Rocky Crest, the essence of golf, missing Canadians and more
Rocky Crest Revisited
It had been over ten years since I last played Rocky Crest in Muskoka but thanks to an invitation from the folks at ClubLink, I made a return visit this past week. First let me say that the course was in immaculate condition, and when I say immaculate, I mean perfect. According to Jerry Feltis, ClubLink Regional Director – Central Ontario, the greens were running close to 12 on the Stimpmeter. For anyone who hasn’t played this Tom McBroom gem, the greens have a lot of contours to them, so lightening quick speed makes them border on treacherous. Tough for long putts, even tougher for chipping. Rocky Crest has been one of my personal favourites since I first played it, and it certainly hasn’t lost any of its appeal. The routing is brilliant and showcases the rugged Canadian Shield to best advantage. Many of the holes are tight and tree-lined and feature exposed rock while several open onto wetlands that call for a different approach altogether. It’s this blend that defines Muskoka and McBroom’s genius at crafting a golf course out of such a wild space. BONUS: The log-cabin style clubhouse is perfect for the setting and in my opinion, the prettiest in Muskoka. Thanks to Erin Weslock for being a great host. If you haven’t played Rocky Crest, you should add it to your Bucket List. You can get more information HERE.
The essence of golf
When I published my article last week about 11 courses in the region that are “the essence of golf”, I received some interesting feedback from readers. One reader maintained that the PGA Tour is the essence of golf because it sets the standard based on the best golfers in the world and everything flows from there. Another reader took exception with my list because all the courses were public and suggested that private courses are the true essence of golf because the members are more avid golfers. Still another didn’t like short courses. Well, each to his own, I guess, but I still believe that the majority of golfers in this country don’t need the trappings of private clubs, the artificial grooming of a Tour course or longer holes to enjoy the game. It seems that most readers agreed with my conclusions too. You can read the article HERE.
Happy Anniversary!
Lakeview House is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. I missed that earlier in the season when acknowledging some key birthdays but the 9-hole course in Jackson’s Point started in 1923. I haven’t played it yet and the website doesn’t offer much on the club’s history, but I’ve added it to my list and aim to find out more. Stay tuned.
No ‘Canadian’ in CPKC Women’s Open
The former CP Canadian Women’s Open, now known as the CPKC Women’s Open, was played last month at Shaughnessy Golf Club in Vancouver. Maybe I missed something in the announcement about the name change, which had to do with Canadian Pacific Rail merging with Kansas City Southern Rail, but the new name omits the word Canadian. Doesn’t make sense to me. We have the RBC Canadian Open. Why not the CPKC Canadian Women’s Open?
Being a friend is better than two wins
The US Team picks for this year’s Ryder Cup are in and there are surprises and bruised feelings, thanks to Captain Zach Johnson’s choices. Johnson stuck to the Davis Love III formula and went with the in-crowd for his six Captain’s picks to complement the six automatic qualifiers. In case you missed it, that DLIII formula keeps a pretty tight-knit group of players and captains in the fold based on friendships, past records and whatever other criteria they can dig up to close the door on interlopers. This year, #13 Rickie Fowler and #15 Justin Thomas got the nod while #9 Cameron Young, #11 Keegan Bradley and #16 Lucas Glover were left off the squad. Bradley and Glover both had two wins this year. It’s really tough to fault any of the picks, although Glover would have been a fun choice and Bradley was certainly more deserving than #12 Sam Burns. However, Burns is best friends with #1 Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas, who is part of the in-crowd, is best buddies with Jordan Spieth. As Keegan Bradley, a self-confessed outsider said, “I’ve always been an outsider in the sport, but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team. I feel like moving forward I’m going to have to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.”
Who’s the best Canadian?
A couple of weeks back, Joseph Deraney from Belden, Mississippi won the Canadian Mid Amateur Championship. Congratulations Joe! I’m sure he was thrilled at winning a national championship, even though it wasn’t his own. My beef isn’t with Joe, who was just following the rules of entry. My beef is with Golf Canada. When someone asks who the best Canadian amateurs are – senior, junior, male, female – I’d like to be able to say it was so-and-so who won his or her national championship. I don’t want to have to explain that so-and-so is probably the best Canadian because they finished second or third or 12th behind foreign players. I asked people at Golf Canada this question a few years back and was told that they let foreign players into the field so that Canadian players can test themselves against the best in the world. As good as Joe Deraney was a couple of weeks ago, he’s not the best Mid-Amateur in the world. As it turns out, the best Canadian players in the Mid-Am finished tied for 4th behind three Americans. I don’t want to sound like some isolationist wacko, but I think as far as amateurs are concerned, it would be nice to have a home-grown champion.
