Following considerable discussion at the recent and very successful KP at Bandon organized by our good friend Bill McBride, we now have the blessing of the organizing committee to travel even further north into B.C. for KP 2012.
DATES: June 9 and 10, 2012 - Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club, Quilchena, B.C.
June 11, 2012 - Marine Drive Golf Club, Vancouver, B.C.
Before and after games can also be arranged at courses such as Tobiano (about 40 minutes north of Sagebrush), Predator Ridge (2 hours east of Sagebrush) and some of the Vancouver courses but that is for later.
THE COURSES:
SAGEBRUSH is well known on this site and more can be found at
www.sagebrushgolf.com Dick Zokol and his crew have made the course available to us for the weekend of June 9 and 10 and has agreed to hold the 2011 rates for 2012, ie. daily guest fee of $125 plus tax. In B.C. we currently have a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) whiich is added to almost everything. Sagebrush is private and is becoming even more private and we are fortunate to have Dick welcome up to share this great experience. There are a limited number of players allowed each day and for next year, it appears as though the limit for us will be in the range of 40 golfers. I will confirm asap but it will be in that range. That will include golf all day, cart and lunch at The Hideout. Dinner at the Hideout Experience on Saturday June 9 is $50 plus HST. Sagebrush is a very special place where the ground game is supreme, the greens are massive and aremore fun than you can imagine. It was Canada's Best New Course in 2009 and has been highly acclaimed in many corners.
MARINE DRIVE GC is a private course located on the south side of Vancouver. Originally designed by A. Vernon Macan with some changes over the years including work last year by Jim Urbina on bunkers and green surrounds in particular. Tree lined but with generous fairways, it is not long at some 6300 + yards but still gives the good golfer a test. Marine has likely produced more competitive golfsers than any course in Canada, including Dick Zokol who was a junior and grew up on Marine. Head pro, Tim Tait, has set aside times early Monday afternoon, June 11. Although catering is usually not available on Mondays, Tim can arrange a burger bar and a bartender for our group. We can thank GCAer, Sandy Smith, and Tim Tait, for getting us access to Marine Drive. Cost will be the accompanied guest fee of $105 plus HST. Lunch cost to be determined. As a special treat, Mike Riste, author of the recently released biography of A.V. Macan, will join us and will tell us more about Macan and Marine Drive.
GETTING THERE
Sagebrush is about a 3 hour drive from the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and about 2 hours from the Kelowna, B.C. airport. There are direct flights into YVR from most major US cities, including NY, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Salt Lake, Phoenix and every town on the US west coast. There are also direct flights to Kelowna from Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle (via Alaska/Horizon) and I think, Portland but will check on the latter. Kelowna is in the Okanagan Valley, home of Predator Ridge and several other good courses and is the centre of wine country as there are some 90 wineries in the valley. Sagebrush is located about 15 minutes north of the town of Merritt, B.C.
ACCOMMODATION
At Sagebrush, Dick is hopeful that they will be able to commence construction of the lodge and cottages this summer and that they will hopefully be open by the time we arrive. That will require monitoring but we should know this summer if on site accommodation is available. Dick advises the rates will be $150 per night plus HST. If it becomes apparent that the lodge and cottages may not be finished, the backup is the Quilchena Hotel
www.quilchena.com which is a few hundred yards from the entrance to Sagebrush and is a great old, character hotel, full of antiques, etc. There are also hotels in Merritt, The Best Western Nicola Inn and the Ramada Limited are probably the best and are reasonable.
www.bestwesternbc.com/hotels/best-western-nicola-inn and ramadamerritt@telus.net
In Vancouver, Marine Drive is a short hop from YVR where there are several nearby hotels of all types. The airport is in the suburb of Richmond, B.C.
DEPOSITS AND CURRENCY
We are open to GCAers and as in the past, those who have attended previous KPs will get priority. All of the prices above are in Canadian funds and our dollar is now above the US dollar and is about $105. In order to get some firm commitments, I am asking for a deposit of $250. To hold a spot, please send the deposit asap. About 6 weeks before the event, I will ask for the balance of the cost which will be green fees and food at the courses plus taxes. Realizing it will be difficult for those in the US to pay in Canadian dollars, I propose that if you pay in US funds, add 5% to the deposit. I will do my best to adjust due to currency fluctuations and will advise if there are changes. So for those paying in US funds, I need a deposit of $262.50 US. I will hold all deposits in trust and until I pay Sagebrush and Marine for the green fees and food. Any surplus (I doubt it) would go to buy a few prizes.
OTHER GOLF BEFORE AND AFTER
You will be on your own but I will do my best to accommodate and provide suggestions. As I said above, Tobiano is close to Sagebrush. It is a very interesting course by Canadian architect Tom McBroom and was the Best New in Canada for 2008.
www.tobianogolf.com If there is enough interest I will try to book a block of times on Friday, June 8. let me know. The Ridge Course at Predator Ridge was Best new Canada in 2010.
www.predatorridge.com Through friends I can try to arrange access to some of the other Vancouver clubs but that depends on interest and whether I still have any friends. (After all, I am a lawyer and it is tough for us to have friends)
LET ME KNOW!
If you want to join us, please IM or email me and I will generate a list and report back.
I have probably forgotten some info so if you have questions, post on this thread or email me. Thanks.
This will be fun!