Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/366077
48 INSIDE GOLF COURSE PROFILE BY GORD MONTGOMERY Christina Lake GC a Good Play, Even for a Flat-lander For a kid who grew up learning to play golf in the flatlands of southern Saskatchewan, where trees are as rare as an albatross—yes, both the kind that fly and the kind you find on your scorecard—the beautiful course at Christina Lake in southern B.C. came as a bit of a shock. I mean, there were trees everywhere! They were in the middle of fairways, just off tee boxes and bordering the fairway. They were everywhere—a rude awakening to find out they are in fact slightly more than 90 percent air. That, though, was about the only down- side—to me at least—to this great 18-hole facility that was constructed in two different stages. The front nine holes, in a park-like setting (with trees, of course) were built in 1962 with the second nine, designed by Les Furber, com- ing on-stream in 1983. "The front nine is a very old style, you'd say almost a U.S. Open style," the course's congenial head pro, who also acts as the GM, Kevin Maffioli explained. "It's very tough to score on…it may look a little bland but it's really unique and got that 1900s kind of architecture. "Ten through 18, you can tell are Les's work; the multi-tiered greens and the multi-tees and the sand traps. He likes his sand traps." In fact, this is one of those courses where, while not everyone likes the bunkers, they can at least appreciate them. They are com- prised of black sand, found down the highway a short distance in Grand Forks, and this stuff is absolutely stunning when set against the deep greens of a well-kept track like Christina Lake. "The back nine is truly scenic and pretty, even though it's all trees. While they are essentially only on the outer edges of the fairways, if you hit a ball in them, it's your own fault. The front nine has big old firs and they're in the way everywhere. It's like playing two different golf courses," the pro noted. At Christina Lake there is a distinct differ- ence between tee boxes: the blues are over 500 yards longer than the whites and if you do decide to play further back than you maybe should, you'll quickly pay the price, on the front nine in particular. There are different holes where you have to draw the ball, or fade the ball, or hit it straight to avoid the trouble the trees can bring into play. Now don't get me wrong—they are there for a reason and they do their job well—so it makes the front nine a real challenge. "The fairways on the bottom (back) are intimidating because they're all tree-lined but they are around 50 yards wide," explained Maffioli. "Up top (front) they are fairly wide fairways but there are narrow chutes out of the tee boxes. You've got to shape the shots." One place a player gets a break here, if you can call the bunkers a break, is their placement on the course. They are there, they are visible, and if you hit your shot properly and where you want, they are just scenery. "You can be any style of golfer, you don't have to fly it into the greens here. You can be a bump-and-runner. All the greens are really open with only one or two greens with a bunker in front of them. They're more to the side, more catch bunkers. They're less penal for all styles of play and all levels of play. It really plays well for a zero-handicap to a 40-handicap." Again though, it's all about those trees. Maffioli pointed out that in a six-hole stretch on the front there are no bunkers and no water hazards. None. Zero. Zilch. Yet it's still not an easy run of holes. "That might be the toughest six-hole stretch on the golf course," the pro noted. "If I get through No. 6 at even par, I'm ecstatic because I'm having a great day. Those six can beat you up." And at this course that's what it's all about. The layout here is won- derful and easily walkable if you choose—just make sure you walk with your head up, though, so you don't bump into any of those trees! A testament to how popular this course is lies in the fact that it hosts the largest Men's Open tournament in B.C. each year. With its split tees on the nines, a total of 240 players are run through for the 36-hole event that hosts seven flights and has a huge waiting list. As well, each Nov. 11th the club, a non-profit organization, hosts a Remembrance Day tour- ney where all the money from that tourney's entry fees are donated to the local Legion branch and their poppy drive. About the Writer: Gord Montgomery is the sports editor of two weekly newspapers in the Edmonton area and is a member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. He has written for Inside Golf for the past five years with the majority of his coverage in north and central Alberta. He can be reached at noraltagolf@gmail.com or on Twitter at @iGgolfwriter. 04(.,:*9,+0;.69+465;.64,9@ THE BLACK SAND BUNKERS ADD A DISTINCTIVE LOOK TO CHRISTINA LAKE GC. ON THE BACK NINE THE TREES ARE STILL IN PLAY BUT BORDER THE FAIRWAYS RATHER THAN BEING ON THE FAIRWAYS.