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Today I got the chance to
go around Trickle Creek Golf Course which is reckoned to be the 5th best
course in Canada and just one of many fine golf courses in the area. My
thanks go to John who works on the course and has moved many rocks over
the 12 years of the courses history for taking me around.
This is us arriving at the course
And as you can see there was a competition
earlier in the day and here is John who will be our guide for the day. He
was most enthusiastic about the course and told me lots of stories as we
went around.
You can visit their web site at
www.tricklecreek.com
The resident professional,
Rich Mawhinney, kindly let me have the current rates for playing a round
of golf... (Note that prices are in Canadian dollars)
Regular round is $107.00
Sun - Thurs after 2pm is $75.00
Twilight is $55.00
And these prices include cart rental and use of the range
Should you require to hire
clubs they will cost you $25.00 for a regular set or $40 for a
professional set.
And so this was the professionals shop and the
19th hole!
And now it's time to get onto the course. We
are going to go around it from the 1st hole in order through to the 18th
hole.
I should perhaps make a few
point about the course before we head out. First this course is
designed to use the wee carts to get you around and so there is a tarmac
road right along the whole course. In each buggy you will find a book
providing you with directions and tips on the best way to play the course.
As you go around you will find rest rooms, ball cleaners and rubbish bins
all over the place. There is also a 19th hole buggy that drives
continually around offering snacks and drinks. On the course most
holes have a yellow flag 150 yards out from the green which is also a
marker for directions. You will also find a yellow rubber mat which marks
100 yards out from the green. There are also a variety of tee placements
colour coded black, blue, white and green. The various colours give a
longer course with most men playing off blue and women playing off Green
or so I understand. All in all a very professional course.
Not a good shot but picture on the right is
the driving range where they have baskets of golf balls for you and no
need to pick them up as a machine does that later.
And this is the view of the clubhouse from the
first tee
And this is the starter's hut past which we
reach the first tee
We pass some golfers as we get going
And now we get to the third hole
This is one of the rest rooms
You can see the rockies in the distance as we
arrive at the fifth hole
And there was the 19th hole vending cart going
by
The sixth hole and the ball cleaner and
rubbish bin
And a stick to help find golf balls and some
of the wee tracks that wind all over the woods
It was at this point that
John told me that in the winter they organise parts of the course for
skiing and toboganning as well as overland ski trails.
This basket was used to put out jugs of water
but apparently some other course had problems with ecoli in the water and
so they're not sure whether to continue this practice or not. You are
likely to see Deer, Elk, Squirrels and even a chance of bears on your way
around the course.
And we arrive at the 8th Tee
And as we completed the first half of the
course we were back at the clubhouse where we caught up with the wee
catering buggy
This is the highest part of the course and a
spectacular view and of course a really tricky Par 3
You might just be able to see the water
through the trees looking down the other way
The rock on the left is where ashes of a
former greenkeeper are buried. On the right are more trails.
Looking back up to the tee and on the right
one great shot right into the heart of the tree. One of the others wasn't
so lucky and ended up off to the left and down the hill
We now reach the 12th hole
The 13th is a huge dogleg which most would be
advised not to try and cut
The 14th hole
And now at the 15th hole
Looking back the way you always get a great
view
Friendly golfers... Mmm.. wonder if they were
trying to thumb a lift? :-)
Ah! The mobile 19th hole again :-)
And we've arrived at the 17th
Gee.. they're trying to build a stone dyke..
thought it was only the Scots that could do that :-)
The final hole and this is what that yellow
flag looks like and here is the view from it to the 18th hole
And there is the 100 yards marker I mentioned.
And even though you are on the golf course there are still road signs for
cart drivers :-)
And having concluded our trip around the
Trickle Creek Golf Course we get back to the car park and many thanks to
John for a most enjoyable trip around this stunningly beautiful and
challenging course. |
