Not Quite Planes, Trains & Automobiles

By Gord Montgomery (iG)

COLLINGWOOD, ONT. — To a lazy golfer there is nothing better than a golf cart with power, one that zooms up and down the fairways at what would have to be called “breakneck speed.” You know, something pushing the limits of, oh say, 15km/h.

In the real world of speed and power though, nothing tops a good ol’ muscle car. And when we say “muscle,” we mean those with sleek stylings, brawn, a muffled but still thrilling roar of exhaust pipes singing the car’s praises and its pure speed.

You know, something like you’d feel, and hear, seated in the driver’s cockpit of say a Lamborghini or a Porsche or a Corvette. Not that you’d ever find those particular rides on a golf course, of course.

But as it turns out, I found those particular rides on a golf trip.

One of the off-course activities I got to engage in on a recent “working” trip to Ontario was the chance to step up from a putt-putt golf cart, and as it turns out even from my own personal ride, a little 2009 Cobalt, to each of those above named beasts — and what a step it was! Thanks to Northern Exotic Tours, I was given the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of each one of those muscle cars, and drive on actual roadways, in the town of Collingwood.

John Bors, the owner of the fledgling business, said for him the idea of renting these beauties out gives ordinary people who simply dream of driving one of these iconic cars the chance to actually do exactly that.

“You know what? We have a bit of elevation here, and some pretty good scenery, so we thought we’d grab a couple of these cars (from a private collection) and put on tours. What better way to give people a chance to drive these cars?” he queried in response to where this idea came from.

While you can actually rent such a vehicle elsewhere, Bors noted that there’s a bit of catch.

“There’s a seven to $10,000 deposit and it’s about $1,500 a day to rent a car like this,” thus putting them out of reach of the Average Joe.

Bors was careful to point out “It’s not about how fast these cars can go,” because trust me, they do go fast. “How fast does your own car go? At the end of the day we can still have fun, feel the acceleration and feel what’s it like to drive the cars we all grew up with on our walls,” was his reply to how they keep excited drivers under some sort of speed control

The thing about driving these go-fast machines is this, he continued: “These are high profile cars. The police are watching us,” Bors said about rental drivers keeping things under control (at least to a certain extent). We do accelerations to feel the power,” but those in the driver’s seat must sign a plethora of waivers about receiving tickets, etc., and the fact they forfeit their deposit should they run afoul of a radar gun.

“Accidents do happen,” Bors agreed, “so we just keep an eye on the drivers,” whether it be from the passenger seat as was our case, or on a trailing motorcycle with larger groups. “A day of fun can change real quick, absolutely.”

“People really enjoy this. It’s very affordable, especially for a group and this is what makes memories.”

From those speedy machines we next headed to the waterways where horsepower was exchanged for arm power in a canoe. We hooked up with Cruising Canoes, a business in Belleville, to do some paddling.

This enterprise, started by Andrew Twigg, is about exploring the back country experience and includes day trips and longer journey, complete with portages, if one so wishes.

We were only on the rive for about 90 minutes — fortunately with no cross-country carrying of the canoes — and that was more than enough for me. As it turned out, I hopped in the front of a canoe thinking I’d have a great view of the passing scenery, wildlife and fish. As it turns out, the front of the boat means the most work as you’re the motor, more or less, so needless to say we chugged along much slower than I did in the Porsche.

The interesting thing is, as hard as you have to work to keep up speed, this kind of transportation is relaxing. You have the time to take in all the wonderful sights and sounds around you as you float/paddle down the Moira River.

This certainly wouldn’t be the way I choose to cover any great distances  — after all, you can’t beat a Lamborghini for getting somewhere fast — but it is an ideal way to work off stress, take in some scenery and get a workout all at the same time.

And the chances of getting a speeding ticket on the water, well, they’re pretty well non-existent!

For more on either transportation mode, go to their websites at northernexotictours.ca or cruising canoes.ca.

About the writer: Gord Montgomery is a retired sports editor of two weekly newspapers in the Edmonton area and is a member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. He is now in his eighth year of writing for Inside Golf.
He can be reached at noraltagolf@gmail.com. He’s also on Twitter at @gordinsidegolf.

Be a PLYR both on and off the course

By Gord Montgomery (iG)
EDMONTON — If you’re looking to become a PLYR, both on and off the golf course, then a new Saskatchewan clothing company may have the answer you’re looking for.

While this may not be the clothing line for every golfer, or golf course for that matter, this new brand of apparel that’s geared toward a young population is swinging into the golf market in a noticeable way.

The company known as PLYR, headed up by Chase Porter and his partner Brandon Kuse aren’t out necessarily to take business away from the major players in the golf clothing industry. What they are here to do is help outfit those who aren’t into the country club look of tailored pants and shirts.

“We’re identified as a casual golf brand,” Kuse noted.

“We want to hit those guys who come out on a Friday afternoon after work, play golf with their buddies, listen to music, maybe have a couple of drinks who want to wear tee shirts on the golf course,” chimed in Porter. “We both worked at a public golf course and we saw the changes in an industry that’s transitioning, especially with Millennials, into a lot more casual appearance.”

One thing to note here is that both young men stressed they are not in competition with the big clothing lines and are indeed a brand unto themselves. And when you look at their stylings that’s not hard to see. After all, they describe themselves as a clothing line for “all athletes.”

Their snapback headwear with the distinctive logo on front and the eye-catching circled golfer on the back, both done in puff embroidery, are fresh and innovative. As for the clothing, it ranges from sharp looking short-sleeve, mid-length and long-sleeve tees to hoodies (or as they’re known in Saskatchewan, a bunny hug) to pullover jackets and polos. Colours range from the standard black and white to shades of purple, red, royal blue and kelly green.

“The golf industry is changing. We are non-traditional, kind of non-conformist, trying to bring our own little thing to the golf industry,” said Kuse.

Brandon Kuse (left) and Chase Porter feel they have found a new market for young golfers with their line of headwear and clothing that is beginning to catch on in a big way in Western Canada

The front and back views of PLYR's baseball cap headwear.

While golf is set in its ways there are changes afoot and this pair is looking to be trendsetters in the on-course, and yes off-course, fashion side of the game. It does take time for changes to take hold in the game — remember the introduction of coloured golf balls that are now seeing a resurgence — but Porter and Kuse point out they are gaining traction.

“Alberta is awesome for us,” said Porter in speaking to the industry’s reaction toward PLYR and what they offer. “You’ve got a lot of industry guys who like to have fun. They work hard but they also play hard and they like to play golf, go enjoy themselves.  A lot of courses in this area don’t have dress codes as strict as private clubs do. As to on-course wear, players can now wear jeans, tee shirts, so our off-course wear becomes on-course wear. To that, we say, “Take the option. Wear a tee shirt, be comfortable. Enjoy yourself. Be comfortable.”

At the same time though, Porter added, there is still some resistance to this much of a change in playing apparel. But then again, music is now becoming an on-course staple for many Millennials, seen as the next growth factor in the game, who may just be entering the sport and who want to carve out their own niche.

“We’ve had guys come by our booth (at the PGA of Alberta Buying Show) and say “That wouldn’t work at our golf course,” because of traditional dress codes. All the same, some courses have decided to go with this new brand in their pro shops for off-course wear,” Kuse explained.

“They aren’t going to allow it on the course but when guys leave the course they put on our product. It still helps the golf market, and golf as a whole, when guys wear our product away from the course. That’s huge.”

In half a year of operation, starting with only the short-sleeved tees, the company has found success. As they move forward they’ll look to adjust the look of items like the polo shirts seeking a style that separates them from others in order to stand out from others. The reaction so far has been strong, considering the age of the business which hit the streets in April of 2016.

“We started with zero pro shops and we’re up to six in Saskatchewan. We’re looking at 20 next year in Saskatchewan and probably a dozen in Alberta,” and with the Saskatchewan junior golf team sporting their brand at the national finals, the pair expect that upswing to continue for one very simple reason: “It’s a lifestyle more than a golf brand,” ended Porter.

For more on PLYR and its products, go to their website at plyrgolf.com.

About the writer: Gord Montgomery is a retired sports editor of two weekly newspapers in the Edmonton area and is a member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. He is now in his ninth year of writing for Inside Golf.
He can be reached at noraltagolf@gmail.com. He’s also on Twitter at @gordinsidegolf and on Instagram at gordinsidegolf2.