- While visiting relatives near London on the weekend, I took the opportunity to drive by Tarandowah, the course designed by Martin Hawtree. Some will recall my review of the course, which is near the small town of Avon, Ontario. Though I think it has struggled financially, I was pleased to see they’ve added sand to the bunkers on the back nine — an indication the course is moving forward. Interestingly, it opened for $15 for nine holes without any sand in any of the bunkers — are sure sign the ownership needed some cash flow. I was impressed then and the course looked good on the weekend — let’s hope the progress continues.
- So I’ve said it before, but Tuesday should be my final round of golf for the year in Ontario. I’m unexpectedly playing Copetown Woods for the first time this year. Owner Barry Forth says the results of the year are slightly ahead of 2005, a good sign considering the dismal Fall most courses have experienced. I’m going to test out how my left shoulder has recovered from my car accident. If not, I’m going to get my chiropractor to make me a new one — just like the Bionic Man.
- A new blog worth checking out is the Principal’s Nose. Nigel at Golf Logic has been doing a fine job of getting others involved in the site. Ian Andrew continues his fascinating fixation on short par fours. Geoffshackelford.com gives G4G props, which is nice considering Geoff runs the best (and most controversial) golf blog in the business.
- Torontogolfnuts.com has spent some time trying to figure out the subject of my post from yesterday. I’m not telling, but they are reading lots into the clues.
Odds and sods
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Robert Thompson
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in Golf Magazine, the Globe and Mail, T&L Golf and many other media outlets. Currently Robert is a columnist with Global Golf Post, golf analyst for Global News and Shaw Communications, and Senior Writer to ScoreGolf. The Going for the Green blog was launched in 2004.
Hi Robert:
I really have enjoyed your blog this year. Thanks!
With all your reporting on golf courses, I haven’t head anything about the Tom McBroom work at Clublink’s Emerald Hills. Not too long ago, this course ranked in Scores top 100 but the new courses of the past five years have since pushed it out. When McBroom was called upon to convert Clublink’s Emerald Hills to a 27-hole facility, he was given a difficult task in that the needs of the housing development left him with little space to work with. One of his strategies was to employ the short par 4 which he did twice (some might say thrice). After reading the recent blogs of Ian Andrews, perhaps this is not a bad thing. I’d be interested in your feedback. If you haven’t played, the best time is when the fescue is up – another strategy emplyed on a number of the new holes.