Guelph Golfer

Looking for the Right Person!

2012-02-03T10:45:00.003-05:00

2012 is going to be a fabulous year for us here at Victoria Park Golf Club: the Spring opening of our new Victoria Park Valley Golf Club is creating a lot of interest.

We've decided to create a marketing position to help drive that level of interest throughout the season, at both courses! So if you're a college or university student that is currently enrolled in a Business or Marketing program, or who is about to graduate and is keen to get some hands on experience, this may interest you. Here are the details:

http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/uploads/Marketing%20Job%20poster.pdf

The Money Stream

2012-01-23T09:41:00.002-05:00

Here's an interesting article by Sympatico Sport's Robert Thomposon about PGA players' paycheques, and how the endorsement factor is crucial to many of them:

http://bit.ly/zrsBno

It's no secret that stardom in any sport will translate into big $$ from the endorsement market. What's interesting to me is the number of opportunities available to garner these endorsements... if you're the right player, that is!

More Winter Projects

2012-01-18T08:27:00.003-05:00

Jay Pembleton, our Head Pro, is quite a handy guy... he's building himself a new office in our Pro Shop where the shoe rack used to be.

Our main office will be administering both the East course and the new Victoria Park Valley course, and an extra office staffer will be moving in.

So we politely booted Jay out of the main office into his own little domain. But he won't mind... lots of places to hide a little cooler!

Up & Down like a Yo-Yo

2012-01-18T08:16:00.003-05:00

This has been one weird winter so far - I feel for the ski operators! Minimal snow, and temperatures that go up and down like a kiddie coaster. Above is a screen grab from The Weather Network showing the 14-day forecast for Guelph.
Our Superintendant David DeCorso and I were talking yesterday, I asked him about the state of the turf out on the golf course. You may recall, in the winter of 2010, many southern Ontario golf courses suffered severe turf damage from a January freeze/thaw cycle.

However, this winter doesn't look as bad, according to David, because the lack of melted snow means no significant ice build-up on the greens - that's the main culprit.

We'll keep our fingers crossed!

Here's to a New Year

2012-01-03T15:30:00.003-05:00

We're back in the office, after a (somewhat) relaxing Christmas break. Lots to do...
2012 will be a challenging year, not only because of our new golf course opening in the Spring (Victoria Park Valley), but also to work hard at improving our level of play here at Victoria Park East. By level, I mean quantity as well as quality!

We'll be working on some great new promotions for the upcoming season. Stay tuned, and visit our website often: http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/default.aspx

And for your info, here's our 2012 Membership info - lots of options to choose from. Plus, a new "Combined Membership" for both courses: http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/uploads/Membership%20Pamphlet%202012%20revised.pdf

18 Most Annoying Golf Partners

2011-12-21T10:18:00.003-05:00

Just got this from one of our members... great for a laugh! We all know one or two of these personalities!

http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/uploads/The18MostAnnoyingGolfPartners.pdf

The pictures used in this fun pictorial were taken by Orlando photographer Cy Cyr. Here's his website, with some really cool stuff: http://www.cycyr.com/

Ouch!

2011-12-19T13:04:00.002-05:00

Woops! Runaway "people-mover" golf cart at Cowboy Stadium.
Good thing we don't see this (much) on the golf course.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/watch_runaway_golf_cart_runs_down_Q8A31OIIvItocQs52XylfP

What's Happening at Victoria Park East

2011-12-16T14:01:00.006-05:00

The clock's ticking down towards Christmas, and we've had a steady stream of people in to buy gift cards, golf balls, etc. for the golfers on their list.

We've also "taken over", if you will, administrative duties from the West course (now closed), and will continue with this until the new Victoria Park Valley course opens in the spring. For example, the West course's phone number will transfer over here to the East for the winter.

It's also great to see so many members coming in to say "Hi" and signing up for 2012. Very encouraging.

Here's our off-season hours for the office and pro shop:

Monday-Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Saturdays 10am - 3pm.

Christmas: We close at noon on December 24th and will re-open on Tuesday January 3rd.

Ye Olde Game of Golf

2011-12-16T13:54:00.002-05:00

Yuletide Wishes from a Golfing Group of Days Gone By!
This is from a neat little article in Golf Canada magazine.
Here's the link: http://bit.ly/vzecQ8

Closing the Book

2011-11-29T16:15:00.002-05:00

On Monday, November 28, the pins were pulled at Victoria Park West for the final time. The "book was closed" on a fabulous 45-year run as Guelph's public golf course. When Victoria Park opened in 1967, the Guelph Country Club and the Cutten Club were both private clubs - Cutten still is. (In case you're wondering, Victoria Park East opened in 1974).
It was a quiet event - actually, there was no event - because they had a "farewell day" back in late August. Pictured above are West Course owner Ted DeCorso (left) and his brother Angelo, who was the West's first golf pro. The West's pins will be symbolically set at the new Victoria Park Valley Golf Club when it opens in the Spring. As posted previously, the West property has been sold to a developer and will eventually become a City of Guelph subdivision.

...and that's all she wrote!

2011-11-17T12:47:00.002-05:00

We've officially "pulled the pins" on the 2011 season yesterday. The driving range and lounge have also been shuttered. We have set up our usual "temporary" layout with 9 holes, but no greens. The West course, however, will remain open with greens as long as conditions and the weather permit; so if you'd like to play some "cold weather" golf, give them a call at (519) 821-1441.

Green Grass in November

2011-11-07T08:24:00.004-05:00

This photo, taken November 4th, shows the first tee at our new Victoria Park Valley Golf Club. We had to leave this section until last, due to ongoing grading work around the proposed clubhouse area. And of course, because we want to open in the spring, sod was the way to go! And this is no ordinary sod: it's "low-mow" Kentucky Bluegrass. You can see some of the huge rolls of sod sitting on the cart path, and it was interesting to see how it was laid - a tractor type of machine with a big spindle arm picks up the sod from the middle (there's a big plastic core in the centre of the sod roll) and unrolls it like a carpet. Instant grass. A crew then hand-cuts it to fit, where necessary.
The new golf course is looking spectacular. You can also see the green in the background - ready to putt. That's Carmine DeCorso standing on the tee... wishing he had a club in his hand!

We've also named the three "nines":
The A9 are "The Lakes", the B9 are "The Pines", and the C9 are "The Valley".

A 2-Course Membership

2011-10-26T09:36:00.002-04:00

With the impending opening of Victoria Park Valley in the Spring, we're offering a Dual membership option to both Victoria Park East and the Valley.
Here's our brochure, if you're interested in checking it out. Great Value!
http://bit.ly/p6MOeu

Canadian Golf Talent

2011-10-21T15:22:00.003-04:00

Tour player Adam Hadwin

Here's a very interesting article by Sympatico's Robert Thompson http://bit.ly/rbBOA4 entitled "Will Canada Ever Be a Golf Superpower?"

A few weeks ago my daughter played in our district high school golf finals at Saugeen Golf Club. She finished in the middle of the pack, but the winner of the girls' division shot 3 over. And, the girl that came second had a hole-in-one!

Some fabulous talent. I know, Saugeen is not Beth Page Black, but you can't fairly dismiss those scores. If I recall, the boys' division winner shot 2 or 3 under.

I'm always imagining that a "wave" will happen with Canadian golfers... eventually. The real test, of course, is how we stack-up internationally: then we can see what Great means!

Straw Poll...

2011-10-13T09:38:00.003-04:00

Big discussions are happening in the back-rooms of many golf shops: do people want to book tee times using their smart phones?

A Thankful Thanksgiving

2011-10-13T09:16:00.003-04:00

Wow, what a weekend! The weather was spectacular, and so was the golf. If memory serves, this was the 4th Thanksgiving weekend in a row with summer-like conditions... a trend I certainly hope continues.
Of course, we're now looking "down the pipe" at the 2011 golf season, and what an interesting season it was:

Who can forget the absolutely brutal spring - wet and cold from the get-go right up until the first week of June. In our experience, it was the worst spring ever (in terms of golf)

In spite of the wet, construction continued at our new Victoria Park Valley Golf Club... and it's looking great. We're very excited about the Spring 2012 opening.

Our membership levels increased in 2011, and so did our public play.

It was a great year for the turf. The heat and humidity we experienced in July fortunately did not cause any major turf problems.

And so far, Autumn Golf is popular. Even with the forecast looking wet and cool, the phone keeps ringing...

Fall Walking Tours

2011-09-25T09:41:00.004-04:00

We've started a series of organized, guided Walking Tours at our new golf course, Victoria Park Valley. The first one was on Sept. 20th, and we had about 20 participants. It's a great way for future customers to get a "feel" for this new course.

Here are the rest of the dates and times:

Friday Sept. 30, 11am and 3pm; Sunday Oct. 2 at 1pm, and the last one will be on Saturday Oct. 8 at 1pm. The tour lasts about an hour. If you are interested in joining one of these tours, please RSVP via email to john@victoriaparkgolf.com

For more details, where we meet, etc. please click this link: http://www.victoriaparkvalley.com/uploads/Walking%20Tour%20poster.pdf

More on Quibids

2011-09-16T09:44:00.002-04:00

So, curiosity got the better of me and I signed-up on Quibids.com
I bought the requisite minimum Bid Pack for $60, which give me the opportunity to bid 100 times. They also throw a few "bonus" bids to you for signing up.
Right away, I noticed that the Canadian site does not have golf clubs... at least not yet. The big ticket items are ipads, digital cameras, $200 store gift cards, and Kuerig coffee machines. Otherwise, you're looking at a smattering of small-ticket items like memory cards, gift cards, electric shavers, and a few other things not worth mentioning. You can also bid on "Bid Cards"... I saw, for example, a 100-bid card sell for $1.28. If you win, it becomes a cheap way to buy more bids.
Anyways, as predicted, it didn't take me long to burn through my 100 bids - I was after a digital camera, and got into a vicious bidding war during the last 10 seconds (as I mentioned in a previous post, if someone bids withing the last 10 seconds, they add 10 seconds again to the clock).
I don't believe Quibids - or any "penny auction" site, there's a few of them - should be allowed to call themselves an "Auction Site", because it's really a form of gambling. Think of it like this: you're buying casino credits to spend on a game of chance, in the hope of winning something.

New Victoria Park Valley Website

2011-09-16T09:34:00.003-04:00

Our new golf course, Victoria Park Valley, is on track to open in the spring. We've finally got a dedicated website up and running: http://www.victoriaparkvalley.com/pg/2/Guelph-Golf-Course--Victoria-Park-Valley-Executive-Golf-Club.aspx

We're still tweaking it, but there's some good info and pics there to view.

I added the "FAQ's" on the homepage to address some typical questions that we keep getting.

One thing we always seem to be battling is the Rumour Mill, like "I heard you guys are closing."

The East course is definitely NOT closing, we're very much in business and will continue to be in business.

And, that's a revised logo above for the Valley course.

Wow, What a Deal!

2011-09-01T08:20:00.003-04:00

**Disclaimer: this post is neither an endorsement nor a criticism of Quibids***

This certainly caught my eye! You've probably seen this banner ad as well, it's all over the 'net right now, for an "auction" house called Quibids.com They're also running some TV ads. Anyways... a set of Burner 2.0 irons for $40.99. Huh?
I checked it out and read all the details about Quibid. In a nutshell: you don't just sign-up to their site and start bidding, like you would on Ebay, for example. You actually "buy" bids for 60 cents each, and when you bid on an item, the items price goes up in increments of a penny. So, every time you bid on something, it costs you 60 cents. Plus, when the auction clock runs down, and you place a last-second bid, they add 10 seconds to clock... so you can be involved in an avalanche of "last-second" bids if you're bidding against a bunch of people for the same item!
So, back to the irons... at $40.99, that means that 4,099 people kicked in 60 cents a bid in their attempt to win these irons. When you do the math, multiply the two and Quibids got $2,459.40 for this set of irons (plus the winning bid of $40.99)!!!
Of course, you have to realize that Quibids is a business, with staff, overhead, lots of bandwidth charges, etc. and they have a lot of "small potato" auctions that probably just break even for them. But still... a good haul for a $700 retail set of irons!

Farewell Celebration at Victoria Park West

2011-08-30T08:15:00.005-04:00

As I've mentioned in a previous post, our sister course, Victoria Park West, will be closing at the end of this season. On Sunday August 28th they held a "farewell celebration" open house for the public, members and staff past and present, and (of course) family. It was a great day, well attended, and some of us played a final 9-holes at this wonderful executive golf course. The West course remains fully open until the end of the season, but they wanted to get this Farewell in before back-to-university, back-to-work etc. robbed a bunch of participants.There were tables with old photos and memorabilia, and owner Ted DeCorso and his family were on hand the whole time, to host the event and welcome the guests. There were a few tears, but Ted and his family were upbeat and happy - looking forward to moving on to the new Victoria Park Valley course next spring. I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. My first job in 1969, at the tender age of eight, was at the West course: I picked the driving range by hand (borrowed my grandmother's rubber gloves) and did some sweeping and tidying, all for the fabulous wage of a chocolate bar and a can of pop! Plus, the West course was a haven for junior golfers in the region, so as a kid I made a lot of friends there. It will certainly be missed, but I share Ted's positive outlook in "moving on to bigger and better things..."

West Course owners Beverly and Ted DeCorso. Cheers!

The End of an Era

2011-08-24T14:44:00.005-04:00

Louise DeCorso from Victoria Park East Golf Club (left) with

Maria Colaizzi from Chatelaine Lighting

On August 18, Victoria Park East and West Golf Clubs held our annual Chatelaine Lighting Ladies Invitational for the 38th time! The event was sold-out at both courses, and is certainly one of the biggest and longest-running Ladies invitationals in Ontario... maybe even Canada.
This was, though, the last time that Chatelaine Lighting of Guelph will be sponsoring the event. Although we'll miss their involvement, we certainly do not regret their decision; 38 years is a remarkable and generous run, and in that time this event has raised many thousands of dollars for cancer research and, most recently, for St. Margaret's Hospital.
My sister Louise gave an excellent speech at the tournament. Here's a portion of that speech:

"The tournament was the idea of Louis Jansen, owner of Chatelaine Lighting. There were few tournaments for ladies at that time and so in 1973, the first Chatelaine Lighting Ladies Invitational was held at Victoria Park Golf Club West. Sadly, Louis passed away in 1985 and graciously; his wife Diane and sister Maria Colaizzi have continued to co-sponsor the tournament. The tournament has grown tremendously over the past 38 years and we are proud to say that it is the largest ladies invitational in the province. Today we shared our love of golf and camaraderie with 164 participants here at Victoria Park East and 148 ladies at Victoria Park West. The raffle that you so generously participate in is in Louis’s memory, with all proceeds going to the Princess Margaret Hospital, Gerry & Nancy Pencer Brain Trust Fund.
We are all aware that things change in the passing of so many years. In saying that, we need to inform you that Chatelaine Lighting will no longer be the co-sponsor of the ladies invitational tournament. We have had a great working relationship with Chatelaine Lighting and the individuals there, and know that we will continue this relationship on a personal level. We will miss all the beautiful lights on the prize table and will have to work very hard to find another co-sponsor as generous as Chatelaine Lighting. We hope that you will continue to support Chatelaine Lighting if and when you are in need of lighting. In future, you will recognize the tournament as the Victoria Park Ladies Invitational."

Well said, Louise. Thanks Maria, Diane, Angela, and everybody at Chatelaine Lighting for your years of support.

A Great Taste of Summer

2011-08-11T11:03:00.006-04:00

Our annual Patio Grilling Night here at Victoria Park East was a huge success: great food and a sell-out crowd! This was our 7th event (we did one in the winter, too!) and I find it curious to note how it's progressed over the years.

Wendy Gottmers, our Banquet Manager, presented the idea when she first came on board in 2004. It started out as a "hands-on" grilling course: guests were encouraged to come up to the BBQ and lend a hand, which they did. As the years went by, we began inviting wineries to the event, to sample their fine wines. Well, that did it! Guests were having too much fun socializing, sampling the wine, and tasting the food - very few wanted to venture up to the BBQ for the hands-on part!

And so, it's no longer a grilling course, it's become a grilling show - and that's fine. Our chefs, Steve, Gerald "JJ" and Giovanni did a fabulous job. And of course, so did Wendy! Here she is discussing a wine pairing...

Fun, Games & A Whole Lot More

2011-07-12T12:53:00.004-04:00

I've been on the committee of the Guelph Wish Fund for Children Golf Tournament for 10 years. This annual fund-raiser was held here at Victoria Park East last Saturday (July 9th), and as usual, it was a well-attended and fun day.

It was the 24th tournament, and it also marked the final one (as a golf committee member) for Guelph Wish Fund co-founder Ron Asselstine, pictured here with his wife Wendy.

Many of you are familiar with Ron as an NHL linesman. Ron "Bear" Asseslstine worked the line in the NHL from 1986 until 1997. He founded the Wish Fund (actually, it started as the Make-a-Wish Guelph) with the late Guelph journalist Al Ferris in 1984. Together, they grew the Fund into what it is today: a local organization that grants "wishes" to children who are critically ill, require long-term medical care, or are in need of specialized medical treatment. The Guelph Wish Fund is now administered by a board of directors, and handles all of it's own fund-raising initiatives - the annual golf tournament being a key one. Ron officially retired from the Wish Fund last December, and I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone more deserving of a healthy and happy retirement.

Our community is lucky to have Ron, Wendy, and all of the Wish Fund volunteers and committee members. They've brought a measure of happiness to so many children and their families throughout the years. And they've never taken a penny for themselves.
Golf Tournament Committee (left to right) Peter Baldasso, John DeCorso, Ron Asselstine, Barry Scutt, Al Bevan-Stewart, Barry Fowler, and Mark Dalbello

Dream Job

2011-06-29T08:13:00.004-04:00

An interesting article appeared online today: Mike Weir is involved in designing a golf course. Here's the link to the article http://bit.ly/m3caPq by Sympatico's Robert Thompson.
Obviously, a Pro, especially a PGA Pro, will provide some design insights that would enhance an architect's plan. Mike now joins the ranks of Nicklaus, Norman, Player, and a host of others who have lent their brush-strokes to golf course design.
I'm reminded of the early days here at Victoria Park East. As a young teenager in the mid-1970s, I was around here a lot; picking the range, planting trees, cutting grass, etc. and I overheard many comments - or, was spoken-to directly - by some of our members and public golfers, basically giving their two-cents worth on golf course design. "You guys should'a done this... you guys should'a done that... planted more trees here, smaller bunkers there, too many dog-legs... too much water, not enough water, bigger tee decks..." You get the picture. And East Course architect Rene Muylaert was no slouch - he designed about 30 golf courses in Ontario, including Brooklea, Glen Eagle, Pheasant Run, and Caledon Country Club.
It's fun being an arm-chair architect. But many of us don't appreciate the skill and thought-process that goes into designing a golf course. With the construction of our new Victoria Park Valley course, I was privy to seeing architect Scott Covell's planning strategies develop from Step One. And believe me, it's no armchair job!

Our New Victoria Park Valley Course

2011-06-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

The grass is growing nicely at Victoria Park Valley, slated to openSpring 2012. Above is a picture of Hole B7 - there will be 27 holes. More pics on our website:

http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/ViewPage.aspx?pg=78

Take a Kid to the Course

2011-06-22T14:50:00.005-04:00

During the week of July 4, Victoria Park East will be participating in the "Take a Kid to the Course" promotion.

From July 4 - 10, children age 16 and younger golf for free, with a paying adult. There will also be a free golf clinic here at the East course at 5pm on Thursday July 7.

For more information, Click Here to view the official Website, or call our Pro Shop at (519) 821-2211. This great event is administered by the National Golf Course Owners Association, and Coca-Cola is the National Sponsor.

June Marches On...

2011-06-22T14:39:00.003-04:00

It's the first full day of Summer, and the busy month of June is on the downswing. And it has, indeed, been busy.

June is our Number One month: more tournaments, more member & public play, the banquet hall is busy, business meetings try to fit a busy schedule into June before the traditional July holiday escape.

This year - as many of you can appreciate - June also got us away from (arguably) the worst April and May on record. It was cold, and incredibly wet, and so NOT golf weather! Even the first week of June proved a challenge, with some major down-pours. Even the "anyweather" golfer was tamed!

Onwards...

Time to build an ark?

2011-06-08T09:27:00.003-04:00

The amount of rainfall we've experienced from early spring until now has been phenomenal. Sure, we love to have our reservoirs full and the grass loves it, but last night's brief - but severe - storm, capped off a week of copious rainfall. We've never (if memory serves) seen so much standing water on our golf course, which typically drains quite well.
Above is a picture of our 2nd fairway, looking towards the green. The creek in the foreground, and the pond on the right, couldn't deal with the amount of water that appeared all at once. A few other areas on the course are similarly affected. The water has nowhere to go.
But let's keep it in perspective: it's not nearly as bad as Quebec and Manitoba a few weeks ago. And it's draining slowly but surely, so things should be OK by the end of the morning. Maybe.

Set in Stone

2011-05-10T10:29:00.012-04:00

I've been asked frequently about the stone chimney and shack, located near the 17th green here at Victoria Park East. How old is it? Why is it still there? Is it authentic? Etc.

It certainly is a fine example of an old Ontario fieldstone chimney/hearth; and it is, indeed, authentic, not a recent reproduction.

As for it's history, here's what I know:

The site had a simple frame cottage attached to this chimney when the DeCorso family bought the property in 1971 from the Hales family. Alf Hales was the Member of Parliament for this area from 1957 until 1974, and "the Cottage" was used by the Hales' as a getaway and, yes, a party place! I remember it had some pretty cool antiques in there: furniture, knick-knacks, and a hand-cranked Victrola gramaphone. In 1973, the cottage was separated from the chimney and moved to the current location of our Clubhouse, where it became the original Pro Shop and Snack bar for the golf course. When the Clubhouse was built in 1977, the cottage was moved sideways, and it became strictly the Pro Shop and Club Storage. In 1984 it was finally demolished when a permanent Pro Shop and Office addition was constructed.

Here's a shot from 1977 of the Cottage as Pro Shop, Club Storage, and Cart Charging Station. The newly-built Clubhouse is in the background.

So, what's the shack (top picture) that is now attached to the chimney? Ever since the cottage was moved, a simple wooden structure was built in its place for fertilizer storage. The one that is there now is the second such structure. We decided to keep the chimney in place because it is, indeed, an authentic historical piece. We hired a bricklayer in 2001 to apply mortar around the stones, since the old mortar was flaking off. Our research on its history went cold, but we were given the opinion that the chimney pre-dates the Hales cottage. Puslinch Township historical records indicate that the first recorded settlers on the property were the Stone family (as in Stone Rd.), but we can't be certain that this chimney was built by them.

In the meantime, it certainly catches a lot of stray golf balls!

Victoria Park West

2011-05-05T08:25:00.002-04:00

As mentioned in a previous post, 2011 is the "Farewell Year" for Victoria Park Golf Club West. Pictured above is founder and owner Ted DeCorso (centre) with his children David and Tina. Here's a link to an article that appeared in our local paper, an interesting retrospective of the West's 45-year history and the man behind it: http://bit.ly/msjIJN

New! Public Mens League

2011-05-03T14:56:00.003-04:00

We're starting a Mens League for public golfers, here at Victoria Park East. Over the last few years, we've been approached numerous times by players inquiring about a league. So our Pro, Jay Pembleton, came up with the framework, and we're now ready to go. The League will run on Wednesdays, starting May 18 and run for 15 weeks. Click here for full details: http://bit.ly/e5VwMp

What to do...

2011-05-03T14:52:00.002-04:00

No disrespect meant to the sand & gravel industry, but this weather is the PITS. Rain, cold... blah! So, here's a link to the "Top 10 Funny Golf Commercials". What else to do on a rainy day?
http://bit.ly/h398tT

Trials and Tribulations

2011-04-26T10:43:00.003-04:00

Here's a link to an interesting article regarding the (so far) quiet performances of Canadian players on the PGA Tour: http://bit.ly/gzt5jN

The season is still young, so there will be plenty of opportunity for the Canuck contingent to make a showing. It's an interesting article, though, and I'm certain it may provoke some good discussion.

Victoria Park West...

2011-04-26T10:32:00.004-04:00

18th Hole at Victoria Park West

There's still a rumour floating around that our sister course, Victoria Park Golf Club West, is closed. Nothing could be further from the truth. The West course is fully open for the 2011 golf season. This is their "Farewell Season", because (as mentioned in a previous blog post) our new Victoria Park Valley Executive Golf Club will open next Spring, replacing the West course, which will be re-developed into a residential subdivision. The East course will remain unchanged.

But for now, it's Business as Usual at the West course. Here's a link to their website: http://www.vpgcwest.com/default.aspx

Post-Masters Hangover

2011-04-14T15:16:00.004-04:00

What a weekend! We finally got the course fully open here at Victoria Park East, and had a great crowd of rusty golfers here on Saturday (April 9th). But by the end of the weekend, our opening day excitement was supplanted by a fabulous final round at Augusta. There's already been a lot of analysis and comment about Charl Schwartzel's predominance on the final 9 - so I won't add to it... much. In my humble opinion, it was the un-expectedness of some of the names in the finishing field that made it really great. Anyways, April marches on, the grass is greening-up nicely, and warmer air is on its way. Come out and golf!

Hello, 2011 Season!

2011-04-06T14:41:00.003-04:00

It's official: we will open our driving range and temporary 9-hole layout tomorrow (Thursday April 7th). Finally. And, if conditions are good, we should have the whole course open by Saturday (April 9th).

We've been looking forward to this for awhile.

David DeCorso, our Superintendent and General Manager, has started his own blog. He'll discuss the "turf" side of the business, as well as up-coming plans for our new golf course, Victoria Park Valley. Here's his link:

http://daviddecorso.blogs pot.com/

Finally, here's a shot of our 1st tee, taken this morning at about 8:15

Still Getting Ready...

2011-03-31T09:11:00.003-04:00

We've been keeping busy getting ready for the season, despite this snow-induced haitus. One important thing we did change: we've gone back to quoting our greens-fee prices "Tax In". Last year, many golf courses opted to change this practice and quote the prices "plus tax" due to the introduction of the HST on July 1st 2010. We felt that it would be important for the customer to know how much the actual greens fee was, and how much was tax. Well, according to our front-line staff, most customers really just wanted to know "the bottom line". So, back we go. In rounding-off our tax-in rates, the regular greens fees become a little cheaper this year (believe it or not!). Here's the link to our 2011 regular rates: http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/ViewPage.aspx?pg=66 And here's a pic of our first tee, taken this morning at about 8:30. It looks like we're still a couple weeks away from opening. That snow storm last Wednesday really set us back. Bummer!

DaVinci and Michaelangelo in the Pro Shop!

2011-03-22T11:03:00.003-04:00

Here they are, folks, "Leonardo DaVinci" Teeter and "Michaelangelo" Williams with their paint brushes out, adding their version of the Sistine Chapel to our humble pro shop!

Stop by and have a look... and make sure to compliment them when you see them on the golf course.

Mike Weir in 2011

2011-03-09T08:59:00.002-05:00

I'm a big Mike Weir fan. Not just as a PGA Tour player and Masters champion, but as a supporter of Junior Golf in Canada, as well as other great initiatives.

Coming off elbow surgery before the end of last season, Mike's now in the process of getting his game back. Needless to say, it ain't easy!

Here's a great article from our local paper, well worth reading:

http://bit.ly/fRwHbj

It certainly Is a Different Year!

2011-03-09T08:30:00.004-05:00

At this time last year, we were very close to opening the golf course! I was in Niagara Falls for a few days during March Break, and we were walking around with short-sleeves and basking in the warm sun. We even had our driving range and temporaries open during that time.

Not this year!

Environment Canada has forecast a cooler-than-usual March, even going into April. So an "early" opening isn't in the cards.

On the plus side, the turf conditions appear to be very favourable, as opposed to last year, when we experienced the worst winter-kill ever. Good snow cover and gradual temperature shifts will keep the grass happy.

Above is a shot of our lonely 1st Tee, taken at 8:15 this morning.

Pro Shop News: Some new stock has arrived, specifically great-looking bags by Titleist, Callaway and Taylor Made; Footjoy shoes; and some clothing. Come on out and have a look!

A Struggle for the Next Generation

2011-02-14T08:57:00.005-05:00

One of the main hurdles that many golf courses encounter is the need to keep the game of golf an attractive sporting option for young people.

Over the past few years, we've lived through a few events that have taken the "caché" from golf, in the perceptions of some of these junior players: the "star power" of Tiger Woods, and all of the cool endorsement stuff that went along with it, has definitely waned - and no other pro golfer has replaced Tiger on that very high "mass marketing" pedestal; and here in Canada, Mike Weir's fantastic Masters win is slowly becoming an historical bookmark, and (arguably) no other Canadian golfer has since hit that high a mark.

Although we welcome, and encourage, the game of golf for any age level, it's critical for us to promote the game among juniors. And with all the new technology and diversions that are appealing to this younger market, the challenge will be huge. "Thinking outside the box" has never sounded more appropriate!

Welcome to 2011?

2011-01-05T11:29:00.004-05:00

It's finally done... again. The busy Christmas stretch, lots of visiting, travelling, hockey, shopping, etc. You know the drill.

And with the passing of the 1st decade of the "new millenium", I truly believe that's it's best to look forward, not back; at least, not so much. I guess the argument could be made that there's lots of fun stuff to look back on. Like the guy on the right, for example!

But looking forward: 1) The economy is showing signs of waking up, so we hope this translates into more golfers.

2) If I'm correct, there are now 6 Canadians on the PGA Tour this year, so there may be some exciting golf ahead from this contingent.

3) We're going to focus a little more on enticing junior golfers to pick up the sport, or get back in. But heck, we'd like to see golfers of all ages enjoying the game.

4) Social Media: I've tried Twitter - sometimes it's fun, often it's a load of bunk (who cares that you're out walking your dog!), but it's now time to tackle the big one... Facebook. I'm going to get my kids to help me with that one. I've started on Facebook, but I'm finding it a bit of a challenge.

Oh well, each day done is a day closer to Spring!

The Great Moe Norman

2010-12-08T09:01:00.003-05:00

I got an email from one of our members, with a link to a wonderful little documentary video about the late Moe Norman.

Most Canadian golfers (of an age!) will have heard about Moe, his exploits on the golf course, his unusual but highly consistent ball-striking, and his rather eccentric personality.

We also have a family connection to Moe: my brother Paul's wife Sandy is Moe's niece. Her mother is Moe's twin sister.

Here's the link to the video, please feel free to pass it along:

http://bit.ly/fbA5Vo

Goodbye, 2010 Season

2010-11-24T08:56:00.003-05:00

I couldn't resist. One of our members emailed me this comic. Of course, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but I'm often surprised at the number of golfers that play in horrible conditions. And that's OK, God bless 'em!
For example, yesterday was our final day of golf here at Victoria Park East, and we had between 30 and 40 players. The weather was actually great in the morning, but just before noon a cold north wind picked up and it was brutal (I made the comment that "it's so windy, you can start at our course and finish at another one!")

What The...

2010-11-21T09:29:00.002-05:00

And can anybody tell me how to get rid of those annoying "hover" ads that have suddenly appeared, on certain key words in my posts? I can't seem to find a setting anywhere (but I'll keep looking). I certainly wasn't aware that this would happen.

Looks Like It's It's Almost Time

2010-11-21T09:12:00.002-05:00

It's Sunday morning, November 21st, and I'm watching a few flakes of snow hit the ground. So we'll probably pull the pins on the 2010 season this week, as the long-range forecast calls for colder weather and some snow.
I've been, well, somewhat lax in posting on my blog. Not because I didn't want to - there's lots to post about - but because time flies. So often, I've sat down to post, and got interrupted, and never got back to it. Excuses, excuses... time to look ahead.
Some interesting points I'll cover in the next few days:

-Q-School 2nd stage is on, and my cousin Bryan DeCorso is playing in it. Best of luck, Bryan!
-The 2010 golf season had it's highs and lows: the tournament business rebounded modestly, but public play stayed fairly flat. I've talked to a few other golf course owners who've reported the same results
-Looking ahead to the 2011 season, we've decided to offer more membership options in the "Intermediate" category (ages 19-45) to try and entice some more members in this age group
-The HST pissed everybody off, but we didn't experience the hit that we had anticipated
-Our new golf course, Victoria Park Valley, has been put to bed for the winter, and work will resume in the spring. 17 of 27 holes have been seeded.
-I've had some great comments from our members this year, both positive and negative. We like to hear these comments, because we understand that there's always room for improvement. Within reason, we can always make effective change.

Looking forward to posting more in the near future.

New Golf Course Update

2010-09-30T15:47:00.008-04:00

Here are 2 pictures taken last week at the new Victoria Park Valley site. In the top picture, I'm standing on (what will be) the parking lot, looking south. The roof you see in the background is a bungalow that we intend to renovate and enlarge into a Pro Shop/Lounge.

The picture on the bottom shows the growing grass! I'm standing beside the A3 green, looking out over the reservoir at the A4 green. That's the pump house on the right.

Lots done, but still lots to do! More to follow...

Eat Your Heart Out!

2010-09-30T15:31:00.006-04:00

OK, I just have to gloat a bit here.

Our team won the annual ProAm Scramble here at Victoria Park East yesterday, with an impressive score of 56 - that's 15 under! That's us, from left to right: Pro Paul Westaway, me, Randy Doucette, and my friend and guest for the day, Manoj Prajapat.

Gloat #1, Manoj got an ace on the 11th hole. That automatically got us the one and only Skin.

Gloat #2, my putts were actually dropping. And good putts, too - not kick-ins!

Gloat #3, we all bet on our team, and paid $85 on a $5 share!!!

Gloat #4, did I mention Manoj got a hole-in-one?

Ok, enough gloating...

It was a great day, and always a fun event. Thanks to all the members and area Pros for their participation (and not ribbing me too badly for winning!)

Definition of "Tournament"

2010-09-08T08:33:00.002-04:00

I had an interesting discussion with one of our members not long ago, about whether I should be able to apply the word "tournament" to describe his golf day with a bunch of friends.
We've become used to applying this word to any group that books more than 4 tee times, but I do see his point, and we had an interesting back-and-forth (in a friendly was, of course).
Here's Dictionary.com's version of Tournament: "a trial of skill in some game, in which competitors play in a series of contests..." Pretty simplistic.
Anyways, I would ask one question to determine if the word "tournament" could fairly be applied to a group of golfer:
Is score being kept, with intention of determining a winner? If the answer is Yes, then it's a tournament. The come-back argument was: "Well sure we kept score, but we had no prizes, didn't have a dinner... we just golfed, had a beer and went home."
So... where is this going? Well, it got me thinking about how we traditionally market the Tournament concept, and how the times are definitely changing: the days of the "big company" tournament with big numbers and big prize tables are (arguably) waning. Don't get me wrong, they're not totally gone, it just ain't what it used to be. But we have noticed a rise in the smaller, more intimate type of group coming out for a "golf day"; instead of the whole company, it's a particular department.
Our member had a point: don't call it a tournament, call it a fun day on the golf course. And maybe an opportunity just presented itself here...

Grow Grass Grow

2010-08-31T14:24:00.003-04:00

Construction continues full-tilt on the new Victoria Park Valley Golf Club.
The first pic below shows the venerable Luigi Bonaldo doing some siding work on the pumphouse, which should be up and running in a week or so (waiting on Guelph Hydro to hook up the 3-phase service).
In the second pic, you can see that the fairway has been seeded with the now-common "spray-down" material that is being used to broadcast-spread turf.

This is hole A7.

The A holes are being seeded first (haha, I just realized how funny that sounds!)

More to come soon.

Weir & Woods

2010-08-26T14:20:00.004-04:00

OK, so I stand corrected. Tiger Woods is no longer married, and he didn't win the two majors that I'd predicted he would, in a previous post.

The suddenness and finality of the divorce was surprising to many, it seems. But in retrospect, this (divorce) may have been the most logical thing to do: Elin can now separate herself - as best as she can - from the whole messy business, but having the children will still mean that Tiger will be in the picture. And Tiger... well, there's still a lot of golf left in him. It will be interesting to see what 2011 brings.

As for Mike Weir, it looks like ligament damage in his right elbow means an early wrap-up to a (somewhat) disappointing season. Interesting article here by the Montreal Gazette's Randy Phillips: http://bit.ly/9Da4mj

New Golf Course On The Way!

2010-08-24T10:23:00.005-04:00

Construction began this summer on Victoria Park Valley, a 27-hole executive-length golf course located about 4 kms. south of Victoria Park East, the the north-east corner of Maltby Rd. and Victoria Rd. South in Puslinch Township.

This project is a co-venture with Victoria Park East and West, and it will replace the West course, which is slated to close at the end of the 2011 golf season (the West course property will be developed into a residential site). So, if everything goes according to plan, Victoria Park Valley will open for business in Spring 2012.

The picture above is looking west towards Victoria Rd. Construction has been progressing very well since the late spring, and project manager David DeCorso has been expertly juggling this project, as well as the constant demands of the East course. Here's an interesting picture of David, checking out a major vein of sand that was discovered on the property:

The golf course was designed by Scott Covell, and most of the property's natural features were incorporated into the plan. Very little earth-moving had to be done. The landscape is excellently suited to a links-style layout.

At this point (August 24th) most of the "A9" holes are shaped and top-soiled, and are ready to be seeded. I'll update with more pics as the projects continues. We're very excited about this, and anticipate that it will be a great fit for area golfers who enjoy a shorter-length golf course.

Getting Back on the Wagon

2010-08-09T13:22:00.002-04:00

Time flies when you're having fun... or having fun being busy! June and July went by like a blur, and here we are in August, staring at the down-slope of the 2010 golf season.
Pardon my absense from the blog-o-sphere; I did miss posting stuff during the last month or so. Jane and I were in Italy for our 25th anniversary during the first half of July - fantastic! It was our first time in Italy, and we enjoyed it tremedously, despite the heat (and I mean, HEAT). And of course it took me two weeks to get caught-up and get my head back into the golf business here at Victoria Park East.

So, more posts coming, there's some interesting news and info to pass along - especially with our new executive golf course now under construction!

Here's a small Guelph Mercury article from last week, quoting a couple of us local golf course owners about the state of the biz up 'til now:
http://news.guelphmercury.com/article/671816

Victoria Park Golf Club in Jessica's Walk

2010-06-23T09:08:00.003-04:00

Victoria Park East & West Golf Clubs entered a team in the annual Jessica's Walk, a charity event in support of juvenile brain cancer research. This was our first time attending this event, and it was a great success for the charity: now in it's 5th year, they surpassed the $1 Million mark in contributions! It was a great day, we were happy to be a part of it.

The back of my Aunt Bonnie's and my brother
Paul's heads.

Team Victoria Park listening to a wonderful

and emotional speech by Wendy Durigon,

Jessica's mother.

L to R: Paul, Madeline, Elena, Reid (with the

Italian movie star sunglasses) Will with the

blue cap, and part of Sandy - all DeCorso's.

Starting point, with Jessica's picture.

Time Flies...

2010-06-10T11:31:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been way too long since my last post. Here we are in June, the golf season is in full swing (pun intended), the tournament schedule is heating up... lots happening here at Victoria Park East. Not that I'm making excuses.

The last few weeks have certainly been busy. We've officially launched a "Rewards Card " for our members, and that took a lot of background work. Our new golf course on Maltby Rd. and Victoria Rd. South is starting to take shape, we're looking forward to a spring 2012 opening - the West course will remain open for the 2011 season.

And of course, Tiger Woods hasn't won a major this year... yet. I guess you got my 5 bucks, Brian!

I actually managed to play 2 rounds of golf this week. Unheard-of! It's great to see how the winter damage has basically healed, I would say, to almost 100%.

One more thing, the HST is almost here. That will add about 3 to 4 dollars onto a green fee, straight tax. We've been warning our customers, and haven't experienced a predicted backlash; at least, not yet!

PGA Tour "Halfway Point"

2010-05-13T09:58:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe how quickly the season marches along. Here's an interesting article by PGATour's Rob Bolton, sort of a "report card" type of thing:
http://www.pgatour.com/2010/r/05/12/fantasy-halfwaypoint-review/index.html/

It looks like Tiger Woods will take a break, nursing an inflamed neck joint. There goes my pool!

Picture of the North Channel

2010-05-11T10:59:00.002-04:00

In my last blog entry, I mentioned that I'd post a pic from Manitoulin Island. We were there during the last weekend of April to attend a funeral (my wife's aunt, she was a very classy & hospitable lady) and the weather was beautiful. The ferry from Tobermory wasn't running yet, so it's a bit of a drive: up to Sudbury, west to Espanola, and across the swing bridge to the Island.

The picture was taken on Highway 6 just south of Little Current (the biggest town on Manitoulin). We're looking north-east, where the North Channel meets Georgian Bay. That's my sister-in-law Lori on the left, and my wife Jane on the right. What a spectacular view.

There are 3 golf courses on the Island, and 2 of them were open - very early for them! The 18-hole course in Manitouwaning had already cut most of the turf - again, very early. I've only played the 9-hole course in Mindemoya, Brookwood Brae, a fun & tight track with a few surprises! Definitely worth a visit.

May Showers & Flowers?

2010-05-07T10:02:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since my last post. My wife and I went to Manitoulin Island last weekend for a funeral, and it's otherwise been a busy week.

Some good news on the golf course: we now have all 18 greens open for play, just #6 has a small area at the front still roped off. The picture here is our 18th green. Conditions are improving nicely, and as you can see, the trees are starting to thicken up. Easier for me to hit them!

The weather hasn't been great for golf, and it looks like we have a "cold spell" coming. Oh well, c'est la vie... Speaking of Manitoulin Island, I'll post a great pic soon, that I took just south of Little Current, of the North Channel. Spectacular!

Fore! Damn that wind...

2010-04-27T11:32:00.003-04:00

There's an Arctic blast in the wind today, but the sun's shining and the hackers are hacking! Conditions have steadily improved over the last week, with lots of growing-in left to happen. Twelve of our greens are still partial-play, so I guess "patience" is the order of the day. And everyone has been patient and understanding... we appreciate it.

The picture was taken this morning, showing a few of our hearty members braving the cold wind on the 10th tee.

David Hearn shot a 74 on the final day at the Nationwide's South Georgia Classic, which gave him a 4th place finish. He was leading into the 3rd round, but still a very respectable showing. Other Canadians that finished in the field were Barrett Jarosch, Ted Brown, and Jon Mills.

Good on'ya, David

2010-04-24T07:55:00.005-04:00

It's great to see Canadian golfer David Hearn playing so well lately. He's been a regular on the pro tours for quite a few years now, along with the likes of my cousin Bryan and Ian Leggatt. David's currently leading the South Georgia Classic by 2, the same tournament Bryan DeCorso won a few years back.

Which leads me to a quick story... 2 years ago we wanted to get a good used golf bag for our youngest son. We answered a classified ad and went to a beautiful old house off York Rd. in Guelph to purchase the bag. The young woman told us she was selling it on behalf of her parents, who had "a garage full of them, from my brother's tournaments." Who's your brother, I asked. "David Hearn." True story. A scorecard was still in the pouch from one of David's rounds - I can't remember from which course, and I hope we still have it!

Welcome Aboard, Gordon

2010-04-22T13:03:00.003-04:00

We have a new Teaching Pro here at Victoria Park East this season - and he comes with quite a resume! The Mercury published a good article yesterday about Gordon Crossman:
http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/622199

We're happy to have him with us, and encourage golfers to drop in for a chat and check out his many and varied lesson plans. I know I'll sure be trying to cure my slice...

Provincial Champions!

2010-04-13T21:21:00.003-04:00

A few posts back, I gloated a little about my daughter's hockey team, the Guelph Thunder Bantam BB. Well, what a finish! They won the Provincial title with a 2-1 win over regional rivals the Waterloo Ravens. It took 6 periods (yes, 6 12-minute stop-time periods) to claim the victory... what a game! So, here they are, and that's it for hockey until September. Cheers to all the players and coaches, they deserved the victory! Me? I ate pizza and enjoyed the game!

Greening Up

2010-04-10T09:38:00.004-04:00

It's been over a week since my last post - lots happening. My daughter's hockey team won the Brampton tournament last weekend, and this weekend they're in the Provincials! Very exciting hockey.

Anyways, back to life here at Victoria Park East. As you can see from the pic, the turf is greening up nicely. The weather has been decent, lots of rain last week, and lots of sun in the forecast. As you can also see, we have tarp covering some of our greens - actually, 11 of our greens are curently "partial play", and 2 of them are still temporary. Our mid-winter peak at the golf course was obviously too optimistic. In a nutshell, a nasty layer of ice on the greens caused a severy amount of winterkill. David and his crew have been working diligently on various procedures to help speed-along the recovery process, and so far he's cautiously optimistic that the putting surface on those affected areas will heal in a timely way. Most golf courses in the area have suffered the same fate.

So, for the meantime, we live with extended "winter conditions".

A Very Funny Video

2010-03-31T12:54:00.001-04:00

I just had to post this short, and very funny, video. Enjoy. And thanks, Harry!

And Away We Go...

2010-03-31T12:45:00.003-04:00

Victoria Park East Golf Club officially opened today... at least, as much as we could! All 18 holes are in play, but some severe ice damage has restricted play on about 6 of our greens, and the 3rd green is still temporary. I'll update conditions daily on the website. Pictured above are three of our fine members: Harry, Bob and Don, getting ready to tee it up.
So far, Easter weekend is looking good. Friday is basically booked up. Good to see! The Clubhouse is also now open.

And Now, for Something Completely Different

2010-03-29T21:52:00.002-04:00

Pardon the indulgence, but I have to brag a bit about my daughter's hockey team, the Guelph Thunder Bantam BB. They had a great season, finished first in their division, won two of four tournaments (and one to go), and just last Saturday, took home the Silver medal from their league's "Final Four". Easter weekend they're playing in the Brampton Canadette's tournament, the biggest women's hockey tournament in the world. And finally, the weekend after they'll be in the Provincials - they had to win their way into that one. Way to go, ladies & coaches!
Okay, back to golf. We may open the course on Wednesday... stay tuned.

The Re-Birth of Tiger

2010-03-23T13:27:00.005-04:00

Of course, the blog-0-sphere is abuzz with the impending return of Tiger Woods to the Tour. Here's an interesting video from the Golf Channel:

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-videos/player-react-tigers-interview-6771/?ref=26000&cid=twitter_playerreacttoTigerInterviewVID_032310

Personally, I believe any athlete that posseses the paramount degree of skill in their sport - like Tiger - will survive any PR disaster (with the right professional help!), short of killing someone or espousing hatred. That is, as long as they can maintain that skill level and chalk-up wins. It's happened before in other sports, and it will certainly happen again.

Anyone want to start a pool? I bet Tiger wins 2 majors this year, and by the end of August nobody will be talking about his past infidelities... and he'll patch it up with Elin.

Temporary Layout is Open

2010-03-18T11:18:00.003-04:00

It's dry enough to open our Temporary 9-holes. There are no greens in play - we cut a hole just below the green - and no powercarts on the course yet. The holes that we use are numbers 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16. $12.00 all you can play. Of course, the driving range has been open & busy, but we're still hitting off the mat only.
So far, the weather is looking decent until Saturday, then it looks like it's back to March!

Driving Range Open!

2010-03-15T16:03:00.004-04:00

Finally... as you can see from the pic here, the snow is gone (well, like 99% gone). Jay walked the driving range today, and we have decided to open it tomorrow (Tuesday the 16th) at noon. It's dry enough to run the range picker, but the golf course is still too wet for play.

Still, it's good to get the clubs out.

Check our website for more details:

http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/default.aspx

It Keeps Getting Better

2010-03-11T13:44:00.004-05:00

This has been the best "snow-melting" day so far: sunny sky with a gentle warm breeze from the south. Here's our 1st tee again, but now you can finally see some fairway grass. I took a walk this morning, and of course there's still more snow to go, and lots of drying-up to happen.
We've been getting some calls from anxious golfers about a potential open date, but it's still too early to call. Environment Canada says the daytime temperature will hover at around the 8°C mark for the next 5 days, with the night time temp not going below minus 1. So, my best guess is... two more weeks. But this is March, so don't hold me to it! In like a lamb, out like a lion?

Lots of work happening in the Clubhouse, great job re-decorating our 19th hole. I'll post some pics soon.

Oh, what a Beautiful Day!

2010-03-08T14:48:00.003-05:00

This is, what, the 3rd day in a row of sunshine and above-normal temperatures, and it's supposed to continue for another few days. Of course, that means the phone's been ringing with the inevitable question, "will the course or driving range be open this weekend?"
As you can see from the pic (our first tee, taken this morning) there's still quite a bit of snow out there, plus the ground has to dry sufficiently. So, we'd love to be open, but it's looking like a couple of weeks yet (if the weather continues to behave).
However, you can phone us anyways, we'd love to hear from you!
For those of you who like to Tweet, I've set up a Twitter account specifically for the golf course: http://twitter.com/GolfGuelph

Being John Daly

2010-03-01T08:38:00.005-05:00

This looks like it'll be entertaining. Coming to The Golf Channel:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/being-john-daly/

Got a dump of snow again last Friday, but it looks like a mild spell coming, starting at the end of this week.

And yes... Team Canada... the fans know it! Gold!

Golf will be in the 2016 Olympics, and Canada is actually the
defending champion (George Lyon, 1908). Okay, so it's been awhile!
http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2008-08/china_dobereiner

...and the Tiger saga continues...

2010-02-27T08:28:00.002-05:00

I guess I just can't help it. Between redecorating the Clubhouse and watching the Olympics, Tiger Woods and all the ensuing baggage keeps red-flagging my attention. Here's an interesting piece from the Golf Channel:
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/golf-videos/whats-next-13408/?ref=10005&rsec=209

Lots of snow on the ground right now! Florida, anyone?

We Always Get our Hopes Up

2010-02-22T15:56:00.002-05:00

Did I say we don't have much snow? I took this pic about 10 minutes ago. You may not be able to tell, but it's windy and SNOWING. That's our 1st tee at Victoria Park East, by the way.
However, we shouldn't be surprised. It's still February, after all.
New stuff arriving almost daily in our Pro Shop, so I'll provide some details in my next post. Our pro. Jay, is like a "kid in a candy store" right now.

So, Where's the Snow?

2010-02-19T13:38:00.005-05:00

Here's a picture of our road sign, taken today:

...and from last year, about the same time:

I've had questions about the snow, or lack thereof, and how it might impact the turf. I'm no expert, but my cousin, David DeCorso, is our Superintendent/Greenskeeper, and he says there's no need to panic. We haven't experienced any really drastic thaw/freeze cycles, which is the main culprit in killing turf over the winter. He ploughed off the greens in mid-January and spread a fine layer of black sand, to help draw in heat and counteract the potentially damaging layer of ice that had formed. Anyways, so far so good. But there's still March...

Getting Ready for Spring

2010-02-12T15:28:00.002-05:00

So, we've succeeded in making a big mess! Of course, when you're decorating, cleaning, etc., things always look worse before they look better. These pics are from yesterday (Feb. 11th)

Jay in the office. Bye-bye purple walls!

Too much crap.

Jay & Matt painting swear words on the wall!

Welcome to our Pro Shop!

Speaking of the Pro Shop, new golf equipment/accessories will be arriving soon. Our Pro, Jay Pembleton, will soon get out of his painting clothes.

Social Networking - Twitter

2010-02-08T15:00:00.002-05:00

In between bouts of painting here at Victoria Park East, I've jumped into the Twitter ring. I've been to a Guelph Chamber of Commerce presentation about social networking, so I just had to try Tweeting! Twicking! Twitting... anyways, you can look me up on Twitter as GuelphGolfer (I know, not too original).

Winter Feast 2010

2010-02-04T21:18:00.006-05:00

Last Friday (January 29th) we hosted a special event here at Victoria Park East called "Winter Feast". About 80 people braved the cold evening to come and sample an excellent variety of "pub-style" foods, as well as local craft ales from Charles Maclean of Battleaxe Brewery and some fine wines from Pelee Island Winery. A splendid time was had by all... the food and drink were amazing! Here are some pics:

Chef Stephen Vaughan, Wendy Gottmers,
Alexis Dinniwell

Some guests during arrival

Madeline, Andrew and Ricardo at one of the
five food stations serve up cheddar 'n ale soup,
beef pie, and lamb "sliders"

Daryll MacMillan from Pelee Island Winery
with a great selection

Charles Maclean from Battleaxe Brewery.
Great ales!

To knock-off or not to knock-off?

2010-01-26T14:00:00.002-05:00

I get a ton of emails from suspicious-sounding suppliers of golf equipment, usually from China, and they almost always say they carry the name-brand stuff: you know, Nike, Callaway, Ping, Titleist, etc. And they're kind of funny, too: plain-text, horrible grammar, bad spelling, and always from a guy named Mike or Larry or Simon (no last names given). I suppose, like anything, there's a big market for knock-off golf clubs. Do they perform as well as the real thing? Do people care, as long as it has the right logo on it? Well, the big players are taking it seriously, and have collaborated on cracking down on the knock-off trade. Here's the press release:
http://www.worldgolf.com/newswire/browse/58200-Criminal-prosecution-against-counterfeit-golf-club-warehouses

Just before Christmas, a lady came into our Pro Shop with a sleeve of Titleist ProV1 balls, and asked if they were genuine. Our Pro, Jay, only needed a few seconds to tell that they were counterfeit. Buyer beware.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE!

2010-01-22T11:44:00.001-05:00

Quick... how many months?
(sorry for the indulgence, folks. It's an inside joke)

Watching Graham DeLaet

2010-01-21T11:01:00.002-05:00

With a decent finish at last week's Sony Open in Hawaii, as well as his 8th place finish in Q School back in December, Graham DeLaet's star is rising. The Canadian Tour's 2009 Player of the Year is carding some fine scores, and hopefully the trend will continue for him. I always enjoy keeping tabs on Canadian players, and Graham will be one to watch. Here's a link to his PGA Tour web stats:

http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/74/36/

Some sad news today...

2010-01-18T12:12:00.002-05:00

D. Cecil "Cec" Wilton passed away on Saturday, January 16th, after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Cec was a long-time member here at Victoria Park East, and also worked for us occassionally as a marshall. He was a fun guy, and always had a kind word (and some decent golf tips!) for my kids. We'll miss you, Cec. I'll raise a pint of Keith's for 'ya!
For those members and friends that might be reading this, here's the link to the Guelph Mercury obit, it's a good one:
http://www.lifenews.ca/guelphmercury/profile/72027--wilton-donald-cecil-cec

Looks like the taxman wins...

2010-01-14T18:36:00.003-05:00

The verdict is in, and it looks to be official: the HST is coming on July 1st, so we must brace ourselves for the tax hike. In terms of golf, it means that there will be an extra 8% on the price of a greens fee after July 1st. The golf portion of memberships will see the usual 5% GST for this year, but next year it will be 13%, along with a few other services such as club storage, locker fees, handicapping, etc. Game card packages will be exempt if purchased before My 31st. We lobbied hard, but a majority government can legislate at will. More on this later. I need a glass of wine.

A Tiger Woods Movie?

2010-01-06T20:28:00.003-05:00

Well, okay, I keep breaking my own rule about "not mentioning the Tiger Woods thing", but this sure got my interest: a big-budget Hollywood movie about Tiger Woods. Still in the planning stages - if the reports are true, and sources are sketchy - the biopic will star... wait for it... Cuba Gooding Jr. No, not Will Smith. Guess it was just a matter of time.

But what do you think about Cuba Gooding Jr.? I guess with the right haircut and some quality gym/driving range time, he could probably pull it off.

Speaking of movies, anyone agree with me that golf is sadly misrepresented in movies and TV dramas? Golfers are usually presented as stuffed-shirts, stuck-up, monied, elitist, dumb... you get my drift. The closest thing I've seen to a decent golf movie was "Stroke of Genius", starring Jim Caviezel as the legendary Bobby Jones. And it wasn't really great, a little too sugar-coated at times. "The Legend of Bagger Vance" was OK, but again, the violins were a little too loud every time Will Smith entered the scene.

Anyone out there care to comment on their favourite golf movie?

"Are You Bryan's Dad?"

2010-01-06T10:09:00.003-05:00

I get asked that question a lot, or a similar "are you related to...". Bryan DeCorso (for those of you that don't know) is a Nationwide Tour player, Canadian tour player... and my cousin. Sure, I'm a few years older than he is, more grey hair, and way less-skilled with a golf club! Bryan is my uncle Angelo and aunt Bonnie's son, and he is now based in the Orlando area.

Bryan was born here in Guelph and basically grew up here at Victoria Park East - Angelo was the head pro and general manager here for many years, so Bryan's exposure to a golf environment was substantial.

Bryan continues to play on the Nationwide Tour, and internationally, and we're very proud to call him "one of our own." But no... I'm not his dad! (I don't look that old, do I?)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post, but with Christmas holidays and some exceedingly fast-paced time off, there's been little time for the computer. Needless to say, in the throes of January it's pretty quiet here at Victoria Park East Golf Club. Time to clean up and get ready for the new season. Our Pro Shop did well this Christmas, with gift card sales finally coming on strong. Happy New Year everybody, I'll post some news and views as they come up... and enough about Tiger!

PGA Tour's Top 10 of the Decade

2009-12-17T10:07:00.006-05:00

The PGA Tour's official website has been a very interesting stop for me these days, what with all the news about you-know-who. Of special note is their "Decade's Greatest Players" listing. Thankfully, our own Mike Weir has made the list at number ten. The lists's author, Nick Zaccardi, does a great job with each player, offering a mini-history of their achievements for the decade. Here's the link:
http://www.pgatour.com/2009/r/11/30/decade.players/index.html

The New Ontario Tax... and what it means!

2009-12-15T09:40:00.002-05:00

It looks like Ontario will officially introduce the Harmonized Sales Tax on July 1st 2010 (HST being the combined GST and PST, so the new tax will be 13%). For golfers, this will affect the price of greens fees, range fees, and memberships, as well as some member services, such as club storage. Currently, these items have had only the 5% GST applied. We're still waiting for the "official" word from the Ontario Ministry of Revenue or the Canada Revenue Agency on any possible exemptions to this tax. An extra 8% will definitely be a bitter pill to swallow for all of us.

A Depressing Sight... for a Golfer

2009-12-10T14:17:00.002-05:00

Our first tee at 2:00 pm today

Gifts for Golfers

2009-12-08T09:19:00.005-05:00

A nice demo set that we have for sale

Now that we're into December and the Christmas season is upon us, we get many calls and visits from people who are shopping for the golfers on their lists. I'm always interested in "trends" of the types of gifts that are popular from year to year. So far, here's the "Hot 3" and "Not So Hot 3" gift purchases from our Pro Shop - and maybe it will help you out with your own gift-giving!

Hot: 1) personalized golf balls
2) gift cards
3) shoes
Not Hot, but has been in the past: 1) gift bags
2) clubs
3) clothing

Of course, serious golfers will drop hints to their gift givers about not purchasing clubs, because all the new stuff comes out in the spring. And this leads me to the obvious question: What's Hot for 2010? Here's a brief list from the Ontario PGA Merchandise Show:
TaylorMade R9 460 Drivers
Big Bertha Diablo Drivers
Titleist 909 D Series Drivers
Nancy Lopez Ladies' Apparel
Puma hats
Titleist ProV1 balls
Adidas shoes
SunDog eyewear

One More Tiger Article

2009-12-08T08:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I said that I'd leave the Tiger thing alone, but this article by AP's Doug Ferguson actually does offer some insight into how this whole mess translates into the world of professional golf. Here's the link:
http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/571215

OK. I Couldn't Resist...

2009-12-03T11:01:00.000-05:00

Just got this pic emailed to me... the silliness begins! And I'll leave it at this, no more from me on this topic (unless it impacts the golf world).

Interesting Article

2009-11-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Further to the Tiger Woods thing, I thought this was an interesting viewpoint:
http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/10452288/The-key-Tiger-question:-Do-you-believe-him?GT1=39002

Tiger by the Tail

2009-11-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

This whole Tiger Woods middle-of-the-night car crash incident has a lot of tongues wagging, a lot of it bullsh*t. But it is interesting. I'm sure there will be a lot of speculation by some very serious people, as well as "official" comments from the Tiger Woods camp. However, it's fun to guess, given the circumstances, isn't it? Like, what was he doing zooming out of his driveway at 2:30 in the morning? Was his wife really chasing him with a golf club, the same one used to apparently free him from the vehicle? Who knows... but let's get this over with quickly, so the golf world can get back to talking about golf.

Last day for the Course 2009

2009-11-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it for 2009 - we pull the pins out tomorrow, and set up the "Temporaries": a 9-hole layout with the holes cut just below the greens.

A few groups are out today, taking advantage of the not-so-bad weather (although the fog is a little thick). Here's a group from the Orangeville area... thanks for the visit, guys!

Gary Player and a Funny Video

2009-11-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

I was at the National Golf Course Owners Association conference last week in Vancouver, and had the privilege to meet Gary Player. Before his introduction, we were shown a very funny and clever video by a company called UgMo - they've developed a device that measures ground moisture levels and other factors, and works with the irrigation system to avoid unnecessary or over-watering. Anyways, I thought I'd post a link to the video, because it is quite hilarious.
http://garyplayer.com/television/video/a_dog_named_ugmo/
By the way... Vancouver is a great city. It was our first visit.

Bless those Hearty Golfers!

2009-11-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

In spite of the chilly breeze, there's about 20 golfers on the course today. We're still open here at Victoria Park East in Guelph - and it looks like the weekend promises to be fairly good weather-wise, so we'll stay open until Monday or Tuesday (Nov. 23 & 24) and pull the pins on Wednesday. That's a pretty good run for golf here in Southern Ontario.

Anyways, welcome to my blog. I know it seems silly to start a golf-themed one at the end of the season, but it will give me some time to practice and have it going full-bore by the time th 2010 season is ready.

Eventually, I'll put in some pictures and maybe a video or two (my kids will help me out with that!)

Any comments would be appreciated. Email me john@victoriaparkgolf.com or check our website http://www.victoriaparkgolf.com/default.aspx