In a little over 6 months time the world’s best female golfers will be here in Calgary at the Earl Grey Golf Club for the CPKC Women’s Open. If you’d like to be right in on the action, it doesn’t get better than being a marshal and we and many of our members can attest to it. Golfaround participated in the last 2 events at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club and it was an exciting experience. We have adopted a hole to marshal and Golfaround members are registering as volunteer’s as I write this.  When registering it is important that you indicate Golfaround in the Club Affiliation Box and let us know you registered.  In celebration of the 50th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open, it is free to volunteer and will give us an inside the ropes experience at Canada’s National Women’s Open and the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour. For those of you that may be skeptical about participating in this event, it is rewarding and fun. The newsfeed will feature a  column “The Role of Marshals at Golf Events” sharing what you need to know to volunteer and rules of golf.

I am not sure how many years ago we started hitting balls but I know when we started going to the north dome we were no where near the numbers we are today. I think the first time out we were around 6 – 12 people and today we at 16 – 40 each week. We did not start until the 2^nd week in January only to be cancelled because of -38 degree temperatures that the majority did not want to venture out in. I was surprized to learn about one diehard that showed up on that frigid evening.  The 3^rd week was pretty chilly but 16 of us hardy souls showed up in our layers, toques and mittens. We hit a few balls then retired to Mulligans early for our meal and beverages, I am not sure how well a cold beer went over that night.

To get the most out of our practice it is important to spend enough time on our weaknesses as well as our strengths. It is important to warm up prior to hitting a bunch of balls and especially at the Dome when it is a bit cooler. I find practice is better when we have a purpose and there are a number of games we can play with ourselves to make it more interesting. Here are a couple of practice drills I found,  maybe we can have some fun with them over the next couple of months.

Find the Fairway Drill helps improve accuracy off the tee so we can find more fairways and give us an easier approach shot to the greens.

• Create an imaginary fairway on the range roughly 20 yards wide (at the dome a couple targets/flags, or an outdoor range 2 trees, a   flagstick and a tree or two posts)
• Imagine that water or a sand bunker is on one side to increase the difficulty
  • Hit 10 balls
    • Hybrid or long iron and find the fairway – 1 point
    • Fairway wood  – 2 points
    • Driver – 3 points

9 -Shot Drill improves ball striking

• Using a 6 or 7 iron try and play nine different shots
  • Straight (high, low and normal flight)
  • Fade (high, low and normal flight)
  • Draw (high, low and normal flight)

Weekly practice gives us the opportunity to work on our swings and those shots we need to improve. More important is the fantastic opportunity to get to know each better and enjoy the friendly banter and laughter.

Wow another year has passed us by and we are looking forward to see what 2024 has in store for us. We are working on your events for the season and you will see we did launch the 2024 international trip to Croatia. I am sure everyone is looking forward to the golf season and all the fun things it will hold. A Mystery Bus trip and Play & Stay are being planned, stay tuned for more information. Winter practice at the Eaglequest Golf Dome will start Thursday January 11th, looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and we hope to see some new ones.

The website has been updated, existing members will be able to register starting January 1st and registration opens February 1st for new members.  We will have early indoor lessons in March & April and you will see the Swing Improvement program will be offered at Carnmoney Golf Course with Tiffany Gordon teaching. Many of the original dirty dozen did the program for a number of years, developing pretty nice golf swings. We do recommend that you register early to get enrolled in the programs that wish for.  If you are new to Golfaround and want early lessons please contact us.

As the sun sets on another year, may it rise again and shine light on new opportunities, perspectives, and adventures ahead!

Yoga was a hit last season so Krista is planning yoga for golf sessions again this spring in the north and the south starting in March. Registration information will be e-mailed once we have confirmed the details.

Practicing yoga gives you and your body information on what is reachable and workable. This is key to an individual golf swing. Yoga will help you better understand how your body moves, identify your strengths and weaknesses and how to build on this.  Performing yoga improves strength and flexibility, which can help avoid body issues. Yoga teaches us how to breath properly throughout the golf swing, making it more efficient and less strenuous on our muscles over time. It increases endurance and results in better balance and stability. Focus will be improved reducing stress and anxiety.

We will start hitting balls January 11 this year. We really do enjoy our evenings  indoors at the Eaglequest Dome at Fox Hollow. Mulligans, the restaurant have a great menu and very good food I must say the fish and chips still seems to be the favorite. That along with a beer or a wine tastes really good after hitting balls for 45 minutes.  The energy and comradery was palpable, everyone was chatting, visiting and having a great time.

The Croatia presentation was held at Marko’s Kitchen, a family-owned eastern European restaurant inspired by Marko, Zika’s son. It offered a great atmosphere and locally grown and sourced food that is homemade and delicious. Our menu included food from eleven different countries including Croatia. Croatia is a very diverse country that has been influenced by many cultures over the centuries, which has left an amazingly rich variety of food, wine, and other gastronomical delights. We enjoyed a fabulous meal with excellent, friendly service. In addition to great food Zika had Croatian wines and beer available and treated us all to a pear brandy after our meal. The restaurant has many mementoes adorning the walls of Croatia, Servia, and Bosnia. Zika was born in Zagreb and his mom still resides in Plitvice

We had a great turn-out and a lot of interest so by the end of the night we had filled the trip and now have a waiting list. Our numbers were limited due to the yacht size and bed configuration. It was a great group, awesome food, and a wonderful atmosphere to launch our up-coming adventure.

Here’s to good friends, a loving family and laughter during this Christmas Season. Wishing you all a very  Merry Christmas.

Since our fabulous Africa adventure last February, we have had numerous questions about plans for future travel.  We have been diligently working at another memorable experience and want to share what we have to date. We have decided to explore the treasures of Croatia a fascinating country rich in diversity, history, and fascinating landscapes.

Croatia has a stunning Dalmatian coastline, and the glistening azure blue waters of the Adriatic Sea are infused with 1,200 islands some of which we will visit. Our adventure commences in the pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik where we will enjoy the beauty of Old Town and the 16^th century buildings. We may also take in a journey to Montenegro for a unique and different experience.

As we meander our way north, we will be amazed with breath-taking scenery, the historical treasures and culinary delights of a rich and interesting country. There will be small villages, quiet coves, and sandy beaches to attract us as well as medieval castles and rich Venetian culture. There will be local markets and sunny waterside promenades to discover where we can shop and watch the world go by. We will be awed by the Plitvice National Park, one of Europe’s great natural wonders and the magnificence of the 16 lakes and numerous waterfalls. Golf in Croatia is not abundant however we will enjoy a golfing experience amidst the Mediterranean scenery of the Istrian peninsula. The peninsula is shared by Croatia, Italy and Slovania and is renowned for the beautiful rolling hills, olive groves and old traditional charm. In addition, it has a vibrant foodie scene with an emphasis on truffles, wine, olives, and seafood. Our journey ends in Zagreb the vibrant capital of Croatia.

The trip is planned for September 11 2024 for 17 days and 16 nights. We hope to have a presentation in the near future and a firm price will then be available.

Thanks to the organizational efforts of  Brenda, Golfaround had three teams entered into the annual Frosty Golf Tournament at Wingfield Golf Club this October. When we arrived we realized that we were a little out-numbered as the field was dominated by male golfers, there was only one other female team and they were women who worked in the back shop at Wingfield.

The tournament was very well organized and we were very impressed with the condition of the golf course, a lot of  time, effort and money has transformed the old Silver Wing into a very nice course, it was challenging and offered a very enjoyable experience. The meal following our round as well as the goodies before and during the round was very tasty, the chefs there do a fine job. We enjoyed roast turkey and all the trimmings.

When it came to the prizes we were blown out of the water, we did not expect to be top of the leaderboard but guess what we took most honest. The good news was our team got Callaway wedges, how great was that?

2023 was a great year for Golfaround not only for our business but for all of you golfers who make us the popular league that we are. Without the wonderful group of positive, supportive fun-loving gals our league would not be what it is today, so give yourselves a pat on the back and we thank you for all the memorable moments we encountered in 2023.

There are a total of 94 new members this season, the beginner league received 45 newbies, though we do know that some of these are not beginners. Another 35% joined the Intermediate Evening league and the remaining 16% joined the Day league. We did not open to new members until March this season due to the Africa trip and for the first time we had to close registration at noon on the day we opened, that is a first in our 27 years of operation.

As far as the variety of golf courses we played at this season, there were a total of 44 different golf courses, we gained some and lost some but all in all we think the variety is great and we will strive to recover what we have lost. The weather was more than cooperative. It’s better to play golf when the weather is nice and sunny. Humidity and heat actually benefit golfers because golf balls have a tendency to fly a little bit farther in those conditions. Maybe the weather helped get those pars, birdies and eagles that we shared in the MOB’S, moments of brilliance. A grateful shout out to all the gals who helped tee off, we really appreciate you and the great feedback. We also want to thank you all for your patience as we introduced an improved booking system, now that we are all comfortable with this new technology, I think you will agree it is pretty slick and a lot less labor intense for us as well. Favorable weather conditions were also a bonus for the lessons which , for the most part, were held with few weather days coming into effect. We did experience a few severe storms that caused a bit of re-scheduling unfortunately, but this is Calgary!!

This season we added some great golf professionals to our teaching team and from the feedback we received they did a great job. Gordon at D’Arcy Ranch went above and beyond with his approach to the short game instruction. Jimmy who did the indoor lesson at Riverside had some great tips according to Roni who plays a very good game. Donna was very grateful to Ken at Cottonwood for helping her improve and Lisa has really taken her game to the next level and attributes that to her ongoing lessons with Golfaround. Group golf lessons are a great way to stay motivated and accountable. When you’re learning with a group, you have a built-in support system to encourage you to keep practicing and improving. You’ll also be able to set goals and track your progress together, which can be a great way to stay focused and motivated. When you start to play better it is certainly more fun and we thank all our pros for helping us do that. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, group lessons offer a social and enjoyable way to improve your game. Not only do you get the benefit of personalized instruction, but you also get to connect with other golfers who share your passion for the sport.

The year commenced with our Thursday nights at the Eaglequest Dome, where we hit balls, had dinner and socialized. It was great to have such a great turn out each week, we were 24 to 30 strong most weeks. The temperature in the Dome was much improved due to their new heating system, thank you Brent. For 32 of us February was spent with the long awaited Africa trip, the details of which have been captured in the monthly news feeds, it truly was a trip of a lifetime.

The Mystery Bus trip was a great hit this year, it was the first one since 2019 so consequently very popular. We were 44 girls gone wild African safari and the Crowsnest Golf Club did an awesome job hosting our group. Alberta Coach also played a big part with Karen transporting us to and from. Medicine Hat was the Play & Stay destination, and a fabulous time was had by one and all. Desert Blume looked after our banquet and it was one of the best buffets we have ever had, accolades to the chef and staff there. The golf course was purchased in 2019 by a couple of local businessmen and they are doing a fine job. The course was in tip top condition, the environment was friendly, and the staff could not do enough to ensure you had a wonderful experience. As Diane said it is a do over for sure.

As we wind down for the 2023 season, we can start getting excited about next year. We have some great thoughts for our Mystery Bus trip and we are working diligently on finding a great international destination that will be exciting and adventurous. Palm Springs or an alternate is not dead so keep your eye on the website and our newsfeeds. We feel so very lucky to be able to do what we do and we thank each and everyone of you for a great 2023.