Ruminating hard today, about a recent foray to the Oakanagan. The tough decision, drive 10 hours, flyeia with West Jet, 52 minutes. Well not quite, need to factor airport hassle time. So real travel time was 2 hours and 20 minutes, my house to YLW. Cost with seat sale, less than driving by large order of magnitude.
Golf wine and real estate were on the agenda. Golf for the focus for this post. Played The Pinnacle, 9-holer next to Gallagher's Canyon. Great little track to 'figure' it out on, after winter of benign neglect. Will be good for in season adjustments, too.
Better, if you are inclined to practice, is the range facility, at Gallagher's. Doubled ended range, large, well expansive, grass tee box. Sand trap and chipping area. Lessons available as you would expect.
Played the Harvest, too. Now this little devil can fool you with elevations and wind. Greens were mid April speed. Can just imagine what they'd be like now, eh mid summer, remember that? The par three, 16th is a nice little challenge. Above the pin on mid summer greens, mid summer nightmare!
Black Mountain is Melcor Golf facility, in north Kelowna. Needs some finishing touches before it deserves the Score Canada rating it has. No warm up area, or putting green. Not sure how that can be,but it is. Course itself is set in on bench high above Kelown
a. Typical Melcor track, real estate surrounding it. Hope they don't build the houses too close.
a. Typical Melcor track, real estate surrounding it. Hope they don't build the houses too close. Six par 4's under 380 may deter big hitters. However can attest staying 3 over on those is a pretty good challenge. Holes 13-17 will make or break the outing.
Par 3 11 th at Black Mountain 184 or 154 yds
Here, you get 2 par 3s, over 200 yards and 3, par 4's under 375. Have fun! And trust me 360 yard par fours can be a lot of eh, fun, combined with fair amount of muttering. As always straight is 'good'. Despite some missing ingredients I'd play it again for that stretch of holes.
Got to Osoyoos too. Played the Desert Gold at the Country Club. Another mountain track with spectacular vistas, short par fours, again in the 340 to 385 range. Accuracy is the game of choice. And when you tackle the 527 yard par 5, 6th, use a hybrid twice to get in place for your approach to the green.
My playing partners had serious case of lock-jaw, when I pulled out the driver and hit two, into the toolies.
Eh left is no good here, just trust me.
They made amends for themselves over lunch, though. Food at the Osoyoos GC is very good and reasonably priced.
The best part of the south Oakanagan is sunny warm weather. Actually hot +25 two weeks ago. They tell me t'was the same here, then, remember?
And for two small, albeit tourist oriented towns, Oliver and Osoyoos, boost 81 holes of golf and more coming. There's 36 at the Osoyoos Country, 9 with 9 more coming at Sonora Dunes, owned by the Osoyoos Indian band. Didn't play Fairview Mountain this time but will, next trip. NK'Mip another OIB facility, is also on the radar.
Sunny days ahead, and o yes one more little gem tucked off the beaten path, Saint Andrews on the Lake. This deserves a visit just to take a photograph. Huge clubhouse, worth a stop for lunch and a beverage.
Musings on a spring day in Edmonton.
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