The Bowen Island Golf Club didn't exist in 1982 when I last went golfing; I went with musicians I played with in a blues band. Each year, for four or five years, we'd pick a week we played at the Ganges Pub on Saltspring Island and put on a ragtag golf tournament, 'The Uncle Wiggly Hot Shoes Blues Band Open'.
The band, which broke up in 1983, was far better at playing blues than golfing, though our singer, Hank Leonhardt, he was pretty good. At any rate, I had not golfed since that final tourney, not until last week when the Boy and I ventured out to our local course.
During the spring break, he had friends going to Maui and skiing and the like, so something had to be done and he's keen to golf. The golf course is being played on now. The proshop and the Cup Cutter open on April 5, the date of the first Men's Night of the season.
Spencer Grundy, general manager of the course, told the Undercurrent (okay, me) that "the golf course has over-wintered fantastically and is in great playing condition." We found this to be true and the Boy was thrilled to be on such an awesome course. He enjoyed spotting where the pin was and figuring the best tactic for getting there.
It's a nine-hole, par course, 3,003 yards with multiple tee boxes. We started taking the ones furthest from the greens but, well, switched by the second hole. There's two par 5s, four par 4s, and three par 3s but I didn't hit par once, save for one bogey, it was all double-bogeys, and beyond. But I got one of their offers, for a $100 plus HST you get a privilege card that gives you two nine-hole green fee passes and green free discounts, and other stuff, and I'll get a par before 2012 is out.
These are heady times for new CPGA head professional, Steve Liddicoat, food and beverage manager, Frank Patt, and Grundy, because it's their first full season with all the bells and whistles. "The 2012 golf season will be our first season with a complete golf course operation," Grundy said in an email. "Golf course, clubhouse, food service, liquor license, fully stocked proshop, covered practice range, practice green and bunker."
Now, we got a free perk or two on the day, that's because I'm a bigshot, but you won't have to be a bigshot to get your entire round free on May 5; just be an anybody. May 5 is the official opening day and you can book a round by calling 604-947-GOLF (4653) or emailing the proshop @ bowengolf.com. There will be an opening ceremony at 11 a.m., with further details to come in ads in this paper.
Not confident of having another 30 years to wait, this golfer intends to be there on the fifth, with the Boy in tow - he who already hit a ball over a water obstacle and found seven discarded balls while tromping through trees, an activity he seemed to enjoy almost as much as the golfing.
