This was an epic weekend. Some people would take the time to write 3 or 4 posts with so much detail you can barely see by the the time you finish reading it, and have a million pictures and quotes and all types of shit. You won't find that here. Head over to On The Tee for that novel. Here you will find the story of what is now considered one of the top 3 birthday weekends of all time, except for a period of about 1 hour that was absolutly horrible.
Firstly, I shoud give a quick rundown of what this weekend was up against. #1 birthday of all time was my 24th, which was spent in Miami with my best friend Marissa. Interchangable with this one was my 21st which was a wild party in downtown St. Catharines followed by a Bills game when i turned 21. Then there was this one just passed.
Started off on Friday night with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals at Massey Hall in toronto. As I said in a previous post I had seen Harper and the band in New York City and the concert was good, but not fantastic. So my expectations for friday night were not super high. I was looking forward to the show and to hanging out with my friend Lindsay. When we got to the show and our seats I was pretty stoked about the venue. Never been there before and at first glance it looked like a great place for a concert. My tickets were 7th row and just to the right of the stage. Nice view other then the 7 footer in front of me that caused me to lean to the left all night. No big deal. So the band started playing and right off the bat you could feel the difference in NY. I'm not going to go over the setlist (check web page, it's linked to the right) but this one was amazing. So many classic songs. Even a few that have been played live maybe 1 or 2 times over the last 15 years. Just an unreal concert. After the show, I slotted it at the number 2 spot all time just after the 2 Nights at Temple Bar in L.A. and just barely ahead of the County Bowl show in Santa Barbara.
Saturday was a relaxing day. Got up late, went for breakfast at the club where i just happened to run in to Matt and Cal as they finished they're morning round. Talked a bit before I went home grabbed my stuff and headed to Toronto for another Harper show and my Birthday dinner. We ended up going to a place called Blowfish. I'll tell ya, this was the best damn sushi and all around dinner I have ever had. Probably rank it #2 or #3, but a very strong case for #1. The tastiest fish and rolls I have ever had, great atmosphere, and the company I had was perfect. My amazing sister and her husband, and my cousin Jamie and his wife, all the people (minus my parents) that I wanted to spend my birthday with.
Sat's performance was good. Sat in the 7th row again, but this time dead center. Amazing seats, never had better at a concert before. But the show left somthing to be desired, only cause friday nights show was so good. Don't get me wrong it was still a great show. Whipping Boy, which was played at all 3 concerts, was the best version I ever heard, but the whole setlist was pretty much the same as NY, and we all know what I thought of that one. This one was kind of Like Jordan scoring 25 points back in the day, good but expected. Friday was more like Jordan putting up 62 while fighting off the flu and being carried off the court after each whistle. You get my drift.
Just real quick, cause I'm trying not to think about it. The one bad hour of the whole weekend, I left my freakin blackberry in the god damn cab when I returned to my friends house. So stupid. I was on it the whole time in the cab for like 20 minutes and only put it down to get money out of my pocket. I put it on the seat beside me, looked at it, said to myself "don't forget your phone", paid the guy, got change, and then got out of the cab and left the phone. Realized it like 1 minute after he left and it was already to late.
STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT MY GOLF GAME.
Then came the most glorious sunday golf game ever (sorry boys). I was invited by my friend from Western to play St. Georges Golf and Country club in Toronto. The number 1 golf course in Canada. Needless to say, for a golf nut like myself, this was a huge deal, and I mean huge, huge, deal.
The course was breath taking. I'm going to try and keep this short due to how much you read already, but I can't promise anything. It deserves to be written about.
We started off by taking the long drive to to the practice facility (it's in the middle of he course). Just driving by the holes you could see the beauty of this course. Pearl White sand in every trap, perfectly raked. Not a blade of grass on the ground, prefectly maintained. Almost no divots in the fairways, just everything was perfect. I was feeling good on the range, didn't want to think about it, but I felt a good round coming on.
We head back to the tee to get in some putting before we tee off. Just before we step up to the tee, the starter handed me my personalized bag tag, yardage guide, and some ball markers and divot tool. Matt, I kept the yardage guide for you, i know you like that shit.
I'll try to do this quick.
we played the Blue tees (one from the back) which are 6742 yards, and a modest 136 slope, 72.6 rating. The Black are a 138/74.7, and 7025 yards. I wanted to play those, but the guys I played with aren't that good. Didn't matter, on to the course.
First hole. Straight away 370 yards, with a huge tree hanging over half the faiway on the right. I bomb my drive up the left hand side and were off. When I get to my ball i realize the green is about 50 yards up hill. There is a lot of elevation changes on this course. You hit up to almost all the greens. I hit a nice little 52 degree wedge from 120 to about 10 feet. I just barely miss the birdie putt and tap in for Par. Good start.
The greens were phenominal. About as good as St. Catharines were for the club championship. This is the end of september. I guess thats what you get for $150 000 initiation.
Hole #2 - This was a long par 4, 445 yards with a short carry off the tee and a tiny little green with 4 massive bunkers guarding it on both sides. My friend turns to me and says "you really have to bomb this to carry everything and be safe." The carry was maybe 150 yards, but I didn't want to sound like a jerk. So I step up and nail my drive, into a tree 100 yards off the tee. Some how I carried what I needed to and had 230 to the hole. From here I hit a great 4 iron rescue to the green but it rolled through. I couldn't make the up and down and took the boogie.
Hole #3. An extremely difficult par 3, 198 yards. The green was on;y 13 paces deep and looked like the par three from the Masters (we played it at wooden sticks) with the pin tucked just behind this huge bunker in front. Oh ya, it was dead into the wind. I hit 4 iron (wrong club) to the right of the green in some long grass. Hit a great lob chip that rolled to about 2 feet and drained the gimmie for par.
Hole #4 - Shorter par 5, 474 yards and the number one stroke hole. The hole was a slight dog leg to the right. The fairway went out to about 267 yards, then dropped down 20 yards. I drove my ball down this hill and had about 200 to the hole. You had to hit way up hill again to the green. With large trees guarding the whole left side of the hole, and another 2 massive bunkers on the right. I hit a gorgeous shot that hugged the tree line and curled nicely to the hole. Due to the firmness (is that a word) of the green it bounced through. But i still made a great up and down for birdie. I'm Even on the day.
Hole #5 - A par 4, 410 yards slightly down hill untill about 100 yards infront, where you hit uphill 30 yards, again. I had a huge drive to the 100 yards marker down the middle. My driver and wedge play was on today. Got safely on the green and just missed the birdie, making par.
Hole #6 - A very short but difficult 146 yards par 3. It was all carry to the green, with huge bunkers covering the whole green. Either you were on the green, in a trap, or dead. I hit a light PW just left of the cup, the green sloped towards the cup and my ball rolled to about 15 feet. Again, i just missed the birdie putt but drained it for par. Still even on the day.
Hole #7 - A moderate par 4, 440 pards. A carry of 220 yards to the fairway. Not much to say here. Hit another great drive, iron to the green, 2 putt for par. still even.
Hole #8 - 215 yard par 3. Very tough pin postions on this one. All up the left hand side were houses and a hill sloping towards the green and covered half of it from the tee. In front of the green to the left was a large bunker and 2 bunkers behind and to the left. Wide open to the right. If you are short and left it's in a bunker and long all the way is dead. The pin was tucked to the left of the green right behind this hill and bunker. I go right at the pin. Put a weak swing on the on the ball, didn't rotate through and come up way short and to the right. I made a decent chip from there, but not good enough and missed the par putt to go to 1 over.
Hole #9 - A very long 538 yard par 5. Anything left or right of the fairway between 263 yards and 306 was in a bunker. The hole was a dog leg right, but kind of weaved it's way along with lots of bunkers up both sides. I hit a poor drive here and found myself with the ball above my feet just infront of the first trap to the right. With little to no shot i hit a 9 iron to about 140 yards, but left of the fairway and on a downhill. I hit a great shot out of here with my 9 iron, aiming about 10 yards left of the green to a pin that was all the way on the right. Turned out great about 8 feet from the cup, but missed the birdie putt again and settled for par. 1 over.
Shot a 36 on the par 35 for a great start to the day. Off to the back 9.
Hole #10 - 377 yard par 4. Not much here, just another amazing hole. Every hole was so visually pleasing. Never seen anything like this place before. Again, just breath taking. I'm still rolling here. Just 4 solid shots to make another par.
Hole #11 - Long par 5, 502 yards. Slighty down hill. The green was guarded by a mound of bunkers to the right, and of course the pin was tucked in the back behind all this. I went right at it since I was playing so well. Bombed my drive 300 yards, had 200 in. I hit a great 5 iron that bounced off the mounds, and roled nicely onto the green, leaving me a 30 foot eagle putt. I actually rimmed out the putt and took the gimmie for birdie. Back to even par through 11 holes. I've been here before, see Cherry Hill.
Hole #12. Things get a little dicey. Not a hugely difficult par 4 376 yards. There is 2 huge bunkers that have 20 foot walls in the front of them off to the left, plenty of room to the right. I check the yardage guide, only 277 to clear the second bunker. I go right at the bunkers looking to make the "cool" shot of the day. I go right into the second bunker. with a horrible sand shot i barely get up and over this huge wall, followed by a wedge that came up just short, and i 2 putted for a double. I'm 2 over.
Hole #13 - Par 3 213 yards. Green surronded by 5 large bunkers, and a creeek that runs along the front of the green. I hit a nice 4 iron into the green, but it was actually a bit to much and i hit my ball through the green and up this small hill. I made a decent chip, but not good enough and 2 putted again for a boggie. 3 over.
Hole #14 - Great hole here. 446 yard par 4. The fairway is straight out till about 150 yards out when half the fairway falls off to the right. If you hit it to far you can hit this down slope and roll right into a creek that stretched for about 150 yards all the way to the front of the green. I got lucky and avoided the creeek after my puffy fade headed right for it. I hit a nice 8 iron to the front of the green. But with a back pin, and a horrible putt, i 3 wacked for boogie. Oh no, 4 over. TILT, TILT, TILT.
Hole #15 - This was probably the nicest hole on the course. #2 handicapp hole. It was a par 5 558 yards, 570 from the tips. Your tee shot is 150 yard carry to the fairway. The fairway was literally in the shape of an "S" with bunkers gaurding each turn in the fairway. Then when you get to 125 yards out, it shoots straight up about 75 yards to the green. Again, the elevation changes are unreal. I bombed a drive to 283 yards out. Hit a 6 iron to the bottom of the hill and a wedge up to the green. It looked great from down below, but when we got up to the hole i was a good 70 feet away. Couldn't read the break very well and hit a bad putt that broke the way i thought it wouldn't. Missed the come back putt to make another boogie. 5 over, oh shit.
Hole #16 - A lengthy par 3 185 yards. Another green surronded by bunkers. Pin tucked in the far right behind a huge bunker. Safe was to the middle of the green, i went right at the pin. Came up a little short and found my ball in the bunker. First time in bunker, i hit a poor shot that just got out. Went for the chip in, but just missed and took the gimmie for another boogie. 6 over.
Hole #17 - 446 yard par 4. Tough fairway to hit into. Slight dog leg right, huge trees over hanging the fairway only 231 yards out. I hit the best drive of the group way over these trees and find myself 150 out. Hit my first bad approach shot of the day. Landed right of the green in another bunker. Over hit this bunker shot to the other side of the green and made another boogie, 7 over.
Hole #18. Just an amazing finisher. 403 yard par 4. Not much trouble in the fairway, 3 large bunkers. First 2 were only 217 out, so didn't play, other one was 267 out, right in my wheel house. My fade ended up going right at the bunker on the right. I thought I was in it, but when we drove up to my ball we found it about 15 yards past the bunker. Sweet. I missed club from there and came up about 5 yards short of the green, maybe 35 feet from the cup. up and down to break 80 with a 78. I get to cute with my chip and leave myself about 18 feet for par. What do you know. I leave it on the freaking edge of the cup and blow it in for another boogie, 8 over.
So atleast i broke 80. Shot a 79 on the number 1 course in Canada playing it for my first time. I was vrey proud of this score. I haven't really played golf in about 4 weeks and with the way I was tilting the last few holes it could have been way worse. Could have been way better, but also way worse. Still a phenominal course, day, and full out birthday weekend.
