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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
I travelled with my good friend Chris and his family from Woodstock, Ontario to Cincinnati in the ’70’s. We were fans of the Big Red Machine during their heydays of Rose and Bench. They preceded to lose all their games against the Cubs, Cards and Bucs at Riverfront Stadium! But my consolation prize was sipping…
Canadian golfers are a glutton for weather punishment. Our deep Scottish roots (Nova Scotia=New Scotland) make this country the place of choice along with Ireland and other parts of the UK for our links golf fix. We are willing to brave the cool temperatures, swirling wind, occasional hail, lashing rain and some sun all in…
One of my pet peeves is someone who stands on the next tee after I made birdie. Not a pseudo birdie like when someone says, “Hey I get a stroke off the card because of my handicap!”. Nope, a natural birdie. At my local Shannon Lake GC in BC, the Loonies group that I play…