Maui's Plantation Course a true test of game management

It was, as they say, an offer too good to pass up.

After all, if you're a golf fanatic/lowly paid media type and the chance comes to play one of the top golf courses in Hawaii the day after the PGA TOUR left the premises, with the same tee boxes and pin placements, believe me you're going to jump on it with both feet - regardless of the time you have to roll out of bed.

I had the opportunity to play the wonderful, spacious, intimidating Plantation Course on Maui less than 18 hours after Patrick Reed defeated Jimmy Walker in a playoff for the 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions title. While it's now over a year since then, I'm still on a high from the experience.
Oh, did I mention it was free? That's a win/win in my books.

Now don't get me wrong. I know I'm nowhere good enough to play this track from the tips which sit at 7,411 yards. Believe me, the tees anywhere in front of that are challenging enough.

Continually seen as the No. 1 course in all of Hawaii, not only is the golf great on this track designed by the team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, but the ocean views from up high on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains are magnificent.

Off the Regular blocks, you're faced with almost 6,700 yards of challenges starting on the opening hole, a 434-yard downhill, right to left sloping beauty where your second shot is the key. By the way, if you want to play it like the pros, this becomes a 520-yard par 4 behemoth.

Things don't necessarily get much easier from that point on, but the second, third and fourth holes, again from the Regular tees, do give you a bit of a break, playing to 196, 352 and 317 yards respectively. After that though, the real test of both your game, and your composure, begins in earnest.

The par 5 fifth is one of the narrower fairways at Plantation - although it is still wide - but if you stray too far sideways you're in big trouble with jungle left and a huge canyon right. The third shot is decision time on this hole, especially if you find yourself on the right-hand side of the fairway as you need to fly the edge of the canyon into a large green guarded by steep walls.

The sixth is perhaps the neatest hole on the front nine, another par 4 and "only" 378 yards (398 from the tips; 362 from the Resort tees) with a blind tee shot and approach into a green that slopes severely from left to right. The trick here is to hit and stick because if your ball is rolling when it gets to the green, chances are it is going to scoot right off and bury itself on a steep slope in some nasty Bermuda grass up to 50 feet below the putting surface.

When you swing over to the back nine, you again get a bit of a break with the relatively easy par 4 10th, the dramatic par 3 11th where you hit directly at the ocean in the background and the par 4 12th where as long as you don't get a downhill lie off your drive, you can set yourself up for a good run at birdie.

Turning back into the mountains after that hole, you come to the short par 4 14th, an uphill hole where  the pros like to let it rip as they attempt to reach the putting surface in one. Again though, any kind of wayward shot here puts you in a world of trouble from deep, steep-faced bunkers to OB areas.

The 15th hole, the par 5 510 yard assignment from the Regular blocks is all about club selection. The third shot on the hole is uphill and if you choose the wrong club, and catch the false front, your ball is coming to rest right from where it started if not even farther back.

Then you hit the two big holes on this track, Nos. 17 and 18, where good games can go astray in a big hurry.

The 17th is a big par 4 that for the pros plays anywhere from 508 to 549 yards. While there's plenty of room to drop your opening salvo into, again it's the approach shot where you earn your money. From the Regular tees the hole tops out at 467 yards while from the Resort blocks it's a challenge at 428 yards.

Unless you choose to play cautious and lay up, your approach shot is again key to the hole. You must clear yet another huge canyon, this one protecting the left side of this green and truthfully that hazard is likely the graveyard for thousands of golf balls. Convert on that shot though and you'll walk away with par and be in the right frame of mind for the final test of the day - the dramatic, jaw-dropping par 5 18th.

From the back deck - and really, if you're here you've got to play from the spot where the pros do - your duty is to let out all the shaft you can. Aim at the chimney on the clubhouse and let 'er fly. If you judge properly, the trajectory of your ball, combined with the right to left downhill slope of the fairway will undoubtedly give you one of the longest, if not the longest drives of your life and one that you'll be talking about for years to come.

This hole isn't just all about the drive though. You need to play smart to stay out of yet another canyon down the left side that is definitely in play on the second  shot. Coming into the green you need to stay above the hole as anything below it is going to roll off and into a bunker.

The keys to scoring well here are relatively simple - play the right tee box; learn how to read the greens and don't step outside your comfort zone by attempting to make impossible shots. The thing is, no matter what you score this is one golf course you'll relive playing and once a year can compare your results on each and every hole with those carded by the pros. Also, remember you're playing at close to sea level so club distances can vary greatly.

Overall, no matter how you fare in your round and where you play from, a round on the Plantation Course is one you'll always remember given its challenges and beautiful ocean views.

So even if you don't put on your big boy pants to take on this monster, do give it a go. It's definitely one of those bucket list courses and one you'll truly enjoy - even if unlike this lucky guy, you do have to pay the going rate for admission.

Wanna make some cash golfing? Give this tourney a try

To Todd Kuczma, bigger is certainly better. Thus, the director of BlackWolf Golf is taking what was a Calgary-based match play tournament and spreading it out across the country.

Not only that, he’s upping the number of players in his popular team golf event this yea and  he’s growing the prize money to go along with that.

And oh yeah, the free trip on a private jet to the final staging ground in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley is still part of the package for the finalists.

Kuczma, who noted this all began “in the office as a season long match play thing with 16 people,” has ballooned in popularity so he’s spreading the wealth, making this bigger because that is so much better for everyone.

From only being played in Calgary the last three years, where 256 players on two-man teams played for a $5,000 purse and that plane trip to the finals at Predator Ridge in Vernon in 2015, the event will now see a prize purse of $10,000 in 2016. And while the prize money has doubled, the host sites will triple this coming golf season.

With the demand for more places to qualify for the final, Kuczma has expanded the demographics of the tourney to include Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto.

Speaking of the new Edmonton addition, Kuczma said, “We’re looking for 128 teams, 50 per cent handicap. We’re flying out eight people on the jet and they’re playing for a $10,000 purse as well. And it’s the same thing for Vancouver. This is open to anybody; you can play with whoever you want.”

With that much prize money being offered to anyone taking part, Kuczma explained that those players afraid of losing their amateur status are protected.

“If you do happen to qualify for the jet, and you want to protect your amateur status, you’re not actually allowed to go on the jet,” he began. “We’ve protected the good amateur players, guys who may have a full scholarship at an NCAA college. We partnered with Golf Canada and those guys have to sign a waiver that they’re not allowed to accept any cash, or accept a trip on the jet.

“For example, last year Patrick Murphy (from Crossfield, AB, who is at UCLA on a golf scholarship) kind of waltzed through his five matches and won himself a spot on the jet. He had to give his spot up on the jet. You are allowed substitutes so his partner got one.

“You are protected (as an amateur),” as long as no prize money/gifts over $1,000 change hands. “Anything over $1,000, you are suspect to turning professional. We want to protect those players for sure.”

About the prize money, the purse is broken down this way: A Side Champions – $3000 + Trip; A Side Runner Up – $1500 + Trip; 3rd Place – $750 + Trip; 4th Place – $500 + Trip; A Side Quarterfinalists – $400 each.
B Side Winners – $1000; B Side Runner Up – $600; B Side Semi Finalists – $300 each.
Purse is based on 128 team field

There are certain timelines that competitors must adhere to through the playing season with the opponents in a region agreeing beforehand on a place and time to do battle. Kuczma indicated that he’ll have several golf courses in each of the qualifying sites available where players can book tee times at reduced green fees.

“As the matches get a little closer to qualifying for the trip, we do have designated neutral ground that is used,” he stated, thus letting the layers focus on the task at hand and not on where they should be playing.

The format is simple, said Kuczma.

“It’s two-man match play. Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto will be handicapped at 50 per cent. It’s just better ball match play.”

Speaking to the growth of this event, Kuczma said it’s due to a couple of things.

“It’s taken on a life of its own. It’s gathered a lot of steam and that seems to be from an underground word of mouth thing. Everybody knows about it. We haven’t had one person that’s played in it ever that didn’t play in it the next year.

“To say one thing, excluding the private jet thing which is unique, it’s value. Last year it was a $50 (per person) entry fee and each guy got a $40 first tee gift. Same thing with this year,” where the playing fee has risen to $100 per player for the team event and $200 for singles (64 players max), which accounts for the doubling of the prize purse.

As part of its community initiative, BlackWolf Golf has teamed up with the Kids Cancer Care Foundation in an effort to help youngsters and their families thrive in body, mind and spirit.

While the Calgary tournament is a virtual sellout already, there is still lots of room in the other two Western tournaments. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis, up to 128 teams at each locale. For more on the event, and on past tournaments, go to blackwolfgolf.com. To enter, give Kuczma a call at 403-742-5013.

Oilers (Entertainment Group) teeing it up even earlier than usual

 Never let it be said that the ownership group of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers don't think about looking after their players in the off-season. After all, how else do you account for them purchasing the rights to a Mackenzie Tour -
PGA Tour Canada stop in Edmonton this summer?

The Oilers, who have missed the NHL post-season for a decade, likely won't find themselves battling it out for top money in the newest stop on the old Canadian Tour. However it is likely some of them will tee it up in the event's preamble to help the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) promote their new stop for the first time in Edmonton since 2012.

 The official announcement about the comeback was made on Jan. 21 at a media conference that included PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem via teleconference.

“This is an exciting announcement, a significant announcement that we are excited to share with you in the world of golf,” the day’s emcee, OEG’s Stu Valentine began.

Jeff Monday, the president of the Mackenzie Tour, agreed, saying “I am very excited to be with you today to announce the partnership between the Oilers Entertainment Group and the PGA Tour that will see the inaugural Oil Country Championship on the Mackenzie Tour in the great city of Edmonton.”

A large part of agreeing to the partnership by OEG was the fact that funds raised from events surrounding the tournament will be passed onto the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. They contribute resources and financial support to charitable organizations in northern Alberta, with a focus on education and health and wellness for youth in Oil Country.

The first of five new tournaments that have been committed to by OEG and the Mackenzie Tour will be played from July 28 - 31 at the Glendale Golf & Country Club. It will be followed by the Windermere Golf & CC in 2017; the Edmonton Petroleum Golf &CC in 2018 and the Edmonton Country Club in 2019. A location for the fifth event has yet to be set.

Via teleconference Finchem expressed his “enthusiasm and excitement about this announcement. This is kind of a landmark development for the Mackenzie Tour and we are very pleased for a variety of reasons,” including partnering with OEG and player development through this, and other Mackenzie Tour events.

Tim Finchem noted the Mackenzie Tour will serve a strong fan base in the Edmonton area with its up-and-coming star players.

“We have a very rich history of partnerships in Canada,” Finchem continued, “and we look forward to extending that. We’ve always considered Canada what I call an intensive fan base. For a lot of reasons we see this as a very positive development for the Mackenzie Tour.”

Bob Nicholson, the vice chair and CEO of OEG noted how great an opportunity this is for his company as well as the game of golf.

Bob Nicholson, the CEO of the Oilers Entertainment Group, expressed delight in having his organization tie in with the PGA Tour.

“Now we are going to start to brand ourself  in so many different ways with OEG. One of the key things when this opportunity came forward was making sure we were able to get into charities. I think this is going to open up so many more opportunities for OEG and PGA TOUR to work together and that’s the type of branding and footprint we’re looking for.”

Asked whether OEG would be seeking outside partnerships in order to handle the costs associated with the tourney given the  financial straits the province currently finds itself in, Nicholson replied that was a certainty.

“We will look for partnerships,” he began. “One thing we want to do is certainly have partnerships. The more we can have, the better, if it fits their needs. I certainly feel there is a lot of interest in this and after today, that much more.”

Nicholson continued by saying OEG would reach out to (Edmonton) Oilers players to take part in the activities of tournament week, “But we hope to go further than that, reach out to champions in Edmonton. We want to show we do have a lot of other athletes who have been involved in Olympics, World Championships, who have made their mark in other sports. We certainly will have Oilers alumni but we want to make sure everyone understands we will reach out to all the great athletes in this area.”

The head professional at the first stop on the rebirth of professional golf in Edmonton, Greg McGarry of the Glendale, said his club is thrilled to once again host a Canadian tour stop. The last time such an event took place there in 2009, James Hahn, now a PGA TOUR winner, claimed the title.

Greg McGarry, the head professional at the Glendale Golf &CC, will act as host at the first stop on the Mackenzie Tour as it returns to the Edmonton area.

“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the tour, dating back to 1998 when we hosted the first Telus Edmonton Open/ It’s going to be an incredible field, an awesome partnership with the Oiler Entertainment Group. We’re very proud to be the inaugural host,” McGarry ended.

The Oil Country Championship will become the third stop on the Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada with the others being in Calgary and Fort McMurray. In all, there are 12 tour stops across the country.

The best FAM trip, ever!

Golf journalism is a tough job ... but someone's got to do it.

I mean look at the hassles one has to face getting where one is going. The trip to the airport. Expensive parking at the airport. Security line-ups and delays inside the airport. People hacking and coughing on the airplane. And on and on.

But hey, I'm a trooper when it comes to answering the call on a FAM (familiarization) trip, so I'm right in there.

I have been afforded a few of these junkets while working for Inside Golf (insidegolf.ca) to such places as the premiere of Golf Channel's Big Break  Mesquite (AZ); a seven-day journey through the Rocky Mountain courses in Alberta and another journey down to the host site of the 2015 U.S. Open tourney at Chambers Bay (near Seattle). Yet my latest adventure, to the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, AZ tops all of those by a mile.

And it wasn't just the golf that was great in the West Valley of Phoenix. No, it was the "outside" offerings we were afforded by our hosts that made this trip something extra special.

Prior to the FAM beginning you're given a list of what's going to take place. This usually involves lots of golf and lots of food.  And yes, lots of fun.

And the trip to the Wigwam though had all that plus more. Lots more.

After a meet-and-greet the first day, we gathered for breakfast and golf the second day. After playing 18 holes on the redesigned Gold Course (a monster of a parkland track that's challenging but still fun) we had lunch and then began doing things I only dreamed about as a kid, or never dreamed of doing at all.

One of those that I'd never dreamed of was being afforded the opportunity to fly an F16 fighter jet. Well, OK. "fly" is maybe a rather broad term. What we were given the chance to do, after watching these war machines land and take off from about 200 yards away (the ground actually shakes when these jets take off!), was take over the controls in a simulator at Luke Air Force Base.

The F16's flight info centre - tough to focus on one thing with so many dials, buttons and switches in front of you!

As the only Canadian involved in this trip, my only thought was, "Don't cause an international incident by crashing your pretend jet into a populated area."

That didn't happen but at the same time, I can see why I never got a pilot's license. I was cruising along, quite happily I might add, when someone said to me, "Uh, you may want to slow down a bit. You're going so fast your jet, if it were real, would be disintegrating around you!"

Yeah, OK. So, where are the brakes for this thing?

The good news is I never did create a monster-sized pothole in the earth. The bad news, if you will, was that I never got to contact any "enemy" fighters so I never really had the chance to shoot at anything with the jets armament, other than the sky.  Well, maybe I "downed" a few clouds.

The real thing, which we didn't get to fly but in hindsight, that was probably a very wise decision on behalf of the United States Air Force!

The next day started with a trip to the Spring Training home of the Cleveland Indians where we six writers undertook a "homerun hitting contest" using golf clubs and golf balls. While it would seem easy to clear a fence only 110 yards away with a golf ball, the choice of clubs was limited to a 9-iron or wedge. Still not that far, true, but when you figure the fence was likely 30 feet high to replicate the Indians home park, Progressive Field, things did get a bit tougher (especially at my age and with my swing!)

I also had to hit the ball to right field, and as a left-hander, it was a somewhat awkward cut. In minor ball I was a spray hitter without a lot of power and it showed here, even with a golf ball. I took one over the fence in fair territory and another that was foul. As for the other three shots, I had a bit better than warning track power hitting the middle to lower third of the fence with each shot.

To top that off, I "ran" (and I use that term loosely) the bases which seemed awfully far apart!

The set-up for the HR contest at the Indians Spring Training site in Goodyear, AZ.

We then went into the hitting cages where I was able to take a few cuts. It's been years since I swung a bat with the thought of hitting any moving object so my timing was off, but I did connect solidly a few times, including one line-drive right back at the writer throwing the BP. That cared both of us, so that was the end of that.

Surprisingly, well maybe not so much, no one from the Indians office rushed out to sign me to a tryout contract, so I guess my days of dreaming of being a pro ball player are now officially over.

Maybe to help soothe feelings of dreams dashed, we then headed to the Phoenix International Raceway, or ZoomTown, USA, for some track action. While we weren't allowed to drive around the 1-mile oval track with a dogleg in the backstretch, I did ride shotgun. Officially we were going 75mph in the official pace car; unofficially it was somewhat faster (like over 100mph).

What intrigued me most was the things the NASCAR drivers look for while driving. This isn't as easy as simply always turning left. The "chauffeur" pointed out track signage that is used to accelerate or brake coming out of corners and the pylons, along the homestretch straightaway, that drivers use to count down to braking for a turn.

The pace car we rode in around the Phoenix International Raceway.

Since I thought those guys just got in and went it was interesting to find out how much timing and how many things there are to do out there - especially with 42 other cars zipping around at the same time.

From there it was back to the golf course for a few holes before dark, then dinner, than a whiskey taste testing put on by a local distributor that was enjoyed by all.

Sunset over the Gold and Patriot Courses at The Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, AZ.

The last day was quiet, a round of golf on one of the two other courses at The Wigwam I hadn't played and then it was back to the grind of being a golf writer - you know that whole airport thing in reverse.

Yeah, it's a tough job, but hey, somebody's gotta do it!

Are we more trustworthy than our American peers?

Why don't Americans trust each other?

It would appear that the game of golf, seen by most as a game of honesty and integrity, is quite up to par south of the 49th Parallel.

After all, ho do you explain the USGA fobidding those playing by themselves to use the scores they record as honest enough to count toward their handicap index? Land of the Free? Not so in golf, it appears, because in the United States you need at least one playhing partner before any additions can be made to an index card.

In Canada, things are a little more balanced. Here we don't need another pair of eyes to verify we're telling the truth. I guess that's maybe because were Canadian, citizens of the nation that is seen as polite and honest.

Or maybe, just maybe, our national amateur golf body is a step ahead of our neighbours and that not everyone likes to play with others all the time.

Wanting to play by yourself doesn't make you a cheat, or a liar. It maybe means you've had enough of the hubbub in our everyday life and want a break from that noise, that you want to take a nice walk and enjoy the peace and quiet.

In a time where golf is starting to really worry about a downturn in numbers, something like this ruling by the USGA seems strange.

As a single player chances are pretty good that you're not going to make it all the way around the course by yourself. Sooner or later you are going to catch up to other groups, or yes even other singles, who will in all likelihood ask you to join them. What then?

In Canada you join up and at the end of the day your score is your score. What about in the U.S. though? Does that part of the round where you had witnesses suddenly become credible while before that, well, who knows how many mulligans and gimmes you took.

One thing I've noticed in my life on the course is that those who take putts, or hit another ball after a poor shot at no cost to the scorecard aren't the kind who keep handicaps (or if they have one, it's what they think they play to, not a documented fact).

If they are in fact taking those shots off their total before they have a playing partner or two, they'll continue that practice even after they've  joined up with others. That's human nature.

Those that are serious about what they score on the course are going to tell the truth. That's the nature of the game, what makes golf the sport it is.Does the USGA really think those people are so nefarious they're going to shave a stroke or two here and there, or for that matter, add a stroke every so often.

People that keep an index do so in good faith and it demeans them to have an organization as big and as powerful as the USGA say they don't trust their members.

So, here's my solution: Have all those single American players come north of the border and tee it up here. Nobody is going to point fingers at you for doing so because the RCGA trusts its members enough to tell the truth.

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