Playing golf in Vancouver Canada (NO POLITICS!)

[KBong]

34 minutes ago, The Beav said:

Yeah, paid $70.  I'd say the conditions were good enough that the price wasn't too offensive, but definitely not where I'd prefer to play.  

Either way, we got paired with some fun guys and had a great time.

Things are slowing down...surprised Hazelmere was the only course you could find a tee time....or maybe the inventory is low because many courses are aerating now.

[Shushwap]

On 10/9/2021 at 10:31 AM, jordan_mccomb said:

Played Westwood Plateau yesterday. First time ever out there. Had a gift card and prices had dropped from their summer rate so I decided to go for it, despite knowing the recent rains were probably going to produce less then optimal conditions. Here is what I thought: 

• The views of both the mountains and back into the valley from many of the holes were incredible. 
• Par 3's were exceptional. Good mix of distances, elevation changes, and difficulty
• They had aerated recently and put a lot of sand down in certain areas, so it wasn't as good as what it was in summer I'm sure. No posting on their website or the booking process which I found a little frustrating, but this time of year it's expected. Should've called the pro shop.
• Too many short par 4's with hard dog legs. For me it was a lot of 4 or 5 irons of the tee.
• That piece of property is so incredible, I would love to see some serious money put in to get it pristine. With a cart included they could easily charge $130/round in the summer.
  • Played with a member and he said this summer they actually put in a significant amount money for the first time in many years, so maybe there's hope.

 was wp built in the area of the old Westwood race track 

I haven't been up in that area since the track days... 

[Shushwap]

3 hours ago, KBong said:

Things are slowing down...surprised Hazelmere was the only course you could find a tee time....or maybe the inventory is low because many courses are aerating now.

Covid still seems to in full affect.. tee times are still tough to get up my way.. played quail at 9am the other day and it was 5 degrees when we went off... had to check daily to find a last minute cancellation 

All these new found golfers need to get a new hobby as  this is really starting to annoy me 

 

Edit: you are correct I do need new golf friends lol 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Shushwap

[The Beav]

5 hours ago, KBong said:

Things are slowing down...surprised Hazelmere was the only course you could find a tee time....or maybe the inventory is low because many courses are aerating now.

Aeration, shorter days, and the fact that I need to play early limits options on sunny weekends.

[jordan_mccomb]

7 hours ago, Shushwap said:

 was wp built in the area of the old Westwood race track 

I haven't been up in that area since the track days... 

I do not know many details of the race track. But the carts do a little flyover with a description at each hole and on the 18th hole they said it was the site of the old race track. Would've been a cool spot for it for sure.

[KBong]

9 hours ago, Shushwap said:

Covid still seems to in full affect.. tee times are still tough to get up my way.. played quail at 9am the other day and it was 5 degrees when we went off... had to check daily to find a last minute cancellation 

All these new found golfers need to get a new hobby as  this is really starting to annoy me 

 

Edit: you are correct I do need new golf friends lol 

I like the Quail & Bear.

That's STUPID the demand for golf is crazy in Kelowna...and green fees are expensive too.

[KBong]

10 hours ago, Shushwap said:

 was wp built in the area of the old Westwood race track 

I haven't been up in that area since the track days... 

I didn't know this.

I was transferred here in 1992.

 

https://www.coquitlam.ca/713/Westwood-Racing-Circuit-1959-to-1990

[Shushwap]

17 hours ago, KBong said:

I didn't know this.

I was transferred here in 1992.

 

https://www.coquitlam.ca/713/Westwood-Racing-Circuit-1959-to-1990

I spent many a weekend up at Westwood back in the day.. I moved up to Williams lake at one point and I would ride down every race weekend 

I guess I need to add wp to my play list next year.. I may need to start robbing banks soon as the play list is getting long 

[duffer987]

That's awesome, them were the days 🙂 I cannot remember if I got taken there as a kid or not, but remember some weekend 1 camera highlights on BCTV, local legend Ross Bentley would have run out of there, maybe Greg Moore too if he wasn't too young.

[Phireside]

Greg Moore was out there too

[KBong]

6 hours ago, Shushwap said:

I spent many a weekend up at Westwood back in the day.. I moved up to Williams lake at one point and I would ride down every race weekend 

I guess I need to add wp to my play list next year.. I may need to start robbing banks soon as the play list is getting long 

Williams Lake....WTH.....I hope it wasn't a long time....lol.

My neighbour is from WL...I've been there once on business and then drove to Edmonton for Xmas to spend with the grandsons.

 

Unless WP is in good shape....bypass it.

[Shushwap]

51 minutes ago, KBong said:

Williams Lake....WTH.....I hope it wasn't a long time....lol.

My neighbour is from WL...I've been there once on business and then drove to Edmonton for Xmas to spend with the grandsons.

 

Unless WP is in good shape....bypass it.

2 long years.. for me it would a 1 time thing.. just to see what They have done with the area 

From the looks of the pricing i may have to look for a deal 

[KBong]

16 hours ago, Phireside said:

Greg Moore was out there too

To everyone:

 

I did a Google on Greg last night...he passed away in an accident on an oval track.

 

I maybe confused....I remember seeing a race car leave a road track...it hit a ramp of dirt and the car screamed into the air and off the track into a "gully".....I thought this was the accident that took Greg's life???

If not Greg....who might have been in this accident?

 

RIP Greg.....far too young to pass at 24.

[Shushwap]

2 hours ago, KBong said:

To everyone:

 

I did a Google on Greg last night...he passed away in an accident on an oval track.

 

I maybe confused....I remember seeing a race car leave a road track...it hit a ramp of dirt and the car screamed into the air and off the track into a "gully".....I thought this was the accident that took Greg's life???

If not Greg....who might have been in this accident?

 

RIP Greg.....far too young to pass at 24.

If my memory is correct he was killed at a race in Cali..his dad owned the Chrysler dealer in maple ridge..I remember he had a blue viper he would dive around like he stole

I think he used to kart at Westwood when he was a kid 

[duffer987]

^Ya a just brutal wreck on a Sunday afternoon on the California superspeed way. Remember coming in from playing football (or basketball?) to turn on the race and just wow, truly gutted.

 

But ya, as a golf course, never played WP. Back in the day it was too expensive for us yoof and nowadays, ya no thanks.

[KBong]

10 minutes ago, Shushwap said:

If my memory is correct he was killed at a race in Cali..his dad owned the Chrysler dealer in maple ridge..I remember he had a blue viper he would dive around like he stole

I think he used to kart at Westwood when he was a kid 

Ya...I believe the oval was in Cali...in 1999?

[Shushwap]

1 minute ago, KBong said:

Ya...I believe the oval was in Cali...in 1999?

That sounds about right.. I remember it was late 90,s 

A friend of mine bought his boat after he passed.. nice boat for a young guy 

[KBong]

7 minutes ago, duffer987 said:

But ya, as a golf course, never played WP. Back in the day it was too expensive for us yoof and nowadays, ya no thanks.

Yes....back in the days...WP was one of the pricier tracks in the GVRD.

 

Most of my play on WP was because of corporate outings....I like to walk....so it was a course not on my short list.

[Diamana_Stinger]

7 hours ago, KBong said:

Ya...I believe the oval was in Cali...in 1999?

it was at fontana speedway, i remember it, was halloween day, october 31, '99.

[Phireside]

10 hours ago, KBong said:

To everyone:

 

I did a Google on Greg last night...he passed away in an accident on an oval track.

 

I maybe confused....I remember seeing a race car leave a road track...it hit a ramp of dirt and the car screamed into the air and off the track into a "gully".....I thought this was the accident that took Greg's life???

If not Greg....who might have been in this accident?

 

RIP Greg.....far too young to pass at 24.

That was Patrick Carpentier at Laguna Seca. He also drove a Players sponsored car.

 

Here you go: 

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Phireside
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[Phireside]

1 hour ago, Diamana_Stinger said:

it was at fontana speedway, i remember it, was halloween day, october 31, '99.

I was and still am a die hard racing fanatic (maybe not today as then). I remember this day like it was yesterday. Greg was a hero of mine. Pronounced dead at 1:21 PM. I was sick to my stomach. Skipped the halloween party I was supposed to go to that night.

 

Greg came in to the coffee shop I worked at that year the week of the Vancouver race. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor and could muster a few coherent words, he was super kind to me. The girls working with me that day gave me such stick for being so tongue tied! It wasn't uncommon for celebs to walk in to that shop, and I couldn't care less.

 

I attended his public service, and recall so many local luminaries being in the room.

 

Red gloves rule!

Edited October 13, 2021 by Phireside

[KBong]

2 hours ago, Phireside said:

That was Patrick Carpentier at Laguna Seca. He also drove a Players sponsored car.

 

Here you go: 

 

No...... the car crash I saw was a car leaving the track....hit a dirt "ramp"...the car went flying into a gully....either I'm losing my mind I saw this accident and/or obviously it was likely a different driver...sorry I can't provide more details.

[duffer987]

11 hours ago, KBong said:

No...... the car crash I saw was a car leaving the track....hit a dirt "ramp"...the car went flying into a gully....either I'm losing my mind I saw this accident and/or obviously it was likely a different driver...sorry I can't provide more details.

You are correct it was his crash - that was the rub about the post crash investigation was how the heck it ended up off the circuit and down in that gully as you describe it.

I googled/wiki'd a description (I have no desire to rewatch that TSN 'highlight' again) and that is how it is described.

 

@Phireside - funny (not funny haha obviously) you mention that. I was working at a bank around the corner at the time and was able to walk over and lollygag from across the street. IIRC (and I could be way in left field) the coverage made a big deal, well a deal at least, of Ashley Judd being there? It's a weird useless brain thing to remember, so maybe I've been hit in the head too many times 🙂

[KBong]

15 minutes ago, duffer987 said:

You are correct it was his crash - that was the rub about the post crash investigation was how the heck it ended up off the circuit and down in that gully as you describe it.

I googled/wiki'd a description (I have no desire to rewatch that TSN 'highlight' again) and that is how it is described.

 

Ya...thanks.

I did a search on Youtube and didn't find it.....I guess it's best not to watch it again anyways.

I just wanted to confirm that I saw something...it was well over 2 decades ago...so it's difficult for me to remember many things.

[Phireside]

@duffer987 Ashley Judd was married to Dario Franchitti. Dario and Greg were close friends. Greg introduced them to each other.

 

I know we've gone off the topic of golf, but if anyone wants to hear stories told by Dario and Max Papis, Marshall Pruett had them together with Paul Tracy on the 20th anniversary of his passing. Dario, Max, and Greg were a close bunch.

 

 

[myspinonit]

Riverway was in great shape Tuesday. Greens were surprisingly fast.  Played University today ( a week after aeration).   A lot of sparse grass sections,  wet/spongy  sandy fairways and really slow greens.   Cold air didn't help, but it wasn't fun.  In contrast, one of my playing partners played McCleery yesterday and it was in great shape. I have also had reports the recent drainage work at Langara really paid off and it is now one of the driest around.

 

Booked in with my group for Fraserview tomorrow. Probably I still will play though it looks to be a wet day since it probably is my last round for a while. I have a prostate operation  on Tuesday so that may sideline golf till the new year even if we get some milder dry days. Yeah, I get weekday seniors rates, but unfortunately that same age bracket has other drawbacks!

 

Cheers.

Edited October 14, 2021 by myspinonit

[KBong]

On 10/13/2021 at 6:55 PM, myspinonit said:

I have a prostate operation  on Tuesday

My thoughts to you on speedy recovery.

[KBong]

On 10/13/2021 at 6:55 PM, myspinonit said:

one of my playing partners played McCleery yesterday and it was in great shape. I have also had reports the recent drainage work at Langara really paid off and it is now one of the driest around.

 

Really?....Langara was the wettest of the 3 muni's.

The fairways on 1, 3, 9, and 11 were the worse.

 

Since buying an annual pass at another course....the only other course I've played this year has been Burnaby Mountain.

 

Many of the courses will be slop holes with this recent DOWNPOUR....ugh.

 

Only 5-6 months of constant rain....BLAH.

[Phireside]

@myspinonit Wishing you a speedy recovery

[The Beav]

Morgan was ok this morning.  Obviously not 'playing the ball down' good, but very playable.  Didn't lose any balls due to plugging in the rough or fairways.