june e-newsletter

15 years:

As Cordova Bay Golf Course approaches its 15th anniversary on July 7, we are reminded of our humble beginnings and where we are today. As they used to say in those Virginia Slims ads years ago, "You've come a long way, baby."

With that in mind, some Cordova Bay employees have taken this opportunity to stroll down memory lane. We trust you will enjoy their reflections, plus our capsule look at the way of the world in 1991.

We also want to remind you of the big 15th anniversary celebration on July 7. It will feature golf, food, song and much merriment, so come join us!

Starter Doug Grove (above) revisits the scene of his big dip.

The day Doug Grove broke the ice

By Jim Goddard
Executive Professional

Doug Grove has always been proud of Cordova Bay. In the early days, he was absolutely consumed with zeal.

When the golf course first opened, many ponds on the course were filled with Japanese Coy (goldfish, for the biologically challenged). During our first winter, we experienced a freeze in January. Doug had invited a pal for lunch and a look around the facility. An obligatory part of the tour was a look at the goldfish in the upper pond on No. 18. As I mentioned, we were experiencing a bit of a freeze up and parts of the pond were frozen, making the goldfish quite difficult to see. Undaunted, Doug ventured out onto the rocks and gave a stomp.

“There they are! Did you see them?” Doug asked his companion.

Unfortunately, as he was still standing on the 'shore,' his friend did not see the fish. Now, I mentioned that Doug was consumed with zeal, and he absolutely loved those goldfish. Further out onto the rocks he went and, with much gusto, he leaped into the air in a jump that would have made Michael Jordan proud. Down he came onto a rock covered with ice on the water’s edge.

That is how Doug Grove broke the ice. As for his friend, the only fish he saw that day was a 155-lb. Silver Top.

freeze sucker! A rookie cop's ordeal

By Jim Goddard
Executive Professional

One night at 3 a.m., I was called by the alarm company. There was an intruder in the clubhouse and the police were dispatched. They were to meet me at the front gate. A few minutes later I arrived, tired and grumpy, and indeed the police were there. Two officers, one quite young and the other a veteran, met me at the gate. For those of you familiar with our clubhouse, you know that Bill Mattick sits above our bar among cauliflowers and beside a shotgun. You also know that his legs move and his cigarette lights up. That night, the restaurant staff forgot to flip the switch to deactivate Bill.

The veteran officer made his way around to the back of the clubhouse, and the rookie and I entered the building through the pro shop. The alarm control is in the hallway connecting the restaurant with the pro shop. I began deactivating the alarm, with the rookie cop on my shoulder, when all of a sudden I was pushed (with considerable force I might add) into the opposite wall. The rookie cop had noticed somebody’s leg moving above the bar. He drew his weapon, and 'assumed the position,' shouting “Freeze Sucker!” I was sure I was dreaming that I was in an old episode of Baretta. “Throw down your gun!” the rookie cop shouted.

As there was no response from Bill, the cop then hit the floor and was preparing to fire. Let me tell you, I was now quite wide awake. Stifling laughter, I was able to get the cop’s attention and bring the standoff to an end.

The two cops and I spent the next hour or so in the clubhouse drinking coffee and eating sandwiches until the rookie cop calmed down and his partner stopped laughing.


Brian Mulroney	Ferguson Jenkins

it happened
in
1991

World population was 5.359 billion (the estimate for July this year is 6.5 billion)
The Soviet Union dissolved
The dreaded GST came into effect.
The Dead Sea Scrolls were made available to the public for the first time
Unforgettable by Natalie Cole and her dead dad, Nat King Cole, was the top song, while Unforgiven was the top movie
The Persian Gulf War started and ended
Dr. Seuss died
Fox was the first network to run commercials for condoms
Brian Mulroney was Prime Minister
A spectator at the U.S. Open was killed by lightning
Jeffrey Daumer, Mike Tyson and Pee Wee Herman were arrested
Magic Johnson revealed his had HIV
The cost of mailing a stamp was 40 cents
Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup
Ferguson Jenkins became the first Canadian inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Germany regained complete independence after post-World War II occupying countries (U.S., France4, U.K., U.S.S.R.) relinquished all remaining rights
The band Nirvina started the Grunge movement

Ch-ch-ch-changes

With the 15th anniversary of the Bay Course fast approaching, it is time to sit back and reflect on some of the experiences and changes that we have been through in our young history as a golf course. However, along with reminiscing about the changes there are a few things that have not changed in our 15-year history. Starting with our staff, Ken Youell and I are the only members of our maintenance crew who have been here since the beginning, and a quick calculation of our time spent on this property is fast approaching 60,000 hours between the two of us.

Many of our alumni have moved on to new and exciting challenges: Tom Vanteetering, Bart Zayshley, Dave Schramm, Mike Kearns and Dave Homme have moved on to be superintendents at other courses, while many others have gone on as assistants on other courses or to new professions. This list includes police officers, chiropractors, landscapers, teachers, youth pastors and various capacities with local municipalities.

We have been so fortunate to have had so many great people work for us over our first 15 seasons, and I would like to thank each of them for their contributions.

Several things have changed on the golf course in the first 15 years. The only green to have been rebuilt was the putting green, which was originally too small to handle the traffic it sees each day. I remember the day we planted the Monkey Puzzle Tree in the middle of this green thinking it was an appropriate choice because of the puzzling nature of reading our greens. Now this tree towers over the green and has become quite a specimen.

There have been many changes and additions to our tee boxes. Nos. 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 have gained additional tee space, primarily to increase the size of the teeing surfaces to accommodate the traffic. A few ponds have been changed. Originally there was no pond on the fifth and ninth holes, while the 14th used to have two little ponds which were later changed to one larger pond.

Bunkers have remained very close to architect Bill Robinson’s original design. The pot bunker on the left of the sixth green was added about 12 years ago, and a large section of the middle bunker was removed at the same time. A pot bunker on the dogleg of No. 5 fairway and the recent removal of one of the pot bunkers on 13 have been the only other changes. This will change in the near future, as we have several bunker additions planned over the coming years on fairways to improve hole definition and place an emphasis on accuracy for the new 300-yard tee shot club that today’s technology has produced.

Our recent Certification with the Audubon Society has prompted most of our changes in the past few years, including the most recent naturalizing of the left side of the 14th hole. Several of these naturalized areas have been introduced to provide wildlife corridors for the fauna that reside here, and to enhance the natural beauty of the golf course.

Looking ahead, I can only imagine how our golf course will change in the next 15 years, as the thousands of trees we have planted continue to mature. In the meantime, we will strive to maintain playing conditions that will add to the enjoyment of your golf experience.

Volunteers make our events successful

Well, the 2006 season is ticking along nicely. We just finished a very successful Charity Scramble and the June Social was a huge hit!

We recently thanked all our volunteers for their help, without which our events would not run nearly as smoothly. Just like Oscar thank-yous, we neglected to include thanks to Leanne O’Keeffe and Marion Nyberg, both of whom set up and ran our

putting contest at the Charity Scramble. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all our executive members (also volunteers!) who have been working hard to ensure we have something to offer everyone in our membership from Ladies' Days, fun events like the June Social, our Charity event and our upcoming Club Championship (all with great prizes), just to name a few.

We have weathered the RCGA handicap storm and all is well with the computer handicap wise. (Be sure you have entered your non-Ladies' Day scores.)

We have heard rumours that our interclub teams are doing even better this year than last. Our new signup for Ladies' Day and events is running smoothly, and now you can even register on line! Our new Ladies' Club we page is full of useful info, and we will use this rather than the e-mail circulation for more of our communications in future -- so be sure to visit it at www.cordovabaygolf.com and sign in (password available from the pro shop).

So, thanks a million, team. And to everyone, enjoy a great summer of golf! See you on the best darned course in Victoria!

YAHOO & YEEHAW!

Well, the Ladies' Club put some serious giddyup into the annual Social and Tournament this year, with a "Howdy Pardner" western theme. Cowboy lids were the order of the day and, unlike the Charity Scramble in May, Mother Nature delivered ideal golfing weather. After the golf, they gathered around chef Walter Gurtner's chuckwagon and saddled up for the best grub this side of a cattle drive. Then they really kicked up their cowboy boots with some serious line dancing at their evening hoedown. Yahoo, indeed.

For full details on the event, please see the Ladies' Club webpage.

Aggie Walle (left) and Connie Dykstra were among the volunteers who worked the registration desk.

From Lin Neufeld, Treasurer ...
As most of you know, the charity that our Scramble event honouree, Nellie Harrington, selected was Victoria Hospice. I, like many others, have had experience with the Hospice and was more than happy to donate to this terrific program. The executive thought a reasonable goal was to raise $1,200. At the end of a rainy day of golf and some fundraising events, we were wonderfully surprised to find that not only had we met the goal, we had substantially surpassed it! Thank you to all the Ladies' Club members who attended either as players or volunteers. It certainly looked like everyone had a fun time, in spite of the weather.

Your efforts raised $2,635 for the Hospice program. Well done, ladies!

From Heather Clarke, Events Vice-Chair ...

Ladies, mark your calendars for the Ladies' Club Championship, Aug. 25-27.

This is a great, competitive event (18 holes on both Aug. 26 and 27) that you won't want to miss! To qualify, you must have played five recorded Ladies' Day events as of Aug. 12 (i.e. Ladies' Days, Interclub, June Social, etc., and hold an established handicap no greater than 45 as of Aug. 12. Players with handicaps higher than 45 will play at 45. There will be four draw flights based on handicaps. Don't panic ... you still have eight weeks to get in the minimum five ladies' days events!

A 'Kickoff' event gets underway on Friday, Aug. 25, at The Ridge and includes the tournament rules clinic. Entry forms will soon be available at the pro shop as well as online.

Please contact Heather Clarke at 360-1655 or clarke10@telus.net if you have any questions or wish further information.

Summer Swing fab four

Take a bow Wayne Nelson, Al Bryant, Kip Wilson and Malcolm MacNeil. That fab foursome shot a collective 189 to walk off with top honours in the recent Summer Swing three-best-ball men's tournament. Five shots back in second place were two teams: Chuck McCaffree, Steve Hambleton, Sean Smith and Gord Irwin; and Paul Heatlie, Lari Mitchell, Richard Hobbs and Mort Nelson.

Low gross went to Sean Smith with a 71, one swing less than Steve Hambleton.

Meanwhile, play is well underway in the unique Laurie Carroll Cup competition, which determines the club match play champion. The tournament pairings are in the men's locker room, so please contact your opponent as soon as possible to arrange you matches.

Tournament Schedule

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)

Pro-spective: Short 'n' sweet success

By Brian Hann
CPGA Teaching Professional
Henry-Griffitts Master Clubfitter

It’s all relative, but just how good (or bad) is your short game? Have you got putting, chipping, pitching, lob shots and bunker play well under control? If not, I have two methods for determining just how much coaching and practice are in your immediate future.

Short Game Handicap Test: Ask any one of our teaching professionals, and we will be happy to provide you with a copy of our Short Game Handicap Test which, through a series of challenges, identifies your capabilities in each of four areas. The test focuses on chipping, pitching, greenside bunkers and lob shots. Compare your results with your actual handicap that you see in the computer to discover if your smaller shots near the green are impeding your improvement. You don’t have a lot to lose. The total time investment for you is five seconds to ask for a copy of the test, plus 40 minutes to self-administer the challenges contained therein.

Round and Round and Round: In golf, fully two-thirds of your strokes will happen within an 80-yard radius of the hole. In digesting this fact, I realized that we have the ultimate measuring stick for your entire short game right under your nose. It’s called the Ridge Course at Cordova Bay. The average hole at the Ridge is a little over 80 yards. If you play three nine-hole rounds at the Ridge (3 x 9 = 27) and add your scores, they should equate to one 18-hole game at the Bay Course.

Here’s how to set your target score for three nine-hole rounds at the Ridge:

Add the course rating (as listed on the Bay Course scorecard) to your handicap factor (Americans call it an index). That’s your target score for three loops around the Ridge Course. For example, Jane typically plays the red tees on the Bay Course. The course rating is 71.3 for ladies from the red tees. She adds her handicap factor (as found in the computer) of 28.7, the sum of which is 100. That’s her target score for the three Ridge games. If Jane can’t consistently break 100 for her three Ridge trips, she needs to seek more coaching help on her short game.

There is a catch. When you go to the Ridge, you must drop the ball on the tee box, and play it as it lies. You are effectively simulating what you will face on the Bay Course from 80 yards out. No tee.

I will be most interested in 'test results' from both your Round and Round and Round and the Short Game Handicap Test. Please report, and I will compile results.

Colour us colourful

June 21 marked a very important day here at Cordova Bay ... it's when we get to say, "Summer has officially arrived!"

And with summer making its grand entrance this week, we once again begin to enjoy the long hot days of sun, fun and golf! The pro shop is in top-notch form, with an incredible selection of the best in golfing attire available this season. If you haven't had time to browse through the shop, make sure you set aside a few moments next time you're here to see how we can have you looking your finest on and off the course! There's darn near every single colour of the rainbow in our shop!

For our ladies, we guarantee that you will find something that's a "must have" this season! From top to bottom, we'll have you looking marvelous! And does the name Jamie Sadock perk your interest? Well, she's New York's golf designer who manages to add that extra bit of elegance to anything she creates ... this year, along with carrying her 2006 golf collection, we've added her stylish off-course sandals. From beaded thongs, to fancy black slingbacks ... oooohh ... so fancy! But hurry in soon as we only have a limited supply!

And for our gents, whether it's that classic golf look you're after, or something with colour and pizzazz, let us put together a combination that will have the heads turning. So visit us in the pro shop soon so we can have you 'standing out in the crowd' this summer!

Soothing summertime

The season is now in full swing, and our patios are both in full use. The season’s BBQ and Wine Tasting series is the perfect way to spend a warm Sunday evening. Our Garden Patio is definitely the prettiest place to be in Cordova Bay, and a free sample of wine makes the entire experience a highlight of anyone’s week. The summer will be over before you know what happened, so take advantage of this while you can!

We have some large tournaments at the course this year, but for the most part they do not interfere with the dining room. It’s always a great idea to call us for a reservation if you have any concerns. If you are golfing with a group, and you want to have dinner in the restaurant together, just give us a call to set up a special table for you and your guests. Our servers will be happy to take care of things for you.

If you haven’t been in for a while, keep in mind that the summer season brings with it some new servers, and some returning familiar faces in the restaurant, so please stop by and say hello.

Join Jody in the Junior Girls' Golf Club

On the heels of a very successful junior girls' fundraiser this spring at Cordova Bay, our second offering in the name of Growing Girls' Golf is here! Hosted by your very own Class A, LPGA Teaching Professional Jody Jackson, the Junior Girls' Golf Club promises to provide a fun-filled and challenging learning environment for all levels of junior girls interested in golf.

Who: Girls eight-plus years.
When: Fridays, July 4 through Aug. 25, 10-11 a.m. Eight sessions.
Where: Meet at Ridge Course on Day One.

Week One: Putting, Ridge Course – Short Game Practice Area
Week Two: Chipping, Ridge Course – Short Game Practice Area
Week Three: Full swing, Bay Course – Driving Range
Week Four: On course, Ridge Course
Week Five: Pitching, Bay Course – Driving Range
Week Six: Bunker, Ridge Course – Short Game Practice Area
Week Seven: Up-and-In Tourney, Ridge Course – Short Game Practice Area
Week Eight: Ridge Tourney, Ridge Course
( Schedule may change due to inclement weather.)

Includes:
Ridge Golf Course and Putting Course Games Green Fees Driving Range Punch Card (10 small buckets) Student Passport (Discount Card of Savings)
Prizes and Tourney’s
COST: $180

(Sign up at the pro shop. Andy further questions can be directed to Jody Jackson, LPGA Teaching Professional at 658-4444.)

Look Out on Life from Here!

The residences at 738 Sayward Hill Terrace have been thoughtfully designed and will be built to exacting standards by Sayward Hill's team of professionals.

There are 18 luxurious residences with quality products, features and finishes, with stunning views from each of the six storeys overlooking Cordova Bay Golf Course and beyond to Haro Strait, the Gulf and San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. Look Out On Life From Here!

All of the amenities you are looking for are close to home at Sayward Hill -- a West Coast lifestyle in a natural community setting. Cordova Bay and Sayward Hill have it all!

For sales information, call 658-4700 or view our website: www.saywardhill.com.

Your Comments

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