Month: August 2016

You have got to play Quarry Oaks

On By Menno ZachariasIn Golf Courses1 Comment

mark-quarry-oaks

A couple of days ago a message popped up in my promotions tab with a great offer from Quarry Oaks.  The offer was the twilight rate ($42.50) with cart but starting at 1230 in the afternoon.

I sent out a message to some fellow golfers and was quickly able to get a foursome together.

We played yesterday (2016-08-24) with a tee off of 12:38.

I’ve played Quarry Oaks many times over the years and every time I do I lament that fact that it’s located east of Steinbach, and I live in Winnipeg.  It’s the type of course that were it closer to a major population center would attract a high volume of golfers.  It is the type of course (if it were closer to where I live) I would be a member of.

Why you ask, what so good about Quarry Oaks?  Here are but a few reasons:

  1.  Variety.  Three very distinctive 9’s that offer significantly different views and challenges.
  2. Well conditioned tee boxes, fairways and greens.
  3. Interesting carries over waste areas and water.
  4. Undulating greens that are challenging yet fair (if you put the ball in the right spots).
  5. Friendly staff and superb service.

There are many more reasons but you probably get the drift.

I’ve often said to golfing friends from Ontario:  if Quarry Oaks were located in Ontario people from Toronto would gladly drive 1 or two hours and pay well over $100.00 to play a round of golf on a course that provided the experience Quarry Oaks offers.

If you have never played the course, or have not played it recently you need to get out there.  It’s the type of layout you need to play several times a year even if you don’t live in the immediate area.  It’s that good!

The older golfer

On By Menno ZachariasIn Playing the Game3 Comments

As indicated in a previous post I recently participated in the Manitoba Senior Championship.

During the course of the event I played with a number of different golfers as the pairings were adjusted after every round based on scoring, so I was able to observe different players both on the course and in preparation for play.

What follows are some observations that struck me about seniors who play competitive golf:

 

  1.  The love of the game and the dedication to honing ones golf skills.  The vast majority of the participants arrived at the course well in advance of their tee times and spent significant time on the driving range, chipping area and on the putting green.
  2. How the competitive embers are fanned and come to life during a tournament.
  3. How advancements in technology have added to the enjoyment of the game for older golfers.  I overheard more than a few players talk about their new driver or new set of irons, hybrids etc. and how the new clubs have made them longer and more accurate.  Comments like “I’m hitting it longer now than when I was 40”  are common among seniors, and in many cases they are also true.
  4. Golfers willingness to use ‘aids’ to compensate for parts of the body that are simply wearing out.  I observed more than a few players adjusting their lower back supports, strap on knee braces, squeeze into elbow and wrist supports.  I observed several players (myself included) bolster their resolve by  popping  Advil and other anti inflammatory and pain killing drugs, jut to be able to compete.  As well as I walked down the line at the driving range I noticed I was not the only player emanating a strong odour of A535 and other assorted topical  treatments.

It would seem the old adage ‘golfers never die they only lose their balls’ is indeed true.