Week 13

There has got to be a rule that you can't be booking next week's tee off time without having posted the blog from last week's course, right?  So - oops - here I go.  Where has the time gone?  In true Island fashion, once August hits, the summer speeds up like crazy.  Every person that you ever knew is planning a trip to PEI or coming home and simply must get together with you.  As well, all those "must see and do's" this summer are piling up and there is an urgency to get them all done before the summer weather fades.  This year, the summer weather needs to fade (away from rain and overcast and into some more sunshine and clear skies)!

This past week's foray was continuing on with the past week's theme - what was optimistically promised on the Environment Canada website didn't quite materialize.  We had booked a tee off time at Eagles View 9-hole course in Murray River, so we headed off early to get there in plenty of time for a bit of a warm up and to see the sun burn off the fog.  Instead what we were met with was a fine mist which turned a little heavier as we set off to play.  No real warm up (other than a little pitch and putt on the putting green - there is no range) and with umbrella and rain jackets, we did our warm up on the course with the opening nine.  A bit too much like jack-in-the-box (off again, on again with the rain jacket) as the weather worsened, then got better, and all the while the mosquitos were swarming!

This course was built at a time when federal and/or provincial money was readily available and it is evident in the large flat tee boxes and beautiful soft cushiony greens, which despite the rain and dew seem to play fast!  But the real money seems to have gone on building the 330+ yard long, 12 foot wide wooden bridge across the pond between the second and third holes.  When you're walking (and we do like to walk these courses), this adds the equivalent of a par-5 hole both going and coming back (between holes 7 and 8) on each of the rounds!  Add in some topography (getting from the bridge to the Hole 3 tee box would make a mountain goat weep - how would a cart manage this going up or going down?) - this is a real workout for 18 holes!

The highlight for us in the wildlife area was the spotting of a 2 1/2 foot long garter snake just as we exited the bridge - just goes to show you that golf courses seem to be havens for all sorts of wildlife.  There were birds and bullfrogs too - I'm sure I heard a bullfrog laugh as my tee shot on Hole 3 went "splash" right into his favourite pond!

Despite being pretty tired and pretty wet and bedraggled after 9, we persevered and played the second nine, and we're glad we did.  We both played better, the weather seemed to improve somewhat (it still misted on and off a couple of times) and there were more other golfers out enjoying the elements!  The highlights for me in a golfing sense were clearing the "bullfrog" pond on Hole 3 (the second time around) and landing within six feet of the pin on Hole 7.  This hole should be the signature hole (if it isn't) on this course.  It's a short par 3 from an elevated tee box with the stunning bridge evident in the background and achingly beautiful surroundings.

Caroline in the clubhouse was great, the clubhouse has a great little restaurant and bar upstairs (we've eaten here before), although we had to scoot away in time to take in the final tour of the Garden Club gardens for 2011.  Like I said, it's August in PEI and there is just too much good stuff to do in one month!!

See you next week, we're hoping for better weather, Jane