Flop wedge needed at Phantom Lake Golf Club

In a remote land of spruce, ptarmigan and rock, Flintabbatey Flonatin — an adventurer exploring the depths of Phantom Lake with his little submarine — discovered an underwater treasure trove of minerals. Once word spread among the prospecting community, the miners came, and the head frame of Flin Flon was born.

Now, that’s not exactly how The Sunless City novel reads, and Phantom Lake is actually in Saskatchewan, but my re-interpretation connects the dots enough to introducing Flin Flon’s links.

Phantom Lake Golf Club does not technically reside in Flin Flon, but rather in its twin community, Creighton, Sask. Indeed, as soon as you cross the border, you immediately turn south for a couple of clicks to the shores of Phantom Lake.

The very old river-stone clubhouse is up the hill from the parking lot. Folks with movement challenges might want to send the young bucks ahead to get the rental cart and bring it back to the parking lot to collect you and your sticks.

Now, the clubhouse is not where you pay your green fees, but it is where you can get a bite to eat. Right beside it there is a newer building that is the pro shop, and this is where you conduct your actual golf business.

And the elevation challenges do not stop with the hilltop clubhouse. To get to the first tee, you need to climb a series of stairs above the golf cart garages. Once up on the cliff face, you overlook two fairways deep in a valley. The one on the right is yours, and the one on the left is the ninth hole.

Be polite, hit to the right.

As the title of this piece suggests, the need for a flop wedge is paramount on this course. This green is elevated, but like most of the greens on this course, it is fairly firm. The flop wedge helps prevent unwanted ball run; chipping here results in dipping match play wins.

The second hole has some sand near the green and some water on the right, but fairly straight forward. Three on the other hand is not straight but is a dog leg right. There are some select trees guarding the green, making second shot choices more complicated. Hole four is also a dog leg right, but the green lacks obstruction this time, and the bend is not as severe.

The fifth hole is a long five that eventually turns to the left, but after three shots you won’t notice.

Hole six has an elevated tee, and the green is at equal elevation. This short par three doesn’t offer much for fairway, so hitting the green off the tee saves you lots of frustration. There is a rock ridge behind the green so if you over-drive, it might bounce back to you at the tee. Sand traps on either side of the green helps trap errant rock wall ricochets.

The seventh is a very long four. It needs to be a five, but that’s the opinion of a short hitter. This hole has nice rock outcrops, and on the left the lateral water hazard has a curious alligator (only partially joking) guarding against those who want to retrieve their water balls.

Hole eight is also a decently long four. Here, playing left off the tee is the best choice to avoid complications with rocky lies. Close to the green, things narrow up, so place your pitches with care.

The ninth comes home, and it is my choice for the signature hole. The water hazard on the left has a fountain feature, and when I was on the first hole’s green, it was the source of some lovely solar radiation refraction patterns (some folks call those rainbows). A creek runs across the fairway a hundred yards out from the green. On the hill behind the green is the clubhouse, and the best view this from the right of the green.

As was the case in The Pas, the hired help are trying their best — patience, folks. Remember this is the only golf course for miles in these parts. It is this very fact that makes this course very busy, so you absolutely have to call ahead for tee times.

Take Nine is the sports section newest edition where freelancer Ryan Desjarlais highlights nine-hole golf courses around the Keystone province.