Time to kill on the road?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/08/2023 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Here’s the situation: You’re in Brandon or Steinbach for a conference, a family wedding, watching a ball tournament, whatever, and you find you have some time to kill between stages. Moreover, your sticks are in the trunk, calling out to you, begging for fresh air. You would like to hit a ball or two, but simply going to a range would be dull. The solution? An executive par 3, of course.

Both Brandon and Steinbach (or more accurately, Giroux) have just what you need.

First up is Northern Pines Golf Course, located in Brandon, off Braecrest Drive. The course is accurately named, as it is on the famous North Hill, and it does have a nice mix of red and white pines. It also has a well-stocked pro shop and driving range. This was at one time the Taurus Performance Golf Centre. If you have young ones in tow, this course is a great learning opportunity.

The fairways here are in good shape. I golfed after a rain the day before, so everything looked fresh and healthy along the short cut. The greens, however, took a hit last winter, and most have patches that are under repair. When I played, the green fees were reduced to reflect the conditions, but considering how reasonable the regular fees are, I felt that was hardly necessary. They offer pull-cart rentals and there were also three riding carts available, but I don’t think anyone without mobility issues should need the latter. The entire course is just under two clicks long, and there are no elevation challenges.

Hole 1 starts off simply enough, and the new houses on the right side of the fairway have great back yards because of it. Hole 3 is a bit narrow, but that opens up again for the next three holes. The tallgrass prairie, north of the sixth hole, is out of bounds, as are the backyards of the homes west of holes 7 and 8. But then, just as you begin to think, “This sport isn’t so bad,” you play hole 9. Between the tee and the elevated green is a particularly troublesome mature grey poplar with multiple trunks. This is my pick for the signature hole here.

Second in the discussion today is Ridgewood South Golf Course near Steinbach. It is actually closer to Giroux, Man., and also close to two other courses — another, larger nine-hole, and a much larger 18-hole. Watch for the signs.

Ridgewood, like Northern Pines, is an executive par 3 and, like the Brandon offering, it has very reasonable green fees. If you have a family of four, the whole crew can take advantage of a mid-week green fee special of $27 per family. They have a huge fleet of electric riding carts, and even these are reasonably priced at five bucks per seat. (I’m happy they didn’t, justifiably, charge me $7.50.)

Compared the first course discussed here, hole 1 at Ridgewood is very intimidating for the novice golfer. Right off the hop you’re faced with a very narrow fairway, and you are teeing over a large water hazard. To top it off, a sand trap lies in wait at 4 o’clock. Now, if you do have little ones in tow, there is a saving grace; this hole has a set of junior tee markers which circumvent the water hazard. That should save some beginners from aqueous frustration. Holes 2 and 3 are still narrow, but not as daunting. The course opens up through holes 4 to 6, and that is for the better, as tee shots require more distance here. Hole 7 is very, very short, and the campers left of the fairway don’t take kindly to stray shots. Coming home on hole 9 can either be a wonderful appreciation of nature’s splendour or an exercise in anger management. This is the definition of golf, and the hole designer seems to have read this particular dictionary. No. 9 is a short-enough hole, but the green is elevated and sloped, the fairway progresses uphill, and slopes right into a well-treed creek gully. There is a formidable sand trap surrounding most of the right side of the green, which also slopes into the gully. On top of all of that, there are about a half-dozen mature oaks peppered along the fairway. Go through, go over, bounce off them like a pinball — your choice.

Both courses played under an hour when I went, but I played both on weekday afternoons. Search “Northern Pines Brandon” or “Ridgewood Steinbach” on your favourite device for more information.