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By
Claudio DeMarchi
As
a youngster fishing the lakes and streams
in Ontario, I had always dreamt of ‘catching
the big one' in a special location. As
I was planning my trip to this dream destination,
it was hard to believe that I was actually
going, yet not one of the 7 fishing rods
that have been collecting dust in the
corner of my office since my life has
become consumed by golf were even going
to make the trip.
This
adventure, with golf clubs and camera
in hand, would take me to Canada's Northwest
Territories, but first, a stop in Yellowknife
on the shores of world renowned Great
Slave Lake known for some it's Lunker
Lake Trout. After Yellowknife, I participated
in the 22nd annual Billy Joss Open on
the most northern golf course in the world
in Ulukhaktuk (you read about that in
the last issue – we don't always
do things in order around here) and then
a final stop in Inuvik.
In
speaking with Julie Warnok, Communications
Coordinator for the Yellowknife office
of the North West Territories, I had prepared
myself with plenty of the official perfume
of the Territories – Muskoil. "You
know that the official bird of the Northwest
Territories is the mosquito - they are
so big that we actually filet them,"
joked Julie.
My
travel day landed me in Yellowknife mid-afternoon;
it was 75 degrees and sunny. After a brief
tour through the office, I met one of
my playing partners Gerry LePrieur, Executive
Director of Northwest Territories Tourism.
After a tour of the Welcome Center, I
suggested to Julie that it might just
be time for a little quenching of a huge
thirst I had developed. She had just the
right spot. The Black Knight Pub in downtown
Yellowknife was a pretty happening spot
for the After-5 crowd with a surprising
array of younger business clientele. A
great stop to hang out in for an evening
– great wings!
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The
next morning Gerry and I set off to
the course to meet up with Head Pro
Gordon Brayton and Lui, one of the
long standing members. Getting out
of Gerry's car I experienced my first
swarm of mosquitoes, but having been
prepared, after a bit of spraying
and a nice breeze that day, the pesky
critters really were no different
than a spring day in Northern Ontario.
Now,
I've heard this before, but the ravens
in Yellowknife certainly are something
to behold – they are almost the
size of a turkey, and they seem to
have a thing for golf balls. It is
very common for a raven to swoop down,
pick up a golf ball and fly off with
it. Local rule #1 (on the card) –
No penalty when ball is taken by a
raven or any other wildlife, Rule
18-1. Lui told me that on one occasion,
22 golf balls were found on the top
of the Yellowknife hospital.
After
the traditional meet and greet, we
made our way to the driving range.
The Yellowknife range is set up just
like any other driving range except
we were only hitting off mats. With
every shot you got to watch your ball
land and see a puff of sand rise.
There is no roll.
Gordon
played with us for the front nine
where we had a little 9-hole Ryder
Cup match with the two "Pisanos"
taking on the "Canucks".
I hate to say it, but bragging rights
on this day went to the Canucks -
but it did come down to the last hole.
All in all, I felt it wasn't bad for
a guy that needed a few holes to get
used to playing under somewhat different
circumstances.
Playing
the course is pretty much like playing
any grass course, with one small difference.
Each player takes a little piece of
mat around during play, and the key
is to dig your piece of matting into
the sand so that it is somewhat level
to the ground.
The
greens, however, are an entirely different
story. The only shot that might stop
on the greens would have to be from
within 100 yards, and would require
a great deal of spin. Most of the
greens are much harder than what we
are used to in the south, and they
are bordered with real grass as the
fringe, so the ball will not go too
far if you do hit the greens on the
fly.
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Hitting
off the mat
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The
rugged beauty of the course
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The
ninth green
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A
mosquito... I mean raven!
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The
Yellowknife Golf Club was established as
a 9-hole golf course in 1948 with sand fairways
and oiled greens. The first clubhouse was
the fuselage of a crashed Royal Air Force
DC 3. In the early nineties, the club experimented
with three artificial greens, and in 1999
undertook a major expansion with both artificial
tees and greens, and leaving the sand fairways
turned it into the 18-hole course that it
is today.
The
course currently has in excess of 300 members
– a few of which have been members
since day one. It has made a mark for itself
by playing host to the Midnight Golf Tournament
since 1968. Recognized by the RCGA as an
official golf course, members of the club
are able to participate in the handicap
system similar to those in the ‘south'.
A
number of Canada's golfing greats have participated
in the Midnight Sun Tournament. At the most
recent tournament this past June a number
of Canada's Golf Hall of Fame members -
the likes of Gary Cowan, Bob Panisuk, Doug
Roxburgh and Cathy Sherk - participated
in the event. As part of the celebration,
the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame displayed
a number of golf trophies and memorabilia.
Anyone
who loves to travel and experience nature
as it was meant to be should have the Northwest
Territories on their list of places to visit.
For golfers, this is an experience not to
be missed. At $36.00 for the round and $21.00
for club rentals, you can't beat it. I would
recommend taking a cart – don't forget
its all sand – and walking on the beach
for four hours could get a little tiring.
For
more information on the Yellowknife Golf
Club and the 2010 Midnight Sun Golf Tournament
visit www.yellowknifegolf.com
and for general information on visiting
the North West Territories visit www.spectacularnwt.com
09/09
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2010
Midnight Sun Golf Tournament
www.yellowknifegolf.com
North
West Territories Tourism Website
www.spectacularnwt.com
Must
do in Yellowknife:
1.
Experience the "Flavours of the North" as they
can only be presented by the crazy broads (their words,
not ours!!) that run the world famous Bullocks Bistro in
the Old Town part of Yellowknife. "Sit Down, Shut Up
and Hold On" - dining out will never be the same.
2.
Shopping in Old Town
3.
Get out on Great Slave Lake – for any reason at all
THIS
AIN'T NO
FANCY PLACE!
As
soon as you walk through the door you know "This ain't
no fancy restaurant…" In fact if you didn't know
any better you might expect Granny, Uncle Jed, Elly May
and Jethro to pop their heads out of the back! So why the
heck does everyone say, "If you go to Yellowknife,
you have to eat at Bullocks Bistro!"?
read
more...
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