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Onto the Playing Field of the Open Championship

I watched the course Stewards lock arms as they anticipated what was to come. Rory and Victor were striding up the 18th hole on the Old and the crowd was getting restless. We have seen the old footage of crowds that surround the last golfers coming into the Old Course home hole during the Open…

Can’t LIV and PGA Tour Just Get Along?

Bobby Jones is rolling in his grave. Golf is supposed be above the fray and a game of civility. Now that the LIV Tour has barrelled its way into the golf conversation and the PGA responds with counterpunches, I shake my head. Egos, incredible money incentives, switching sides, divisions, calls of traitors. Social media then…

Links Golf on the Edge of Portugal

Cascais is a stunning, holiday destination just outside of Lisbon that also possesses a fantastic golf course which my pro shop contact confirmed is a links golf course—Oitavos Dunes https://oitavosdunes.com. It is cool to play one outside of the UK and Ireland since links courses are difficult to find. i could compare against my fun links…

The Rock and Spanish Golf

I hummed that popular Get a Piece of the Rock Prudential Insurance jingle while travelling the coastal highway of southern Spain. Older people will remember these campy 70’s commercials  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaaisYNYxvs. Gibraltar, known as the Rock and a British Territory makes its distinct presence known in the golf hotbed of spectacular Spanish golf. You can stay in…

Puddle Jumpers, Ferries and Coach Transport on Golf Trips

After touring Western Scotland Islands with my Verma Cup golfing mates last week, you learn a lot about different transportation modes. Ferries to play Shiskine, Machrihanish, Dunaverty, Machrihanish Dunes and The Machrie. Scottish ferry terminal names roll off your tongue like a brogue—Kennacraig, Claonaig, Port Ellen, Ardrossan and Brodick. There is also coach transport that…

Learning Golf with “Lee” Belgrade

The lively Belgrade clan lived across from us on George St. until we moved to Van Ave. in Woodstock, Ontario when i was young. I started golf early and re-connected with Steve at Craigowan GC as tykes. He was a year older so I tried to keep up. I was Jack to his Lee since…

Canada Cup, Encore and More in my Golfing Youth

Golf balls back in the ’70’s were less sophisticated than they are today. If you played that surlyn Titleist DT you were impressing others. A Top Flite you say? No thanks, that was known as the “rock” with long drives but no hold on the greens. Your hands hurt in cold weather when you struck…

Old vs Pebble or Delta vs Omicron

Wouldn’t you rather compare the Old Course and Pebble Beach rather than these COVID-19 variants? Dream inspiring golf travel. In my Golf Shorts and Plus Fours book of short golf stories, Hole No. 11 analyzes these 2 golfing treasures and make golfers ponder. The drive on No. 1, 17 and 18 on the Old. How…

Playing Second Fiddles-Canadian and Japanese Golf

Fact: the oldest North American golf club (Royal Montreal) and golf course (Niagara-on-the Lake) reside in Canada not the U.S. Fact: most Japanese golf rounds are divided into 2 9’s with a mandated world class lunch. How about golf at Banff Springs GC surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and a bear visit? Or, play a…

Hoisting the Golf Bag on your Shoulders

When I was a tyke playing at Craigowan GC in Woodstock, Ontario, you carried your bag on one shoulder. There were no brilliant designers back in the ’70’s that thought sensibly to have clacking irons and persimmon woods better distributed on two straps of your carry bag. It was the era when you did not…