Canadian Hickory Open Road Trip

Joe, Gary, Ed, and Lloyd

            Day 1 – Wednesday, August 8 - First Day and Flight

Trapani and Ronco headed to the airport at 5:30 am for a 7:30 standby flight for Minneapolis then on to Edmonton, Alberta.  It looked doubtful that we were going to be allowed on the flight as the plane appeared to be full.  The last two seats were offered to a family of four whom after several minutes of deliberation between husband and wife opted to wait for the next ride.   Mr. Trapani and Mr. Ronco were then summoned to their place.  I said thank you to the frustrated mom and wished her luck on the next flight.

An hour and 15 minutes later we touched down in the twin cities.  After a long and leisurely mile walk to the next gate, we patiently waited for the 9:00 am (CST) to call us for the Edmonton connection.  This flight was far from full and we figured that a first class seat assignment was in the offering.   This flight was far from full and we figured that a first class seat assignment was in the offering.  All would be well with the world for an easy 11:30 am (MST) arrival.  I was half right!

Canada, as the US requires a passport to enter their country – sort of.  Gary has a passport card which acts just like a passport that can be easily carried in the wallet like a credit card.  He purchased it to make an easy entrance into Canada.  Gary used this card for our trip last year when golfed the maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island.   I handed the gate attendant my passport and my newly acquired first-class boarding pass, received a smile and a nod from one of Delta’s best and proceeded down the jet way.  Immediately behind me Gary presented his passport card and newly acquired first-class boarding pass.  Delta’s finest refused the little credit card sized simulation of the passport and quickly, but kindly informed Gary – no, no, no – you need the real thing.  It seems the rules are such – the efficiently small wallet size card is only good for land and sea entry into Canada/US.  It is not accepted if you enter by air.  Surprisingly, Gary kept his cool with a polite statement of you got to be kidding.  He informed the Delta attendant of its usage during last year’s Canadian excursion and that he experienced no problems.  I reminded Gary that we flew to Bangor, Maine, then drove across the border in our brand new red Cadillac STS rental car. 

I flew to Edmonton, played golf with my hickory clubs, had a nice lunch, drank some premium Canadian beer with Ron Lyons, our hickory tournament host, took a nap, enjoy a light dinner, and took another nap before picking Gary up at the Edmunton airport at 1:30 in the morning.  He, of course, was busy flying back to Detroit, driving home for his passport and getting back to the airport to make the appropriate connecting flights to catch up.  I felt guilty, but only for a short while.  Needless to say, Gary slept well that night.

Day 2 – Thursday, August 9 - The Other Guys

Our other two golfers, Lloyd and Joe followed the same flight schedule as Gary and I did the previous day.  Joe actually works for a living and couldn’t get out until Thursday.  They, too were the last seated on the jet from Detroit and like me had an easy connection from Minneapolis to Edmonton.   They were to be picked up at 11:30 am which virtually gave Gary and I the morning to go see Ron Lyons’s golf course, The Legends , located in Sherwood Park, Alberta. 

The Legends Golf Course owned by Ron Lyons

This is where the Canadian Hickory Open is to be played (hackers welcome) on August 15, 16, and 17.  This 27 hole facility was the created one nine at a time by Ron and his real estate partner Harold Lee.    It has a country course feel, but is in country club condition.  The Tradition nine that I played (39) Wed-nesday with Ron’s friend Rick was certainly enjoyable.  

We pick Lloyd and Joe up at Edmonton International Airport right on time and headed to highway 16 for the 300 mile drive to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Ron hooked us up with a friend who got us the ultimate cut rate on a premium golf course.  Funny thing – that too is called the Legends.  I asked Ron if he was into franchises – answer no.

Hundreds of these oil wells dot the landscape.

Eastern Alberta through highway 16 reminded me of the American bread basket states.  Endless waves of wheat, barley, canola, hay rolled and stacked, and cattle farms a plenty.  The land is mostly flat that when you come to a high spot on the road you feel as if you can see forever.  Dotting the fields are often small oil wells – one, two, even 10 per section - slowly pumping a profit for the farmers fortunate enough to own them.  We saw so many large farms - it seemed as if Alberta could feed the world.  We checked into the Saskatoon Motel 6 about 5:30 pm.

Eat at Joe’s!  Dinner in downtown Saskatoon was at Joe’s Grill which rivaled any red blooded American sports bar.  We ordered a bushel of wings with various sauces and temperature washing them down with Great Western beer.   The choice of beer was a no brainer since the brewery was only a block north of Joe’s.    We drove a bit of the city – home of the University of Saskatchewan.  Of what we saw of the campus the old grey brick buildings and the ivy covered walls set in neatly trimmed flowered landscape appeals to the traditions of college life.

Saskatoon is a city in which more needs to be seen.

Day 3 – Friday, August 10 - Tee Time – The Legends at Warman, Alberta

The Legend G.C. near Saskatoon, SK

Only created two years ago the Legends Golf Course has to be one of finest 18 holes in Alberta.  Everything from check to the first tee to the 19th hole was first rate.  Playing the hickory clubs only requires us to move up a tee box to better enjoy the game.  This in no way detracted from the visual beauty of the course.   The par threes were especially interesting both in design and playability.  The greens were smooth and fast without a flat spot to be found – frustrating fun!   We teed off at 9:30 and finished in the requisite four hours.  I shot 86, Lloyd 98, Joe 97, and Passport Gary 101.  It was a great round of golf.  Now the only decision was to travel east to Manitoba or west back to Edmonton.

We elected west.  The course that we wished to play in Flin Flon, Manitoba, five hours away, was having a tournament so there was no sense in that.   Other Manitoba courses were either too far or undesirable – we have standards.  So back into the car and off to Edmonton and beyond.  Next destination is Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia.   

We finally quit driving at Red Deer, Alberta.  We got rooms and had dinner at the Mohave Grill.  The Fajitas and smoked meatloaf were excellent.  The sleep was better.

Day 4 – Saturday, August 11 - Road to British Columbia

Ron Lyons' recommended Greywolf Golf Course.  We left Red Deer, Alberta after an excellent breakfast headed to Panorama, British Columbia which is about four and a half hours southwest near Radium Hot Springs.  The drive through the Jumbo Mountains, as the locals call them in B.C., is majestic.  You often wished to stop and stare for hours, but the golf course was our destination and our major sightseeing would be deferred to tomorrow.   

Gary on the tee at Greywolf

Greywolf GC was more than expected.  Perfectly groomed fairways snaked their way through thousand foot mountains.  Cart paths terraced up the slopes to offer elevated holes and spectacular views.  It was an extremely difficult track made more challenging by playing the hickory clubs.  Forget the score and enjoy what nature provided.  The scores were too high to mention.  Let’s just say that it was a great round.

While driving to central check in to acquire our room,  a doe and two fawns were grazing on the side of the road in the heart of resort – condos on all sides.  They certainly were used to people and traffic.  We got as close as 15 feet without a concern from them. 

Our ‘award winning’ Panorama Resort room was not such a wonderful  experience.   Expecting a decent room and setting, we hauled our luggage up three flights to a hallway with dirty carpeting. Chipped paint on the doors to the room was the norm.  After a hot day on the golf course, I was looking forward to stretching out on a cool soft bed only to find the room hot and muggy.  No problem.  I headed across the room to turn on the A/C .  Problem – there was no A/C.   To irritate the situation more, the bathroom was locked.  There were other less than stellar features in the room, but why continue to whine.   After a long, vain, pathetic discussion with the hotel management in an attempt to have us relocated, we were told to open the windows as there is no A/C in any of the units, they would however unlock the bathroom, and there is an elevator only it’s hard to find.  After their ‘what the hell can we do apologies' (all was pre-paid), we all received a complimentary breakfast the next morning. 

After the bitching was over, mostly by me, we had a nice dinner at the Wildfire Grill.  I promised not to complain anymore still seething about my failed negotiations with someone half as smart as me.  All was well for the rest of the evening except for the missing fork, a lobster tail that was evidently glued to its shell, an out of order urinal that would not stop flushing, and the restaurant manager’s refusal to allow us empty wine glasses back to our rooms.  Please note I kept my promise – the above criticisms were not mine.                                 

I’m not quite sure when or what award Panorama Resort won, but it didn’t live up to our expectations or the price we put down on the table.  Play the golf course - skip the hotel.  I do have to admit the bed slept well.

Day 5 – August 12 - The Road from Panorama to Wetaskiwin

Today we enjoyed our almost complimentary breakfast awarded to us for all our pain and suffering the evening before.   Our $40 breakfast credit came $27 short of the bill (before tip).  The ‘eggs benny’ were perfect and so was the service from our German waitress Alina who has a New Zealand accent.  She explained that when she arrived in B.C. two years ago she could not speak English.  Her boyfriend and co-workers were Zealanders or Aussies and that’s how she learned her English. 

On the Road Again in BC/Alberta

The guys and I opted for sightseeing and no golf today.  We have to drive five to six hours through mountains and glaciers and valleys in what may be the prettiest scenery on the planet.   Our first stop was at Rolf’s house just outside the entrance to Kootenay National Park.  It is on the list of Ripley’s wackiest homes.  Eddie and I visited it three years ago when he moved to Alaska.  Lloyd, Gary, and Joe were quite amused at Rolf, a sixty year old eccentric Swiss woodcarver who often wears dresses.  The home is basically one addition added to another on top of another filled with woodcarvings of faces big and small.  Everywhere you look is a piece of wood with a face looking at you.  Literally several hundred samples of his work are on display where some are six feet tall and others are only six inches.

One of his artworks is a chair which invites one to sit down to relax.  Rolf, the frisky dog, rigged the bottom of the seat to as he puts it, “Shoot the water up your butt!” 

Lloyd was his first victim, and then several ladies also visiting.  Who knew that they would all have so much fun pay $4.00 each entrance fee to get shot up the butt?  

We then moved up the road through Kootenay National Park to Lake Louise and up to highway 11 west along the Saskatchewan River toward Red Deer, Alberta.  The views of the mountain, rivers, and glaciers were incredible.  Every turn in the road could be a postcard home.  We stop at David Thompson’s Resort for lunch.  DTR as it is called has anything and everything a traveler could want or need.  It is a bit on the rustic side, but unlike Panorama Resort you know what you’re getting.  Bison stew is rather tasty when you’ve stretched your lunch to 3:00 pm.   We finally left DTR’s with a full stomach and I with a Raspberry Ripple ice Cream in hand.  I won’t tell on the other three ice cream aficionados. 



We checked into the Best Western Hotel in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.  Barney’s Pub and Grill is connected to the hotel, so there’s dinner waiting for us.  Two for one appetizer filled us up along with several local beers. 

Tomorrow we play hickory golf at the Montgomery Glen Golf Course in Wetaskiwin with Ron Lyons and other hickory golfers.  But, today was another fine day in Canada.