April 16th: Stewart Creek Hole #2

Stewart Creek Hole #2 "The Morris" 559yd Par 5

http://www.stewartcreekgolf.com/golf/vrtour/golf_window.php

Stewart Creek:

"The pinnacle of Canada's mountain golf is Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club, consistently rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest. Few golf courses in North America boast its spectacular combination of setting, extraordinary vistas and naturally sculpted fairways." (extraordinary vista pictured above, naturally sculpted fairways pictured below)

Canada Golf (I will touch on subjects other than golf in this section soon enough):

What makes mountain golf in Alberta and British Columbia so spectacular you ask? Well, a number of things...

• The weather is mild and not too hot, allowing you to play all day!
• Alberta summer days are looong which means more time for golf! Play into the cool evenings and watch the sun set. Sunset is approximately 9:20pm during early August.
• The views from the courses are unbeatable! With backdrops of gorgeous mountain panoramas, you'll be busy taking pictures at every hole. That's what makes it destination golf!
• Alberta's low humidity allows you to enjoy golf even on the warmest summer days.
• And then there's that being up higher...The thinner air at high elevations allows the ball to go 10-15% farther...So those 300yd drives will become 330-345yds. So let's imagine you are on the first tee at Stewart Creek, looking down at the fairway on the valley floor 100ft below, and let's say for this fine example that you have a little tailwind...and this hole is 396 from the tips .... I would like to say only Tiger could get there, but i've seen my fellow compadres whack a couple boomers. And another rule: there is no laying up during the entire trip .... I am calling it now ... CRO Long Drive = 378yds.

And......the sound of a long birdie dropping into the cup is 10x more satisfying when it echoes throughout the mountain valley... just you wait!