Exploring Hamiota’s golf course

A few days ago, travelling along good old Highway 1 westward, I came to the intersection of Highway 21. I recently had gone south along 21, so, off I went northward on the stretch unfamiliar.

I found a small town with a very large and modern recreation complex. This included a hockey and curling rink, rodeo grounds, a swimming pool, baseball diamonds, pickleball, and, right at the edge of the grounds, a golf course.

The town is Hamiota, Man.

This offering would be perfect for walkers, learners, and seniors. No elevation challenges, no overly tough holes for beginners, and no pars out of reach for the average smacker. All that said, the problem I experienced with this offering was the clubhouse’s operational hours. Should one need services like cart rentals, food and beverage, or even the bathroom midday, you may have some trouble, as the clubhouse has very odd hours. When I went to play at 11 a.m., the clubhouse was closed. The sign on what appeared to be a fairly modern, large capacity clubhouse and restaurant, said it did not open until 4 p.m. There was a cash slot set up by the door, and you can pay your green fee by cash using this provision. The problem comes with anyone going cashless with a wallet full of plastic.

Once I got my cash and drinks from the gas station back on the highway, and secured my green fees, I was away. The first green worried me, as the green was dome shaped and it was hard to get my chip to stick. Would all the greens be like this? Thankfully, no. This was the only dome-like green on the course, and chipping became easier as the game went along. Hole 2 brings a bit of tree growth into play on either side of the fairway about midway down. If you have a club you know you can hit straight, use it here. Hole 3 is quite narrow, and mind the reeds here. If you forgot something in the car, this link brings you back to the clubhouse and parking lot.

You need to tee off southward on the fourth hole, and it has an interesting feature. About 80 yards from the green, a series of small, scattered shrubs lie scattered about. The fairway cut is short in and around these, but their placement may make you less sure of where your ball landed after your tee shot. The next hole’s tee box is placed in a bit of an odd spot, but if you are teeing off west, you’re on the right one. Five has a significant dog leg to the right, and if you really need a bathroom, there are facilities behind the green. Hole 6 is a par 3, has OB on the right, and has a tree-backed green. Fortunately, the green is fairly large, so making par here should be obtainable for most.

The signature hole on the seventh hole is not so much my choice for the fairway, but rather the green. The dance floor is elevated, tiered, and has a significant sand trap at eight o’clock. All in all, one of the tougher holes on this course. Hole 8 is a wide open fairway after the first 150 yards, so if you have a desire to smack the big stick, this is your chance. The walk back along the ninth hole to the clubhouse, or parking lot depending on hours, offers a fountain feature in the middle of the centred hazard that lies 70m shy of the green.

Moving into the fall season, I would definitely call and confirm hours and reserve rentals. Hamiota Golf Club’s phone number is 204-764-2341.