Have the CCR (creedence clearwater revival)song "Who'll Stop the Rain" floating around in my head today. As you can see by the weather pixie on my page it is indeed PISSING down rain today. Normally, the rain doesn't bother me that much particularly during the week as one is normally at work. Unfortunately today is the day that I along with Espinoza and Lee decided to book off work and go and play golf at a new course we found. We rationalized that it couldn't possibly rain all day today as yesterday we awoke to thunder and lightening and heavy rain and by about 10am the clouds parted and the sun came out and it was a lovely day. Well, this morning at 6:35am i was awakened by a huge CRACK of thunder over our house and I thought "hmmmm a repeat of yesterday" I got up out of bed, got my coffee and as most golfers do, flipped the TV on to the weather network. The overly cheerful weather network lady chirped on about heavy rains moving out of the area today and the storm watch being lifted for GTA etc etc. I can hear the rain pelting down and about 10 mins later it stopped. "Cool" I thought. Then the blackberry pins started between Lee and Espinoza and I. "are we on" "ya, lets meet there rain will probably stop" "i checked the weather network it is supposed to move through" I drove JB to work and I could see the sky getting lighter and I thought "great, same as yesterday" I then dropped JB off at work and headed west towards Mississauga to our new "find". Driving west the sun was starting to really look like it was going to make an appearance. I arrived at the course. Got my clubs out. Walked down to the pro shop where I was greeted by the most friendly golf pro and pro shop staff I have ever encountered. I apologized that two of our threesome was late and Golf Pro said "no problem at all. the course is practically empty. you ladies will have the whole course to yourself this morning but it's a bit wet out there on the greens after all this rain" Lee arrived and Espinoza was still lost. Lee and I did some stretching, and in between stretches I took panicked calls from Espinoza who was completely lost. Lee and I stretched some more, looked out at the lovely course and inhaled and both said "man, it's better to be here than at work" After my third cell phone call from Espinoza, she finally found the place. We then marched down the path to the first tee. A daunting, long, long par 5 hole. You know it's not good when the 5ft 1in Lee yells from the tee box "where am I aiming? I can't see any flag" I yell back my usual answer "just hit it straight down the fairway" which she did!
This course is modeled on a Scottish course or as their website states:
The BraeBen Golf Course has been designed to be"True to the Scottish Highlands"The name of the course -"BraeBen" -is Gaelic for "slope" and "mountain or hill". The new, public 18 hole Championship Course features dramatic terrain, tall rough grasses, gnarled trees and shrubs, pristine fairways, greens and tees, punctuated with challenging pot bunkers - all reminiscent of golf's early beginnings. As in the highlands of Scotland, wind will be a factor on most days.I read with interest a review of the course from "Fairways Magazine" that states the course is actually built over the old Britannia hills landfill site and that they have won environmental awards for the design of this course. It's pretty amazing that they have turned an ugly, eysore of a landfill site into a beautiful greenspace in an urban setting.
(Photo is of the first hole looking towards the green). First hole over, we all triple bogied the hole, we march down to the second hole. Second hole is a short par 3, we then get to the third hole and then the fourth hole and I tee off, Espinoza tees off and then Lee gets to the tee box and again says "where is the flag? I don't know where I am aiming" Again we say "just hit it straight onto the fairway and figure it out from there" As, Lee is about to tee off, I look up and say "man, it sure looks like it is getting darker" Then it happened "BOOOOM!!" Thunder, then after the thunder a couple of drops and then a few more drops. Undaunted, we are determined to finish the hole. When we get to the green it is now pouring rain and I then notice that I am the only one who remembered my golf umbrella. It starts to come down like a monsoon. Lee and I both have on waterproof jackets but Espinoza has nada, just her nice trendy cotton track jacket and baby blue cargo pants on. I do up my jacket and grab my waterproof Burberry rain hat (a gift from my sister)out of my golf bag and hand Espinoza my umbrella as she is getting drenched. We decide we will finish this hole and then head back to the clubhouse for a snack and a beverage to warm us up. It's a long way back to the clubhouse from the 4th hole and we realize we are walking the wrong way. True to the course name, it is really hilly and your can't see any landmarks or buildings from our locale. We then backtrack and cut across another hole and disturb a gaggle of Canada geese who are just sitting in a group watching us walk by. One of them, probably the alpha male of the bunch decides to challenge us and starts to hiss at us. I hiss back "shouldn't you be flying south!!" The goose then lifted his beak in the air and did an about face and walked away. Guess I won that challenge. Clubhouse in sight, we think "great we can sit down have a drink and dry off" We enter the pro shop and the oh so friendly pro shop gent says "it's really coming down, eh?" I say "yep, we really thought it would not rain until later today we tried but only made it to the fourth hole" He then says "do you ladies want rain checks for your green fees today" All three of us say "Sure! thats great". He then says "I just need your white receipts from this morning" we all reach in and grap our soaked receipts. Lee then gasps "Oh no, i lost my rain cover for my clubs somewhere back there on the course" I suggest that Lee and one of us take one of the covered golf carts and drive back along the paths to find it. Espinoza volunteers to go with Lee and I wait and guard our clubs. They arrive back about 10 mins later with the found rain cover. We then ask if the clubhouse is open for lunch and are told that because the clubhouse is hosting a private function it will not be open til 2pm. It is only noon. We decide we can't wait til 2pm and instead, since we are in the hub of suburbia, we drive off to one of the many boring chain restaurants in the surrounding area. We all split a carafe of red wine and some pretty good sandwiches and look at each other and say "even if we couldn't golf it is STILL better than being at work!"Espinoza drops Lee and I off back at the golf course and we go back to the pro shop and ask if we can use our rainchecks for Saturday. The weather network says it is going to be a lovely weekend with lots of sun! We have a 10:38 am tee time for Saturday.
I am now at home, watching the rain pelt down and the trees bend in the rather gusty winds that have developed. Going to uncork a bottle of wine and relax, read a book and enjoy the rest of my day off.
Quote of the Day:
When I'm on a golf course and it starts to rain and lightning, I hold up my one iron, 'cause I know even God can't hit a one iron. - Lee Trevino
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