Niagara Falls, Ontario. Thompson, Manitoba. Edmonton, Alberta. Langley, BC. These are some of the places from which some of the Loonies hail but all have now settled in the Okanagan. They play their matches at Shannon Lake Golf Course in West Kelowna, BC. The majority are retired older gentlemen. I am not but have been invited to participate in a weekly, fun golf competition. I ask questions of each and find out about life as a farmer, or spending a couple years in Australia working hard labour, or a lawyer with thoughts on the present government, or an Air Force veteran, bankers and even a hockey player who shared his memory of his one and only game in the NHL. All have their own stories and backgrounds but all embrace the comradeship of golf with fellow Loonies. They have been around for several years so I feel privileged to be included. Finishing a round with pint in hand with the beautiful Okanagan Valley mountains as a backdrop allows one to appreciate the outdoors and what makes this a special game. And in the pandemic world of social distancing, it is an exceptional one.
