Playing golf in Vancouver Canada (NO POLITICS!)

[lhahn]

Ended up playing at Fraserview. Big mistake. Greens were running about 12 today and whoever set the pins was pure evil. There were at least 5 pins even the USGA wouldn't have set. I 3 putted 5 times and I'm a good putter.

 

I've never seen Fraserview even remotely close to 12 ever. Was there few weeks ago and they were a 9.5 tops...

 

I hate when the pin guy goes all US Open.....ughh

[myspinonit]

Ended up playing at Fraserview. Big mistake. Greens were running about 12 today and whoever set the pins was pure evil. There were at least 5 pins even the USGA wouldn't have set. I 3 putted 5 times and I'm a good putter.

 

I've never seen Fraserview even remotely close to 12 ever. Was there few weeks ago and they were a 9.5 tops...

 

I hate when the pin guy goes all US Open.....ughh

They were quick today... just a bit of getting used to probably. More three putts than I can remember for a while. Not just me. Was on the fringe behind the back left pin on 18...joked to a playing companion it would be nice to birdie so I didn't three putt. Did make the bird...very light stroke to get it there. Nice way to finish and what a beautiful first day of Autumn!

[vancouver81]

So I just want to know when golfnuck is going to hook us up with the "we will stay out of the way" walkup rate at VGC. I could totally afford to join but just don't wanna.

[lhahn]

I play at VGC all the time. But you never see me cause I'm invisible out there.

[dlam]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

[Golfnuck]

So I just want to know when golfnuck is going to hook us up with the "we will stay out of the way" walkup rate at VGC. I could totally afford to join but just don't wanna.

 

LOL

 

That thread is still going strong.

 

I guess I kinda stirred the pot.

 

For those that have no idea what we are taking about go here .....

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1391122-how-does-one-go-about-playing-a-private-course/

[bruizer]

Played Northview yesterday and they really are moving fast with that cart path...wasn't as bad and dusty as it was the last time I played. Course still in great shape but my only complaint were all the ball marks on the greens...seemed like no one was repairing their ball marks as I'd fix 3 or 4 per green. It was a weird feeling playing and Arnold Palmer course then hear about his passing on hole 17.

[bruizer]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

[The Beav]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

That's a decent deal for PM. The layout is neither great nor awful and IMO the course is characterized by small greens.

[IcemanYVR]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

 

It's not a course I would pay money to join, but it's an exceptional deal for the Vancouver area.

 

Whomever played Northview, was 16 still closed?

[The Beav]

I played Nicklaus North on the weekend for the BC Match Play and man what a treat that was.

Greens were some of the best I've ever putted on and the layout is really fun. I think I actually used every club in the bag which is rare for me.

[bruizer]

Yes hole 16 still closed on the ridge.

[Golfnuck]

I played Nicklaus North on the weekend for the BC Match Play and man what a treat that was.

Greens were some of the best I've ever putted on and the layout is really fun. I think I actually used every club in the bag which is rare for me.

 

I really like Nicklaus North and think it is the best course in Whistler.

 

My favourite course in the Whistler area is Big Sky.

[IcemanYVR]

Nicklaus North is a great course and if it weren't for Chateau Whistler it would be my favourite in Whistler. RTJII courses tend to fit my eye better.

[IcemanYVR]

On a separate note, does anyone know where there is a Mizuno fitter with Mizuno DNA and shaft optimizer (on course, not box store) in the Vancouver/Lower Mainland area? Their website is no help.

[dlam]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

 

How about in delta/Richmond area ?

[Golfnuck]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

 

How about in delta/Richmond area ?

 

I would look at Beach Grove.

 

https://www.beachgro...mbership-offer/

 

$5,000 for full play or $4,000 for associate (weekends only after 1pm)

 

Also $5,000 for intermediates with financing up to age 40.

 

I really like the course. Don't be fooled by the yardage. It is a par 71 and there are some long par 4's.

 

The only concern I have is their intention to sell off a strip of land along hole 12 (it has that green on a steep uphill slope).

 

The good thing is it will allow them to pay off all their debt.

 

The bad thing is when ever you sell off land it is gone forever.

 

http://www.delta-opt...-land-1.2351261

 

If you don't mind crossing the border and dealing with exchange risk you could look at Loomis/Semiahmoo. I hear from a member that there is talk the current owner is looking to sell.

[IcemanYVR]

Wow... That's an amazing deal. Beach Grove is a beautiful golf course. I love Stanley Thompson designs.

 

There are some nice reciprocals with courses on the island.

[The Beav]

Beach Grove is nice and requires all the shots to get around properly. My two worst rounds of the year were there but I enjoyed it anyways.

Last I heard they were really hurting for members and you may be able to negotiate something there.

[Golfnuck]

Beach Grove is nice and requires all the shots to get around properly. My two worst rounds of the year were there but I enjoyed it anyways.

Last I heard they were really hurting for members and you may be able to negotiate something there.

 

I would do it sooner than later though.

 

It looks like the vote to sell the land has gone thru and if so the club will be in good financial shape.

 

This would put them in a very good place for the future.

 

Pitt Meadows still has quite a large debt hanging over them.

[myspinonit]

In that vein, isn't unfunded debt (i.e. not covered in reserve fund ) subject to assessments, like it is in strata buildings? Sometimes owners of a strata will vote for a separate assessment even if there is a reserve. Is it the same for golf clubs?

 

Anyway I know a friend got assessed at least a couple of times when he was formerly a member at Pitt Meadows. Playing that course a few times, I'd get tired of playing it time after time pretty quickly. Though I feel that way just generally not just that course.

[Golfnuck]

In that vein, isn't unfunded debt (i.e. not covered in reserve fund ) subject to assessments, like it is in strata buildings? Sometimes owners of a strata will vote for a separate assessment even if there is a reserve. Is it the same for golf clubs?

 

Anyway I know a friend got assessed at least a couple of times when he was formerly a member at Pitt Meadows. Playing that course a few times, I'd get tired of playing it time after time pretty quickly. Though I feel that way just generally not just that course.

 

To my knowledge golf clubs do not operate like building stratas.

 

Golf clubs can borrow with a conventional mortgage over the lands owned by the club. Lots of private member owned clubs will borrow for major improvement projects like a new club house, irrigation system etc. Some clubs with designate a specific amount of monthly dues to repay those loans.

 

Assessments are generally used to cover a deficit in the current year's operations.

 

I know a few Pitt Meadow members and we often talk about their financial situation. The problem with Pitt Meadows was that they have both a mortgage which I believe was used to finance the club house and irrigation system AND were operating using a line of credit. The assessments were needed because of a shortage of cash reserves for current operations.

 

The fact that Beach Grove will be debt free will put that club in good financial standing. Cash that would have been needed to pay off debt can now be used for current operations.

[Golfnuck]

For affordable memberships that has decent track and a men's league What courses do you recommend?

Know about 6 friends who recently got memberships at Pitt Meadows. If your under 35 the deal is 1000 down and 180 a month after that. Westwood Plateau offers cheap memberships but the conditions are brutal, bunkers are full of boulders and it's closed 5 months a year. Pitt has one of the best men's night in the lower mainland...although I think I would get bored of the course as the layout is pretty basic

 

How about in delta/Richmond area ?

 

I missed noting Richmond Country Club. It is a true country club in that they have both tennis and pool facilities.

 

The layout is very tight and the greens are very small and many are of the "turtle back" variety.

 

http://www.richmondcc.ca/home.aspx

[ryu123]

I'm not sure if IcemanYVR said that Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was a Stanley Thompson design. (There is a Beach Grove club in Ontario that was designed by Thompson, but the BC course was not.)

 

I played the Tsawwassen course once this year. It's limited by the land, which is dead flat, and cramped.

 

As for Pitt Meadows, it's a nice course, with old school small greens tilted back to front.

 

(I prefer links style courses, with fairway undulations and changes in altitude. So neither of these courses appeal to me.)

[Golfnuck]

I'm not sure if IcemanYVR said that Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was a Stanley Thompson design. (There is a Beach Grove club in Ontario that was designed by Thompson, but the BC course was not.)

 

I played the Tsawwassen course once this year. It's limited by the land, which is dead flat, and cramped.

 

As for Pitt Meadows, it's a nice course, with old school small greens tilted back to front.

 

(I prefer links style courses, with fairway undulations and changes in altitude. So neither of these courses appeal to me.)

 

Have you tried Redwoods? Some of their holes are very links like (notably holes #1, #10 and #11). It has altitude (hole #2 and #13).

 

Kings Links is links style but no altitude.

 

If you like links style courses then you have play the courses at Bandon Dunes.

[duffer987]

I'm not sure if IcemanYVR said that Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was a Stanley Thompson design. (There is a Beach Grove club in Ontario that was designed by Thompson, but the BC course was not.)

 

I played the Tsawwassen course once this year. It's limited by the land, which is dead flat, and cramped.

 

As for Pitt Meadows, it's a nice course, with old school small greens tilted back to front.

 

(I prefer links style courses, with fairway undulations and changes in altitude. So neither of these courses appeal to me.)

 

Have you tried Redwoods? Some of their holes are very links like (notably holes #1, #10 and #11). It has altitude (hole #2 and #13).

 

Kings Links is links style but no altitude.

 

If you like links style courses then you have play the courses at Bandon Dunes.

 

North Bellingham (if they let it dry out) is the best local option in my POV. Unfortunately when I played it this summer the fairway grass was way too long and the course overall to damp to play linksy, even though the ton of wind made flighting it down the best option.

 

A burnt out from a summer dry spell Royalwood was actually a pretty close approximation back in the day, ball would bounce all over the shop ;)

[The Beav]

I'm not sure if IcemanYVR said that Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was a Stanley Thompson design. (There is a Beach Grove club in Ontario that was designed by Thompson, but the BC course was not.)

 

I played the Tsawwassen course once this year. It's limited by the land, which is dead flat, and cramped.

 

As for Pitt Meadows, it's a nice course, with old school small greens tilted back to front.

 

(I prefer links style courses, with fairway undulations and changes in altitude. So neither of these courses appeal to me.)

 

Have you tried Redwoods? Some of their holes are very links like (notably holes #1, #10 and #11). It has altitude (hole #2 and #13).

 

Kings Links is links style but no altitude.

 

If you like links style courses then you have play the courses at Bandon Dunes.

 

North Bellingham (if they let it dry out) is the best local option in my POV. Unfortunately when I played it this summer the fairway grass was way too long and the course overall to damp to play linksy, even though the ton of wind made flighting it down the best option.

 

A burnt out from a summer dry spell Royalwood was actually a pretty close approximation back in the day, ball would bounce all over the shop ;)

I absolutely love North Bellingham. It's always a fun round there regardless of weather and their membership offer is pretty affordable. They also have some of my favorite greens locally. It's just a little too far away for me to join...and the border ugh.

[ryu123]

golfnuck, you're right, the Bandon courses are true links (even Bandon Trails) because they play firm & fast, and often the player can run the ball onto the greens.

 

Kingslinks is very good, but the approach shots are often aerial - not using the ground, and the same applies for N Bellingham.

 

Chambers Bay is firm & fast, except the greens when I've been there.

 

My favorite northwest course is Wine Valley, in Walla Walla WA. It's got all the traits of links - except its not by the ocean.

[duffer987]

golfnuck, you're right, the Bandon courses are true links (even Bandon Trails) because they play firm & fast, and often the player can run the ball onto the greens.

 

Kingslinks is very good, but the approach shots are often aerial - not using the ground, and the same applies for N Bellingham.

 

Chambers Bay is firm & fast, except the greens when I've been there.

 

My favorite northwest course is Wine Valley, in Walla Walla WA. It's got all the traits of links - except its not by the ocean.

 

I'm not the best with user names, but now I remember from the Gamble Sands thread, as it put Wine Valley on my mind for 2017 :)

As we know that's the trouble with all these courses that proclaim to be "links-style", just because they don't have trees and they let the rough grow up in middle bits to try and make it look like Muirfield.

They simply cannot get firm enough - unless they are effectively dead and burnt out, like dear 'ol Royalwood used to get in the summers back in the days of my yoof.

Riverway would be fantastic if they could make it play fast and firm.

[IcemanYVR]

 

I'm not sure if IcemanYVR said that Beach Grove in Tsawwassen was a Stanley Thompson design. (There is a Beach Grove club in Ontario that was designed by Thompson, but the BC course was not.)

 

 

Yup, that was me. I'll take your word for it, I grew up in Ontario and that may be why I was confused. I've only played Beach Grove in Tsawwassen a couple of times, yes it's tight, but still a nice course.

 

As for US courses. Surprised no one has mentioned Semiahmoo, the Arnold Palmer design. Good course and drains well in the winter. I used to go across there all the time in the winter when I lived in South Langley.