Kananaskis Golf Courses rebuild to re-start

 Kananaskis Golf Courses rebuild to restart


Tonight I feel sort of like the back-up goalie on a championship team. You know, the guy that for the most part sat on the bench but who, every once in a while, stepped in to put a point or two on the board as their team rolled toward a title.

In this case the sport is golf, not hockey. And no, I am not accustomed to stepping in front of tee shots attempting to stop their journey, although truth be told I have done that once (and it hurt!).

Rather, I feel I lent a bit of a hand in having the two great courses in Kananaskis Country brought back to life. I wrote several pieces for Inside Golf on the two adult playpens - Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette - following the floods of 2013 in Alberta and then again when the former PC government finally came up with a plan to rebuild them.

Then, the PC’s got tossed like yesterday’s lettuce salad and the NDP came into power. Their first move on the rebuild was to halt proceedings because of some nefarious shenanigans by their opponents.

During the time before the stoppage, I was one of a few golf writers who outlined the benefit of bringing the provincially owned golf courses back to life. That was based on what the tracks mean to businesses not only in the Rocky Mountain corridor of Alberta but also in the outlying areas like Calgary, Canmore and Banff.

To me, at that time, it didn’t make sense not to go ahead and rebuild what was there. After all, in conversations with GM Darren Robinson it was pointed out that to bury the golf courses and allow nature to take the area over would be as expensive as rebuilding.

In an op-ed piece I did for the spring issue of Inside Golf magazine, I outlined that theory, plus others, that in essence said it would be a shame to waste such a beauty. Sure it was going to cost millions to restore the two courses but in this day and age you have to spend money to make money, and that’s what will happen here, hopefully starting again in early 2017.

“It’s just great!” Kananaskis head pro Bob Paley began in a phone interview. “Moving forward, it’s just great to have some direction. There’s no question that the March stop-work order was a major issue that caused some significant delays. It was a small glitch and now we have to get back at this. We’re just ecstatic to be a part of such an important project and I have to tell you, the feedback on social media has been 99 per cent positive. It’s been awesome! ”

To say golfers around the province, and the world for that matter, are happy about this news is akin to saying the Edmonton Oilers have high hopes for this coming season, what with some guy named Conner McDavid and all.

But like every hockey team, everywhere, there is a back-up to the big boys and every once in a while, the little guys come up big.

For me, this was one of those times.

For more on what Paley had to say on the rebuild re-starting, go to insidegolf.ca.

A great way to stay connected on the road

As I mentioned, I will be doing a bit of writing on travel, and as such I think the most important thing for anyone - someone just on a relaxing holiday unwinding from work or a journalist on a working holiday - is to stay connected. The thing is, with most cell phone plans in Canada, that is an expensive proposition no matter what recent TV ads would have you believe.
What I've found works well for me is a simple card exchange - with an unlocked phone - that Roam Mobility into your world.
This is a Canadian company and their SIM cards can be purchased relatively inexpensively just about anywhere including airports and 7-11 stores.
Pick one of these up and follow the instructions for activation when you travel to the U.S. and I believe Mexico now, and you'll find great savings on phone, text and data plans.
I generally go with the phone/text plans because of the availability of free Wifi in so many places.
For the phone and text plans you pay under $3 a day and you get unlimited calls to both Canada and the U.S. (I haven't traveled to Mexico in the recent past so not sure about the cost, if any, there).
Like many, I was once 'stuck' with an outrageous roaming bill from a Canadian provider - whom I no longer use - so when I came upon Roam Mobility, I looked into it, tried it, and was hooked.
Their price points make staying connected when you travel a thing of ease and with no charges for phone calls when you're using their SIM card, you can talk to your heart's content without the fear of a big bill tracking you down post-holiday.
You can find out more @roammobility.ca

I'm Baaack!

Well, after an almost four year hiatus from blogging, I'm back.
There's really no good reason why I left this blog, started back in 2011, other than I got overwhelmed with real life things like work, work, and yes, more work.
Now though, having been retired from a full-time career for just over a year, I am ready to let my fingers do some talking again through this site, about all things golf. Oh, and some travel ideas as well.
Please realize from the get-go that this isn't simply about how to play better golf; where to get great green fees; how to hit the ball farther than you ever have before while still using your 1970-vintage clubs; or even about what equipment is best.
Rather, I hope it's all of those things and even a bit more.
What I will do is touch on different topics in the golf world as seen through my eyes. I'll talk with people in the game who are making a quiet impact on the sport and hopefully through that make an impact on you with some thoughts about this great game. As for the travel end of things, I do get the occasional trip so I have some great info on winter getaway spots as well as great courses in the Alberta and B.C. markets that I'll write about.
I have written golf stories for eight years  now, mainly with Inside Golf, a Western Canadian publication. I have also done freelance work for SCOREGolf and the Alberta Golf Association, so know my way around the game, both from the playing side and the business side.
So, here's to a new start. And here's the hope this time around lasts a little longer than the first time.
My two original blogs are still attached to this site so they will hopefully give you an idea of where I'm coming from and together we'll discover where I'm headed.
Take care and keep 'em in the fairway.