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 show
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”
In 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.
Then 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.
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.