All Posts Categorized as "Chronicles"

We have arrived at the end of our memories of 20 years of Golfaround, I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Going back in time brought back some wonderful memories of fun times, great people, fabulous golf and amazing adventures.

In 2014 we launched our new website and implemented on-line registrations and payments, what a bonus that was not only for us but your feedback was so positive. Instead of quarterly newsletters we now had the challenge of providing monthly news feeds but it has improved our communication and keeps you informed.

Sundowners,  a bi-monthy mixed league, introduced in 2012, continued to provide us some great outings and good fun. The third annual Palm Springs Spring Training carried on in 2014 and Patty and Troy still did a great job of tweeking our swings and getting us back on track. We had a bit of a challenge with wind there in 2014, we had never seen sand drifts on the road, just snow. After 2015 we had to take a hiatus as our dollar was not great and it was difficult to make the pricing attractive, but watch out we plan to return soon, maybe 2017. Some of our more memorable outings include but were not limited to The Wilderness Club in Eureka Montana, a Play & Stay at The Copper Point Resort, a Mad Hatter Tee Party and a couple of kick-off Nine and Dines.

We went to the Wilderness Club twice in 2014 we took over both the Lodge and the cottages as we had 44 participants. In 2015 we went again but chose to only utilzize the cottages as we found the Lodge too far away and split the group somewhat. We had a wonderful time the weather was fabulous and the golf very enjoyable. The Copper Point Resort has great amenities and our digs were outstanding we had fun golfing but did have to contend with some rain last year, our rounds were a bit damp. The Mystery Bus Trip theme was a Mad Hatter Tee Party and we had more than one surprise. The destination was Pine Hills Golf Course in Rocky Mountain House and the Edmonton crew joined us there. Both Calgary and Edmonton gals did an amazing job of their hat creations.

We tried to start our season with a Nine and Dine rather than the usual Orientation/ Social but 2014 saw us snowed out at Inglewood. The weather outside was frightful but the ambiance inside delightful. We tried to bring an essence of Spring to improve the setting for what was going to be a Spring Fever Nine & Dine. This is Calgary and we all know that May can throw us some curve balls. Despite the conditions outside the event was a huge success, what a great turnout. Inglewood provided us with a great meal and of course the wine is always good. We tried again at Fox Hollow in 2015, we did golf but it was a tad chilly so we have come to the conclusion that Calgary weather patterns really does not support this type of season opener. We went back to the Orientation/Social in 2016 and guess what you could have got a sunburn it was that warm! Murphy’s Law I guess.

Our trip to Turkey was everything we dreamed about and so much more. Feedback from the group indicates it was the “best trip yet” and I do believe they are right, it was amazing. Turkey is considered to be one of the richest countries in terms of archaeology and is by far the biggest “open air museum” of the world. We were very fortunate to be able to see the marvelous remains of many ancient cultures and thanks to our amazing tour guide Tansu we embraced ancient history, acquired cultural insite and political and religious doctrines.

Our adventure commenced in Kusadasi, on the Aegean coast of Turkey and it is one of the most famous holiday resorts of the country. We loved our beautiful beachfront hotel where we could jump into the Agean from the sun bathing deck and watch the cruise ships, and see the sun set from our balconies. Kusadasi’s proximity to many of the old historic sites made it a great place to start. The ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, has to be seen to be believed, we walked where prophets walked and saw the chariot ruts in the roads, unbelievable. In addition, the House of the Virgin Mary, one of the most sacred places for Christianity, was spiritualy and visually uplifting.

Then there was our first round of golf at the Kusadasi Golf Club. On our drive to the course I am sure we all wondered where we were going as we climbed, and climbed and climbed. Wow, what an awesome location a 360º view and our first experience with call to the pray off in the distance. It was a difficult round, everything rolled out of site and it certainly was a ball eating course but absolutely beautiful and worth every lost ball.

We experienced the Temple of Aphrodite at amazing Aphrodisias on our way to Pamukkale and were seduced by the collection of sculptural treasures, We saw the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. We marveled at the tea-cup shaped pools of this ‘Cotton Castle’ cascade with light blue water which covered the hill side in a waterfall of white and ice blue. While we were here we also experienced The Sacrifice Feast, a four-day religious festival. The Sacrifice Feast traditions in Turkey include sacrificing an animal in a special ritual, visiting relatives and helping the poor. Helen and Donna were invited to share the meal with locals but they graciously declined.

We then drove over the Taurus Mountains towards the Mediterranean and our all-inclusive golf resort where we stayed for the next eight days. The resort was wonderful, excellent accommadation, great food, awesome golf and lots of sea and sun, who could ask for more. But there was more, we visited a Turkish bath, the Hellenistic or Roman city of Perge to visit the extensive ruins, including the great Theatre at Aspendos, the Stadium, and the gate-towers leading into a street where ancient chariot ruts can still be see. Last but not least was an amazing day at sea frolicking in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.

Our golf here was wonderful, stunning courses in close to pristine shape, challenging but forgiving and very enjoyable.

Cappadocia, was spectacular with the amazing rock formations, painted cave churches and underground cities. It was even more spectacular when seen from our hot air balloon, what a WOW moment that was.

Last was Istanbul with the beautiful Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome where Roman chariot races were held. We also marveled at the splendor of St Sophia, the Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces. We cruised the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates the Asian and European continents and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, a very busy and important waterway. We savored the aromas of the Spice bazar and practised the time-honored ritual of bargaining in the Grand Bazar.

The Chronicals have come to an end but Golfaround has another 20 years to make more memories, make more friends, offer more adventures and provide more golf experiences. Pretty sure if I will not be writing the next 20 year chonicals and Kristy may be pushing her luck too.

 

The next two years of Golfaround gave us some highs and some lows, but that’s what life’s about. We have to take the bad with the good and we sure have had lots of good so a little bad is not going to stop us from being who and what we are. In 2012 we launched Spring Training in Palm Springs and it was a roaring success.  The package included a four hour Spring Tune-up, two rounds of golf and accommodation and a welcome reception. The Resort had a shuttle to pick us up from the airport and it also took us to town and back when we wanted. This did count as the lesson requirement. The teaching professionals were first class and we all learned some new techniques to help us improve our game. The Palm Springs package continued for the next four years when our loonie lost it’s luster and it became difficult to make the pricing attractive, hopefully things will pick up and we can do this again.

A Sundowner Golf League was introduced for a mixed group which has  been very successful and continues to this day. We tee off around 3:00pm on Sundays twice a month during the season. We are very social and most stay after the round for dinner. The Mystery Bus trip landed at Sundre Golf Club and Lone Ranger was the format,  we had a great time.

Robbie Burns said “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley,” which in English means no matter how well you plan there is always a chance that something will go wrong and you’d better have a plan B. The Play & Stay was no exception, on July 16th the Monday before the week-end get away a mud slide closed the Mountainside golf course and there was no water at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Plan B got us moved to The Radium Resort, thanks to the people at both facilities. In addition to this act of nature nine of the gals were prevented from arriving on Friday night due to another mud slide and road closure just outside of Banff. Donna Woodman swears she will never stop in Canmore for lunch again!!! All’s well that ends well and it did, we had a wonderful time, good golf and warm weather.
I am sure there were many MOB’s this season Lois Gottselig got a hole in one at Lynx Ridge, hole #5. Congratulations. Lynn Stolarchuk was about an inch away from one at Dragons Head in Edmonton.Tracey Guigovaz had a birdie at McKenzie Meadows, on the Par 5, 9th hole. At the Calgary 55 plus golf Tournament at Heather Glen Golf Course – Gail Ennis got a Silver medal in her age category. Marielle Galibois will be competed in Nova Scotia after winning at the 55 Plus Summer Games in Fairview Alberta. Lorie Caron par’d every hole at McKenzie Meadows, Wendy White broke 100 for the 1st time and Kristy shot a 44 at Silver Wing. In addition, I believe Merina and Lorie won the Innisfail ladies Invitational, both of them shooting in the 80s a personal best for both I am sure. Are we a talented group or what?
Argentina offered us a collage of amazing experiences, incredible scenery and exciting adventures. Our first port of call was Buenos Aires a beautiful European-like city with colonial architecture, outdoor markets, sidewalk cafes and awesome shopping. It’s an elegant, seductive place with a ragged edge. In between the designer boutiques, ritzy neighborhoods and grand parks are unkempt streets and colorful neighborhoods like Bocca and many many dog walkers as well as their resulting waste. We rubbed shoulders with the formerly rich and famous in Recoleta’s cemetery, and saw where Evita is resting. We ate at a parrilla (steak restaurant), and could not believe the size of the portions. From Buenos Aires we flew to Bariloche Patagonia which hugs the shoreline of Lake Nahuel Huapi, in the middle of the national park of the same name, Bariloche has one of the most gorgeous settings imaginable and here we stayed at the Pestana Lodge a beautiful alpine boutique hotel set in the midst of the mountains and the Arelauquen Golf Course overlooking Lake Gutiérrez. It was a beautiful retreat. The township of Bariloche is nestled on the edge of lake Nahuel Huapi. It is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, quick-flowing streams and deep blue lakes, reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, but on a grander scale. We explored the lakes by boat, played golf and indulged in the numerous chocolate factories. Mendoza was next on the list, the centre of Argentina’s wine country. A beautiful city with tree lined boulevard’s and numerous parks. We enjoyed our wine tours, shopping and eating at sidewalk cafés. Last but in no way least we experienced Iguaza Falls. Taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River. It was a strenuous day touring the falls. We hiked, floated, climbed and jet boated under the falls. Looking back it was amazing and even though the climb darn near killed me I would not have missed it for the world. A great variety of golf was included in our itinerary. We played the traditional Olivos Golf Course in Buenos Aires enjoying tree lined fairways and interesting caddies. A burrowing owl even hissed at me. In Patagonia the Arelauquen Golf Course was just outside our door and treated us to scenic mountain views and much fun. Llao Llao was an absolute delight, the breathtaking beauty made up for the difficult walk and interesting design. It was probably the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen playing golf. Club de Campo Mendoza was a picturesque course and Pillar in Buenos Aires though misty at the start was also very enjoyable. Our farewell dinner show was at Seňor Tango where we enjoyed fabulous three course meal accompanied by premium Argentinian wines and liquors. The amazing tango exhibition combining the finest of Argentina’s singers, traditional music and both modern and old style tango dancers. It was a fabulous way to end our trip.

They say “into every life a little rain must fall” but in 2013 Golfaround was flooded. In 2012 we launched a trip to The Emerald Isle which filled up very fast and in August, just 30 days before our departure we were informed that the company we had been dealing with went bankrupt, or as they say in Ireland “went into Liquidation. This came as a horrific shock as they were supposedly bonded, we had received our tickets and vouchers but nothing had been paid. As all of our clients had paid by credit card they were protected but Golfaround was not and lost over $140,000.00, wiping us out completely. Closing our doors was eminent but fortunately for us some of our clients, when they found out we were personally liable to the credit card company, stepped up and helped defray the loss. We will forever been thankful to them and because of this we, Golfaround, live to love another day and also to celebrate 20 fabulous years. Most of 2013 was spent getting our lives back and out of the red, they say thirteen is an unlucky number…yah think?

The 2010 and 2011 highlights included a trip to Vietnam and Victoria, both start with a V but could not have been more different. In addition we golfed in PEI another gem with great golf, amazing people and wonderful food, the rain was a bit challenging but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits.

Vietnam was a trip to be remembered for its diversity, culture, golf, good people and fun times. We will remember the busy days full of places to see and things to do. Saigon or as it is now known Ho Chi Min introduced us to the challenges of crossing the road, taking our lives in our hand and dodging millions of motorcycles, this has to be the motorcycle capital of the world. We traveled to the Mekong Delta experiencing the floating market and great food. The lunch ‘specialty’ was elephant ear fish fresh spring rolls which was wonderful. Highlights along the way to the North was the boat cruise in Nha Trang, with swimming, a unique lunch and massages on the boat and snorkeling in the clear blue waters. Mary got introduced to threading, her eyebrows never looked so good. Other highlights included great hotels, and unique sights and sounds. Hanoi introduced us to the Cyclo and a hair raising tour of the old quarter amide the thousands of bikes. Last but not least was the pièce de résistance, Halong Bay. Incredible vistas, superb food, luxurious accommodation and the party of all parties. It is so great to know everyone on your junk and of course the wine and music helped with the dancing, people who had never danced were dancing machines.

Then there was Victoria and the luxury of the Laurel Point Inn. Golf at both Olympic View and Bear Mountain was enjoyable. It could have been a little warmer but we did stay dry so that was a plus. The culinary walking tour was great fun and we experienced tea and wine tasting, and found some interesting holes in the wall and been there forever places. The hotel was super and the location wonderful.

In the fall of 2010 we thought we would take a small group to PEI to golf the Garden of the Gulf. Our small group grew to 44. There are more than 30 golf courses on this small island and the majority of them are picturesque, lush and green. We could only include three in our trip but a few other rounds were squeezed in by some of us. Our adventure included The Shellfish Festival; The Ross Family Calidah: Karaoke at The Lions Club; Lobster Suppers and much more. We ended up with our own kitchen party at our cottages.

The following year a trip to Santa Fe New Mexico was the highlight a destination unparalled in richness of history, heritage, arts and culture. September is a great month to be in Santa Fe, the summer crowds have thinned and there’s rarely a wait for tables at restaurants. The city is steeped in the earthy scent of freshly harvested green chiles roasting at roadside stands. As summer starts its fade to fall, the weather is crisp and clear, with high temperatures averaging 78F degrees and lows averaging 48F degrees The courses we played at offered breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We experienced great mountainous layouts amounst verdant green forests and last but not least was Black Mesa, a high desert links design woven through the sandstone foothills of Santa Clara Pueblo. We wound up the trip at the renowned annual Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta with wine events and a large assortment of wines and food from Santa Fe restaurants.

Kananaskis Ranch was a play and stay destination and we truly enjoyed the tradition of Western Hospitality. We enjoyed good food, good golf, good friends and sing-song with Donna and her guitar.

Another first was night golf with a Luau buffet planned for 100 Golfaround members. The participation from the group for costumes and cart decorations was marvelous, we were so impressed. Lynne Paulson and Paula Williams named their cart Tee-kee Hut and It was made out of six twig placemats sewn on to a sun tanning mat, with a fake plant pulled apart and woven into the roof.  The zebra pillows were from the Pottery Barn, and the sari skirts and purses were from Bali. How innovative was that? Many others went to a lot of effort and some of the names were Skeletal Chicks, darned if I know how many of us could get away with that one; Tiger Wood’s Hot Tamales; Golden Girls and many others. The night golf was a chilly experience and had we been in Arizona or somewhere else south it would have been more enjoyable.