Madge Lake, Saskatchewan, Duck Mountain Provincial Park

[Rockford35]

Well, the weekend was great. The resort got 4" of rain in 40 minutes about 3 hours before we arrived. Needless to say, very, very wet.

Saturday began cool. On hole number one, it was about 16 degrees. By hole number 3, it was 30, easily. Very, very warm. And, from all the wet, very, very humid.

This course is a bugger. It plays to a par 71, rating is 72.1. Looking through my pics, I didn't take many pics of the tougher holes, I was just enjoying myself too much I guess. Many, many sidehill lies and the greens were very tough. Even with the wet (which was awesome for holding balls), it still had lots of speed and break. The maintenance crew did a helluva job getting the course back in shape after that much water was dropped on it. I think in one pic, you can see standing water in the fairway. That was the only hole that had standing water besides in side ditches or water hazards that were overflowing.

I snuck my way around the course to the tune of an 81. It was the first time ever playing there, and i'd go back tonight if I could. Weekend rates are 25CDN. If I had to venture a guess as to what they should have been charging, I wouldn't have been opposed to paying 3 times that amount, it was that good. Cart girl was a hottie, good clubhouse selection of clubs and food, cheap beers, immaculate fairways, and tough rough. Greens were great too.

An easy 9.5 outta 10.

If any of you guys out there get a chance and play here. You won't be disappointed.

If you have any questions, fire away. I'm super tired tonight and need to get some sleep, and i'm too lazy to go back and match holes with pics.....lol.

Here's some pics. Note the tell-tale ball....I put this in for a product placement. It's in the first cut, but about 290 out with wet fairways...











R35

[Kilted Arab]

any photos of the cart girl?


hey...maybe a SHOTTALK competition..."cutest cart girl"?

[Bravo]

Good God that looks brutal.

You have fairway and then you have dense woods. Fir trees with low hanging branches. No rough!

I'd lose 2-3 balls on a course like that unless I was really hitting em straight. Looks to be in great shape.

[Rockford35]

It was in great shape.

It's decivingly wide, tho. Some fairways were nearly 80 yards across, but there is hardly any rough, just 60 foot trees.

Hit it straight, or count 2.

R35

[IrishGolfer]

Looks a sweet course. And for $25CAN on a w/e? That's practically for nothing. How did the camping work out?

[VtDivot]

I didn't know they had trees that tall in SK

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

Saturday began cool. On hole number one, it was about 16 degrees. By hole number 3, it was 30, easily. Very, very warm. And, from all the wet, very, very humid.
R35

Still 12 degrees cooler than here, I'm jealous.

Looks like a fun course. How'd the camping go, didn't burn the steaks did ya?

[Rockford35]

Nah, the steaks were oustanding. I'm a gourmet on the outdoor camp grill.

We had smokies night 1, easy enuff. We had stopped for lunch on the way in, so we weren't overly hungry. I had 3, just to be safe. Ham, eggs, bacon, toast and hasbrowns for brekky day two. Filet Mignon (bacon wrapped, of course)steaks, campfire potatoes and onions, herbed carrots for dinner after golf.

Another buffet breakfast on Sunday as well.

I washed everything down with about 400 beer. Oustanding weekend.

And, come sunday night, i lost 10 lbs since last Sunday. I think I have a tapeworm.

R35

[Bravo]

Damn - that sounds like fun...except the tapeworm of course...

What beer were you drinking??

[VtDivot]

Hey... I like this game. Guess Rock's beer.


I make Rock for a classic micro kinda guy, but you can't really go camping all that well with bottles, so it has to be cans. I'm guessing he stayed domestic (although Can-US beers are all pretty much considered domestics now) My guess is Coors Light cans. A solid camping beer.

[Rockford35]

VT,

What little respect I had for you coming into this challenge, it's all gone now...

I am a "small beer" guy. Stuff like Molson Canadian and Labatt's Blue is decent, but I went for a bit of a combo this weekend. I brought some Keith's Pale Ale, some MGD (the Canadian variety) and some Traditional Big Rock Ale. All outstanding lagers.

Coors Lite and I aren't friends. I think it's because it tastes terrible.

There aren't many beers that I don't agree with. Bud, Coors, Kokanee and (i'll get impaled for this, but alas) Guiness. I can't stand Guiness. Just my personal opinion.

I was gonna bring some Black and Tan or some Porter, but opted out of that. It was supposed to be hot, and you need chuggin' beer for that, not slow drinkin' beer.

Not one beer made it back home. That's the sign of a great trip.

Oh, and 18 holes.

R35

[VtDivot]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

VT,

I brought some Keith's Pale Ale

R35

I'm all misty eyed now

I can't wait for my 2 week vaca back to NS at the beginning of Aug. I will be putting back my share of Alexander Keith's for sure.

Did you know that in NS they sell more Keiths than all other beers domestic and imports combined? Hard to believe isn't it?

Hats off to you Rock for supporting the Maritimes. Do you get Keiths in cans out there??? I am assuming as it's imported from either Halifax or St John that it comes in bottles only.

[Bravo]

When I came to Montreal and watched the Olympics in 76, I was completely schnockered by the Canadian beers. We drank a lot of Labatt Blue and Molson Golden Ale.

Are they higher in alcohol than American beers?

[Rockford35]

American beer is measured by weight for alcohol content. Canadian beer is done by volume. So, a 5% Canuck brew is 5%. An American beer is 5% for the first beer, 2% for the second, 4% for the third.

So when you drink Canuck Lager, you're drinking more alcohol by volume, ergo, getting completely blitzed just that much faster.

I'll bring a bunch in November.

R35

[VtDivot]

Rock - the Keith's... was it in cans or bottles? I might try and bring some back with me when I'm home on vaca.