Playing golf in Vancouver Canada (NO POLITICS!)

[KBong]

I've never cared much for Hazelmere...I find it a bit boring....of the West Coast Golf Group....I'd rank them....Swaneset, Belmont and then Hazelmere....I really like Swaneset....both courses are really challenging from the

I know Peace Portal is a muck hole in the winter....but the course is more challenging than Hazelmere.

Morgan Creek has the best public course conditions...but aesthetically...I'm not a fan of the housing around the course.

[mattdubya]

> @KBong said:

> I've never cared much for Hazelmere...I find it a bit boring....of the West Coast Golf Group....I'd rank them....Swaneset, Belmont and then Hazelmere....I really like Swaneset....both courses are really challenging from the

> I know Peace Portal is a muck hole in the winter....but the course is more challenging than Hazelmere.

> Morgan Creek has the best public course conditions...but aesthetically...I'm not a fan of the housing around the course.

 

ah...see i can't stand swan-e...mainly because i lose a half dozen balls everytime i'm out there haha.

 

i love belmont and hazelmere. they are kind of similar to me...especially once you get down to the flat parts of both courses.

 

i need to get out to belmont soon. i like the holes that are "gimmicky" but not really...they're different than most holes but they don't feel gimmicky or unfair. the par 3 with the big drop, 10 with the big drop on your tee shot. the par 5 where you've got to "kick a field goal" b/t the trees. lots of fun

[The Beav]

Anyone have a report on Kings Links in the last week? Have they aerated recently?

[tips09]

> @"The Beav" said:

> Anyone have a report on Kings Links in the last week? Have they aerated recently?

Called them yesterday they are closed for punching until Friday.

 

 

[The Beav]

> @tips09 said:

> > @"The Beav" said:

> > Anyone have a report on Kings Links in the last week? Have they aerated recently?

> Called them yesterday they are closed for punching until Friday.

>

>

 

Thanks!

Looks like I'll stick with Pagoda for another week while most other courses recover from punching.

[IcemanYVR]

> @tips09 said:

> > @mattdubya said:

> > hazelmere was in great shape. i like that course a lot. i've only played it twice but got paired w members both times and they've all been nice and welcoming.

> > unsure if i'll play peace portal at all this year if i can consistently get on there instead. just seems like they care about it more and maintain it.

>

> Agreed. 9 times out of 10 I will choose Hazelmere over Peace Portal. Their conditions last year were very good. Great value compared to many courses in Metro Vancouver.

 

Agreed as well... I'll take Hazelmere any day over Peace Portal. Hazelmere is a decent layout and good value. I just wish it wasn't so far from Vancouver. I used to play there when I live/worked in Surrey. I'd head out just before 6am in the summer, play 18 and be at work by 8:30.

[Golfnuck]

Here we go again .........

 

https://www.vancourier.com/news/park-board-commissioner-wants-to-put-vancouver-golf-courses-under-the-microscope-1.23787799

 

"Demers has a motion going before the April 15 park board meeting that would direct staff to “evaluate the full spectrum of realized and unrealized benefits of Park Board land currently used for golf.” It also asks staff to compare the past, current and expected demands for golf with that of the rest of the city’s recreation system."

 

It is inevitable that Langara Golf Course will be shut down at some point.

 

 

 

 

[Phireside]

> @Golfnuck said:

> Here we go again .........

>

> https://www.vancourier.com/news/park-board-commissioner-wants-to-put-vancouver-golf-courses-under-the-microscope-1.23787799

>

> "Demers has a motion going before the April 15 park board meeting that would direct staff to “evaluate the full spectrum of realized and unrealized benefits of Park Board land currently used for golf.” It also asks staff to compare the past, current and expected demands for golf with that of the rest of the city’s recreation system."

>

> It is inevitable that Langara Golf Course will be shut down at some point.

>

>

>

>

 

“It could be that we lower our prices so it opens the door to many more people, it could be that the golf course is open to everybody in the winter for cycling for just leisure and so on,”

 

Here we go. Can you imagine the course being used for non golf activities...

[Golfnuck]

Tree to the left of number 4 is now gone.

 

This picture from last fall.

 

This picture from last week.

 

 

 

 

 

[bb123]

> @mattdubya said:

> Is there a good place for cheap/new balls that isn’t golftown? Or is that where you guys go too?

 

www.golfballs.ca , they have a physical store in Delta by the tunnel if you can get there at lunch one day. Or there USA store which has good eBay deals, www.golfballplanet.com

[mattdubya]

> @bb123 said:

> > @mattdubya said:

> > Is there a good place for cheap/new balls that isn’t golftown? Or is that where you guys go too?

>

> www.golfballs.ca , they have a physical store in Delta by the tunnel if you can get there at lunch one day. Or there USA store which has good eBay deals,

 

 

Awesome thanks!

[mattdubya]

Also I played bald eagle at point Roberts this morning and was truly shocked by a few things:

1. Holy crap nice course! Extremely well kept.

2. Holy crap tough course! Lots of water and soft sand bunkers. Some tight fairways. Challenging and fun

3. Holy crap no one was there at all? It was us and another group at 8 o’clock. I hope for their sake it gets busier at some point. We made it around in 3.5 hrs.

[duffer987]

> @mattdubya said:

> > @bb123 said:

> > > @mattdubya said:

> > > Is there a good place for cheap/new balls that isn’t golftown? Or is that where you guys go too?

> >

> > www.golfballs.ca , they have a physical store in Delta by the tunnel if you can get there at lunch one day. Or there USA store which has good eBay deals,

>

>

> Awesome thanks!

 

If you're going to play down at Pt. Roberts you could kill two birds (no pun intended) with one golf ball, by using one of the eBay options for ball deals and having them delivered to Pt. Roberts. There are always good options for basically any new ball that isn't Titleist.

[myspinonit]

> @bb123 said:

> > @mattdubya said:

> > Is there a good place for cheap/new balls that isn’t golftown? Or is that where you guys go too?

>

> www.golfballs.ca , they have a physical store in Delta by the tunnel if you can get there at lunch one day. Or there USA store which has good eBay deals, www.golfballplanet.com

It looks like these are used balls. I recently used Golfballs.com (I don't think it's any relation to golfballs.ca) to get the 4 doz for 3 personalized balls pricing on Srixon Q Star Tour and had them sent to a Pt Roberts pick-up depot (TBS shipping). With the currency exchange it was basically one free doz compared to Canada prices for three doz plus taxes. (DON'T get them shipped to Canada.Did that once-they went by FedEX and lots of extra charges.) My wife went with me for the pickup and we went to the Point Roberts course for breaky, that we enjoyed in old ownership, our first time since it reopened as Bald Eagle. We were unfortunately disappointed with breaky. My wife's bacon had an odd taste and I bravely (stupidly) chose the chef's concoction that included ground beef and garlic. Though I'm told it's popular, certainly not my cuppa.

 

 

 

[myspinonit]

> @mattdubya said:

> Also I played bald eagle at point Roberts this morning and was truly shocked by a few things:

> 1. Holy **** nice course! Extremely well kept.

> 2. Holy **** tough course! Lots of water and soft sand bunkers. Some tight fairways. Challenging and fun

> 3. Holy **** no one was there at all? It was us and another group at 8 o’clock. I hope for their sake it gets busier at some point. We made it around in 3.5 hrs.

 

Yeah, it's going to be a tough one for them and I sadly can't see this incarnation lasting either. I liked the course before and understand it's the same layout but better kept so far. The day we recently went for breaky was a cold ,wet, windy day (Saturday) and saw just one foursome, which really wasn't surprising. If I was going to play it would be after 10am so I could at least use the Nexus lane going down, and avoid the tunnel issues going down if it was a weekday.

[myspinonit]

> @TheShaun said:

> > @Golfnuck said:

> > Here we go again .........

> >

> > https://www.vancourier.com/news/park-board-commissioner-wants-to-put-vancouver-golf-courses-under-the-microscope-1.23787799

> >

> > "Demers has a motion going before the April 15 park board meeting that would direct staff to “evaluate the full spectrum of realized and unrealized benefits of Park Board land currently used for golf.” It also asks staff to compare the past, current and expected demands for golf with that of the rest of the city’s recreation system."

> >

> > It is inevitable that Langara Golf Course will be shut down at some point.

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

> “It could be that we lower our prices so it opens the door to many more people, it could be that the golf course is open to everybody in the winter for cycling for just leisure and so on,”

>

> Here we go. Can you imagine the course being used for non golf activities...

 

It will be another condo "middle income" housing push and impact the middle income and senior golfers who can only afford muni golf. I'm up for spending dough on Langara drainage, but leaving the course full 18. It is central, near transit and there already will be big hub recreational development at Oakridge, so golf should be seen as another facet of that. IMHO.

[duffer987]

^Who gets "the right" to play a low participation hobby on a prime piece of land that could be used for other purposes that would either serve a more pressing need or a much much larger percentage of the population.

I do understand the skepticism towards any city council's ability to make the best decisions and execute on them, but where is 'affordable' now. Should we have people commuting in from Agassiz and Hope for their mediocrely paying job? Or as long of people stay in their shanties in Surrey things are cool.

[bb123]

The park board notion to look at other use's for Langara got "deferred" last night. Not sure if that means it's completely dead, or if this will just be talked about later on some other time in the future?

[lhahn]

Where is the line drawn? Should we get rid of all baseball/softball fields? City run ice rinks?

[KBong]

Glad to hear Bald Eagle is in good shape.....it's a great course but it was a sham from 2011 till when it was sold due to a lack of cash flow to pay for maintenance.

It will still be a tough go to make money as a golf course....but it's a no brainer that it's a real estate play for the my fellow countrymen/women and also to get some of that 'dirty' money out of China. :) :D

[KBong]

Obviously there are better financial rewards for the city to convert Langara to something else to serve the community. I don't think anyone will miss Langara golf course if it is gone.

Ya gotta spend money to make money.

Burnaby Mountain and Riverway have spent money to improve drainage and it's paid off as they have full tee sheets 7 days a week year long. BM has also spent money to build a better range facility which is well utilized.

Whether the City of Burnaby is truly making a profit from golf...I don't know and too lazy to Google to look up any public info

If one looks at the Vanc muni's on-line tee sheet...except for Fraserview....there are quite a few open times throughout the week at Langara and McCleery.

I think BM and Riverway with improved conditions have stolen business away from the Vanc muni's.

As a golfer who frequents all the facilities....I'd rather see Vanc spend the proposed but not or questionably approve $2M to Langara to be reallocated to McCleery & Fraserview to improve drainage...especially holes 18 & 1 at Fraserview and holes 12 and 14 at McCleery.

[duffer987]

> @lhahn said:

> Where is the line drawn? Should we get rid of all baseball/softball fields? City run ice rinks?

 

Drawn the other side of Langara. Seriously, how often do you play it? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly?

Surely it's the worst out of the 18 hole public courses in Burnaby/Vancouver and it's in a great location in the city to be repurposed to include more soccer pitches, baseball/softball fields, general use greenspace endeavours that more people can enjoy, that a strictly single use facility.

[Golfnuck]

> @duffer987 said:

> ^Who gets "the right" to play a low participation hobby on a prime piece of land that could be used for other purposes that would either serve a more pressing need or a much much larger percentage of the population.

> I do understand the skepticism towards any city council's ability to make the best decisions and execute on them, but where is 'affordable' now. Should we have people commuting in from Agassiz and Hope for their mediocrely paying job? Or as long of people stay in their shanties in Surrey things are cool.

 

Again folks sorry for taking this political.

If they are going to convert that prime piece of land to low income housing my belief is that this is wrong.

Sell it to a developer for big $$$$$$. Generate lots of $$$$ from DCC's for the developer to build on the land.

Take that humongous amount of money and build low income housing in the far eastern corners of Vancouver (but close to Skytrain) like Joyce street area.

You would be able to build at least double the amount of low income housing.

My beef is why not be efficient with the public's money instead of proving a political socialist point that the rich and the poor should live in the same areas ..... real life should not work that way.

I would love to live in the West side of Vancouver. I don't because I cannot afford it. And I don't expect the government to make it so I can on the back of other tax payer.

I stop now.

 

[duffer987]

> @Golfnuck said:

> > @duffer987 said:

> > ^Who gets "the right" to play a low participation hobby on a prime piece of land that could be used for other purposes that would either serve a more pressing need or a much much larger percentage of the population.

> > I do understand the skepticism towards any city council's ability to make the best decisions and execute on them, but where is 'affordable' now. Should we have people commuting in from Agassiz and Hope for their mediocrely paying job? Or as long of people stay in their shanties in Surrey things are cool.

>

> Again folks sorry for taking this political.

> If they are going to convert that prime piece of land to low income housing my belief is that this is wrong.

> Sell it to a developer for big $$$$$$. Generate lots of $$$$ from DCC's for the developer to build on the land.

> Take that humongous amount of money and build low income housing in the far eastern corners of Vancouver (but close to Skytrain) like Joyce street area.

> You would be able to build at least double the amount of low income housing.

> My beef is why not be efficient with the public's money instead of proving a political socialist point that the rich and the poor should live in the same areas ..... real life should not work that way.

> I would love to live in the West side of Vancouver. I don't because I cannot afford it. And I don't expect the government to make it so I can on the back of other tax payer.

> I stop now.

>

Should have led with that, as somewhere near enough a Skytrain station in Burnaby or Coquitlam is certainly different than the reference to way out in the burbs, in your previous post. That is sensible enough.

 

That said I couldn't disagree more with there being some inherent problem with having "rich and poor" living in the same areas, as if it's some "socialist point". Market/non-market mixes are the only way to prevent further worsening of enclave/ghetto divides... but yes this is a golf forum after all, so still reckon Langara is easily the least good of the city courses.

[Golfnuck]

> @duffer987 said:

> > @Golfnuck said:

> > > @duffer987 said:

> > > ^Who gets "the right" to play a low participation hobby on a prime piece of land that could be used for other purposes that would either serve a more pressing need or a much much larger percentage of the population.

> > > I do understand the skepticism towards any city council's ability to make the best decisions and execute on them, but where is 'affordable' now. Should we have people commuting in from Agassiz and Hope for their mediocrely paying job? Or as long of people stay in their shanties in Surrey things are cool.

> >

> > Again folks sorry for taking this political.

> > If they are going to convert that prime piece of land to low income housing my belief is that this is wrong.

> > Sell it to a developer for big $$$$$$. Generate lots of $$$$ from DCC's for the developer to build on the land.

> > Take that humongous amount of money and build low income housing in the far eastern corners of Vancouver (but close to Skytrain) like Joyce street area.

> > You would be able to build at least double the amount of low income housing.

> > My beef is why not be efficient with the public's money instead of proving a political socialist point that the rich and the poor should live in the same areas ..... real life should not work that way.

> > I would love to live in the West side of Vancouver. I don't because I cannot afford it. And I don't expect the government to make it so I can on the back of other tax payer.

> > I stop now.

> >

> Should have led with that, as somewhere near enough a Skytrain station in Burnaby or Coquitlam is certainly different than the reference to way out in the burbs, in your previous post. That is sensible enough.

>

> That said I couldn't disagree more with there being some inherent problem with having "rich and poor" living in the same areas, as if it's some "socialist point". Market/non-market mixes are the only way to prevent further worsening of enclave/ghetto divides... but yes this is a golf forum after all, so still reckon Langara is easily the least good of the city courses.

 

"Should have led with that, as somewhere near enough a Skytrain station in Burnaby or Coquitlam is certainly different than the reference to way out in the burbs, in your previous post. That is sensible enough."

 

Please read my post again.

I said - "When I purchased my first home it was a condo way out in the burbs. " This is the truth I could not afford anything even in Burnaby or Coquitlam so I had to buy my first home WAY OUT IN THE BURBS. Why is that an issue?

 

Also if it is Langara lands that are sold I would assume that the City of Vancouver would want to keep the development of low income housing within the City of Vancouver. If we are talking Provincial involvement it should be in Surrey or Langley as long as it is near transit.

 

"That said I couldn't disagree more with there being some inherent problem with having "rich and poor" living in the same areas, as if it's some "socialist point". Market/non-market mixes are the only way to prevent further worsening of enclave/ghetto divides... " - well you and I will just have to agree to disagree on this cause I am not someone that is in favour of having governments force market / non-market mixes.

 

Anyway I agree we need to get back to golf discussions cause there is no right answer when it comes to politics.

[mattdubya]

Not gonna lie I like langara more than mcleery. A lot more actually

[tips09]

> @mattdubya said:

> Not gonna lie I like langara more than mcleery. A lot more actually

+1 to that.

 

 

[myspinonit]

This has been an interesting discussion. I'm in a senior group of over 100 gents that plays Langara for June and July (otherwise at McCleey & Fraserview). Some of the guys like the posters above much prefer Langara, probably the length for my guys.

 

This is going to be a decision if done which will please some, anger some however it goes (or doesn't). Probably why it gets brought up every few years.

[KBong]

> @Golfnuck said:

>1) If they are going to convert that prime piece of land to low income housing my belief is that this is wrong.

> Sell it to a developer for big $$$$$$. Generate lots of $$$$ from DCC's for the developer to build on the land.

> Take that humongous amount of money and build low income housing in the far eastern corners of Vancouver (but close to Skytrain) like Joyce street area.

> You would be able to build at least double the amount of low income housing.

> 2) My beef is why not be efficient with the public's money instead of proving a political socialist point that the rich and the poor should live in the same areas ..... real life should not work that way.

> I would love to live in the West side of Vancouver. I don't because I cannot afford it. And I don't expect the government to make it so I can on the back of other tax payer.

> I stop now.

>

This

+100000000000000000000000000000000000000000

1) Yes....they could take the East Vancouver land at city owned Rupert Park pitch and putt to construct low income/affordable housing....but I will say... for a pitch and putt....Rupert Park is a really good and challenging layout for what it is.

I think the Vanc pitch and putts don't breaking even (likely lose money) and are not staffed or maintained in the winter to reduce costs...but accessible to the public for free in the winter months.

 

2) Another yes. Why should the poor have the same privileges as the middle class and/or rich. The poor are 'takers'....often collecting from the 'system' (e.g. welfare) and other public services....while the middle class/rich have been 'givers' paying many $100,000's+ into the 'system' in taxes. The middle class/rich made the decisions, hard working and sacrifices to have some 'privileges'.

 

I'll also stop now too.

 

 

[KBong]

> @duffer987 said:

 

> Drawn the other side of Langara. Seriously, how often do you play it? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly?

> Surely it's the worst out of the 18 hole public courses in Burnaby/Vancouver and it's in a great location in the city

 

As much as some who think Langara is the 'worst' muni in Vanc/Burnaby and for those that have lived, visited and/or played golf in Toronto (use to live there) , Calgary or Edmonton (used to biz travel often to these 2 cities)....IMO....Langara blows away any of the muni's in these 3 cities.

 

For a large metro city...Vanc is golf heaven....look at all the nice public courses within a 30-35 minute drive from downtown Vanc.....Fraserview, McCleery, Langara, Burnaby Mountain, Riverway, Mayfair Lakes, Green Acres (I hate this course though....lol), UBC, Northlands, Seymour G&CC on Mondays....and for 5-10 more minutes...add in Furry Creek and Squamish.

 

Obviously....many great privates too within a short drive from downtown.

Then add in all the great courses in the suburbs.

 

I'm a Vanc golf fan as a Toronto transplant.

Go Leafs Go....I hate the Canucks...lol.