Regina born Canadian Tour Professional Kent Eger took home his first Canadian Tour title on Sunday with an amazing -26 performance at the Seaforth Country Classic in Seaforth, Ontario.
His scores were 65, 64, 65, 64. Not bad scores with $24,000 on the line. You can check out the full press release from the Canadian Tour at http://www.cantour.com/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=3776&leagueID=0&page=28700.
Eger's win comes just two weeks after Graham DeLaet posted his first Canadian Tour win. This is all great news from the golfers who played under the Saskatchewan flag at one point in time.
The next tournament is the Canadian Tour Championship in Barrie, Ontario. Here's hoping that the other Saskatchewan player on the tour, Lindsay Bernakevitch, can join in on the good run.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Deutsche Bank Championship 2008 TV Coverage
I was trying to figure out why I couldn't find any golf on the major networks this afternoon. Being Saturday and all, you'd think there would be some golf on either ABC, NBC, or CBS. But with the long weekend, the PGA has decided to have a Monday finish. I think this is the case most years, but I never would have thought about a Monday finish.
Since the Golf Channel has the contract to carry the first two rounds of just about every tournament, they have the coverage today.
Thanks to the Armchair Golf Blog for the info on the TV coverage!
Since the Golf Channel has the contract to carry the first two rounds of just about every tournament, they have the coverage today.
Thanks to the Armchair Golf Blog for the info on the TV coverage!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Score Golf Top 100 Golf Courses List Released
Score Golf came out with their biennial Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada list this past weekend, and as always there is controversy. As you can see in the comments on their website, everyone always has a way to take issue with the list. This course made it over this course?…Where’s this course?...I can’t believe that course ranked higher than my favourite course!...kinda stuff.
The question that I ask is “How is the Score Golf Top 100 List compiled?” Here’s what I found out:
There are 87 panellists that comprise of a mixture of golf professionals, superintendents, journalists, and weekend duffers. They each have two years to submit their rankings of courses that they have played and think deserve to be ranked in the Top 100. They are not allowed to submit a course that they own shares, are a member, or otherwise affiliated to in any way. There are no architects on the panel and Score Golf Editor Bob Weeks also has no vote. July 30 was the deadline for ranking submissions.
The panellists are asked to rank courses based on nine areas that are each given a weighted value. The rubric breaks down like this:
Beauty – 15
Strategy – 15
Challenge – 15
Design – 15
Par 3’s – 5
Par 4’s – 5
Par 5’s – 5
Conditioning – 5
Fun – 20
Score golf then assigns a Top 100 historical value to each course and the rankings are compiled.
I don’t get too bent out of shape about the list like some people do, but it is fun to follow. I know what my favourite courses are and no list can change that. What I do like to do is go through the list and pick out the courses that I have played to see where they rank and try to find courses I haven’t played (or heard of) that I should think about getting to.
Here’s the courses I’ve played on the list and where they ranked:
11. Banff Springs Golf Club – The Thompson Course – Banff, AB – Stanley Thompson
15. Blackhawk Golf Club – Main Course – Spruce Grove, AB – Rod Whitman
20. Wolf Creek Golf Course – South/West – Ponoka, AB – Rod Whitman
27. Kananaskis Country Golf Course – Mount Kidd Course – Kananaskis, AB – Robert Trent Jones
30. Stewart Creek Golf Resort – Main Course – Canmore, AB – Gary Browning
37. Greywolf Golf Course – Main Course – Panorama, BC – Doug Carrick
40. Kananaskis Country Golf Course – Mount Lorette Course – Kananaskis, AB – Robert Trent Jones
44. Dakota Dunes Golf Links – Dakota Dunes Golf Course – Saskatoon, SK – Graham Cooke
70. Eagle Ranch Golf Course – Main Course – Invermere, BC – Bill Robinson
75. Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club – Main Course – Stanley Thompson – Edmonton, AB
91. Links of GlenEagles Golf Course – Main Course – Cochrane, AB – Les Furber
Some of the sub-categories mentioned a few of the courses I’ve played as well. Of note were the Mount Kidd Course at Kananaskis ranking #5 for Top Public Course, Banff Springs ranking #3 for Top Resort Course, Stewart Creek ranking #2 for Best Conditioned Course, and Silvertip ranking as Stephen Ames’ second favourite golf course in Canada (full disclosure – I believe he’s sponsored by Silvertip so he has an obligation that way – even if it is a great golf course).
As you can tell from the list, most of my golf has been played in the west. There’s a few that I think could probably make the list, but the list is regionalized to an extent, which it probably should be. If Ontario has 800+ golf courses and the biggest population in Canada, the law of large numbers says that they should probably have the most courses on the list. Since Saskatchewan has a low population and small number of top calibre golf courses, they probably won’t have much representation on the list (I’ll have to come up with a Saskatchewan list later on this summer).
I think Robert Thompson of the National Post said it best in the TSN broadcast of the Score Top 100 List when he said (I’m paraphrasing) “Everyone has their favourite course, but that might be different from the best course”. In my view, as long as you enjoy the courses you play, that’s all that matters.
I also think that the more courses you play, the more you’ll find your personal list of best courses changes. As you can see above, I’ve played 11 courses on the Top 100 list. I’d like to think that I’ve played a ton of golf (albeit mostly in the west) and I’ve got my list of favourite courses but I’m willing to bet that my list would change if I got to play a few courses in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
Above all, the Score Golf Top 100 Golf Course List is a great way to get the country talking about golf. It gives golf tourists a jumping off point to start their list of must visit courses. Along the way they may find a few that never made the list. And that’s good for the game.
If you missed the TSN broadcast, you can watch it at http://scoregolf.com/video/index.cfm?event=top-100-golf-courses-2008.
The question that I ask is “How is the Score Golf Top 100 List compiled?” Here’s what I found out:
There are 87 panellists that comprise of a mixture of golf professionals, superintendents, journalists, and weekend duffers. They each have two years to submit their rankings of courses that they have played and think deserve to be ranked in the Top 100. They are not allowed to submit a course that they own shares, are a member, or otherwise affiliated to in any way. There are no architects on the panel and Score Golf Editor Bob Weeks also has no vote. July 30 was the deadline for ranking submissions.
The panellists are asked to rank courses based on nine areas that are each given a weighted value. The rubric breaks down like this:
Beauty – 15
Strategy – 15
Challenge – 15
Design – 15
Par 3’s – 5
Par 4’s – 5
Par 5’s – 5
Conditioning – 5
Fun – 20
Score golf then assigns a Top 100 historical value to each course and the rankings are compiled.
I don’t get too bent out of shape about the list like some people do, but it is fun to follow. I know what my favourite courses are and no list can change that. What I do like to do is go through the list and pick out the courses that I have played to see where they rank and try to find courses I haven’t played (or heard of) that I should think about getting to.
Here’s the courses I’ve played on the list and where they ranked:
11. Banff Springs Golf Club – The Thompson Course – Banff, AB – Stanley Thompson
15. Blackhawk Golf Club – Main Course – Spruce Grove, AB – Rod Whitman
20. Wolf Creek Golf Course – South/West – Ponoka, AB – Rod Whitman
27. Kananaskis Country Golf Course – Mount Kidd Course – Kananaskis, AB – Robert Trent Jones
30. Stewart Creek Golf Resort – Main Course – Canmore, AB – Gary Browning
37. Greywolf Golf Course – Main Course – Panorama, BC – Doug Carrick
40. Kananaskis Country Golf Course – Mount Lorette Course – Kananaskis, AB – Robert Trent Jones
44. Dakota Dunes Golf Links – Dakota Dunes Golf Course – Saskatoon, SK – Graham Cooke
70. Eagle Ranch Golf Course – Main Course – Invermere, BC – Bill Robinson
75. Royal Mayfair Golf and Country Club – Main Course – Stanley Thompson – Edmonton, AB
91. Links of GlenEagles Golf Course – Main Course – Cochrane, AB – Les Furber
Some of the sub-categories mentioned a few of the courses I’ve played as well. Of note were the Mount Kidd Course at Kananaskis ranking #5 for Top Public Course, Banff Springs ranking #3 for Top Resort Course, Stewart Creek ranking #2 for Best Conditioned Course, and Silvertip ranking as Stephen Ames’ second favourite golf course in Canada (full disclosure – I believe he’s sponsored by Silvertip so he has an obligation that way – even if it is a great golf course).
As you can tell from the list, most of my golf has been played in the west. There’s a few that I think could probably make the list, but the list is regionalized to an extent, which it probably should be. If Ontario has 800+ golf courses and the biggest population in Canada, the law of large numbers says that they should probably have the most courses on the list. Since Saskatchewan has a low population and small number of top calibre golf courses, they probably won’t have much representation on the list (I’ll have to come up with a Saskatchewan list later on this summer).
I think Robert Thompson of the National Post said it best in the TSN broadcast of the Score Top 100 List when he said (I’m paraphrasing) “Everyone has their favourite course, but that might be different from the best course”. In my view, as long as you enjoy the courses you play, that’s all that matters.
I also think that the more courses you play, the more you’ll find your personal list of best courses changes. As you can see above, I’ve played 11 courses on the Top 100 list. I’d like to think that I’ve played a ton of golf (albeit mostly in the west) and I’ve got my list of favourite courses but I’m willing to bet that my list would change if I got to play a few courses in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
Above all, the Score Golf Top 100 Golf Course List is a great way to get the country talking about golf. It gives golf tourists a jumping off point to start their list of must visit courses. Along the way they may find a few that never made the list. And that’s good for the game.
If you missed the TSN broadcast, you can watch it at http://scoregolf.com/video/index.cfm?event=top-100-golf-courses-2008.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Dakota Dunes Golf Links - Golf Course Review
This past weekend we headed up to Saskatoon to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and played a round at the beautiful Dakota Dunes Golf Links just south of Saskatoon on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. Besides the incredibly drawn out pace of play and a couple rude staff members, overall the experience was great.We had a 1:07 tee time, so after doing some shopping at Golf Town in Saskatoon we made our way to Dakota Dunes in plenty of time, arriving at around noon. We checked in and grabbed a bite to eat. Two green fees and a cart came to $149 – possibly the most you will pay anywhere in Saskatchewan – which is a treat to have access to such affordable, great golf courses. The pro shop staff seemed to have it together pretty well and were very friendly and helpful.
For lunch, $20 bought a turkey sandwich and onion rings for Katlyn and a bison burger with fries for me. Great lunch, definitely recommend the bison and the onion rings especially. The girl at the counter and the cook who brought our food out were extremely friendly as well.
Still with plenty of time, we headed down to the driving range to hit a few balls. Range balls were complimentary and waiting at the practice tee, as they should be at all upper end golf courses. Hats off to Dakota Dunes for providing practice balls with every green fee. They also have a large undulating practice green with a bunker adjacent to the range. Having everything right there is a nice feature.
The pro shop calls out the order on the tee from the loud speaker, so we headed up to the first tee when we heard our names. We were paired up with two locals from Saskatoon – John and Larry – who were a treat to play with and we met them on the practice putting green beside the first tee (another great idea in the layout).
In hindsight, a beef that I have is that there was no starter on the first tee. If your course has a tendency to get backed up, you need a starter at the first tee to lay out the ground rules and to make sure the groups go off at the right time. A poor pace of play begins right off the hop by pushing groups out one on top of the next. On a slow golf course, 10 minute tee time intervals should be used to make sure some air stays in the golf course. Sure you might lose a couple of tee times every day, but people won’t be as likely to be stuck waiting on every tee box. But I digress.The golf course is immaculate. Tees, fairways, greens, even the rough, all in pristine condition.
Probably the best conditioned golf course I have seen anywhere in the province for a long time, with the exception of the Riverside in Saskatoon. The designers have done a great job of meshing the wild prairie grass areas together with the maintained areas of the course. They use what they call “Blow-out Bunkers” – unmaintained sand traps or waste areas – as a great buffer area between some of the thick wild grass/bush and the fairway. The sand in all the bunkers is soft and fluffy making them very forgiving to play out off, which is good because they are littered throughout the course. Often the bunkers are bordered with thick wild grass, but other times they blend nicely into the fairway as if they were on a traditional links course across the pond. The rolling hills and dunes also provide for some magnificent vistas.
Between the four of us in the group we played three different sets of tees, but with five sets of tees, the course still had two more sets left untouched in our group. From the Black Tees, Dakota Dunes plays to a total of 7301 yards over the par 72 track. The sign on the first tee says that you need special permission to play the blacks, so I bit off 6815 yards from the Gold Tees. John and Larry played the 6310 Blue Tees, and Katlyn played the 5154 Red Tees. Length is never a big deal for me, so the distance wasn’t really an issue. The biggest challenge is consistently keeping it on the straight and narrow. But the biggest difference that I noticed between the Gold and Blue tees is that you are forced to hit a lot more blind shots from the Gold’s than the Blue’s. Playing it for the first time made it a bit tough to pick lines and envision the landing areas, but I imagine after a few times it would get quite a bit easier to trust where you’re hitting it.My favourite hole of the day had to be the 376 yard par 4 13th at Dakota Dunes. It’s a 90 degree
dogleg left with options. Long hitters can take a shot at the green by going over a valley of thick bush and prairie grass. The carry from the Gold Tees is probably around 280. Your other option is to lay up to about 120 yards and go at the green from there. I hit my best drive of the day at the green and came up about 20 yards short of the surface. It’s actually quite deceiving to see how much room is between the valley and the green (probably a good 80 yards) as it doesn’t look that way from the tee. Either way, it’s a really fun hole to play.Now I have to touch on a couple negative aspects of our day. There was a five-some playing in front of us for the first few holes on the front nine. The course was backed up all the way around so it didn’t really affect the pace a whole bunch, but it still shouldn’t happen. On about #5 the “Course Host” told us that he split them up into a threesome and a twosome and the pace picked up a fraction. We were still 3 hours on the front nine.
After 3 hours on one nine, you work yourself into a slower routine. You take your time because you’re waiting at every shot anyway. On number 14 fairway, the Course Host approached us and said that he was pushing the two groups ahead of us pretty hard and that we needed to try to keep up. Smart move on his part if we were falling behind (which I didn’t notice we were) by saying that he pushed the groups ahead of us. This makes it seem like we’re not at fault (because no one wants to be thought of as the problem) but it gets us to pick up the pace at the same time. Ok, no big deal.The following hole is a par 3. We get to the green and the course host is back and tells us that it’s
getting to the point in the round where he might have to get us to pick up our balls and skip a hole if we don’t get back in position. Huh? We had two shots to pick up the pace from the last time he spoke to us? This threw off the whole day. All of a sudden we’re in a rush to catch up to a twosome and a threesome in front of us, who all of a sudden decided to race off once the people ahead of them got off the course. I’m sorry, but a foursome with a relative beginner lady and two older guys that aren’t that consistent are not going to be able to keep up to a twosome and a threesome with no one in front of them. And threatening to make a group skip a hole on #16, five hours into a round of golf is ridiculous. This guy went from having the smartest approach to the worst approach in about 10 minutes. The worst part is that we weren’t holding anyone up. I know that’s not supposed to matter because your job is to keep up to the group ahead, but in these circumstances, it did matter.
To cap it all off, it was 32 degrees outside and we were low on fluids. After the round we went up to the restaurant to get our water refilled (which they were kind enough to do for us after 9) and to buy a chocolate bar for the road. Apparently this is an extraordinary request because the new lady working the till was busy ringing in tabs from the day (or something like that) and just looked at us across the counter and said “I could be a while” when we wanted to buy something. Maybe it was because she thought we just wanted our water bottle filled, but that shouldn’t matter. Your job is to serve the patrons of the course. Anyway, we got out of there quietly before Katlyn could blow a gasket at this lady.The guys washing carts were nice enough to provide us with some sample bottles of water to
tide us over until we got back into Saskatoon. One of the guys chatted with us for a bit and asked us if it took us a while to play. We of course said yes, and in response he asked if it was around 5.5 hours. We said yes, that’s exactly how long it took. He responded by saying “Ya, that’s been our average around here lately”. Here I thought maybe the pace was bad because it was just a hot Saturday afternoon, but apparently it’s common place out there.Before leaving we poked our heads into the new casino across the parking lot. We don’t really gamble, but wanted to see what it was like inside. Pretty extravagant for a casino out in the middle of nowhere. And it was pretty full too.
All in all it was a pretty good day, even if it was longer than intended. Hey, we didn’t have anything else to do anyway!
So to sum it all up:Practice facilities: 9/10 – Free range balls and ample putting/chipping greens
Course condition: 9/10 – Immaculate, greens can be subject to noticeable footprints and spike marks because of the high traffic.
Staff: 7/10 - A few bad apples drag down the majority of the good ones.
Food: 7.5/10 – Everything was great, but there are limited choices and lacking facilities right now in the temporary space, so there’s room for improvement.
Pace of Play: 4/10 – Need to space out the tee times a bit more to avoid 5.5 hour rounds.
Difficulty: 8/10 – Five sets of tees make it reasonable for everyone, but challenging at the same time.
Overall Experience: 8/10
Be sure to check out all of our pictures from Dakota Dunes Golf Links.
Have an opinion of your time at Dakota Dunes Golf Links? Let us know in the comments!
LetsPlayGolf!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Congrats To Weyburn's Graham DeLaet On His First Canadian Tour Win
Weyburn, Saskatchewan's Graham DeLaet captured the Desjardins Montreal Open on the weekend in a playoff, his first win on the Canadian Tour. After being named the rookie of the year on the Canadian Tour last season (2007), Graham has had a tough year making only 3 of 8 cuts heading to Montreal.
The $32,000 winners cheque changed that in a hurry.
DeLaet fired a 4-under 67 on Sunday to post -10 in the clubhouse. George Bradford made bogey on the last hole, setting up a three way playoff with UCLA grad Daniel Im.
In the playoff, Bradford found the rough and then the water, ending his chances of taking the title. Im laid up while DeLaet hit a 220 yard approach to the back fringe of the par 5 and got up and down for the win.
Graham DeLaet is a two-time Saskatchewan Amateur Champion. His next action will be next week in the Toronto area at the $125,000 Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga.
The $32,000 winners cheque changed that in a hurry.
DeLaet fired a 4-under 67 on Sunday to post -10 in the clubhouse. George Bradford made bogey on the last hole, setting up a three way playoff with UCLA grad Daniel Im.
In the playoff, Bradford found the rough and then the water, ending his chances of taking the title. Im laid up while DeLaet hit a 220 yard approach to the back fringe of the par 5 and got up and down for the win.
Graham DeLaet is a two-time Saskatchewan Amateur Champion. His next action will be next week in the Toronto area at the $125,000 Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga.
Dakota Dunes Golf Course Pictures - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
My wife Katlyn and I just got back from playing Dakota Dunes Golf Links on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation just south of Saskatoon, SK on the weekend. We drove up in the morning and teed it up just after 1:00. 5 1/2 hours later, we were finished. Despite the incredibly long playing time, it was a good time. I'll have a full review up in the next couple days, but here's a few pictures and a link to more on Flickr.
You can check out the rest of our Dakota Dunes Golf Links pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/29546898@N03/sets/72157606809156427/
Friday, August 15, 2008
Saskatoon Golf Trip This Weekend
It's the weekend, and this weekend that means a golf trip up to Saskatoon with my wife Katlyn in honour of our first anniversary. We're playing Dakota Dunes tomorrow at around 1:00. We haven't played there yet (brutal, I know) so we're really looking forward to it.
We'll be sure to take a ton of pictures to share with everyone when we get back.
Sunday is a toss up. Not sure where we'll play or if we'll play at all. We're thinking about possibly teeing it up at the Willows, or possibly driving halfway back to Regina and getting a quick nine in at the Regional Park golf course at Outlook. We'll see what happens.
Does anyone have any ideas about golf in Saskatoon? I've played Riverside, Willows, Saskatoon G&CC (private and public courses), and Holiday Park but not much else. There's so many courses up there, it really is embarrassing when you compare it to Regina.
I'll have a write up for you on the Dunes when we get back. Can't wait!
Let's Play Golf!
We'll be sure to take a ton of pictures to share with everyone when we get back.
Sunday is a toss up. Not sure where we'll play or if we'll play at all. We're thinking about possibly teeing it up at the Willows, or possibly driving halfway back to Regina and getting a quick nine in at the Regional Park golf course at Outlook. We'll see what happens.
Does anyone have any ideas about golf in Saskatoon? I've played Riverside, Willows, Saskatoon G&CC (private and public courses), and Holiday Park but not much else. There's so many courses up there, it really is embarrassing when you compare it to Regina.
I'll have a write up for you on the Dunes when we get back. Can't wait!
Let's Play Golf!
What's In The Bag? Sean Stefan of LetsPlayGolf.ca
So what's in my bag right now? Well, it's quite the potpourri. Some of the sticks have been in there for a number of years because I just haven't been able to find anything that works better to replace it with.Driver: 8.5 Degree Titleist 975J, UST Stiff Graphite Shaft
3 Wood: Callaway Steelhead, steel shaft
Hybrid: 16 Degree Taylor Made Rescue 2, steel shaft
3-PW: Mizuno MP-30, steel shafts
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Oil Can 54 and 58 degree, steel shafts
Putter: Taylor Made Rossa Lambeau Sport 7, centre shafted
Bag: Ping Hoofer 2
Preferred Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Like I said, some of the clubs have been around for a while. I'm pretty picky with what goes into my bag, so when I find something I like it takes something pretty remarkable to knock something out.
The driver is probably the next thing that will be replaced. The thing I love about the 975J from Titleist is the sound, it just sounds powerful. They've gotten away from the sound with their newer models so I don't think I'll be going with Titleist for my next pick. I'm leaning towards the Callaway FT-I driver - it looks goofy as heck, but I've hit it and it feels great. We'll see. The head cover on the driver is a Grand Canyon University 'Lopes Golf Team head cover from my brother Luc who red shirted there last year.
The three wood from Callaway is pretty trusty and I've had it longer than any club in my bag, probably going on 10 or 12 years now. It's great to use from the fairway or on tight/short par 4's.
The Rescue is the club from heaven. I can hit it in the neighbourhood of 225 yards most of the time, and it goes like an arrow. The shaft is nice and short so it's easy to control and the head is nicely shaped for forgiveness.
The Mizuno irons were an eBay purchase and I couldn't be happier with them. They came an inch longer than standard, but luckily I was working at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course at the time so I cut them down and regripped them myself. The MP-30's feel as good as a blade when you hit them well, but offer a bit of forgiveness on off centre hits.
I used to keep three wedges in the bag - a 52, 56 and 60 degree - but with the new irons I liked the 3 iron too much to take it out of the bag so I had to re-align my wedges. I decided on 54 and 58 degree Vokey wedges with the oil can finish because I love the way they feel. I found going to a two wedge system really made me focus more on creating a variety of different shots with the same club. Sometimes I think you can have too much choice in the short game, so having to create shots with two clubs actually works in my favour I think.
The Rossa putter sat in the golf shop at Deer Valley for the better part of a year before I decided to purchase it. I liked it from the moment I saw it, but the grip was put on goofy and the head wouldn't sit square. Finally I just bit the bullet and bought it, put a new grip on, and I was good to go. Love the centre shaft, don't think I'll be changing that any time soon. My putter cover is dalmation nicknamed Romeo after Tin Cup's caddy. I got it as a door prize at a tournament, used it and won the tournament as a junior so I've kept it ever since.
Ping makes a fantastic bag. My only issue with it right now is that there is a big hole in one of the pockets because it got caught on a sharp metal bag tag of a buddy's bag a few years ago. Other than that I just love it.
As far as the ball goes, the Pro V1 is the best ball on the market right now in my opinion. If any ball companies out there want to send me their products to sample I'd be more than happy to review them, but until that happens I'll be sticking with the old faithful Titleist.
Anybody have any suggestions on some equipment that I should be looking at?
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #16-18
Deer Valley #16 – Par 3Championship – 153
Back – 145
Middle – 120
Forward – 103
Rounding out the par 3’s at Deer Valley is the 16th. This hole was much more awe inspiring when the water was not overrun with algae, but it’s still a treat. Leave it short and you’re obviously in the water. Too long and you could run into trouble with the bunker behind the green.
#16 is a perfect hole to catch with your camera as it uses the water, the hill, and the brush to frame the green perfectly. Just forget about the water during your pre-shot routine and you’ll be fine.
Deer Valley #17 – Par 5
Championship – 515
Back – 505
Middle – 479
Forward – 431
Unlike the reachable par 5’s on the front, the back nine five pars are tough to get at. The slopes on the side of the green on number 17 make it undesirable to go at this green in two, so keep that in mind off the tee.
This par 5 presents a few options. The blue tee offers one of the most fun tee shots of the day with a significant drop in elevation. I usually take it over the right side, tempting the bushes below and ideally draw it back into the fairway just over the cart path. You can carry the trees on the right with a good hit, but beware the second set of bushes. The water and bunkers to the left are also in play for almost all players.
The second shot can be played short to a distance of 150-120 yards, or you can play more aggressively by hitting a long iron up the neck of the fairway just short of the green. Your shot into the green need to be extremely accurate. The edges of the green are severely sloped and will kick almost everything into the bush to the right, left, and back. Beware of the spine that runs up the middle of the green in multiple directions.
Deer Valley #18 – Par 4Championship – 435
Back – 413
Middle – 392/377
Forward – 339
The home hole at Deer Valley has made a mess of many a good round. The water to the left challenges every shot on the hole, but there is plenty of room to the right. Big hitters can carry the bunker on the right and leave a good angle into any pin placement on the green. The tent is often a good spot to aim.
Handle the left Sunday pin on the peninsula by letting it feed off the slope in the middle of the green. Trying to fly the shot right at that pin is tough because the green narrows quite a bit there, and with the angle, if you hit the water you’re pretty much guaranteed to be hitting one from the exact same spot again.
Make your putt and head up to the club house (with construction on a new one rumoured to be starting in October 2008) for a cold one.
Hope you enjoyed the run through of the Deer Valley Golf Course in Deer Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada, just outside of Regina and Lumsden.
Let’s Play Golf!
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #13-15
Deer Valley #13 – Par 4Championship – 321 (Out of commission)
Back – 294
Middle – 277
Forward – 236
The thirteenth hole at Deer Valley is probably my favourite hole on the golf course. You can make an eagle and walk off the green saying “well, that was easy”, or you can make a quick 6 and leave scratching your head.
When you’re waiting on the tee for the green to clear, have a look down at the 14th green and take notice how it appears heart shaped from up above. There’s also a beaver dam in the creek below. The 13th tee is one of my favourite spots to take pictures.
On most days I’ll take a three wood at the green. It plays a little shorter than the yardage and balls tend to pop up close to the green if they fall short, so there isn’t much point in hitting the driver because long is dead. Hit it right or left and you’re pretty much done too. You could just pull out a mid iron and put it safely in the middle of the fairway, but where’s the fun in that?
The green has quite a bit of undulation, so be sure to hit the right portion (as always at D.V.).
Deer Valley #14 – Par 4
Championship – 396
Back – 377
Middle – 349/344
Forward – 300
This hole is featured on the cover of the scorecard. Take note of the mounding on the left hand side with the bunkers as the designer tried to mimic the natural flow of the land.
My usual play on 14 is to take a Rescue 2 Hybrid or a 3 wood depending on the wind and lay it up between 150 and 100 yards in. The further you try to push it, the narrower the fairway gets. If you’re not careful, the bunkers can be carried on the left and you’ll end up in the trees. The creek also juts out on the right and has been known to swallow up a few balls.
There are bunkers guarding your approach shot into the green, so make sure you take enough club. But not too much, the creek is tight behind the green. So I guess the point is to hit the green. Short is more forgiving than long, but still leaves a tough shot from the bunkers. The green has some funky mounding, so you could experience some fun puts on this one.
Deer Valley #15 – Par 4
Championship – 406
Back – 392
Middle – 356
Forward – 330
For short hitters, you may choose to follow the fairway around the creek, but most players will be able to take their tee shots right over the lone tree on the other side of the creek. Long hitters can get greedy and cut more of the corner but the landing area becomes narrower. Don’t get caught up focusing solely on clearing the creek either as there is brush on the other side of the fairway waiting to steal your ball away.
The green is another two-tiered, wide and shallow green, albeit less dramatic than the others on the course. Approach shots coming from the right hand side of the fairway may have to content with one of the many large character trees on the course. There is also a large bunker that will collect anything that comes in contact with that tree.
When you’re waiting on the tee for the green to clear, have a look down at the 14th green and take notice how it appears heart shaped from up above. There’s also a beaver dam in the creek below. The 13th tee is one of my favourite spots to take pictures.
On most days I’ll take a three wood at the green. It plays a little shorter than the yardage and balls tend to pop up close to the green if they fall short, so there isn’t much point in hitting the driver because long is dead. Hit it right or left and you’re pretty much done too. You could just pull out a mid iron and put it safely in the middle of the fairway, but where’s the fun in that?
The green has quite a bit of undulation, so be sure to hit the right portion (as always at D.V.).
Deer Valley #14 – Par 4
Championship – 396
Back – 377
Middle – 349/344
Forward – 300
This hole is featured on the cover of the scorecard. Take note of the mounding on the left hand side with the bunkers as the designer tried to mimic the natural flow of the land.
My usual play on 14 is to take a Rescue 2 Hybrid or a 3 wood depending on the wind and lay it up between 150 and 100 yards in. The further you try to push it, the narrower the fairway gets. If you’re not careful, the bunkers can be carried on the left and you’ll end up in the trees. The creek also juts out on the right and has been known to swallow up a few balls.
There are bunkers guarding your approach shot into the green, so make sure you take enough club. But not too much, the creek is tight behind the green. So I guess the point is to hit the green. Short is more forgiving than long, but still leaves a tough shot from the bunkers. The green has some funky mounding, so you could experience some fun puts on this one.
Deer Valley #15 – Par 4
Championship – 406
Back – 392
Middle – 356
Forward – 330
For short hitters, you may choose to follow the fairway around the creek, but most players will be able to take their tee shots right over the lone tree on the other side of the creek. Long hitters can get greedy and cut more of the corner but the landing area becomes narrower. Don’t get caught up focusing solely on clearing the creek either as there is brush on the other side of the fairway waiting to steal your ball away.
The green is another two-tiered, wide and shallow green, albeit less dramatic than the others on the course. Approach shots coming from the right hand side of the fairway may have to content with one of the many large character trees on the course. There is also a large bunker that will collect anything that comes in contact with that tree.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #10-12
Deer Valley #10 – Par 4
Championship – 417
Back – 403
Middle – 369/349
Forward – 345
The safe play here is to aim at the right 150 rock and bring it back into the fairway if a draw is your natural shot shape. If the fade is more your style, just follow the shape of the fairway with your tee ball. The longer hitters can take a more aggressive line just right of the fence line at the 150 marker and bomb it towards the green. Everything tends to run off the hill into the fairway if you hit it far enough, so you should have a short shot into the green.
Speaking of the green, the third two-tiered, wide and shallow green awaits at #10. There’s a little gulley in front of the green that makes shots sometimes look shorter than they actually are. This makes the green a bit elevated so you might need to club up.
Deer Valley #11 – Par 3
Championship – 202
Back – 186
Middle – 167/146
Forward – 98
*Note – The forward tee is pretty well out of commission, so the red tees often play to 146.
Probably the weakest sister of the par three’s in terms of aesthetics, this is the toughest par three on the golf course in my opinion. The hole plays long, so club up to make sure you get the ball to the green.
A quick tip on this hole for anyone who misses in the left bunker is to not worry about hitting your bunker shot too long, everything tends to run back towards you off the back hill.
This green can be quite the adventure. Everything slopes to the front left, but it plateaus from front right to back left. The hill on the left side of the green has seen many balls roll back down after failed attempts. You might have to get creative with your putts if you get caught on the wrong level.
Deer Valley #12 – Par 5
Championship – 537
Back – 522
Middle – 492
Forward – 474
The par five twelfth hole at Deer Valley is tight. The fairway is quite narrow with trees/brush waiting to gobble up your ball on either side. This is not a green that you want to go at in two because your second shot is blind and the green is not an easy one to hit to begin with because it is as narrow as the rest of the hole.
My favourite play off the tee at #12 is to take a 5 or 6 iron (or if the wind is into you, a Rescue 2 hybrid) to the fat part of the fairway just short of the bunkers on the left and the swale on the right. It’s another 5 or 6 iron to the top of the hill, which should leave you with a mid to short iron into the green. The green is a flipped version of the traditional wide/shallow D.V. green, offering a long and narrow two-tiered putting surface. Feel free to run your approach shot up from the front of the green.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Championship – 417
Back – 403
Middle – 369/349
Forward – 345
The safe play here is to aim at the right 150 rock and bring it back into the fairway if a draw is your natural shot shape. If the fade is more your style, just follow the shape of the fairway with your tee ball. The longer hitters can take a more aggressive line just right of the fence line at the 150 marker and bomb it towards the green. Everything tends to run off the hill into the fairway if you hit it far enough, so you should have a short shot into the green.
Speaking of the green, the third two-tiered, wide and shallow green awaits at #10. There’s a little gulley in front of the green that makes shots sometimes look shorter than they actually are. This makes the green a bit elevated so you might need to club up.
Deer Valley #11 – Par 3 Championship – 202
Back – 186
Middle – 167/146
Forward – 98
*Note – The forward tee is pretty well out of commission, so the red tees often play to 146.
Probably the weakest sister of the par three’s in terms of aesthetics, this is the toughest par three on the golf course in my opinion. The hole plays long, so club up to make sure you get the ball to the green.
A quick tip on this hole for anyone who misses in the left bunker is to not worry about hitting your bunker shot too long, everything tends to run back towards you off the back hill.
This green can be quite the adventure. Everything slopes to the front left, but it plateaus from front right to back left. The hill on the left side of the green has seen many balls roll back down after failed attempts. You might have to get creative with your putts if you get caught on the wrong level.
Deer Valley #12 – Par 5
Championship – 537
Back – 522
Middle – 492
Forward – 474
The par five twelfth hole at Deer Valley is tight. The fairway is quite narrow with trees/brush waiting to gobble up your ball on either side. This is not a green that you want to go at in two because your second shot is blind and the green is not an easy one to hit to begin with because it is as narrow as the rest of the hole.
My favourite play off the tee at #12 is to take a 5 or 6 iron (or if the wind is into you, a Rescue 2 hybrid) to the fat part of the fairway just short of the bunkers on the left and the swale on the right. It’s another 5 or 6 iron to the top of the hill, which should leave you with a mid to short iron into the green. The green is a flipped version of the traditional wide/shallow D.V. green, offering a long and narrow two-tiered putting surface. Feel free to run your approach shot up from the front of the green.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #7-9
Deer Valley #7 – Par 4
Championship – 394
Back – 378
Middle – 349/333
Forward – 298
This tee shot calls for accuracy. With O.B. right and water and a bunker to the left, a tee shot is at a premium on #7 at Deer Valley. With the elevation change, the hole plays shorter than the yardage, so you should only need to hit a hybrid or fairway wood to put yourself into good position. The left side of the fairway is generally the better side to be on because the bush can limit the view of the right side of the green if your ball lies on the right side of the fairway.
The green is another two-tiered, wide and narrow surface, similar to #3. There’s swamps to the right and left of the greens and bush to the rear. This green has a pretty constant slope from back to front, so if you’re not below the hole you could be in for some sharp breaking putts.
Deer Valley #8 – Par 4
Championship – 321
Back – 311
Middle – 297
Forward – 263
If you’re walking, this is one hole you’ll wish you had a cart. The first 170 yards are straight up the hill. At about 130 yards out, there is a rock creek that was installed after struggling to keep the fairway in shape after big rains. The run off from the side hills was a bit too much for the course to handle, so while not ideal, the rock bed was probably a necessary evil.
I’ve always found #8 at Deer Valley to be a remarkably forgiving hole to hit driver on. Sure I’m prone to the odd snap hook that ends up close to #2 tee box, but for the most part you can let the big dog eat. Hit it right over the big rock on the hill with a tiny draw and you could be putting. Everything right filters down off the hill as well, so as long as you don’t fly it too far, balls tend to follow the cart path down towards the green.
Wherever your second shot ends up, you’ll have to be aware that the ground up by the green as well as the green itself is very hard at the eighth. Low runners will chase up to the green, which runs away from you towards the back left corner. Don’t expect to hold shots very easily into the green.
Deer Valley #9 – Par 5
Championship – 546
Back – 538
Middle – 502
Forward – 481
If it feels like you’ve been here already, it’s because you have. #9 runs parallel to #1, so if you took my advice and went left on #1, you may have already played a shot from the #9 turf. From the back two sets of tees, this is a really fun tee shot. #9 at Deer Valley gives meaning to the old cliché “Tee it high and let it fly”. Left is far better than right, the prairie grass to the right can be sketchy at best. I’ve actually found that the angle into the green is better from the lower area between #9 and #1 because you can use the hill behind the green as a backstop when taking a run at the green in two.
If you don’t try to get home in two at #9, leave yourself a full shot into the green. If the pin is in the front, beware of hitting it past the first level because you will be left with an uphill put that turns into a downhill putt at the halfway point.
Grab a quick hot dog at the turn from the Valley Girls and head to the back nine.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Championship – 394
Back – 378
Middle – 349/333
Forward – 298
This tee shot calls for accuracy. With O.B. right and water and a bunker to the left, a tee shot is at a premium on #7 at Deer Valley. With the elevation change, the hole plays shorter than the yardage, so you should only need to hit a hybrid or fairway wood to put yourself into good position. The left side of the fairway is generally the better side to be on because the bush can limit the view of the right side of the green if your ball lies on the right side of the fairway.
The green is another two-tiered, wide and narrow surface, similar to #3. There’s swamps to the right and left of the greens and bush to the rear. This green has a pretty constant slope from back to front, so if you’re not below the hole you could be in for some sharp breaking putts.
Deer Valley #8 – Par 4
Championship – 321
Back – 311
Middle – 297
Forward – 263
If you’re walking, this is one hole you’ll wish you had a cart. The first 170 yards are straight up the hill. At about 130 yards out, there is a rock creek that was installed after struggling to keep the fairway in shape after big rains. The run off from the side hills was a bit too much for the course to handle, so while not ideal, the rock bed was probably a necessary evil.
I’ve always found #8 at Deer Valley to be a remarkably forgiving hole to hit driver on. Sure I’m prone to the odd snap hook that ends up close to #2 tee box, but for the most part you can let the big dog eat. Hit it right over the big rock on the hill with a tiny draw and you could be putting. Everything right filters down off the hill as well, so as long as you don’t fly it too far, balls tend to follow the cart path down towards the green.
Wherever your second shot ends up, you’ll have to be aware that the ground up by the green as well as the green itself is very hard at the eighth. Low runners will chase up to the green, which runs away from you towards the back left corner. Don’t expect to hold shots very easily into the green.
Deer Valley #9 – Par 5
Championship – 546
Back – 538
Middle – 502
Forward – 481
If it feels like you’ve been here already, it’s because you have. #9 runs parallel to #1, so if you took my advice and went left on #1, you may have already played a shot from the #9 turf. From the back two sets of tees, this is a really fun tee shot. #9 at Deer Valley gives meaning to the old cliché “Tee it high and let it fly”. Left is far better than right, the prairie grass to the right can be sketchy at best. I’ve actually found that the angle into the green is better from the lower area between #9 and #1 because you can use the hill behind the green as a backstop when taking a run at the green in two.
If you don’t try to get home in two at #9, leave yourself a full shot into the green. If the pin is in the front, beware of hitting it past the first level because you will be left with an uphill put that turns into a downhill putt at the halfway point.
Grab a quick hot dog at the turn from the Valley Girls and head to the back nine.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #4-6
Deer Valley #4 – Par 3Championship – 125
Back – 113
Middle – 88
Forward – 84
The par 3’s at Deer Valley are an absolute treat – and #4 is no exception. Judging by the yardage, you’d think it would be a piece of cake, but it’s just short enough to make it tricky. Short and you’re in the water, long and you’re in the bush. The green isn’t all that deep, but is extraordinarily wide. Club selection and clean contact are the keys to success at this bite sized par 3. If the pin is at the front, play for the middle of the green and let your ball funnel off the slope and back to the hole.
Deer Valley #5 – Par 4
Championship – 426
Back – 409
Middle – 372
Forward – 344
Rated as the most difficult hole on the front nine, it definitely plays that way. Brush on the left is dead and the creek rolls along the right hand side. The rough is almost non-existent on each side of the fairway as well, so don’t count on your ball landing soft to avoid the trouble. You can leave the driver in the bag to make sure you hit the fairway, but expect to have in the neighbourhood of 200 yards left into the green if you do. The risk/reward aspect is prevalent here as well.
Most of the trouble is off the tee. The hole opens up for your second shot to a two-tiered green. Bunkers protect the front left and back right portions of the green. Again, don’t be long.
Lick your wounds and head to the 6th.
Deer Valley #6 – Par 4
Championship – 407
Back – 386
Middle – 359/337
Forward – 294
The 6th is the second par 4 in a string of four in a row on the front side. This dogleg right presents plenty of options off the tee. You can lay up with a hybrid and have about 150-170 yards into the green or take a driver over top of the bunkers to leave a short pitch. The water on the left is reachable for most, so be wary. This wasn’t a problem for a few years, but it seems that they have finally found a way to keep water in the hazard.
The green is probably 75% hidden from view from most parts of the fairway, which makes it tough to judge the pin placement. The back right is a fairly flat platform with more room to the right than you think.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Deer Valley Golf Course Player's Guide - Hole #1-3
Deer Valley Hole #1 – Par 5
Championship – 567
Back – 539
Middle – 525/501
Forward – 456
Deer Valley starts out with a scoring hole that can set the tone for the entire round. Reachable in two big hits, this par 5 is beatable if you ignore the natural shape of the hole. Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
Big hitters should ignore the fairway and take it right over top of the furthest tip of the left hand bunker. Since the maintenance shop brings O.B. to the right of this hole, anyone with a slice should also start the ball out at the bunker as there is plenty of room left in the area between #1 and #9.
If you manage to hit it over the bunker, you’ll have anywhere between 265 and 200 yard into the green for your second shot. If you think you can reach it, give it a rip but don’t be long. Wascana Creek meanders behind the green and is probably within 15 feet of the back of the green at the closest point. You can bring it in off the left hills, but there is some thick brush waiting to swallow anything short and left. Safe play is to lay up to 100 yards (marked by the red old school water pump on the right hand side by the cart path) and play a full shot into the green for your third. The layup is a good idea especially when the pin is back right because anything short will either leave you with a long breaking putt, a tight bunker shot, or a lob over the bunker to a tight pin. And like I said earlier, that creek creeps up on anything long. If the pin is front left, there’s no harm in taking a shot at the green in two as anything short is an easy uphill chip for an easy par option birdie.
Hopefully you’re off to a good start, and it’s up the hill to one of the best par three’s in Canada.
Deer Valley Hole #2 – Par 3
Championship – 176/172
Back – 158/146
Middle – 134/126
Forward – 109/92
The sign says it’s “Canada’s 5th Best Signature Hole” or something like that. I remember the article in The Globe and Mail and it didn’t quite read that way (it was just one of the featured holes in the article) but don’t let the vanity get to you – this is a great golf hole. You’ve probably seen it in the Tourism Saskatchewan ads or above someone’s mantle (like in our house).
This hole has 6 different tee decks, so that will dictate your club selection. Some of the tee decks are eroding into the creek side though, so there’s probably only 4 tee options. Either way, it’s probably going to be a one or two club drop in elevation. It’s a big green, but anything that misses is pretty much dead. There’s a couple of front bunkers to bail out in, but bush and the creek wait to gobble up anything else that doesn’t hit the green.
The green has three distinct levels, so hitting your shot to the right one is definitely a plus.
Deer Valley Hole #3 – Par 4
Championship – 433
Back – 410
Middle – 393
Forward – 352
Oh the options. Hole #3 at Deer Valley is a great example of the risk/reward aspect of the course. You can take an aggressive line off the tee and wind up with an easy 100 yard pitch, but any misses will end up right in the creek or short in the bush. You can take a 3 wood off the tee and leave yourself between 150 and 160 yards in by taking it over the dead tree to the left of the thick patch of bush on the right. Using a driver on that line could put you through the fairway and into the bush depending on the wind. One place you don’t want to be is in the left bunkers – unless of course you’ve mastered the 165-220 yard bunker shot.
The green is quite shallow and wide. Make sure you end up below the hole (the green slopes deceivingly sharp from back to front) and on the correct side. Long is dead. Anything on the left slope of the green will bounce hard into the bush, but the bunker to the right is a forgiving place if you do miss.
After you’re done putting out, make sure to check the direction of the wind because the tee on #4 is secluded and the wind tends to swirl back there.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Championship – 567
Back – 539
Middle – 525/501
Forward – 456
Deer Valley starts out with a scoring hole that can set the tone for the entire round. Reachable in two big hits, this par 5 is beatable if you ignore the natural shape of the hole. Remember, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
Big hitters should ignore the fairway and take it right over top of the furthest tip of the left hand bunker. Since the maintenance shop brings O.B. to the right of this hole, anyone with a slice should also start the ball out at the bunker as there is plenty of room left in the area between #1 and #9.
If you manage to hit it over the bunker, you’ll have anywhere between 265 and 200 yard into the green for your second shot. If you think you can reach it, give it a rip but don’t be long. Wascana Creek meanders behind the green and is probably within 15 feet of the back of the green at the closest point. You can bring it in off the left hills, but there is some thick brush waiting to swallow anything short and left. Safe play is to lay up to 100 yards (marked by the red old school water pump on the right hand side by the cart path) and play a full shot into the green for your third. The layup is a good idea especially when the pin is back right because anything short will either leave you with a long breaking putt, a tight bunker shot, or a lob over the bunker to a tight pin. And like I said earlier, that creek creeps up on anything long. If the pin is front left, there’s no harm in taking a shot at the green in two as anything short is an easy uphill chip for an easy par option birdie.
Hopefully you’re off to a good start, and it’s up the hill to one of the best par three’s in Canada.
Deer Valley Hole #2 – Par 3
Championship – 176/172
Back – 158/146
Middle – 134/126
Forward – 109/92
The sign says it’s “Canada’s 5th Best Signature Hole” or something like that. I remember the article in The Globe and Mail and it didn’t quite read that way (it was just one of the featured holes in the article) but don’t let the vanity get to you – this is a great golf hole. You’ve probably seen it in the Tourism Saskatchewan ads or above someone’s mantle (like in our house).
This hole has 6 different tee decks, so that will dictate your club selection. Some of the tee decks are eroding into the creek side though, so there’s probably only 4 tee options. Either way, it’s probably going to be a one or two club drop in elevation. It’s a big green, but anything that misses is pretty much dead. There’s a couple of front bunkers to bail out in, but bush and the creek wait to gobble up anything else that doesn’t hit the green.
The green has three distinct levels, so hitting your shot to the right one is definitely a plus.
Deer Valley Hole #3 – Par 4
Championship – 433
Back – 410
Middle – 393
Forward – 352
Oh the options. Hole #3 at Deer Valley is a great example of the risk/reward aspect of the course. You can take an aggressive line off the tee and wind up with an easy 100 yard pitch, but any misses will end up right in the creek or short in the bush. You can take a 3 wood off the tee and leave yourself between 150 and 160 yards in by taking it over the dead tree to the left of the thick patch of bush on the right. Using a driver on that line could put you through the fairway and into the bush depending on the wind. One place you don’t want to be is in the left bunkers – unless of course you’ve mastered the 165-220 yard bunker shot.
The green is quite shallow and wide. Make sure you end up below the hole (the green slopes deceivingly sharp from back to front) and on the correct side. Long is dead. Anything on the left slope of the green will bounce hard into the bush, but the bunker to the right is a forgiving place if you do miss.
After you’re done putting out, make sure to check the direction of the wind because the tee on #4 is secluded and the wind tends to swirl back there.
The rest of the Deer Valley hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Deer Valley Golf Course Overview
Since opening in 2001, I’ve played the Deer Valley Golf Course roughly 20 minutes north of Regina and 5 minutes south of Lumsden more times than I can count. I was one of the first people to every play the course, even before they took the first mower blade to the rough. The sod lines were still noticeably visible. I’ve yet to figure this course out, and probably never will, but I have picked up on a few things while playing there. This is the first entry in a series of posts where I’ll attempt to take you hole by hole through the wonderful golf course that is Deer Valley. If you’re in the Regina area, you won’t want to miss this track.
Deer Valley Golf Course Overview
Deer Valley is set in the scenic Qu’Appelle Valley. The drive out is deceiving because you arrive on a secondary highway that winds it’s way through a field before hitting the valley edge just shortly before turning into the Deer Valley development.
Contrary to what you may think about Saskatchewan, flat is not what you’ll find out at Deer Valley. The valley brings with it elevation changes throughout the golf course and will challenge all levels of players. With four sets of tees to choose from that vary between 6777 and 5337 yards, all levels of players are free to select a tee ground that will fit their skill level. The greens run quick, and the fairways and tees are well manicured. Don’t expect to find much in the way of out of bounds, but there is plenty of prairie grass, brush, trees, and water to keep you busy.
Be sure to arrive early for your tee time at Deer Valley Golf Course because they provide complimentary range balls with every green fee. They also have a huge practice green with a bunker that you can spend some time on to acquaint yourself with the speed and firmness before you set foot out on the real course. They also have a full service restaurant and Pro Shop in the clubhouse (trailer) for all your needs that way. Rumour has it that Deer Valley will begin construction on a new clubhouse in October 2008.
General Tips
Approach shots are better short than long
Be conscious of the pin placement – it’s important to be on the same level
Putts will be quick, and will probably break more than you think
Deer Valley Golf Course Overview
Deer Valley is set in the scenic Qu’Appelle Valley. The drive out is deceiving because you arrive on a secondary highway that winds it’s way through a field before hitting the valley edge just shortly before turning into the Deer Valley development.
Contrary to what you may think about Saskatchewan, flat is not what you’ll find out at Deer Valley. The valley brings with it elevation changes throughout the golf course and will challenge all levels of players. With four sets of tees to choose from that vary between 6777 and 5337 yards, all levels of players are free to select a tee ground that will fit their skill level. The greens run quick, and the fairways and tees are well manicured. Don’t expect to find much in the way of out of bounds, but there is plenty of prairie grass, brush, trees, and water to keep you busy.
Be sure to arrive early for your tee time at Deer Valley Golf Course because they provide complimentary range balls with every green fee. They also have a huge practice green with a bunker that you can spend some time on to acquaint yourself with the speed and firmness before you set foot out on the real course. They also have a full service restaurant and Pro Shop in the clubhouse (trailer) for all your needs that way. Rumour has it that Deer Valley will begin construction on a new clubhouse in October 2008.
General Tips
Approach shots are better short than long
Be conscious of the pin placement – it’s important to be on the same level
Putts will be quick, and will probably break more than you think
How to get to Deer Valley Golf Course:
From Regina:
From Saskatoon (through Lumsden):
From Moose Jaw (Without going through Regina):
In the next few posts, I'll take you hole by hole through the Deer Valley Golf Course.
The hole summaries can be found by clicking the links below:
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #1-3
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #4-6
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #7-9
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #10-12
Deer Valley Golf Course Holes #13-15
Deer Valley Golf Coures Holes #16-18
Let's Play Golf!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Let's Play Golf!
Let's Play Golf!I'm passionate about golf. I'm also passionate about doing stuff on the Internet. So why it's taken me this long to combine the two, I'm not quite sure.
In the last couple years I haven't played nearly as much golf as I would have liked to, but I'm making an effort to dive back into it.
In the last couple years I haven't played nearly as much golf as I would have liked to, but I'm making an effort to dive back into it.
My first exposure to the game was at age 4 when my Dad Randy started working as the General Manager of the Emerald Park Golf and Country Club just outside of Regina. He did a bunch of other stuff in his role as GM like selling residential lots and managing a bunch of other properties, but the golf course side was the part I liked. I got to hang out in the pro shop, hit balls at the driving range, and chip and putt all day long.
By the time I was 12 years old I was spending so much time at the course that my Dad decided to put me to work. I took a couple shifts every week working in the back shop – picking range balls and stuff like that. I remember my first paycheque for $93, it was huge. 
It was about that time that I started playing competitively on the Saskatchewan Junior Golf Tour. I won a few one day tournaments, but nothing too major. Having said that, I have competed in a bunch of provincial and national tournaments and I think those experiences have really helped me understand the game.
When I was 16 my family picked up and moved to the other side of Regina, where my Dad was involved in the start up of Deer Valley Golf and Estates. I worked in the golf shop there for a few years where I really got to know a few things about all the different golf products out there. The only problem was that I was starting to work full time in the summer and got frustrated playing a much harder Deer Valley Golf Course. The confidence I had in my golf game dwindled and the scores I was shooting really showed it. Don’t let anyone tell you that golf isn’t mental. I went from applying to university golf programs in the U.S. to almost giving up the game. It just wasn’t much fun anymore.
That’s when I decided I needed a bit of a change of scenery. I headed out west to work at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course just outside of Calgary, Alberta. I met a bunch of great people (including my wife) and spent two of the best summers of my life there. In the process I learned a ton about the golf industry from one of the most successful operations anywhere in the world. I also learned how to enjoy the game again. Everyone was just pumped about playing golf every day, so we practiced and played all the time.
I realized that it didn’t matter if I shot 83 or 73 as long as I was trying to improve, but more importantly, as long as I was having fun. Now just about all of the golf I play is with my wife or with my family.
Luckily my whole family loves to play, with my younger brother Luc being the most successful (he just transfered to Minot State University golf team after spending a year red shirting at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix).
Long story short, I love golf and I hope to use this blog as a chance to spread that love around a bit. I'll use it to post golf course reviews mostly, but I'll also post about all other things golf. I'll try to use a good balance of text, photos, and video. Hopefully it's enjoyable for you, as I know it will be for me.
Hit it well.
Sean Stefan
LetsPlayGolf.ca
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