The Maritime Explorer

Four sure signs of spring in St. Margaret's Bay. 1. Pink chionodoxa pushing up through the grass. 2. Daphne being the first shrub to flower. 3. Reappearance of Charlie our resident woodchuck. 4. Completion of the annual spring themed jigsaw puzzle.

Master's Sunday is the perfect day for a spring pot roast.

A big shout out to my friend and fellow TMAC member Helen Earley on the publication of 25 Family Adventures in Nova Scotia. Formac Publishing Visit Nova Scotia Travel Media Association of Canada http://www.formac.ca//25-Family-Adventures-in-Nova-Scotia.

These photos from our garden show the bright yellow pollen found in crocuses from which saffron is derived. The honey bees love it as well, having mostly abandoned the flowering heath for the crocii. All hail spring!

Honoured to become Score Golf's newest golf course evaluator and looking forward to playing many Atlantic Provinces courses this year.

Heres a post Covid visit to the Canadian Museum of Immigration / Muse canadien de limmigration. While a few things have changed it remains one of the most important places to visit in Nova Scotia. Travel Media Association of Canada Discover Halifax Nova Scotia https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/09/14/pier-21/

Here is an update on my post on fabulous #CabotCliffs at Cabot Links. There is still plenty of time for those in the Atlantic Bubble to play the #9 course IN THE WORLD. You will see few others and feel like it is your own private course. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Golf Cape Breton Cape Breton Island Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca//cabot-cliffs-canadas-new-/

We finished off our three day golf blitz to Cape Breton with a once in a lifetime round of golf Cape Breton Highlands Links the Stanley Thompson masterpiece in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. I have been playing this course for over forty years and never had a better day to play or found the course in better shape. What better way to celebrate autumn than by driving the Cabot Trail and playing this course along with some hiking as well? Golf Cape Breton Cape Breton Island Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Another great day Cabot Links with caddie Archie MacDonnell who improved our score by over a dozen strokes from the Cliffs yesterday. Great stories, great reads and great company, Archie is the consummate caddie. Ask for him when you play, Henry Cabot Lodge did in a group with Michael Bloomberg. Golf Cape Breton Cape Breton Island Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Just finished a fabulous round of golf at Cabot Cliffs the #9 golf course in the world and we had it all to ourselves. I asked for the earliest possible tee time and was given 8:24 so I assumed there would be multiple groups in front of us. Instead we were the first car in the parking lot and the first out. We never saw any other golfers until the back nine. It was almost surreal. If you are in the Atlantic Bubble and like golf you have to get to Cabot Links resort this fall. It may never be this accessible again. Golf Cape Breton Cape Breton Island Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

We were driving from St. Margarets Bay to Cabot Links in Inverness when my legs got a bit crampy just past the causeway. Wanting to stretch my legs I pulled into the parking lot of the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique. We noticed that it had a restaurant that was open and heard some nice Celtic music coming from inside so we went in for lunch. What a wonderful decision! Turns out what I thought was recorded music was actually live with a fiddler and a piano player... really toe tapping, hand clapping good old fashioned Cape Breton tunes. The fiddler was Joe MacMaster, nephew of the great Natalie. While we waited for our food, we toured the small interpretive exhibit based on the Gaelic music and dance tradition of the island. Did you know that at the beginning of the 20th century there were 75,000 Gaelic speakers on Cape Breton? Lenore and I tried our hands at fiddling. I am no Ashley MacIsaac. The food was equally good. I had a great seafood chowder packed with lobster meat and not diluted by adding flour or starch. Alison had seafood carbonara which she found equally yummy. Lenore the vegan had fries and and very nice looking red slaw. Naturally the first beer of the trip had to be a Kitchen Party from Big Spruce Brewery. Honestly, with just us, the musicians and the very friendly staff it did feel like we had stumbled into a true Cape Breton kitchen party. Next time you are on the Ceilidh Trail drop in. Cape Breton Island Travel Media Association of Canada Nova Scotia

The #golfgearchallenge is back. I was waiting for cooler weather to model some of the golf sweaters I have. Todays hat is from DArcy Ranch Golf Club in Okotoks, Alberta which my brother Robert and I played years ago. Remember that we played with a pro who had multiple birdies while I actually made one chipping out of a greenside bunker. The sweater is from the site of the 2019 British Open Royal Portrush Golf Club, aptly won by Irishman Shane Lowry. We played it a few years... before on the same day as their most famous member, Darren Clarke, was also playing. His very expensive looking BMW sports car was in his marked spot, but we didnt see him. As expected the course was in great shape and very difficult. I have included pictures of David Black hitting out of Big Bertha, the largest bunker in Europe and Chuck out of another one. Both were successful. It was the first time I ever saw a person playing with their dog in tow which is apparently allowed at some UK clubs. Definitely should be on everyones must play list. Golf Journalists Association of Canada

I finally got to #georgesisland thanks to Parks Canada. Here is what I have to say about this great place. Parks Canada Halifax Discover Halifax Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/08/26/georges-island/

#GreenwichDunes in Prince Edward Island National Park is a must visit destination on The Gentle Island. Heres why. Prince Edward Island Tourism Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/08/19/greenwich-dunes/

The #golfgearchallenge is winding down as I have run out of golf shirts, but still have a few hats and sweaters. Todays features a hat from Lake Winnipegs great course Lakeview Hecla Golf Course and a sweater from our very own Cabot Links where I am headed in a few weeks. Alison and I played Hecla while she was at an Intergovernmental Affairs meeting in Gimli, Manitoba of all places. At that time it was a government owned resort with one of the best public courses in the pr...ovince. Definitely a hidden gem in central Manitoba. Cabot Links has two of the top 100 golf courses in the world. Its unbelievable what Ben Cowan-Dewar has done to make Cape Breton a golf destination equal to any in the world. I very much look forward to playing and writing about the two courses in early September. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada Golf Cape Breton

Heres a link to an interview we did on Global regarding our new book. https://globalnews.ca//7281086/the-nova-scotia-bucket-list/

Heres a hole by hole description of playing the excellent Brudenell River Golf Course. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada Prince Edward Island Tourism... PEIs Finest Golf GOLF PEI https://themaritimeexplorer.ca//brudenell-river-golf-cour/

After a short hiatus due to travels to PEI and Digby the #golfgearchallenge is back with a hat from a very good course Eagle Mountain Golf Club and a shirt from a truly great one Princeville at Hanalei. I played Eagle Mountain during a football trip to Arizona some time ago and remember it for a couple of reasons. First, after getting the shit kicked out of me at Gold Canyon the day before I played really well at Eagle Mountain and was in the low 80s - 81 is what I recall. T...he second thing had to do with a handheld GPS unit they provided to each twosome. I was playing with Don Harding and somehow about half way through our round we ran over the damn thing. Being the nice guys we are we quietly and furtively exchanged it for the one in the other guys cart - Chuck and Peter I think. They never noticed the difference and nobody was the wiser. Eagle Mountain is a good choice for a Phoenix golf outing. Princeville is another matter. Not only is it one of the most scenic courses you could ever play its also one of the toughest. So tough that one T. Woods called it unfair. I was expecting to get the Gold Canyon treatment here, but not so. Alison and I played a scramble on a virtually deserted course and didnt get too badly beaten up. With the incredible views of Hanalei Bay and Bali Hai who would care. Around the 13th hole a fellow in a cart drove up and offered cold towels and fresh pineapple juice. The service here was phenomenal. If you ever needed a reason to take a golf vacation in Kauai then Princeville is it. Nice golf shirt too! Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Heres a number of reasons for visiting eastern PEI before the summer is gone. Prince Edward Island Tourism Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/08/13/eastern-pei/

Heres a link to an interview Alison and I gave on CTV News regarding our new book. Travel Media Association of Canada Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video

Todays #golfgearchallenge is a bit different. It comes to you from a course I have played over 100 times Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa. Alison and I stayed and played yesterday. I have no hat because I have run out of them on this road trip, but dont worry I have a few more at home. I have no clue where the golf shirt is from. Possibly Griffin, Georgia as the logo is definitely a griffin. We did play a number of courses in the Atlanta area years ago and this might be one of them. If anyone recognizes it, let me know. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Here is my latest post from our recent golf trip to PEI. Its on Dundarave which I think is the best conditioned course on the island and a must play. Golf Journalists Association of CanadaTravel Media Association of Canada PEIs Finest Golf Prince Edward Island Tourism GOLF PEI https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/08/06/dundarave/

After a few days off the #golfgearchallenge is back from the late, great Dan Weirs home course of Paragon Golf & Country Club in Kingston, NS. The hat is from the pre-flood courses Kananaskis Country Golf Course in the foothills of the Alberta Rockies and the shirt is from Lahinch Golf Club in SW Ireland. The last time I ever played 36 holes in one day was with my brother Robert at the two Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses at Kanaskis, Alberta. Both courses were stunning and ra...ted in the top 50 in Canada until totally wiped out in a flood in 2013. Alison and I dropped in around 2015 and I could not believe the total devastation. However, the courses have now been rebuilt and I seriously hope to get back to see how they compare to the originals. I played Lahinch in 2019 with our golf buddies group and found it a fascinating course that is a must play in Ireland. Heres a full length article telling you why. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/03/18/lahinch/

Here is my latest post from PEI on the North Cape Coastal Drive which is a must do for all island visitors. Prince Edward Island Tourism Travel Media Association of Canada https://themaritimeexplorer.ca///north-cape-coastal-drive/

Chef Michael Smith has long been known to be a culinary genius and hes proven that once again with his response to the Covid pandemic. Aware of the restrictions that social distancing has placed on the ability to put on a world class meal in an indoor setting he has responded by moving things at The Inn at Bay Fortune outdoors. His picnic takes place on tables set up facing Bay Fortune and consists of a dozen Colville Bay oysters with an adult smoothie as an accompaniment ...followed by an amazing picnic package. The package is delivered by Michael on a device he dreamed up himself on which the picnic bag is placed and then turned 180 degrees to be picked up by the customer. No one gets closer than six feet. Whats in that picnic bag is an array of goodies that is astonishing. Green salad from the inns garden, smoked salmon slaw, potato salad, the best beef brisket Ive ever had anywhere, ribs, sausages, roasted root vegetables, freshly baked bread, blueberry muffins and a creamsicle panna cotta. Now that the bubble is Atlantic people from the other three provinces absolutely need to get their asses over to PEI and enjoy this. Oh and BTW, the inn continues to be the fantastic place it has always been. For some reason FB wont upload photos so Ill post and put them on Maritime Explorer Prince Edward Island Tourism Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge comes from #BrudenellRiverGC where I am standing on the great par five 17th, aptly named Panorama. The hat is from @AzBiltmore in Scottsdale, Arizone which I played a few years back. It is one of the oldest courses in the Phoenix area and very mature. Remember seeing Alice Coopers van in the parking lot. The brand new shirt is from #Dundarave which we played yesterday in fantastic weather and found the course unbelievably well conditioned - up to PGA standards. The more I play this course the more I like it. Look for an upcoming post in The Maritime Explorer just on Dundarave. PEIs Finest Golf Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge is coming to you from stunning #DundaraveGC in Brudenell River, PEI. More about it in the next post. The visor is from Olde Hickory golf and Country club fort myers Florida and the newly acquired shirt from Mill River Resort in western PEI. I barely remember Olde Hickory. It was one of a number of high end developments that allowed daily fees for a short period of time before going private. Better remembered is Chuck Johnstones ancient wooden wedge... that went by the same name and often performed miracles. I played Mill River many, many years ago with Brian MacLellan and Mike Perry. I remember one of the strangest pieces of bad luck I have ever experienced and trust me, I have had my share. The 7th hole is divided down the middle by a creek leaving two very narrow fairways. We were playing match play and Brian hit his ball into the water while I was safe. After a drop he hit his third shot onto the elevated green, but no worries I was hitting my second shot and struck my iron purely and it head straight for the flag. I thought it might even go in for an eagle. Instead it hit the flag, not the flagstick, which wrapped around the ball and fired it like a sling into the woods never to be seen again. Brian two putted for a five and my lost ball cost me a six. I vowed to return, not expecting it to take 40 years. We found Mill River to be a fantastic course in great shape with a number of potential signature holes. I enjoyed it so much I wrote an entire hole by hole post for my website. For some reason FB is not allowing me to upload the link so if you want to read it and you should if youre interested in what it is like at a golf resort during Covid then go to www.themaritimeexplorer.ca Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada PEIs Finest Golf

Todays #golfgearchallenge comes to you via beautiful Mill River Resort in western PEI. More on Mill River in the next post. The hat is from Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto which I played about ten years ago with a member. Its a private course designed by the legendary A.W. Tillinghast who was also responsible for Baltusrol and Winged Foot. It has hosted four Canadian Opens. For some reason it has no hole markers and I remember that the member I was playing with li...terally got lost trying to find his way from one hole to the next. Needless to say it is in immaculate condition and comes in at #69 in Canadas top 100 courses. Lighthouse Sound is also a top 100 course in the US in terms of courses you can play. Its by far the nicest course in the Ocean City area and in the top 10 of courses in the state. Beautiful views of Lighthouse Sound with Ocean City in the background and plenty of marshland. Seemingly miles of boardwalk to protect the fragile ecosystem. What I most remember is what happened on the 18th hole here in a match between Chuck Johnstone and myself against Dan Weir and Brian MacLellan. The match was tied and Danny had just putted for a gimme par. Brian and I were out of the hole. Chuck was a good 35 feet away with a triple breaker so all I was hoping for was a lag that would make the match a tie. Instead the Chuckster holed the put for a one up victory. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

The #golfgearchallenge is hitting the road. Todays course was Wallace River Golf Course where I wore a hat from River Oaks Golf Club and a shirt from The Sanctuary Golf Club. Brian MacLellan had been telling me what an interesting course there was not far from his cottage at Fox Harbour called Wallace River. We played it today with Brian and Elizabeth and what a pleasant surprise. Despite being virtually a one family operation, the Weeks have done a great job carving out a ...9 hole course along the banks of the Wallace River. The course is not only very scenic, but also very difficult due to the tiny crowned greens. Well worth dropping in to play. River Oaks is another of what I would describe as a working mans course, laid out by non-professionals, but coming up with a good result. Located in the Musquodoboit Valley it has many holes along the river and is known for its wildlife. The Sanctuary could not be further removed from the above two courses being located in the very upscale Sanctuary development on Sanibel Island, Florida. It has very few members and on the day Alison and I played it, we saw only one other group. The course is an Arthur Hills design that takes full advantage of the abundant wildlife of Sanibel as it borders upon Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. In immaculate condition this is one of the very best private courses in SW Florida.

Great food and better company at Fox Harbr Resort

Todays #golfgearchallenge comes to you from foggy Yarmouth Links where I am wearing a hat from New Brunswicks Le Club de Golf St-Ignace Golf Club and a shirt from PGA National Resort & Spa. St. Ignace is what I would call a hidden gem. Its a Geoffry Cornish course almost in the middle of nowhere an hour north of Moncton. I played it years ago with Dan Weir and Chuck Johnstone on the way to Bathurst. Was very impressed with the course conditioning and design. In November 20...14 Alison and I made a spur of the moment decision to go to Florida for a golf vacation. Our primary destination was the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens which is home to the Honda Classic. I used my travel writers credentials to get a great media rate and a fantastic room overlooking the 18th green of the Champion Course. We played the Fazio course which passes by the headquarters of the PGA, the Aquire course and the Palmer course, but not the Jack Nicklaus course where the famous Bear Trap makes it one of the hardest courses on the tour. The food here was fantastic and it is a perfect spot for a husband and wife getaway. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Our latest book is out! Check it out at http://www.formac.ca//3165/The-Nova-Scotia-Bucket-List.html Travel Media Association of Canada Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)... NATJA Members See more

Todays #golfgearchallenge starts off in Tampa with the Westchase Golf Club and then were off to Irish horse country and the two great Arnold Palmer courses at The K Club. Westchase is a daily fee course in Tampa thats just north of the airport in a planned community of the same name. Very friendly staff and nice wildlife make it an atypical Florida golf experience. The K Club is in another league altogether, having played host to the Ryder Cup. In 2019 we played both the ...Ryder Cup course and the Smurfit course and had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The hotel has to be seen to be believed. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada For a detailed look at The K Club read this post on The Maritime Explorer. https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/04/28/k-club/

Todays #golfgearchallenge starts off in Calgary with a course I played as #CalgaryElksGC, but is now called The Winston Golf Club and then heads to Scotland to a course some believe is the toughest on the planet, the venerable Carnoustie Golf Links. The hat is from the Calgary Elks golf club which has now been sold and rebranded as The Winston GC. While its not the toughest or the most scenic course of the many I have played in and around Calgary, it is quite reasonably p...riced and offers a good terst. Carnoustie is another matter. It is very pricey and incredibly difficult, but hey, its hosted eight Opens plus a Womens Opren and two Senior Opens. Its also one of three courses that makep the Dunhill Cup. When we played it the course was being prepped for that latter tournament. Unfortunately the day we played it was very foggy so I couldnt really say how scenic it was, but I do remember the damn burns or small creeks that have ruined more than just Jean van der Veldes final round in the 1999 Open. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada For more info on Carnoustie read my post from The Maritime Explorer - https://themaritimeexplorer.ca///14/carnoustie-golf-links/

Todays #golfgearchallenge comes to you from beautiful Chester Golf Club where Alison and I played today with Mike and Joanne Argand. The visor is from Wildcat Run Golf and Country Club in Fort Myers which I played many years ago with David Black and B.A.Porter. It is an Arnold Palmer Signature design and I recall it as a wonderfully laid out course, one of the best in SW Florida. It is now very private and has only 450 members or so. The shirt is from ChampionsGate Golf Clu...b in Orlando which has two completely different Greg Norman coursers. It is also the home of the David Leadbetter Academy. The day we played the international course I saw a very tall woman on a private practice range hitting drivers like I have never seen before. Turns out it was Michelle Wie and her parents were there watching her. We also ran into Dr. Bob Rotella from the Golf Channel and he was more than happy to talk to us - a real nice guy. He was playing with an up and comer from the then Nations tour and both teed off from the champions tees on No. 1 which featured at least a 240 yard carry over water and both made it with ease. These are the type of people you are likely to run into at Champions Gate which, after Bay Hill, I would rate the No. 1 golf facility in Orlando that you can play. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Taking a day off from the #golfgearchallenge to finish the final post from Central America. Its about a wonderful island called Ambergris Caye. Enjoy and dream of travel again. https://themaritimeexplorer.ca/2020/07/17/ambergris-caye/

Todays #golfgearchallenge returns to PEI and the wonderful Stanley Thompson course Green Gables Golf Club and then a second look Tidewater Golf Club. I first played Green Gables back in the 1970s and have returned many times since. It is one of Parks Canada classic national park courses and despite numerous changes over the years still maintains its integrity as a Thompson course. The most memorable moment here was playing with Brian MacLellan and Mike Perry. We were being... constantly held up by a guy in front of us who had a full leg cast on and should have been recovering, not playing golf. Frustrated by him standing on the 18th green adding up his score I said to Mike who was a good 230 yards from the green "Hit the bastard". Sure enough Mike hit the longest three wood of his life and nailed the guy right on his cast. Suddenly he moved with a speed I wouldnt have thought possible. I previously featured a hat from Tidewater, forgetting that I also had a shirt from a second visit. This is one of the best courses in Myrtle Beach and I will always add it to the itinerary on any visit to the Carolina lowlands. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge starts of in Manitoba at the excellent Quarry Oaks Golf Course and then goes to the Big Island of Hawaii to a course I played there that no longer exists, but the Kona Country Club still does. Huh? For some reason old quarries make great venues for golf courses, perhaps the best example being the Green Monkey on Barbados. Quarry Oaks is another excellent example. It is a daily fee operation outside of Winnipeg that I played as part of the Canadian B...ar Association tournament when the conference was held there some time ago. Definitely a must play course in Manitoba and with 27 holes there are three different combinations to try. The Kona Country Club had two 18 courses when we played there with Rob and Janet Purdy in 2013. We played the Mountain Course which has incredible views and many ancient Hawaiian ruins on site. Unfortunately, less than two months after playing it it was sold to developers. The good news is that the Keauhou Bay course is still there and waiting our return to this island paradise. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge features two of the most scenic courses in the United States. The hat is from Arrowhead Golf Club and the shirt from the Ocean Course Kiawah Island Golf Resort, one of the most famous golf courses on Earth. Arrowhead is in Littleton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver and it had just opened when I played it in the late 1990s. It was a collaboration between Robert Trent Jones Sr. & Jr. The sandstone rock that projects directly out of the fairways are unli...ke anything I have seen on a golf course before or since as the photos show. To top it off there was a plethora of wildlife including two stags that were battling it out antler to antler right in the middle of a fairway and ignoring us entirely. One of the top ten rounds of golf in my life. Speaking of top tens, Pete Dyes Ocean Course at Kiawah is rated #4 of the courses you can play in the U.S. I have always wanted to play it since watching the infamous "War on the Shore" 1991 Ryder Cup where Bernhard Langer missed a short put on the 18th to give the Americans the victory. Bernhard has always been one of my favourite golfers and I felt sick for him after he blew it. Playing the Ocean Course twice a few years ago lived up to every expectation. It is the classic Carolina lowlands seaside course - not nearly as scenic as Arrowhead, but very beautiful and challenging. Pete Dye at his best. Also got to meet that Trump sycophant Lindsay Graham in the clubhouse. The caddies detested him because he did not tip them, but thought they should be honoured to be carrying the bag of a U.S. senator. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge features gear from two football/golf trips - one to Arizona where we played Gold Canyon Golf Resort & Spa and another to Maryland where a few of us played bullerock Havre De Grace, MD. Gold Canyon has two courses in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix. We played the Dinosaur Mountain tract which is classic desert target golf. I remember playing with Chuck Johnstone and Dan Weir who was late getting to the starter and brushed right by heading ...for the first tee. The starter was explaining the many natural hazards on the course including jumping chollas. These are small cacti that can fire off deadly sharp needles when the ground near them is disturbed. No sooner had he explained this then we heard a scream from Dan who found this to be true the hard way. The thorns had gone right through his golf shoe. I also remember that this course was exceptionally beautiful with some tremendous drops from the tee box. It really ate my lunch. Bulle Rock is a Pete Dye course in Havre de Grace Maryland built on the sight of the first stud ranch in North America. It is named for the first thoroughbred horse brought to United States in 1730 and the picture of me is with Bulle Rock. The course is consistently ranked the #1 Public Course in Maryland and was well worth the drive from Baltimore to play. As usual with Pete Dye courses, it was difficult, but contrary to many of his creations, he did not move a lot of earth and stated "I did not undo Gods work" Definitely a must play if you are in Maryland. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge features my first ever selfie with hat from Breezy Bend CC in Manitoba and shirt from Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scotland. As Alison is at her mothers and Lenore has gone to Toronto, I had to take the photo myself. Given the results, hopefully it will be the last time. Breezy Bend is a course in Headingly, just west of Winnipeg right on a bend of the Assiniboine River. In the late 1980s my father was a member here and I played th...e course a few times. The name says it all. A nice course made very tough by perpetual prairie winds. We played Turnberry on our golf trip to Scotland in 2017. It is of course world famous and a regular on the British Open rotation. Its also probably the most scenic of the Open courses with rugged ocean vistas, a fabulous lighthouse and grand strands. It is also in beautiful condition. The only drawback is that it is owned by you know who and while he has done a great job on the course, his ego has led him to plaster his faux coat-of-arms everywhere along with a garish fountain at the entrance. I note that since our visit the hotel is now part of the Marriott Bonvoy chain. Travel Media Association of Canada Golf Journalists Association of Canada For a more detailed review of Turnberry read my post - https://themaritimeexplorer.ca//turnberry-ailsa-course-do/

Todays #golfgearchallenge starts of just outside of Ottawa at the Graham Cooke designed Emerald Links Golf & Country Club. I played there way back in the mid 1990s while attending the Canadian Bar Association conference in Ottawa. It is essentially a 27 hole daily fee operation that has the cachet of being designed by Graham Cooke who also did Glen Arbour, Osprey Ridge and Fox Harbr in Nova Scotia. Waterville Links is a much better known course at the farthest point on the... Ring of Kerry in SW Ireland. The drive there from Killarney is spectacular. Unfortunately the day we played it started off wet and got wetter. Its the only time I can remember Brian MacLellan ever not completing a round. My group persevered and we got to play the signature 18th hole which is dramatic. Also the 12th is called The Mass because Catholics gathered in this hollow to hold mass during the period that it was prohibited under English rule. I also liked the pennant shaped flags with the hare on them. Golf Journalists Association of Canada Travel Media Association of Canada

Todays #golfgearchallenge starts off very close to home with Granite Springs Golf Club and then heads to Wisconsin for the two superb Pete Dye courses at Blackwolf Run which are part of the four courses that make up the Kohler The American Club Resort. Alison has been playing Granite Springs every week this summer with Janet and Joanne and loves it. I remember the granite outcrops that can cause your ball to go crazy. Still, good value for your dollar. Blackwolf Run is made up of two courses, The River and Meadow Valley in which the Sheboygan River features prominently. I played these in the fall and from the photos you can see just what beautiful courses they are. Never pass up a chance to play these two courses plus their companions, Whistling Straits.