Rory Clipsham at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Golf Burnaby regular Rory Clipsham was fortunate enough this past December to spend a few days at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, which is located in the southwest corner of Oregon on the Pacific Ocean.

Bandon Dunes is built on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes sitting 100 feet above the ocean. The resort is made up of four full sized golf courses, a 13 hole par 3 course, and a 60 acre practice area.  These golf courses give you a true links golf experience that is completely natural, complete with incredible views of the ocean, the ever changing winds, rolling fairways, pot bunkers, and of course, the gorse.

We’ve all been there, rushing to the course because we were held up at work or traffic wasn’t cooperating. You anxiously watch the clock hoping to make it to the course on time. You don’t want to get bumped by a foursome that will undoubtedly hold you up and prevent you from finishing all 18. Finally, you arrive at the course with seconds to spare. You quickly pay, walk to the first tee box, pull the cover of your driver, grab a ball and whack away. You continue this torrid pace for the first three holes until you are finally able to settle in.

Fallen trees after the windstorm

<p>In August 2015, a freak windstorm devastated the Lower Mainland and blew down thousands of trees, including those that inhabit the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. Seeing the damage done, and the amount of clean-up that was needed, we chose to see the windstorm as an opportunity to aesthetically improve the area surrounding the 16th and 17th green. The cottonwoods that had once overgrown the creek following 16 and 17 holes had fallen during the windstorm, opening up the greens for improvement.</p>

Why doesn’t my ball go as far as it did in the summer?

Most people don’t know why their 7 iron goes 10-15% shorter in November than in July. Some of the contributing reasons for this effect are:

1. A cold ball does not compress as well as a warmer ball. Compressing the ball is integral for speed and distance.
2. Cold air is denser than warm air.
3. The ball will not roll far on wet ground.
4. You’re less flexible in the cold, which results in less speed placed into your swing.

Now that you understand how winter weather affects golf balls, below are suggestions on how to make your winter round of golf just as enjoyable as in the summer:

Golf Burnaby regulars Mike and Alanna Pierce are both avid golfers and travel enthusiasts. While vacationing in Australia and New Zealand they managed to play a few rounds when the perfect opportunity presented itself. Here's what they shared with us about some of the most interesting and diverse courses they’ve played thus far.

Burnaby Golf’s operations statement is “Support us today as we improve golf for tomorrow". It's based on a desire to continuously make our golf courses better. Our goal is to ensure that your playing experience is always a good one. In order to accomplish our goal we have initiated a Golf Course Improvement Plan. Over the years we have paved cart paths, installed over 150 km of drainage,  and redesigned and developed our sand bunkers, among many other improvements. 

Power Plan

It certainly is a wonderful feeling when your tee shot seems to fly forever down the fairway. It is equally exciting when you finally reach that long par five in two! Having the ability to generate power in your golf swing provides significant confidence for your winning walk past all the envious playing partners and up the fairway to your next shot. However, even with the temporary ego boost, achieving and maintaining golf power is a lifelong and often futile quest.

In B.C.’s Lower Mainland, the most important part of golf course playability is controlling the amount of water in the rootzone of putting greens. For three months, starting in July to September, adding water to the turf is done via an underground irrigation system. For the other nine months of the year, from October to June, removing water is done by an underground drainage pipe system.

A round of golf is rarely routine.  Whether you are fighting your swing, the elements or fatigue, the last thing you want is for the game to become a grind. 

In order to play golf as it’s meant to be played, we need to spend time (preferably in the winter) preparing our bodies. 

There is no better place to start than your walking efficiency. A recent study has shown that golfers who carry their clubs can burn upwards of 1500 calories, and walk more than 3.5 miles during a single round of golf! 

Now, you may be thinking that it’s far from a bad thing expending more energy while golfing.  I disagree. 

If your goal is to score well and improve your game each and every round, all of your energy must be focused on making a proper swing.

You need to understand the effect that shaft flex has on your game. “Flex” refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing.

Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have – fast or slow, smooth or jerky. There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies.

Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the clubface becoming misaligned during impact, causing your shots to go off-target.