January Newsletter
posted: 2009-01-15
Cordova Bay Golf Course
January News
Birdie Banter by Gordie
Hrundi and I need to talk. In the summer she lounges in the breezeway basking in the sun enjoying the fresh fruit served to her by her faithful servants from the restaurant. She pauses from time to time from her munching to whistle at a passing golfer, loud enough for all to hear. When she's not munching or whistling she whines. We try to ignore the princess's complaints about her pampered lifestyle. She has never had to experience the hardship of real bird life and carries on as if she were the Paris Hilton of the avian world. But enough is enough! Last week I was hiding out under some mighty thorned blackberry bushes, shivering and trying desperately to survive the blizzard of 2008, when I hear this ear-piercing squawk. Yes, it was Hrundi, all the way from the warm clubhouse. She was complaining that someone was late with her breakfast. From her climate-controlled paradise she was either blissfully unaware or unconcerned that her servants were battling two feet of snow and black ice to make it in to ensure she gets enough fresh cut fruit, albeit a little late.
If I wasn't completely ensnared in the blackberry bush, dehydrated, starving and freezing to death I would have given her a piece of my mind, but alas, I was busy fighting to stay alive. Princess needs a serious wake-up call and as soon as my claws defrost I am going to march into the clubhouse and give her a piece of my mind.
However, as my friend Eddie the Blue Heron once told me, I should not dwell on the negative. It is said that one's true colours are most visible during hard times. There is one man whose character shone in technicolour during the past few difficult weeks, Cordova Bay member extraordinaire Alastair Urquhart. My man Alastair braved fierce winds, snow drifts and ice traveling by snowshoe to deliver rations and foodstuffs to my humble abode, saving me from near certain death.
It is with a breast full of gratitude with which I bow down to thank this great man. He can be assured of my cooperation in nudging his ball in the right direction when it comes my way. As for the rest of you, I expect double deliveries now that the back 9 is open again. I must say the muffins are my favourite although the doctor says the chicken scratch the crew gives me every day is more helpful in maintaining my svelte physique.
Yours;
~Gordie the Great Golden-Laced Wyandotte Rooster
Player of the Month
Meet Alastair Urquhart. Resident, golfer, snowshoer, procurer for and protector of Gordie. Alastair has just completed time on the Men's Club Executive, where he organized the Senior Men's Interclub team, Senior Buttons and helped organize the Senior Men's Club Championship.
When did you start playing golf?
I began playing golf 60 years ago in Turriff, Scotland. I have had several layoffs from the game in those years, but began more seriously in 1996 at Cordova Bay Golf Course.
What is your favourite golf course outside of Victoria?
That would have to be my home course in North East Scotland, Turriff Golf Club. My other favourite would be Cordova Bay. I love the course itself (the greens especially), all the staff, the wildlife and my home overlooking the 9th hole.
What is your favourite golf moment?
A few years ago I eagled #18 at Cordova Bay. It was the perfect 8 iron into the hole.
Dream Foursome?
Old Tom Morris, Seve Ballesteros, Jim Goddard and myself.
What is the best round you have ever played? What is your favourite hole at Cordova Bay?
My best round would have to be 75 off the whites at Cordova Bay. My favourite hole is #14 because it allows you to see all facets of your own character and the characters of your playing partners.
The New York Times, Sunday October 4, 1891
Submitted by Cordova Bay Men's Club Member - John Lang
Golf is Growing in Favor
A GAME WHICH POSSESSES MANY ADVANTAGES
YOUNG OR OLD CAN PLAY IT - LITTLE APPARATUS REQUIRED EXCEPT IN THE WAY OF STICKS - SOME NEW YORKERS WHO ARE GOLFERS
An outdoor pastime which appears to be gaining favor in this country, and especially in the vicinity of New York, is the Scotch national game of golf. There appears to be only one reason why it is not among the most popular of outdoor sports, and that is that it is not understood as it might be. The game is declared by its patrons in New York to possess many advantages for certain classes of players over all the other popular outdoor sports.
It requires less violent exertion and less in the way of special preparation, as in costume, implements, &c, and it may be played by men or women in any number above two. While in Scotland it is played more by robust young men than by elderly people, it is specially commended by New Yorkers who are familiar with it as a first class substitute for the more violent sports, like baseball, tennis, cricket, football, lacrosse, and the like.
The players are called "golfers." All they need in the way of uniform is an outfit in which they would be safe to tramp over three or four miles of country. Stout shoes, with laggins to protect the limbs from underbrush where that exists, and an ordinary outdoor suit would be sufficient for man or woman. The grounds are called "links." People say they are going to the links to play golf, or are going golfing at the links. The links should be at least a mile in length, and from that up to three miles. But the course need not be a direct one - indeed, it seldom is. It may be zigzag and double as much as the nature of the ground requires in order to lay out the links. The links are prepared by plaoing in the ground from 200 to 400 yards apart a number of tin basins called goals, about 4 1/2 inches in diameter, around which a space of about 6 feet in diameter, called a putting green is leveled off.
Each player is provided with a golf ball, a white, hard runner ball 1 3/4 inches in diameter and with a number of golf clubs. Of these golf clubs there are no less than nineteen varieties, but no amateur golfer, either in America or England, or, for that matter, in Bootland, would think of having more than five or six at the utmost, but these must be of proper variety. An American boy would describe any of the golf clubs as a "rattling shinny stick," for a good golf club must have all the qualities of a first-class shinny stick. Golf clubs and shinny sticks are similar in shape, but where the shinny player expects to find just such a club as he wants in any clump of bushes, the golfer requires that his club shall be made of well-selected materials and in perfect conformity with the traditions of the game. All golf clubs are alike in one respect - that is, they all have long hickory handles, slender in the shaft, larger in the grip, and with the grip bound around with soft leather. It is at the lower end that they differ. There are drivers, long spoons, mid-spoons, short spoons, putters, brassy spoons, brassy niblicks, cleeks, irons, and iron niblicks, in the ordinary equipment, and as extra clubs, driving cleeks, putting cleeks, driving irons, lofting irons, iron putters, mashies, driving putters, baffling spoons, and club walking sticks.
Excerpt from an 1891 New York Times article
Definitions from About.com:Golf (source British Golf Museum)
*Niblick - Among the wooden-shafted historical golf clubs in use prior to the 20th Century, the "niblick," in its use, was most equivalent to a modern 9-iron.
*Cleek - Among historical (wooden-shafted, pre-20th Century) golf clubs, the cleek was an iron with a very narrow face and little loft most commonly associated with today's 1-irons. Cleeks came in variations, too. There was the "wooden cleek," a club also of little loft but with a wooden head (historically equivalent to a 4-wood). There was the "putting cleek," which, you guessed it, was used for putting.
From the Restaurant With Love
Hot Tottie - this one is a tummy warmer
1 1/2 oz Whiskey
1 tbls. brown sugar (can add more if you prefer it sweeter)
hot water
Boil some hot water. In a mug put 1 1/2 oz Whiskey and 1 tbls. brown sugar. Pour in hot water and stir. Serve when hot.
Garnish with a lemon wedge
Note: Two of these are generally better than one!
Cheers!
Abnormal Ground Conditions
An "abnormal ground condition" is any casual water, ground under repair or hole, cast or runway on the course made by a burrowing animal, a reptile or a bird.
For a short video on abnormal ground conditions click here
Dealing with Winter Traffic
Where was Marshall Mimby as this illegal 5-some
marches down the 10th fairway?!
It's been quite a winter so far! Up until the fourteenth of December we were having a very mild fall providing great playing conditions until the stage was set for heavy snowfall creating the first White Christmas in quite sometime. This resulted in a temporary 3 week suspension of play. The course did receive a well deserved rest and with the exception of a flock of swans that moved in for a day or two things were pretty quiet. Now that the course and our staff are well rested and ready for action there are a few things to consider during your next round as we prepare for another great golf season.
During the winter the maintenance department starts their day by preparing the course for play. In the absence of rain we mow and roll the greens to provide a smooth and dew free putting surface. We rake the bunkers twice per week compared to seven times per week during the summer so your extra care and attention when raking the bunker after your sand shot really helps out and is much appreciated. Note: A special local rule allows you to lift your ball and rake the bunker before you play from the sand. As far as our tee boxes are concerned, we are rotating a few mats on several of the tee boxes and this is done to reduce traffic damage. Contrary to popular belief it is not the divots we are trying to prevent, it is the wear and tear created from the shifting of your feet during the golf swing that we are trying to reduce. Many of our tees are large enough or receive enough winter sun to recover from this, but some of the smaller and shady tee boxes need the extra protection that hitting from a mat provides.
We are pleased with the way our greens weathered the cold spell. They are rolling nine feet on the stimp-meter this week which is only 6 to 12 inches slower than our target speed for the summer time. Overall the course is handling the traffic very well. We use ropes in some areas to direct traffic but really hate the look of ropes, so you can certainly help us by altering your walking patterns to avoid areas showing wear. I'd like to say we are over the hump as our days are now getting longer. We are gaining 20 to 30 minutes of light per week so spring is not far away. Enjoy your golf this month and thank you for all your help.
Sincerely,
The Maintenance Department
Year of the Ox
The Year of the Ox begins on January 26, 2009. This year also marks the year of the Earth Ox. For more details on the Year of the Ox please click here
Bill Mattick's Restaurant is pleased to announce that we will be holding a Chinese New Year Dinner Celebration!!
It will take place on January 26 between 5:30pm and 7:30pm. Everyone is welcome. Enjoy this exciting evening for only $30.00 per person.
We are also very excited to have Rick Choy, Executive Chef for the Grand Pacific Hotel, back with us for this special evening preparing his succulent variations of 'Authentic and Traditional' Chinese cuisine for your dining pleasure.
Reservations can be made by calling 250.658.4271.
Cordova Bay Golf Course would like to say goodbye to longtime employee
Leo Abgrall. Leo has been with us for 16 years. His dedication, culinary enthusiam and skill will be missed.
We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours!!
The Ridge
click on image to enlarge
Wow! What a winter we have had. Snow, wind, rain, sleet and blizzard like conditions. Unfortunately this type of weather does not lend itself to great golf, however, all this rain has washed away the snow and we are now back in business for the 09' season!! Regular winter hours are in full swing from
9am until dusk!
For any inquiries please contact the Ridge staff at 250.658.3996
Fundraiser
Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser
You are invited to watch exciting hockey and help us achieve our goal to raise $50,000 for MS
Raffle Tickets
$10 each or 3 for $20
1st prize
- 4 tickets to Calgary Flames vs. Minnesota Wild February 27, 2009
- 4 tickets Westjet return (Victoria - Calgary)
- 2 rooms with 2 night's accommodation at the Calgary Palliser Hotel.
(The tickets are 3 rows behind the players bench. We do have the flexibility to book this prize at the convenience of the winner)
2nd prize
- Golf for 4 at Crown Isle Golf Resort with carts
- 2 rooms with 2 night's accommodation in a Jacuzzi Village Suite at Crown Isle Resort
3rd prize
- Golf for 4 with carts at Uplands Golf Club. If the winner for this prize is from Uplands, they will be offered golf for 4 at Cordova Bay Golf Course.
Hockey Game @Bear Mountain Arena, Friday January 30, 2009 @ 1:30pm
"The Billsborough Bombers"
Don Billsborough Boomers (Uplands GC) & Jim Cook (Gorge Vale GC)
"The Goddard Goons"
Jim Goddard (Cordova Bay Golf Course) & Mike Parker (Victoria GC)
The players in this event are Golf Professionals, Superintendents, and Industry Representatives.
(any rates quoted in this newsletter are subject to applicable taxes)
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