though :).
An hour down the A86 is Lossiemouth, home to the Moray Golf Club (pronounced Murray. No idea why it is not spelt Murray if that is how it should be pronounced but…). There are two courses at Moray…the Old and the New (whodathunkit?). The Old course was the one we were slated to play 4 times in two days. To my mind, Clark's experiences at Nairn and Moray during his 2006 Scotland visit were the cause of this current trip (and its rules i.e. must play the same course multiple times) and just as I had been a little nervous about his reaction to Panmure (one of my favourites) he was now a little on edge about both his and my reaction to the Old Course at Moray. Alistair Thomson (Head Professional in 2006) had retired in the time between Clark's visits and his replacement is a wonderful young professional named John Murray; very engaging and welcoming - just someone who you can't help but cheer for. We both hope he enjoys a long and successful career in golf.
The wind from the previous two days continued during all four of our Moray rounds though we once again had little rain. Somehow it seems that all but five of the holes played into the wind. I know that isn't true but it sure seemed that way. Again, anything over 390 yards was unreachable in two shots and with thirteen of the holes (did I mention it seemed like all but five played into the wind?) playing into the wind the course was a very stern test. Add the excitement of the RAF Tornados taking off over the fifth, seventh and eighth fairways and you have a golf experience unlike any other. I have read articles which seem to emphasise the influence of the RAF activities over all else at Moray – those articles do the course an injustice. This is links golf complete with gorse, dunes, maram grass and lumpy fairways and is the equal of many other better known courses. Speaking of lumpy, yours truly managed to birdie the last three during the last round.
The Clubhouse is a beautiful stone building perched 30 or 40 feet above the first tee/eighteenth green and is home to….The Club Malt. Every year the Club purchases 3 casks of whisky from the Macallan distillery and has the malt bottled with a private label. It is all too smoooooooooooooooth (deliberate excess of 'o's) with rich caramel and toffee overtones. Quite delicious and very easy to drink especially when a pair of long-time Club members (Jim and Glenn) are buying them for you. Clark and I were so impressed that we bought 2 bottles each (though only one of mine made it home due to a communal thirst that developed the next day and extended into the night and the next few days). Steve Crane is the secretary at Moray and he was kind enough to sell us the bottles at nine in the morning on Saturday (even though 'technically I can't sell them until eleven') as we were leaving town for Machrihanish. You can imagine our shared sense of concern when we found the bar area of the Clubhouse locked at 9:00 and then our sense of relief when it was discovered that there was inventory 'upstairs' in Administration.
Our Lossiemouth accommodation was immediately across the road from the 18th green and was in fact the original Clubhouse for the Moray Golf Club. The Links Lodge is run by Angela and John Thomson (and their son Brogan). John is the nephew of the retired Alistair and the self professed 'black sheep' of the family as his handicap is an outrageous seven versus the scratch and plus versions sported by his cousins, uncle and father. He was happy to give us a little of the history of the Club and the dining area of the Links Lodge features pictures and cards from over the years – to each of which John provided additional information. Our breakfast partners were three youngsters (under thirty years old) from the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club who were also on a golfing trip to the area. They were cricket players for their district (terrible game for golfers as the action of the lead arm is all wrong for the other sport) and I had to laugh when one of them mentioned that his son had said games of golf sure took a long time since dad was going to be away for 4 days to play golf 'even longer than cricket games dad!'
We had no golf planned for the Saturday (the 18 th ) as we had to make the drive from Lossiemouth to Machrihanish (six hours as it turned out). I suspect that with clearer skies and a different travelling partner (sorry Clark) the drive along Loch Ness, through Fort William (Ben Nevis country) and along the Argyll coast (Oban looks a neat spot in which to hole up for a couple of days) is one of the great drives anywhere in the world but apart from a brief cash/refreshment stop in Oban all we could think about was our destination.
The Machrihanish Golf Club represented the second and final crown jewel on this trip (Dornoch being the first). Many years ago a writer from Philadelphia named Micheal Bamberger wrote a book titled 'To the Linksland' the latter half of which documents his search for the ultimate Scottish links course. He concluded that if he were restricted to play on a single course for the rest of his life then Machrihanish would be that course. Both Clark and I have read the book and were intrigued to experience the course that Bamberger was so taken with. We both wondered how it would measure up against Dornoch and our expectations.
Our hosts in Machrihanish were Bob and Dorothy Tait. They are the proud owners of Kilgour House and Bob is the current Captain of the Machrihanish Golf Club. Kilgour House is a four iron from the first tee and slightly closer than that to the Clubhouse. The opening tee shot at Machrihanish has been called the greatest first tee shot in the world by a few different people over the years. The hole is 428 yards and the fairway doglegs to the left around a bay. Take whatever line you are comfortable with and hope!
There is a new course called Machrihanish Dunes (we did not play it) adjacent to the original course and there are plans for an affiliated hotel/village next to the Machrihanish Clubhouse. The restaurant side of the new development is open and after introducing ourselves to Margaret in the Pro Shop she recommended we go there for a meal (the Clubhouse was busy with the aftermath of a Gents Medal competition in which our Club Captain host had managed to shoot net 68 ('quite satisfying' were his words)). I am not sure how wise it is to play well as the Captain but….I guess it would be worse if your title was Handicap Chair. Meal done we headed five miles back up the road to Campbeltown – formally one of the great whisky producing centers of Scotland but now with only one full time operation (Springbank is the only triple distilled whisky in Scotland and it is wonderful stuff). Directions to our destination were given to us with typical Scottish flair…
"Any idea where we can pick up wireless internet or where there is an internet café?"
"I think there is one place but if you get to the traffic lights you've gone too far"
"How many sets of lights are there in Campbeltown?"
"Only one set but you don't want them. Do you know where the Factory store is?"
"Not a clue. What's the name of the street for the place?"
"Oh I have no idea; I just know where it is. Look, you go past the creamery and the road turns left and its right there on the right but down a different street".
"What's the name of the place?"
"I think it's called Whiskymacs but it might have changed its name".
Needless to say we found it and were able to take care of a couple of emails. On our way out to Glasgow we stopped in but sadly their internet was down.
Machrihanish vs. Dornoch is difficult as they are completely different. Dornoch makes you work so darned hard for every shot whilst Machrihanish laughs and smiles so much at your struggles that you smile too. Playing Machrihanish is in a way kind of like Thumper and Bambie (the player being Bambie - the course being Thumper) when Bambie experiences ice for the first time (Some fun heh Bambie?). To me, Machrihanish has more in common with Cruden Bay than Dornoch…towering dunes, rollercoaster fairways and greens, a couple of blind shots and the smell/sound of the sea. Outstanding!! My only comment would be that the course should be played from 18th green to tee and 17th green to tee etc so that you end your round in the chaos of the dunes-land as opposed to the flatter, more agricultural appearing landscape of 'The Laggin'. But don't get me wrong, Machrihanish did not disappoint in any way (other than we never got to meet the host professional). Our schedule was to play 36 holes, 36 holes and then 18 holes over three days. On the day of the 18 holes we would also be driving back to Glasgow. Well, after our day two mornings 18 we were mumbling about playing two more rounds that day. As the second round of the day progressed what little wind there had been dropped and the sun emerged. The decision had been made for us…we would play an additional 18 holes that day for a day total of 54 (no carts either). Just in case Clark wavered as we walked off the 36th green I plunked my bag in the middle of the first fairway and headed to the first tee. I don't think Clark had any thoughts of not playing a third round but I suspect he was thinking of a break between rounds two and three. I didn't want to take the chance of feeling comfy in the Clubhouse (and not playing again that day) so headed straight to the tee.
It was without question a golfing day to remember and playing that third round in the lowering light and the lengthening shadows over that dunes covered landscape was inspiring. Somewhere near the fourth hole Clark remarked that he hadn't even done this as a kid. I had (at Cruden Bay) and I still believe that if you love playing golf enough it's easy to enjoy a lot of it. We completed our third round in a little over 2 hours (no 'Guy in Red') and had to head to town to get cash to pay for the B&B as well as hit the internet for emails. We asked if there was an East Indian place to eat and were directed to the Bangladesh Tandoori restaurant where we had an amazing dinner and a 'staff' beer (no liquor license). Emails done, tummies filled and thirst slaked we got back home where Clark used one of the great lines "Man, there's beat and there's golf beat…and I love golf beat". That additional round raised our trip total to 22 rounds in eleven days (3 days travelling) and will remain the highlight of our golfing memories for some time.
Holes that stood out to me:
# 5-14 at Panmure (especially #6).
#2,3,4,5,9,10 and 18 at Brora. 18 is a wicked par three with a catchment dip short left of the green and a false front to the green. To the delight of all the spectating-from-the-Clubhouse Members EVERYONE ends up in that dip.. I made par from the dip and only hope someone up there won a pint betting on me.
#2,3,5,6,10-18 at Dornoch (especially #6 and 14).
#3-12 and 14-17 at Nairn (especially #3 and 5).
#3,5,7,8,11,13,17 and 18 at Moray (especially #18).
#1-16 at Machrihanish (especially #5,7,8,10 and 14).
More soon.
DBD
I am not and have never been a fan of Air Canada – too much past hubris and arrogance (I am reminded of the joke where a gentleman is in the airport lounge and tries to start a conversation with a young women who is wearing a flight attendant uniform – he lays out a series of airline slogans (fly the friendly skies etc) in an attempt to find out which airline she works for. Eventually the flight attendant turns to him and say 'What the **** do you want?" to which the fellow responds – "Oh, Air Canada"
Anyway, way back when Clark booked the flight portion of our trip the only way to secure the dates we wanted was for him to use enough points to have Business Class seats for both of us. However; only a single seat of our outbound journey was confirmed as Business Class. When we arrived at the airport in Kamloops we were told that they did not have access to the information needed to upgrade/give us the seats booked and that we should check in Vancouver.
After a Milestones lunch we reported to the appropriate gate and waited for an Air Canada staff-member to arrive so we could explain our situation and that even if we did not get to fly Business Class, could we fly together in Coach? As the plane was boarding we were called up and the Air Canada representative said 'Well boys, you're not together but at least you're in the same class – Business Class!!!'
As the kids say…OMG! Is it ever a treat flying that way? Each seat is a horseshoe shaped work station with its own entertainment system, plug-ins for laptops (though no internet), treats bag, fully reclining chair etc - not at all conducive to chatting with anyone but very comfortable. As a result both Clark and I slept more on the flight (and felt better than expected) upon arrival in London. Thank you Air Canada!! We can only hope for the same results for our homeward bound leg.
The third leg was from Heathrow to Glasgow – uneventful. Then we drove from Glasgow to Broughty Ferry which is a suburb of Dundee. It only took two attempts to get out of the Glasgow airport and then we were in the middle of rush hour…what should have been a maximum two hour drive turned into nearly three!!
We checked into the Fishermans Tavern, showered, changed and then had a great evening meal and a couple of pints (hello Belhaven!!). There was a micro brewery beer called 'Trashy Blonde' but it was a little awkward to order from the young blond server (and it was very hoppy (the beer, not the server)).
I think because of the time change and the adrenaline we both found ourselves wide awake at 2:00am – not good. Never really got back to sleep and eventually got up and got ready for the first golf of the trip – 36 holes at Panmure Golf Club.
Panmure is a Members Club in Barry – about a mile from Carnoustie. It is a James Braid design and has a wonderful old-style Clubhouse modelled after the Royal Calcutta structure (big Dundee/India connection via the jute trade many years ago).
Back in 2007 I had been fortunate enough to meet the Secretary of Panmure – Mr. Charles F. J. Phillip and he had extended an invitation to return and play any time (which I was now taking him up on). The course has a benign beginning but really takes shape from the 5 th through 14 th holes. 16-18 are demanding but not nearly as visually inspiring as the previous ten. Clark and I arrived before any staff ('cause of the not sleeping thing) and eventually a car came racing down the drive, whizzed past us and parked behind the Pro's Shop. I know an assistant professional who's late when I see one and soon we were introducing ourselves to Chris – Assistant Professional at the Panmure Golf Club. We set of in rain which grew more intense for the first 4 holes and then abated to where we played the remainder of the round under grey but dry skies.
Between rounds we retired to the Clubhouse lounge and were quickly involved in a conversation with three Members. They asked how we had ended up at Panmure (knew the secretary), if we had enjoyed the course (very much) and when we'd play again (not until 2:30). One of them gave some great advice…'you'll want to get out before "That Lot" and they're playing at 1:00. We're going out right now – why don't you just follow us?"
A quick word with Chris and we did just that. From the 4 th hole, round two was played in brilliant sunshine and concluded with a return to the lounge where the same 3 Members engaged us again. We were given a tour of the formal dining area and a variety of memorabilia was explained to us (Panmure celebrated its 150 year anniversary in 1995). One fellow explained that a broken table and chipped book case were the result of an unfortunate accident (he'd been dancing on the table and tipped it). When the circumstances were brought forward to the Board of the time he was very afraid of being expelled from the Club (but you're still here??). "Aye, the decision was 'high spirits – send the boy a bill". Justice at its finest!!
We left Panmure in the evening and drove to Dornoch (3 and ½ hours) arriving at 9:30pm and checked into the Amalfi Dornoch (unbelievable breakfast!!). Marelle Mackay (could be the poster-child for 'classic Scottish lass') and her American, former trial lawyer, partner Edward (since nicknamed 'Teddy Baby' in tribute to the Monty Python skit) proved to be wonderful hosts and great people.
The next day saw us driving north for a half hour to Brora. Brora is another James Braid design (coincidentally, Braid or Old Tom Morris designed all of the courses we are slated to play) and a friend of mine described it as 'Country Golf' which, prior to playing the course, I had not understood. I may still not understand but Brora has not changed much of anything from day one. It is a FANTASTIC links golf course. Yes the greens were a little slow (and just as well given some of the slopes), yes there were some blind shots, yes the fairways had some moss and other plant life in them but Brora is very much a golf course and one that I happily recommend to anyone. With the exception of one par three on each nine you either play away from or towards the Clubhouse. There are sheep on the course (and some cows) but the greens are protected through the use of short (even I could step over them) electric fences. Both our rounds began in rain/drizzle but shortly thereafter were played in sunshine. The host professional (Brian Anderson) could not have been more accommodating and (typical I know) the view from the Clubhouse out over the course is a heart stopper. We drove back to Dornoch feeling like we had just 'stolen' something….that course for that price – ridiculous! Teddy Baby provided us with a recommendation for Indian food (in Tain which is 10 miles South of Dornoch) named 'Ashira'. It was named Kashira but a new batch of menus omitted the 'K' so the owners blacked out the 'K' in the sign on the building (?????). Food was great and the first real good sleep was had that night.
Dornoch….a fantasy land for many golfers. One of two crown jewels of our trip. The favourite course for so many renowned and reputable players, architects etc. Could it be as good as it was cracked up to be? A family friend is a Dornoch Member and he showed up on the first day at 8:04 to walk around with (and guide) Clark and I during our first attempt at one of the world's greatest courses. The commentary was invaluable and informative – thank you Tony Blake!! It got better…Tony and a pal (Kent) joined us in the afternoon (Tony and I lost 3 pounds but were rewarded with 2 beers – go figure). Kent then invited us to dinner at his house where the evening was spent in the aromatic (Italian dinner) confines of Kent's house exchanging ideas and thoughts on golf and Dornoch. A fabulous evening and one that I will remember for a very long time!
Dornoch is a vexing course. Ultimately I feel that its main defences are the greens (very elevated or rolling in spots) and its bunkers (can't get there from here son). But there is much more to it than that. You could play every day for a year and still not have the holes figured out. In short, it is a wonderful place to play golf and somewhere that every 'golfer' should attempt to get to. The entire town lives and breathes golf (both Marelle and Teddy baby are Members – Marelle just won a Lady's medal competition!) and the course is the biggest economic engine in the Highlands.
We are now in Nairn at the Sandown House Bed and Breakfast. Liz has given us the 'tour' and now it is time for rest before tackling the Nairn Golf Club for 36 holes tomorrow – wooohooo!!
More news in the next day or so and if there are any questions – email is don@rivershoregolflinks.com
A warm welcome to the TRU Foundation event today here at Rivershore. 150 fun-loving folks helping raise money for scholarships at TRU. Thank you for choosing Rivershore!!
August 16th
The annual Sidewalk Sale has begun - be sure to give yourself a few extra minutes before or after your round to see what bargains are to be had!!
August 10
The greens are coming back from aeration fantastically! Great work Jim, Ryan and crew!! Now about the lack of sunshine...
August 3
Another fantastic Men's Amateur has wrapped up. Congratulations to Rivershore's own James Lane for a wire to wire win. Also, thank you to the Ryans for their efforts, Langlois Brown for their sponsorship, Bob Cowan and his army of volunteers and all the outside, Golf Shop, Keekwillie and Administration staff - an outstanding job! Now we aerate the greens today and tomorrow:(
Some folks have asked why we aerate now as opposed to later in the year...there are two major reasons to aerate now. Firstly, we can not aerate in the rain or if the ground is overly wet. Later in the year is when we receive most of our rain so aerating now all but negates the weather factor and regretably, aeration is essential to overall greens health. Secondly, the August weather allows the greens to recover from the aeration much quicker thus providing our players with great greens for the duration of the season in question as well as (providing winter is not too extreme) the beginning of the next season. I have played early season golf at courses that aerate their greens late in the year and the greens still show the effect of the aeration even though it was performed the previous fall - this is not nearly as enjoyable as playing on smooth, fully recovered surfaces.
July 26
Busy times - new flat top in the kitchen, preparing for the Men's Amateur, Golf Links Committee meeting tonight and only 61/2 weeks 'till the pilgrimage to Scotland. Love it!! On the not so 'Love it' side...greens aeration next week:(
July 22
As promised - greens are being verticut (renithinned for the more senior of our readers) and lightly top dressed today. Little muggy out there so it is just as well we are doing a moss attack as well. Spraying tomorrow to keep the disease at bay. Men's Amateur coming up! Greens aeration in 12 days time.
July 19
Thank you to all involved in the 2010 version of the 2 Lady Team event held here over the weekend. The weather cooperated and the course is in great nick. Congrats to the winners and I hope we see everyone next year. Light top dressing and a verticut slated for this week in advance of the Men's Amateur at the end of July/beginning of August. Also, another bash at moss control.
July 15
Winding up for the Rivershore Two Lady Team event this weekend - 128 players, many from out of town. Welcome ladies and enjoy your time at Kamloops' Finest Golf!
July 13
Fertilising fairways and greens today and tomorrow. Hard to believe that in 10 weeks all of our leagues come to an end!
July 12
An interesting take on where golf course maintenance may be (have) to go:
http://http://www2.cybergolf.com/sites/courses/layout9.asp?id=521&page=26704&newsID=108
Looking forward to the arrival of our Two Lady Team participants - hope the weather smartens up!
July 6th
The first real 'summer' day of the year - spectacular!! The course is perfect and I hope everyone gets to play this week.
July 5th
Our annual 'Purchase your Rivershore initiation fee and play the balance of the season at no further charge' program has begun. If you or someone you know wants to join Rivershore there has never been a better time. Call Don at 250 573 4211 ext 202.
July 1st - CANADA DAY!!
Happy Birthday Canada. I hope everyone has a great day and enjoys themselves!
June 30
Congrats to Rivershore's Brent Pound for winning and Braydon Hori for his 3rd place finish in the second Kamloops City Juior Championship - great playing gents! Rivershore will be hosting a group of Interior professionals on Monday. I am really looking forward to hearing their feedback!
If anyone wants to know what Donald Duck on helium sounds like just listen to radio NL for one of the Rivershore ads featuring your truly...I hope the customers like it!
June 29th
Ladies - thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak with you - DBD
June 29th
How about Rivershore's own Brent Pound and Braydon Hori - 66 and 68 respectively after round one fo the Kamloops City Junior Championship. Nice playing fellows!!
Radio campaign for our latest Membership offering kicks off tomorrow - purchase your initiation fee any time after Canada Day and enjoy full Membership benefits for the balance of the season. The course is perfect and the Membership very hospitable. Crazy not to take advantage of this offer.
June 28th
Some US Open feedback from the blogosphere:
This weekend the U.S. Open was played at Pebble Beach. Known for hosting many events each year and as a repeated site of the US Open (the USGA announced they will be back in 2019), the course proved to be a great challenge for all the players with the winner McDowell being the only one to finish at even par for the Championship. Although I wasn't crazy about his winning, my feelings quickly changed when he gave a shout out to his friends and family back in Northern Ireland. He went on to say that there were probably going to be a lot of Guinness pints poured tonight to celebrate. Cheers to that.
While the excitement of Tiger coming back and the possibility of Phil overtaking him for the #1 spot, all of the buzz about the event quickly turned to the appearance of the putting greens. Even people that have no clue about golf were emailing me and calling asking why the greens were dieing? They suggested that I head out to the West Coast and fix the problem immediately. While I would love the opportunity to consult for Pebble Beach (fell free to contact me anytime), I tried to explain to everyone that this was in fact not a problem and that the greens were likely not dead.
Anyway, the comments on my Facebook page and on the Turf Diseases Facebook page (and even the comment section on this site for that matter) were all buzzing about the issue. I don't have any insider information about the issues, but as I understand it the USGA is making a conscious effort to change the perception that the game of golf is only good when it is played on lush, green, well-manicured turf. Their focus seems to be on proving that playability and the game of golf is the important factor (Thank you Mike Davis). If they can do this and produce healthy green turf then so be it. If the turf is dried down and allowed to brown out to achieve the playability conditions they desire then so be it. While the greens appeared mottled and "dead", they were still providing championship conditions and the best player that week managed to shoot even par to win. My favorite part about the questions to the look of the turf is the USGA's response that they were only doing "corrective watering" to ensure optimal consistency and playability.
Another issue that came up was the fact that the USGA did not allow the use of any green filters on the TV cameras which would have surely masked the discoloration and made everything look green. In fact, I believe (but don't quote me) that this is going to be an increasing trend with USGA Championships in the future as they push for playability over appearance. With golf in a general decline or a flatline at the best, I think that the USGA is doing all of us a favor and this forward thinking will help to make golf better and more affordable in the future.
For those of you that WANT the green lush turf, all of us on the Turf Diseases blog are in full favor of it. This will surely result in increasing disease pressure and job security. So have at it!
June 22
Verticut and lightly top dressed the greens yesterday - the greens were all ready fantastic but now they will be unimaginably good!! Moss control is kicking in too.
June 21st
I am wondering what happened to the idea of letting faster groups play through when there is space in front of your group??? Lost art it would appear.
June 18th
Doing some work on the greens today - moss control. Congrats to Reil Gamache of Quesnel for winning the Overlander event in a playoff with Rivershore's own Tim Dalin.
Congratulations also to Ray Chatelin for purchasing the winning square in our recent Kamloops City Junior Championship fund raising pool. Ray won 24 golf passes to most of our local courses. Thank you to all of you who supported the juniors.
And finally - welcome to the Telus Inter Provincial Championship day 1 here at Rivershore.
June 16th
Far nicer day for the Overlander crowd - scoring should be improved today! How to balance Member and non-Member access to the tee.....the green fee revenue subsidises our membership dues but our Members are the financial mainstay of the operation. Kind of a catch 22 some days:).
June 15
First day of the Rivershore Overlander Senior Championship - looking forward to hearing what our out of town players have to say about the golf course:) Saw Pat O'Brien which reminded me that he had been kind enough to stop by yesterday and thank everyone for the job done during the Mike Bartram Memorial TRU Sports task Force fundraiser on the 11th. As a staff we certainly enjoy hearing those things - thank you Pat and to the entire TRU team.
June 14
I can't tell you how many times I have heard a first time Rivershore player state that the course sure appears forgiving and wide off the tee...nothing could be further from the truth!! The lack of treelined fairways definitely give the illusion of forgiveness but the positioning of bunkers and the angling of greens creates (from a playing perspective) quite narrow routes to holes. Add in the wind and elevated greens and anything can happen. It is the player's failure to notice these design elements which see so many single digit handicap players score well above their usual range the first few times they play Rivershore. And it is these same design features which allow our Members and other 'fans' to look forward to every round here at Kamloops' Finest Golf.
June 10th
The weather was a little shaky but the Rotarians appear to have had a great event yesterday. Thank you to Len Bosch and all the other organisers for another memorable day! The weather is meant to improve for the week-end....lets see: rain plus heat...the grass might grow a bit:)
Jim, Ryan and the 'crew' have sodded the new forward tee on the eleventh hole as well as the chronic patches on the 8th fairway. Sod from the middle white tee on 17 has been stripped and will be replaced later today. All kinds of on-course improvements are happening!!!
I am amazed at how few players actually watch where there ball flies and then wander around a 30 square yard area looking for it.
June 8th
As I type the sod for the new forward tee on the 11th hole is being laid - kind of exciting for a golf person. And we have enough to do a couple of other things too. Maybe the small white tee on #11 and one of the tees on 17 or some fairway repair (#8).
June 7th
This season is FLYING!!!! All ready June and it feels like we only just opened....crazy! Work on the course continues - greens treatments today. Still looking for a Title Sponsor for the Men's Amateur. Still driving the ball like a dog (might have to go back to a wooden driver:)). I can see my handicap and Mark Aynsley's passing each other as mine rises and his falls:( Might have to hit the range (going to need directions to find it).
June 1
The golf course just keeps getting better and better. Unbelievably good out there! Congrats to Chris Power for a third place finish at the Tswassen Pro Am.
May 26
Rivershore had a very well supported 'Volunteer Night' on the 25th. 30+ people and some great work completed. Thanks to all who participated and in particular to Jack Croucher for organizing and Jim O'Connor for the educational component afterwards. We will have to do it again!
May 20
The day after The Heritage event is always a little subdued but it's a great time to thank all the staff and participants for their part in making it the premier event of it's type in the region. Now it's back to the 'normal' activities and cleaning up. The golf course is really showing positive effects as a result if Jim's ministrations and should only get better as the year progresses. The green heights have recently been lowered and the adjusted rough height is fantastic. Woohooo!! Oh yeah - Tourism Kamloops is trying to woo the Canadian Tour to town and Rivershore will be one of the courses considered for hosting - very exciting!
May 12
A spectacular morning here at Kamloops' finest golf - sunshine, no wind...the Senior Men and Business Ladies have 'lucked out'. I am not sure if aerated greens make it hard to see pitchmarks or if folks feel that they don't need to fix them when the greens are in that state but I hope things improve now that the greems are mint.
May 11th
Spray tank is getting a work out...fertiliser today and then back to broad leaf treatment on Wednesday. Should be finished at that point and then a little catch up and preparation for the Heritage tournament next Wednesday. After that is overseed/fertiliser time for the barren areas.
Rivershore has the best on-course hotdogs in Kamloops and now a foursome of hot dogs is discounted to $3.75 per dog!!! We just might have the best beef dip around as well (so I'm told:)).
May 10th
The affects of greens aeration are all but gone. Spraying now for broad leaf weed (dandelions etc). Next dose of Killex will be Wednesday so long as there is no wind. Then it's time to fertalise the greens and start them on their way for the season. Wooohoooo!
April 28th - Must have been a major improvement on the Ladie's Locker Room carpet performed by Paul Kennedy for the Captain to say "it looks great!" - nice work Paul!!
April 27th - Aeration is done! Greens look great - nice work Jim and crew. Opening Dinner and Dance this weekend...get your tickets fast 'cause there has been lots of interest.
April 26th - Aeration has begun. Weather permitting we will finish tomorrow but if things get too wet from rain then we will have to delay - don't want to do that because of forward bookings in a couple of weeks who booked then to avoid the aeration process. I have yet to see a forcast of rain come true here in Kamloops but......
April 22nd - Another classic spring day in Kamloops. Blustery, Winnie the Pooh type day - perfect for Men's Night! I am on a 3 game losing streak (that's what happens when you barely break 80 and have a higher gross score than the folks you are giving strokes to:(). The first areas of new sod have been laid (and look great). Greens aeration begins on Monday the 26th and will likely last through the Tuesday. We are demoing a new blower which removes excess sand and helps the greens recover faster as well as be more playable in the first place. The only problem is NO ONE seems to fix pitch marks on punched greens - tragic! Then it is time to attack the perimeter of the fairways and do some rehab (more aeration, seeding, fertilising and watering). No cart traffic on those spots for the forseeable future. Long range irrigation/maintenance plan is coming together.
April16th - Golf course is really starting to look good. Sadly we will be aerating on the 26/27 but the greens will recover soon enough under the tender ministrations of Jim and his all star crew (and the sand devil). Next task will be chasing down Members who have not committed to a course of action for 2010.
April 14th - lots going on at Rivershore! All Leagues are in full swing (Senior Men approaching 100 participants every Wednesday morning) and the Keekwillie Restaurant is running a full menu and turning out great food with superb service. Tons of fabulous new gear in the Golf Shop and the course is approaching summer conditions. Work has started on the rehabilitation of some of the damaged areas and 'Bob the Plummer' has done some beautiful work throughout the Clubhouse.
Greens aeration scheduled for the week of 26th and then its full tilt boogie fixing up the course - exciting times!
Only 143 more sleeps until Clark and I head off on our 'Just Golf, No Distractions' trip to Scotland. 394 holes in 12 days can't wait (and gotta shed some weight:))
