Golfaround

Golf Programs for Women

  • Members Area

Established 1997

Calgary & Edmonton
Alberta, Canada
  • Home
  • What We Do
  • Join Us
    • Apply for Membership
    • Member Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Golf Lessons
    • Women’s Golf Lessons
    • Golf Lessons in Calgary
    • Golf Lessons in Edmonton
  • Golf Leagues
    • Women’s Golf Leagues
    • Calgary Leagues
    • Edmonton Leagues
    • Golf Rules & Etiquette
  • Events
    • Event Overview
    • Tournaments & Travel
    • Calgary Events
    • Edmonton Events
    • Photo Gallery
  • News Desk
  • About Us
    • About Golfaround
    • The Golfaround Chronicles
    • Our History (Video)
    • Testimonials
    • Policies & Procedures
    • Contact Golfaround

All Posts Categorized as "Chronicles"

The Golfaround Chronicals 2014 & 2015

July 26, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

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.

The Wilderness ClubWe 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 SocialInglewood3delightful. 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.

IMG_5810Our 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.T7

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.

 

Filed Under: Chronicles

The Golfaround Chronicals 2012 & 2013

June 16, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

PalmSprings49The 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?
BarilocheArgentina 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 llao llaocountry. 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 Argentina46and 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?

Filed Under: Chronicles

The Golfaround Chronicals 2010 & 2011

May 31, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

halongbay15The 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. DSC02059The 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.

40The 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.

166 - Copy - Copy (2)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.

Filed Under: Chronicles

The Golfaround Chronicals 2008 & 2009

April 30, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt is interesting to see the weather challenges we have faced over the years, 2008 was certainly one of them. The Edmonton social planned at Lewis Estates, had to be rescheduled as Old Man Winter extended his frigid hand over both Calgary and Edmonton resulting in a deep freeze and treacherous driving conditions. In 2009 we thought we would have a better start but that was not to be, it was colder than average, wetter than normal and just plain ugly. Then there is 2016 when we were golfing in April, what a crazy climate we live in. We really have had a lot of fun over the years and doing these chronicles has brought back many wonderful memories for me and I hope for you also. Some of the great escapes we did in 2008 and 2009 included a play and stay in central Alberta where we played at Innisfail, what used to be a hidden gem. It is still a gem but a lot of people have found it. We stayed in Red Deer and played Alberta Springs before heading home. Another Play and Stay that was memorable was the Wine and Roses Tournament at Meadow Lake in Montana. meadow lakeWe had great golf, fun at the legendary Blue Moon, and a fabulous BBQ in the “great house” with all in attendance. We whined when it was our score to count but enjoyed the wine and roses we received for registration. We love Meadow Lake and my surprise Birthday party this year there at the “house” was a real treat. Our Mystery Bus trip took us to Radium but our driver really kept the group guessing as he drove into Banff, everyone thought The Banff Springs..not. He then took a back road in the direction of Johnson’s canyon Jasper???????? We finally arrived at the resort and had a great time. Rocky Mountain House and Fernie were also tournament destinations.

Some of the other unique experiences we had included a Demo and Fit at The Callaway Performance Center, it was a great facility and we learned a lot. Too bad they were unable to continue with the concept we really did enjoy. Interestingly 2009 was the first time we adopted a hole at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and here we are doing it again in 2016. The Edmonton group were lucky to have Paige Nelson coordinate them in 2009. She joined Golfaround in 2004 as a beginner and is now ripping up the course, I guess we all do benefit from the lessons we take.

I was looking through old newsletters to do this and found some interesting statistics:

“A recent study found the average golfer walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found golfers drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means, on average, golfers get about 41 miles to the gallon. Kind of makes you proud. Almost feel like a hybrid.”

DSC00815Our trip to New Zealand was fabulous; we toured both Islands spending time in Auckland, Pahia, in the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown. We experienced the magnitude of ninety mile beach and boogey boarding down the massive sand dunes; the splendor of the sea and the dolphins at play; the incredible beauty of the fauna; the majesty of Auckland’s harbor; we did not bungee jump from the Sky Tower; too chicken. We were amazed by the grandeur of the geothermal plants near Rotorua and also enjoyed insight into the Maori culture at a reenactment at the Wairakai Treaty House and sampled a Maori Hangi (meal). Christchurch and punting on the Avon reminded me of my English roots and the roses in the Botanical Gardens were incredible. In Queenstown we enjoyed the gondola up to the Skyline restaurant;JetBoat1 the thrill of jet boating in the canyons; the steamship excursion to the Walter Peak homestead and sheep station; and the majestic splendor of the renowned Milford Sound. We played four rounds of golf at some great courses and loved the Kiwi people. As Gail mentioned “the great thing about our trips is there is something for everyone outside of the golf. The golf brings us together again as a group.” The Cook Island extension gave us some time to relax and enjoy the sun, sea and water sports. It was a wonderful experience enhanced by a great group of Golfaround people.

Filed Under: Chronicles, News

The Golfaround Chronicals 2006 & 2007

March 25, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

Golfaround celebrated 10 years in 2006, it is hard to believe how much we have grown since inception. This era saw Edmonton increasing in memberships, so much so that we had to add another evening league choice and start  day & beginner leagues. We tried another Challenge cup in Lacombe, this time the weather was much improved but unfortunately we didn’t have many from Edmonton. Needless to say Calgary won the trophy back. Our other tournaments included the Golfaround Memorial at the Canmore Golf Club a charity event supporting The Women’s Emergency Shelter, Golf and Gamble at St Eugene Mission and Paradise Canyon in Lethbridge. The Mystery Bus trip went to Golden and on the way home Donna Gray surprised us with her 10th Aniversary commemorative verse to the Golfaround song

“The dirty dozen started the showElephants Cooling Off Chobe River

We are now 400 and continue to grow

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years

Some dear friends we’ve lost

And some new friends we’ve found

And we’re proud to be the ladies from Golfaround”

DSCN1835In Feb of 2006 we had the trip of a lifetime to South Africa. We were a large group, 58 in total, a great group to experience the diversity and contrasts that only Africa can offer. The scenic diversity was incredible. We saw lush green forests and deep river gorges leading down to the sea in the Tsitsikamm National Park, contrasted to the arid bush land of the Karoo in Oudtshoorn where we also saw the Cango Caves. Then there was the magnificent rugged coastline of the Cape Point and the tranquility of the Chobe River. We experienced the opulence of Sun City which was contrasted by the miles of shanty towns going into Cape Town. Our safari at The Kariega Lodge and the add on to Zimbabwe, Botswana and Choba were my highlights. Never did I expect to see such a huge amount of game so up front and personal. We saw more than 25 species of game including rhino, lions, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and 270 species of birds. Seeing these in their native habitat was truly amazing. We had a busy itinerary to say the least which included, wine tasting , game viewing on land and water, golf, site seeing, shopping and superb dining. It was a trip of a lifetime.

I think we were pretty spoilt in this timeframe as we also traveled to both Sedona in Apr 2007 and Portugal in Oct.

Sedona, strategically situated at the mouth of spectacular Oak Creek Canyon, is a truly unique place. Characterized by massive red-rock formations, as well as the contrasting river bank areas of Oak Creek Canyon. This trip provided our group a variety of unique experiences, one of which was golfing within the majesty of the incredible red rocks.  Our hotel was perched upon a hillside overlooking the beauty of the landscape. Many of us went for the ultimate 4 x 4 Jeep experience. It was 100% off-road fun going on and over the rocky terrain in the midst of canyon walls and making that heart-pounding decent down the “Road of no Return”. The Grand Canyon was spectacular and the helicopter ride awesome. In addition to this some of the gals frequented some of the local hangouts and met some fun looking cowboys.

CookingSchool2HelenThen in Oct it was off to Portugal. We started our journey in Vilamoura in the Algarve, one of the largest single tourist complexes in Europe. In front of our hotel and viewed from our rooms was a long sandy beach swept by the Atlantic Ocean. There were six different golf courses here, three of which we played. We also had an opportunity to see the Portuguese Masters which was there during our stay. Our next destination was the small country town of Portel, in the heart of Portugal’s sunny Alentejo region. We stayed in a transformed old rural house of classic beauty which was in total contrast to our hotel in Vilamoura. Some of the group participated in the Refúgio da Vila cooking school enjoying a unique gastronomic, wine and cultural experience. Then on to Cascais, which was at the end of one of the suburban train lines just thirty minutes outside of Lisbon. This once tiny fishing village has grown in the last century to become an elegant beach town but still retains the charm of its fishing past and indeed present. We ventured into Lisbon, to explore world heritage architectural marvels We were mesmerized by Lisbon’s wonderful mix of the old-fashioned, the historic and the modern. This coupled with 25,000 Celtics fans, in their green and white jerseys, there to cheer on their soccer team was an experience to remember.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The theme for Calgary’s wind up was The 50’s so everyone had to get out their saddle oxfords, poodle skirts and hoola hoops, it was a “rockin event. Edmonton also had wind-ups at both Golden West and Cougar Creek.

 

 

Filed Under: Chronicles, News

The Golfaround Chronicals 2004 to 2005

February 10, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

First of all we need to make a correction, last month we reported that Edmonton’s inaugural year was 2003, sorry folks it was 2004. Many great things started in 2004 which included the expansion to Edmonton. We started sharing a photo gallery so you could all share and see the good times we’ve had. Our loss of Nancy Morrison spearheaded the first Cottonwood Classic which was held in support of The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This event featured some firsts for us, Shepherd Health offered us the benefits of ART, Active Release Therapy, prior to us teeing off and breakfast was sponsored by Cordell’s Point of View. We had two Mulligan men who washed our clubs, drove like Tiger and looked like the Chippendals, well maybe a little exaggeration. Our first Silent Action and balloon game, remind me never to do the balloon thing again, were also very successful. Our Fernie tournament in Aug also included an optional extension to Meadow Lake Montana which many of us enjoyed. The weather in both locations was certainly a challenge but we made the most of it and had a blast as always. In 2005 we returned to Fernie, thinking it couldn’t be as bad as 2004, guess what it was worse. Imagine rain, snow, power outages and closed golf courses. Some of us were escorted around the dark hotel not by the light of the moon but by the light of the miner’s helmets, it was so much fun.ThaiGroupPic

In February 2003 we traveled to Thailand and it was amazing. We experienced the splendor of the temples; the myriad of smells at the flower and food markets; and the uniqueness of the canals that once were the streets of Bangkok. From the hustle and bustle of the city of Angels we traveled south to Cha Am and Hue Hin. These relaxed coastal towns boasted long uncluttered beaches and some great golf courses .Following our sojourn here some of the group went north to the ancient walled city of Chang Mai while others went on to Hong Kong, Osaka, Singapore Koh Samui and Phuket. It was a fantastic experience and the harbinger of many other unique experiences to come………so many places on my bucket list and so little time.

Punta Cana 046In February 2005 26 lucky people escaped to the tropical paradise of Punta Cana. The group experienced quading, banana boating, snorkeling and much much more.The golf too was wonderful and some even got to try out the renowned Teeth of the Dog Golf Course. Di was not here as she had her hip replacements so Kristy was questioning if she should spend so much to play there. Sylvia Madder told her “ Di won’t know just go for it” Kristy informed her that Di would know as she did the finance and would see the credit card charges. She went anyway and good for her you have to grab opportunity when you can.

As most of you will remember 2005 certainly had it’s challenges with the first flood causing much devastation for many of the courses and also for many of our population both in Calgary and the surrounding areas. In June we held our first Challenge Cup at Lacombe and yes it was wet, very wet, so wet in fact we saw someone drying their undies with the hand dryer.

 

Filed Under: Chronicles, News

The Golfaround Chonicals 2000 to 2003

January 24, 2016 by Dianne Hutton

Well we survived Y2K and our computer systems are still intact, wow that was a relief. We have been doing this now for five years and we are thinking we really do have  a viable business  opportunity. We have a domain name and website thanks to Kim Worth who we met at AWE, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs so let’s go for it, a league of our own. We continued to add golf courses to our schedules and golf professionals to our teaching team. This was the year that Brian Fast started his teaching career at Cottonwood, and he is still teaching for us fourteen years later. He is also married with two sons.

It was interesting to look back at our newsletter for 2002, the weather challenges have not changed that much. The Day League were at Heatherglen May 21st, the wind was almost blowing them over and it was extremely cold. The gals were in the restaurant waiting to see what they were going to do. Sandra Hunter told one of the new members in jest “yes we meet at different courses once a week and have coffee” it does sometimes seem that way early in the season.

Something I forgot last month was to mention our first international trip. This event was spurred by Fran Esler, then Burrows, who thought we should go somewhere warm to golf in the winter months. We were a little skeptical about organizing a trip to a warm climate, Canada sure wasn’t an option, so we thought how about four days & five nights in Laughlin Nevada? We also had the guys along for the first time. This trip turned out to be a grand total of 44 and we had a blast. We were in all four states during our travels, oh not quite correct it was Arizona, Nevada, California and some of them in the  “drunken state” not sure where that is. Back in those days our cost was $728.00 for the package, it sure wouldn’t be that now.

CubaThis success motivated us to go a little further  away, so we planned a trip to Veradaro, Cuba for 2003. We stayed at Breezes, a great resort in close proximity to the golf course. We had another good size group which included seven sets of sisters,  believe it or not. We also took our then mascot, Clem, or Phlegm. He was a blow up doll that Joan Holmes had given to Marg Hardstaff to keep her safe when she had to drive home alone from golf. Clem had a great time as we did, he even danced with the bride at a wedding there. We also had a mock wedding for Irene Shewchuk and if I remember correctly some of the gals left their mark on the walls of the Cuban restaurant noting the “the first wives club”. There are lots of great memories including the synchronized swimmers, amazing golf course personnel and the tour to Havana, including the legendary Tropicana Show, a Cuban classic.

The 2002 wind-up event was themed “friends” and funnily enough Gloria Boogmans just sent us a very special prose about friends:

Why do I have a variety of friends who are all so different in character? How is it possible that I can get along with them all?

I think that each one helps to bring out a “different” part of me. With one of them I am polite. With another I joke.

I can sit down and talk about serious matters with one. With another I laugh a lot.

I listen to one friend’s problems. Then I listen to another one’s advice for me.

My friends are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends!

They are my friends who understand me better than I understand myself. They’re friends who support me through good days and bad.

Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamin F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being.

Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes.

If you enjoy Vitamin F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age.

The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments, it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.

I’m so happy that I have a stock of Vitamin F! In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them.

We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together and pray for each other in the tough moments.

We are so very grateful for all the friends we have made through Golfaround and I know that there are many of our members who feel the same way. We were also very saddened in 2002 to lose a very special lady and friend after a courageous fight to breast cancer, Nancy Morrison. Nancy and her husband Brian were loyal supporters of Golfaround. Because we wanted to make this loss meaningful it spearheaded our first attempt at raising money for charity, hence the Cottonwood Classic.

2003 was the year we expanded Golfaround in Edmonton starting there with approximately 30 members and Shannon Chambers was our first Coordinator. Some of the original Edmonton members were Heather Bishop, Lesslie Ingledew, Jan Young. The Orientation/Social was held at Millwoods Golf Club and the wind-up was at Retail Landing a course that has supported us from day one. The weather was ugly at the wind-up, I have never been so wet and only played three holes. Oh yes I have been that wet but it came later at Lacombe as many of you will remember.

We wound down 2003 with a Halloween themed wind-up and I can still see Maria Emond, the skeleton and Cheryl Oliver, Snow White dancing to the music of Dan the One Man Band, what a fun night.

Filed Under: Chronicles, News

Golfaround’s 20th Anniversary 2016

October 22, 2015 by Dianne Hutton

20 yearsNext year 2016 is a very important milestone for Golfaround, we are 20 years young. Who would have ever believed we would be where we are today. We are very grateful to be celebrating 20 years of Golfaround and thank our many supporters who have helped us reach this milestone. Our ongoing accomplishments would be impossible without the support of our members both old and new. We never dreamt of being an overnight success, to the contrary we did not feel we had the knowledge or skills to run a golf business. But here we are 20 years later, it has taken hard work, friendships, golf Professionals, golf clubs and stick-to-it-ness to build credibility and a successful business.

We want to celebrate where we have come from so starting next month we will re-visit our journey by running the Golfaround Chronicles in the news feed. We hope it will be informative for new members and nostalgic for others, I am sure it will bring back great memories and set the stage for many more years to come.

Filed Under: Chronicles, News

Sign Up for Our
Ladies Golf League &
Golf Lessons for Women

Join Golfaround Today!

Golfaround News

  • Chronicles
  • News
  • Travel

Never Miss an Update!

Sign up below to have news updates delivered directly to your email inbox.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Contact Golfaround

Email us: [javascript protected email address]

Phone: (403) 253-2689
Toll-free: 1-866-553-2689

Full Contact Details

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2013–2019 Golfaround™ • All Rights Reserved
Calgary Website Design by Arch Web Marketing