The travails of Tuxedo

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/10/2004 (7867 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the dreaded “curse of the back nine” and how it finally seemed to have left. Well, it didn’t go far. It simply shifted to the front.

I discovered this at Tuxedo Golf Course. Smack dab in the middle of Winnipeg, Tuxedo is conveniently located for that spontaneous round. Golfers can usually get on with short notice, but even if they can’t, the new 18-hole miniature golf and upgraded practice facilities still make it worth the trip.

The day I played Tuxedo, I chose to arrive early enough to shoot a bucket on the range, lob a few balls onto the practice pitching green, and warm up with a few long putts. I spent almost an hour preparing for the round. Only to have it all fall apart within 10 minutes.

The first couple of holes at Tuxedo are pretty open, with nothing scary to impede the game. Same with the third hole — even though it has a slight bend to the right, and is lined by trees, there’s really nothing difficult to worry about. Yet, it was here the dream slipped away.

Now, I take pride in and often gloat about the fact that I am NEVER in the trees. I may not be an overly long hitter, but my shots are ALWAYS on the fairway… Except at Tuxedo, where, thanks to a whole bunch of ricochets off trees, I managed to score 10 on a 335-yard par 4. That averages out to 33.5 yards (and about three trees) per stroke. I didn’t think it could get much worse.

But I wasn’t about to let it ruin my entire game. I played the next few holes respectably, with three double bogeys in a row. Then came No. 7, a 262-yard par 4. Here, my ball repeatedly found water on the fairway, and I managed to average 32.75 yards per stroke. So it can get worse.

I used to like No. 8, a long par 5 that runs along Corydon Avenue. It’s straight and open, and a good challenge for distance. But today, it proved to be another perfect 10, officially putting my score over 60 on the front nine. What the heck was happening to my game?

I couldn’t blame it on the course, which has recently undergone many improvements. Tuxedo was taken over by Western Golf Management Ltd. eight years ago. Since then, an irrigation and drainage system was installed, four tee boxes were replaced, cart paths were upgraded, and a new clubhouse was opened.

Water hazards were also added, with a picturesque pond and fountain put in alongside No. 8 and No. 9, and coming into play on the new No. 10 where golfers have to now shoot over water to reach the green. Speaking of greens…

I couldn’t blame my terrible game on them, as they are in nice shape, and relatively flat. Nor could I even blame the thick grass around the greens lurking deep and dark, waiting for unsuspecting balls to drop one-by-one into its insatiable turf.

The only blame I could place was on me, for making the game more difficult than it had to be. Once again I was playing too much out of my mind, and not enough in the moment. Once I accepted this realization, things changed.

The back nine was tremendously better. I was making drives, hitting greens, and sinking putts. I was making impressive fairway shots with Freddie the 5-wood. In fact, I hit it so well at one point that it flew way past the intended target and nearly killed my boyfriend’s boss. It happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to yell “fore!” (Umm, sorry about that…)

I ended up with one par and three bogeys on the back nine, and an array of woodland creatures — a family of deer, two foxes, and a spotted owl — from the neighbouring Assiniboine Forest cheering me on from the gallery.

With an abundance of support, and continuous positive thoughts, I ended up scoring 50 on the back nine. It was the worst of games; it was the best of games.

I much prefer the latter.

DESCRIPTION: 18-hole public course, 18-hole mini-golf, driving range

LOCATION: 400 Shaftesbury Boulevard, Winnipeg

CONTACT: 888-2867 www.westerngolfmanagement.com

TEE TIMES: Book up to three days in advance (by phone or on-line at www.drivetheball.com)

GREEN FEES: $24.00 weekdays/weekends (adult fees for 18-holes)

COURSE & SLOPE RATING:

White Tees 66.2 / 107 / par 70 / 5644 yards (2982 front, 2662 back)

Red Tees 64.3 / 103 / par 71 / 5243 yards (2797 front, 2446 back)

MY SCORE: 113 for 18-holes (63 front nine, 50 back nine)

STRATEGIC COURSE TIP: “Focus on positional play, and don’t let your ego get in the way. Use strategy off the tees, and don’t worry about what’s next — learn to live in the moment of each shot,” Brock Balog, Head Professional/Manager, Tuxedo Golf Course.

REALITY GOLF TIP: “Just when you think that your game can’t get any worse, just remember that it can… And probably will…”

roseanna@mts.net

PHOTOS