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 Our summer hours
are easy to digest
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Hello everyone.
Looks like we're in for typical spring weather, a little of this, a little of that. But let's try and wane the gods to give us a lot of sunshine.
We have increased our hours of operation and will be in 'summer' hours now. This means you can enjoy dinner up to 9 p.m. No more eating dinner just after lunch; you have time to digest. In the next week we will be introducing some new dishes to spruce up our lunch and dinner menus.
Our patio is yours for the enjoyment, but at this point there is limited table service. You can order from the bar and we will bring you the food.
Do be aware of a couple of nights that we will be closed in the evenings due to private events. I have included an April events schedule for Bill Mattick's Restaurant so you can plan your lunches or dinners with us. See you all soon.
Restaurant dates to note:
April 27: Breakfast buffet - limited a.m. seating.
April 28: Closed in p.m.
April 29: Limited p.m. seating
April 30: Junior Girls' Fundraiser, closed in p.m. |
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It appears that spring is finally going to bring us that glorious sunshine we enjoy so much ... the extended 14-day forecast predicts warm weather is on its way! And if you're like most of us, that means it's time to get out the shorts! Now, some of us (especially us ladies), may prefer skorts or capris, and we all like the short sleeves, but everyone gets excited about colour, and we have plenty of it at Cordova Bay! Whether it's the high-style fashion colours of Burberry and Rosasen (on its way!), or the technical fabrics of Greg Norman, Nike and Dunning, it's our mission to "keep you in high style and performance" both on and off the course.
And speaking of technical fabrics, this is our second year where we have showcased one of the finest technical golf clothing companies available:
Dunning has been a major influence in our technical golf apparel and we take this opportunity to share with you the history and passion of Ralph Dunning and his company, Dunning Golf, and how his company has revolutionized the technical golf clothing industry..... read on....
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In 2001, Ralph Dunning founded Dunning Golf with the mission of making superior performance apparel for the sport of golf. His passion for the game, along with his understanding of player- specific needs, keep Dunning Golf on the leading edge of the golf industry. Ralph Dunning has a 15-year background in performance apparel design, and has assembled technical collections for the running, cycling and triathlon industries. Design clients include: Saucony, Reebok, Cervelo Cycles and GT Bicycles, along with founding the Rip n Hammer triathlon and cycling brand.
While building Rip n Hammer to become the dominant brand in the sport of triathlon, Ralph recognized the need for wicking, breathable and waterproof apparel for the sport of golf. During that period, Ralph completed three ironman triathlons and three marathons and qualified for the Boston Marathon.
"It is our goal to offer the finest performance apparel in golf. In order to accomplish this goal, we spend a great deal of time on tours and in pro shops gaining valuable feedback from golf professionals. All of our tour professionals: Zach Johnson, Bob Estes, John Senden, Spencer Levin, Craig Barlow, Bob Burns, Roland Thatcher and Derek Gillespie, continually contribute to our design process. Their input is crucial in aiding us to design apparel that allows every player to elevate their game through the benefits of playing in DUNNING GOLF Performance Apparel.
THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE:
1. Increased Physical Endurance - Staying cool and dry for the duration of an entire round helps keep the body’s core temperature down. This results in less muscle fatigue and allows a player to maximize their overall performance.
2. True Technical Materials - Most companies offer 'pseudo' performance fabrics that are available to any company. Our fabrics are custom milled to our exact specifications using only pure performance yarns including the highest grades of Coolmax™, Lycra™ and Fieldsensor™.
3. Comfort - Our moisture management systems really work. Keeping cool and dry during the summer months, or warm and dry in cold weather conditions, adds to the overall success and enjoyment of a round.
4. Quality Manufacturing - We use ISO9001 factories. This is very rare in the apparel business as it is significantly more expensive, but it means that we are assured that the strictest quality controls are in place during every step of the production process.
5. Player Specific Fit - Our extra-long body profiles stay tucked, and our golf specific cuts allow for increased swing movement.
6. Fashionable Styling - That still maintains the heritage of the game.
DUNNING is a player’s company. This means that every product we manufacture goes back to the player’s needs: moisture management, freedom of movement, comfort, durability and overall enhancement of the game". Ralph Dunning
We, too, believe in Ralph's philosophy ... "It's all about maximizing one's performance in any weather condition ... adding to the overall success and enjoyment of a round!"
Check out the latest styles of
in the pro shop today!
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May 14 is Mother's Day and it's one of those special days where we say "thanks to all moms" for all the love & goodness they bring. 
Let us put a smile on your mom's face this Mother's Day by offering you this great opportunity!
Purchase $75 worth of
merchandise from the pro shop
between
May 9-14 and we'll include
an extra special gift for mom!
Don't miss out as quantities are limited!
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(Nellie Harrington is pleased to bring you this month's feature flower/plant/tree that is located here at Cordova Bay with some tips and tricks on how to grow them.) |
Latin name: Davidia Involucrata Vilmoriniana
Common name: Dove Tree/Handkerchief Tree
Zones: 4-9, 14-21 |
Handkerchief Tree
nothing to sneeze at |
The Dove Tree, as it is most commonly known, is native to China and its growth habit is moderate, reaching heights of 30-60 feet and 20-35 feet in width.
The Dove Tree is deciduous (it will lose all of its leaves in the autumn). It requires moist, well-draining soil, and in periods of drought it must be watered. It will thrive in full sun to partial shade.
One of the best qualities of this tree is its beautiful brownish-orange bark, a nice contrast for the lanscape in the winter. In the spring, the bright green leaves are followed by two large white tracts that give this tree its common name.
In the autumn, the leaves fall and a hard, brown fruit hangs all winter on the branches. The fruit can be germinated, but the tree can take 10-15 years to produce flowers.
There are no known pests or diseases that I can find in any of my information.
While the tree is young, you should do a light pruning to shape it. As it matures, try not to prune it much as it does not respond well to hard pruning. I have found the natural growth on these trees to be very good.
The Dove Tree is a beautiful tree that I am proud to have in our collection.
The biggest specimen we have is adjacent to The Bay Course pro shop. You will pass it on your way to the putting green or on your way to the back nine.
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| (In conjunction with our Audubon Certification, we are pleased to share with you short feature each month on the numerous resident birds you will encounter when golfing at CBGC.) |
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Violet-Green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Length: 5.25 inches
Wing Span: 13.5 inches
Weight: 14 g |
These winged acrobats
are really something special |
Warmer weather lately has brought some of our seasonal guests back to Cordova Bay and, boy, are we ever excited to see their arrival.
Just last week one of these pretty little birds, the Violet-green Swallow, was spotted swooping above the ponds and over the fairways looking for insects. The return of these beauties is a sure herald of spring and a sign that summer is on the way. They have come here to mate and have babies, and will stay until late September when they will leave to winter in Mexico and Guatemala.
Violet-green Swallows are small and sleek. The male is more vibrant than the female, with the adult male's upper-parts iridescent violet-green and its crown a mostly bronze color becoming purple on the rump and upper tail. Under-parts are white extending onto the cheek and behind and above the eye, with a white flank extending onto the sides of the rump.
The female adult, somewhat duller than the male, is brown on the head, ears and face. The throat is washed slightly with ashy brown. Violet-greens have narrow wings and a short tail which is forked.
VGs, as we call them, are commonly confused with Tree Swallows, but the Tree Swallow has no white above the eye and no white patches. VGs have narrower winds and a shorter tail than the Tree Swallow.
Violet-green Swallows have varied habitats, from forested areas, wet lands, open water, city parks and golf courses. VGs are very social birds often found in flocks of mixed swallow species as well as in single species flocks. They are highly acrobatic birds and forage almost exclusively in flight, feeding on flying insects. VGs are really good at dodging fairway mowers, and the utility vechiles used on the golf course. Just as you close your eyes because you think you are going to run over one of these agile little birds, they pull a fantastic move and are gone on their merry way, leaving you amazed and a little stressed out.
Violet-greens nest in tree cavities, cliffs, buildings, old woodpecker holes and nesting boxes. We have had VGs nest in the many nesting boxes on the course, and we've had success at seeing the young. Both male and female build the nest made of grass, twigs, roots and straw lined with feathers of other birds. Four or five white eggs are laid in the nest and the female incubates eggs for 14 or 15 days. Both parents feed the young.
Fledgelings leave the nest at approximately 24 days, although parents continue to feed the young for sometime after they leave the nest. The cutest thing is when you see a parent with their kids all sitting in row on a fence or roof edge. Luckily for us, they often perch on the maintenance building and are they ever the cutest little ball of fluff.
Happy spring and enjoy all the nice weather to come our way (hopefully). Keep your eyes open for all the birds you haven't seen all winter and enjoy their happiness. Watch out for the Violet-green Swallows when you are on the fairways, as they will swoop awfully close to you.
Enjoy your round and all the sounds of Spring.
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Phil is master of golf domain
with his two-headed tee shots |
By Brian Hann
Director of Instruction
Props to Phil Mickelson, who out-dueled all of his contemporaries to land atop a juicy-looking leaderboard on April 9, the final day of the Masters. With machine-like precision, he dismantled the second-longest test of major championship golf in history. The 18th hole produced his only bogey, well after the outcome had been decided.
So, how do you play such solid golf on an exceedingly difficult track, while nursing a lead most of the day? You hit fairways off the tee, and then you put your ball on the green, in the ideal quadrant. It's not a 'chicken or the egg' scenario, however. The tee shot must set up the approach.
Augusta National has only one par-4 measuring fewer than 400 yards from the Masters tees, so power is part of the equation. So is accuracy. On several of the lengthened holes, the ideal tee shot requires a strong concoction of both. Mickelson delivered, and he did it with a secret weapon, two secret weapons actually. One predominantly for control, and one for power.
Conventional wisdom has always pointed to tour players carrying only two or three woods in the bag, with two being the norm. Typically, the world's best would be seen featuring a driver and a brassie, the latter being used on short, tight par fours where accuracy was paramount. Times have changed on the PGA Tour. Now there are virtually no short, tight par-4s, and titanium and other space-age metals have replaced persimmon. With championship golf courses now stretching to over 7,400 yards, carrying two drivers seems almost a natural consequence.
Mickelson has a shorter-shafted driver to help produce the control he wants when facing tighter holes. His predominant shot on these narrow landing strips is typically a fade. He'll hit the wee cut shot whenever the hole design will allow. The chief benefit of the fade for Phil is that he can count on less roll than a draw. This allows him to hit the shorter driver a predictable distance, and he can avoid the problem of driving the ball right through the corners of dogleg holes.
There are two things that we can learn from this, and there's one factor that does not apply to us. First, we can learn that when Mickelson pulls out a driver, he is not trying to hit the ball as far as humanly possible. He is allowing the blueprint of that particular club to determine the distance that the ball will travel, much like he would with an iron in his hand. Second, the design of the hole and the prevailing conditions should definitely have a bearing on our choice of club and intended shot off the tee. It is not enough direction to give ourselves the image of hitting the ball hard off the tee. We need to have a 'flight plan' in order to have our best chance at a successful landing.
The factor that rarely applies to us here in the Pacific Northwest is the roll that we may or may not get after the ball lands. Tour players play on tightly mown fairways that are typically rather firm. Also, because they hit the ball so hard, tour players can control the amount of roll quite effectively by adding a little more backspin when hitting a tiny (open clubface) cut. Conversely, the fairways in our climate are usually soft, and are not shaved to Masters tournament height. Most of us are pleased to see any amount of roll on our tee shots, and are not concerned with the problem of driving the ball through the corners of doglegs.
Lefty's longer-shafted driver is generally reserved for long par-4s or shortish par-5s. These are holes that will challenge him to get to the green with a long or mid-iron. On many occasions, he'll be looking to hit the longer driver with a draw (slightly closed clubface). A straight ball would also be more than acceptable. Again, the design of the hole will factor in, but when he hits it, the draw produces more roll at the back end of the golf shot, because it has less backspin than both the fade and the straight shot. The extra length in this driver's shaft will also help to produce slightly more clubhead speed, resulting in more ball speed as it leaves the clubface.
The beauty of the two-driver system for Mickelson is that he doesn't have to do anything much with his swing to produce the different shapes. The blueprint design of the shorter driver promotes a fade for him. His longer driver is designed to produce a draw for him. Neither club requires much, if any, manipulation. Critical stuff, because when the finest players get on a roll like he's on, they want predictability like he's got off the tee. He can then carry that confidence and that same swing shape into his iron game.
Bottom line, you may not need two drivers in your bag (could be a might expensive anyways), but you need a club that fits you, a club you can take to the tee box with an air of confidence. If that doesn't sound like you, make an appointment with either myself or one of our professionals on staff. We're all experts on the linked relationship of swing motion and ball flight, and the effect of the club's design blueprint on each. |
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Get those entries in
for Scramble for Charity |
Well, the season got underway last week with our first Ladies' Day play. It was good to see some familiar faces as well as some new ones around the course. If you haven’t used our new sign-in process yet, stop in and fill out your ballots for games you plan to play up to two weeks in advance. The system is working well, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask at the pro shop.
Thanks to everyone who helped with our spring meeting – it was a great success, with twice as many attending as expected!
Second annual Ladies' Club Scramble for Charity Tournament, Monday, May 22. Time to celebrate another special Cordova Bay person and raise funds for the charity of their choice! It was announced at the spring meeting that Nellie Harrington, who is in charge of all the landscaping at Cordova Bay, is this year’s honouree. Also known as The Flower Lady, Nellie's charity of choice for the tournament is the Victoria Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation, so be sure to stop in and register for this fun event, and help us support this great charity
Senior Games qualifying rounds (age 50+) are May 17 at Cedar Hill. Contact Joani Cragg for more info: 656-4392 or e-mail imagolfer@shaw.ca. Actual games are in Abbotsford this year, Aug. 23-26
Numerous Field Days and BCGA events are posted in the locker room. Be sure to stop in, check them out and register early so you don’t miss any of the fun! For more BCGA information, check out their web page at: bcgazone5women.org.
You can email your executive anytime you have a question or comment at info@cordovabaygolf.com
Or simply leave a note in the ladies club folder at the Pro Shop.
Lots more interesting info follows, so read on ... and may the course be with you!
From Cathie Keener, Events Chair:
Scramble for Charity Tournament
Monday, May 22
Entry deadline May 8
This tournament is a scramble format ... with the emphasis on FUN! Sign up as a single, two-three-foursome. You won't want to miss this!! Entry forms are in the Locker Room.
From Jina McCaffree, Club Secretary:
Members, we would like your support and help for our Scramble for Charity Tournament on May 22!
Last year, Cordova Bay Ladies' Club started the Scramble for Charity tournament, and we are very grateful for the contribution of prizes and items received from some local businesses, including Cordova Bay Golf Club and The Ridge. However, as this is for a very special charity (Victoria Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation), I thought we would canvass our members in the hope of receiving a few more.
If you are able to donate, please contact: Jina McCaffree, e-mail ccmccaff@telus.net.
Acknowledgement of this donation will be included in the golf program that will be distributed to all attendees at the tournament, as well as posted in the locker room after the event.
We thank you for your consideration and participation in this Ladies' Club charity event.
From Connie Dykstra, Vice-Captain:
A big thank you to all who have signed up for the numerous interclub events. Your response has been overwhelming. The first interclub event will be against Arbutus Ridge at our course April 25. Phone calls will be taking place all week as we select the interclub squads. Best of luck to everyone and remember Never Give Up!
From Heather Clarke, Events Vice-Chair:
New members of the Cordova Bay Ladies’ Club got the season underway by attending an Orientation and Rules Clinic. The Ladies' Club was indeed fortunate to have Donna Hobbs and Jim Goddard provide an excellent demonstration of the most common (and broken) rules out on the course. If you have any doubts about rules, just ask a new member!
It was also a privilege to have Doug Grove as our guest speaker. We will look for any excuse to have Doug back!
On April 6, the new members put the pressure on the Ladies’ Club executive at a Nine and Dine event. For some of us, we were just happy that our worst game of the year was over! Did I hear that correctly ... someone lost five balls?
Thank you to all the new members for making these events so memorable and successful, to the Ladies’ Club executive for their spirited dedication, and to the pro shop staff for their support and patience
From Annette Hart, Sports Chair:
Welcome back to the Ladies' Club, and welcome to all the new members. We had our first game on April 4 and we couldn't have asked for better weather.
Pro Jim Goddard shot 77, and we thank him for getting up very early to play with the first group out. Saturday ladies also had a good showing. All in all, there was a hole-in-one, lots of birdies and chip-ins. Not bad for the first round. I will hopefully have the prizes ready for everyone who wo, in the next couple of weeks. Check the prize bin in the locker room if you have won something.
We appreciate your patience while we work on the new draw procedure. It is saving a lot time, but is still being streamlined and requires a bit more work to improve. Everyone can help by writing legibly, being sure you are available to play that day, only putting one time on the ballot, and only putting one ballot in for each day.
Note, the draw for Saturday is done at the same time as the Tuesday draws, which is Wednesday, so please be sure you have your ballots for the following two Saturdays in on time.
We are printing cancellation ballots up, but, in the meantime, just put your name on the ballot on the date you requested, and write cancellation in big letters across the top. Put that in the slot that corresponds to the week you want to cancel. We find them eventually. Do not put a ballot in, if you are not sure you can play. Better to phone in when you are sure, than to change your mind after the draw is done. This causes mass confusion, as by then everyone is paired up and the foursomes have been set.
We now have separate Saturday ballots so if you want to play on Saturday, make sure you put one in for that day - it is no longer on the Tuesday ballot because it was causing confusion.
Please note, if you require a cart, you will need to ask around to see if someone else is using one and pair up on the ballot. We do not know who plays with a cart and who doesn't, so it is the responsibility of the player to find a cart-riding partner.
Have fun out there, and keep it in the short grass.
From Lin Neufeld, Treasurer:
It's been great to meet so many new members and even get to golf with some of you.
It was felt that the Ladies' Club would greatly benefit from having its own web page, so ... while I wasn't looking after club monies and budget, I've been working on developing one. It will provide club members with up-to-date general and event information as well as Zone 5, RCGA and LPGA links. We're hoping to have the page up and running by the end of April, so stay tuned....
From Sybil Hurwitz, Handicap Chair:
There’s lots new around Cordova Bay, including a new RCGA Handicap System. Unfortunately, implimentation of this system is taking more time and was more difficult to get up and running than anticipated. That is the reason for the delay in new members being able to enter their scores into the computer. So, until it is running smoothly, we have reverted to the old system. The good news is, all of the new members are now entered into the computer. For existing members, the freeze has come off and handicaps have reverted back to where we left off in November. Enjoy your games!
From Karen Brown, Social Chair:
Karen is away, but she has been busy making posters to advise you of our current and upcoming events as well as co-ordinating prizes, 50/50 draws, etc. for all our activities. She is working with Jina on donations for the Scramble for Charity Tournament so we can contribute as much as possible to Victoria Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation. |
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An egg-cellent day
for Mann, Hambleton
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The Easter Egg Tournament is in the books and the big winners were Kerry Mann (gross 40 on the Stableford system) and Steve Hambleton (net 41). Trevor Bradley (gross 34) and Al Mellett (net 40) were the runners-up.
Sixty-three players teed it up for the Easter Egg on April 8 and, with the exception of the last couple of groups who had to deal with a bit of the wet stuff, it was a grand day.
Tournament Schedule
May 7: Spring Classic (medal play; gross and net)
June 17: Summer Swing (four-man team event; net)
June/July/August: Laurie Caroll Cup (match play)
July (TBA): Four-club event (9&Dine)
Aug. 14-15: Seniors Club Championship (flighted medal play, age 55-plus)
Aug. (TBA): Four-club event (9&Dine)
Sept. 16-17: Club Championship (flighted medal play)
Oct. 15: Partners (two-man team event; 6/6/6)
Nov. 12: Autumn Leaves and annual general meeting (Individual Stableford and Hidden Team Stableford)
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Refining our methods
of providing lessons |
By Brian Hann
Director of Instruction
Your teaching staff at Cordova Bay has made some refinements for 2006, with a couple of key points in mind. We wanted to be sure that those who choose to pursue coaching help could do so with the utmost flexibility in building a program for the current season. We also identified a need to help the student in evaluating their relative strengths and weaknesses. These two factors lead to the implementation of two new initiatives.
First, we are now presenting our coaching packages in bulk time blocks. That means those taking private lessons will have the option of how much time to spend at any given lesson appointment, and will also have input as to the venue for the lesson. We have an excellent facility at which to learn, with access to a fine driving range with excellent golf balls, three practice bunkers, two chipping areas, a pitching green, one enormous practice green and an intricate putting course. All venues are used for teaching. This gives us the ultimate student-centred approach to improving golf enjoyment.
Second, we are now conducting State of the Game evaluation sessions with all students who enroll in a private coaching program. This will allow us to better understand the needs of each student when they come to us in a quest to take their game to the next level. Our observation has been that, in many cases, our students are unsure where their strengths and weaknesses lie in relation to others of similar experience and ability. They can only accurately relay their confidence levels in each golf skill set. We have now established an evaluation sheet that will aid us in giving the student an accurate assessment of their abilities early in the coaching relationship. Once we know where we are at, then we help build the road map to get to where the student wants to go.
If you need help in directing your game to where you want to go, enlist the services of one of our golf professionals. We aim to increase your enjoyment of the game while helping you reduce your golf scores.
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Look for more Audobon areas
in the very near future
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Spring has sprung or the grass is green are just a few of the familiar sayings at this time of year, and that is definitely the case at Cordova Bay Golf Course as we begin the start of another busy season.
This year, we will be continuing our commitment to our Audubon Programs with the addition of more naturalized areas and reduction in maintained turf acreage. Last season included the conversion of two acres of manicured turf grass to naturalized area and, over the next two months, you will see this trend continue with an additional 1.5 acres converted to wildlife habitat. Once these areas are seeded to fescue, they will be identified with a split-rail fence identical to those found bordering the other naturalized areas on the course.
Those of you who play the course regularly will see some great changes and additions take place over the next several months. Some highlights of this list include the rerouting of the cart path on the corner of No. 5 to go around the pond, and the rerouting of the cart path from No. 5 green around the left side of the blue tee on No. 6. This change will move the cart path away from the green and allow us to build a new white/blue tee complex, providing another 6,000 square feet of tee and 20 yards of length variety to the hole. There will also be an additional tee built on the third hole, and I will provide more details of this addition once the design is confirmed.
Improvements to the playability of our bunkers will begin shortly, with renovations to the pot bunkers on the ninth, 11th, and 13th holes.
During the first 15 years at Cordova Bay, there has been a tremendous amount of sand built up on the front faces of these bunkers from play out, and in many cases they have become deep and difficult to play out of. These renovations will result in grades returning to their original design which, in many cases, will result in the removal of 18 inches of sand from the front faces of these bunkers.
All of these improvements will occur over the course of the next few months, as well as many others that are presently in the stages.
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Double Take
What you're looking at in the photos above and below are two different views of the same hole, No. 18.
The top photo was taken by Ridge head professional Mike Will, who hopped in a cherry picker with Doug Walsh and got high enough to snap this unique aerial view of No. 18 a week ago.
The photo below was taken by call centre guy dylan g. dylan, who was too afraid to go in the cherry picker (something about keeping his feet as close to terra firma as possible), so he took this ground shot of No. 18 on a bright spring day. |
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Mattick’s Cup
The time is now to sign up for the Mattick’s Cup. Play will be Wednesdays from April 26 through June 10.
The format is Ryder Cup style. Teams will be pitted against each other in foursomes and singles match play. The matches will finish on June 10, when a champion will be crowned. Your entry fee includes a preferred tournament fee of $40 for all match games, as well as a windup dinner at Bill Mattick’s Restaurant.
Entry fee is $40 and you can register in the pro shop or by e-mailing
jordan.mitchell@cordovabaygolf.com |
Your Comments
We want to hear your comments! Please send us, write us or, even better, e-mail us at info@cordovabaygolf.com
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