Golf Season Starts

Sketchbook ~ The Players Course at Wyboo, Front 9

Sketchbook ~ The Players Course at Wyboo, Back 9

Sketchbook ~ Santee Cooper, Front 9

Sketchbook ~ Santee Cooper, Back 9

New year, new golf sketches. Golf vacation in Santee, South Carolina. Santee Cooper was one of the four courses we played. The Players Course at Wyboo was another of the courses. 

Spring officially begins March 20, but for me the month of April says spring. It also says golf season, our annual golf vacation is in April. For the next 6 months or so, I play golf when I can and I sketch golf holes. I started in Spring of 2016 and am now in my third dedicated golf sketchbook. I am going to continue with this obsession of sketching every golf hole I play. By the end of 2017 golf season I had reached 720 golf holes, ranging from Ontario to Arizona. These quick sketches, some completed on location, most completed from photo reference later, are so loose and free. I like them better than most finished pieces of artwork that I do!

National Pines Golf Club

Sketchbook ~ National Pines (Holes No 1 to 9)

Round two: National Pines Golf Club, designed by Thomas McBroom, opened in 1992. National Pines is a great walking course (even thought it was very hot that day) that predominantly features Lovers Creek which comes into play 14 times during a round.

Caledon Woods

Sketchbook ~ Caledon Woods (Holes No 14 to 18)

With a couple of days off work to make a long weekend, we went to Caledon Woods to play golf. (first of five rounds). It's located in the pastoral hills and valleys of the Caledon countryside just north of Toronto, opened in 2003, replaced the 27-hole Bolton Golf Club. "Architect Paul Takahashi kept the classic parkland character intact but introduced links-style elements with tight lies and crowns around engaging greens—among the region’s best—that have a wide range of slope and contour."

Arrowhead Country Club

Sketchbook ~ Arrowhead Country Club (Holes No 1 to 6)

Arrowhead Country Club was designed by the team of Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson. There are 27 holes here and we played Waterway and Cypress. The "greenest" course we played, possibly the most water and most elevation change. Played with a lovely couple from Montreal.

World Tour Golf

Sketchbook ~ World Tour Golf (Holes No 1 to 3)

Located in the Carolina Forest section of Myrtle Beach’s Grand Strand, World Tour Golf Links "World Tour is the brainchild of golf course designer Mel Graham. His vision was to recreate 18 of the world’s most elite, renowned and challenging golf layouts from 15 courses in three countries and nine states. The result is an utterly unique golf experience – a trip around the world played on a course you’ll never forget!" We played with a great couple from Kentucky, on a beautiful course on a beautiful day.

International Club

Sketchbook ~ International Club (Holes No 10 to 12)

Forecast was calling for rain, but we were there to play. It drizzles a little bit and that was it for the day. The International Club’s golf course was designed by Willard Byrd. Pines, oaks, and native grasses, many lakes and ponds, sparkling white bunkers all together create an aesthetically pleasing golf course. The gentleman in the pro shop, was telling me about the 2 kinds of poisonous snakes on the course, and I said "if I play in the middle of the fairway, I will have nothing to fear" This was my best round of the holiday, an 81! I literally hit the middle of the fairway on every hole.... not wanting to come close to any poisonous snakes!

Burning Ridge

Sketchbook ~ Burning Ridge Golf Club (Holes No 6 to 9)

Burning Ridge - Because of a mix up in our tee times… we ended up arriving just minutes before our tee time. So rush from car to first tee and off we go. This course was designed by Gene Hamm, elegantly mounded, pine lined fairways and quite a few water hazards. Most greens are elevated and protected by bunkers. “The course is also known as a woman-friendly course. The women’s tees were not put in as an afterthought, but were carefully placed to provide a fair challenge to our extensive women membership and numerous ladies groups.”

The Pearl

Our April vacation means the golf has officially started. We spend a week in Myrtle Beach, SC doing nothing but playing golf. Last summer, I sketch all the holes I played in black and white, starting part way thru the season. This year I am starting right at the beginning of the season and doing it in colour. Sketching in black ink on location and from photo, and adding colour later. Started new sketchbook, just for golf, from Stillman & Birn, alpha series.

It makes a long day, get up in the middle of the night, 2:45am to drive to Detroit and fly out early in the morning, 8:30am, but the advantage to that is we are in South Carolina at 10:05am, early enough to play golf the first day.

Sketchbook ~ The Pearl, East (Holes No 4 to 9)

The Pearl, East - A short drive north to Calabash, North Carolina, we played The Pearl. Dan Maples is the designer of the 2 courses at the Pearl, East and West, traditional parkland golf, through pristine forest, ending with a dynamic finish along the Calabash River. The weather wasn’t warm, in fact we drove back to the rental car after nine holes to get more clothes to put on.

Glencairn

On Wednesday, I played Glencairn Golf Club. Located near Milton, this course is said to be "the closest you can come without crossing the Atlantic". This course was designed by Thomas McBroom, opened in 2005 and has 27 holes. We played Leithfeild and Speyside nines. You never want to get in those pot bunkers! This was sketched whiles playing and coloured when I got home.

Rattlesnake

Yesterday, we played Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. A little drizzle during first nine holes, the sun finally came out for the drive home. Generous fairways, don't know how I missed so many! Large challenging greens, explains why I three putted so many times.

Second Round, First 18

April 6th, Good Friday, weather warm enought to play golf, London, ON Canada. I was expecting it to be busier at Greenhills Golf Course, therefore waiting more, therefore drawing more, but there was no waiting. First chance to sketch was hole no 13, then a short wait on hole no 15, shown here. Had just enough time for very fast sketch, then added a little more when I got home. Happy to have day off and be golfing!

First Nine Holes

First nine holes of season and its March 25 ... seventeen degrees and sunny! Fast sketch started on Hole no. 3 at Greenhills Golf Course, worked on it again while waiting on no 5. Bare trees, but very green grass for so early. My golf game.... right from first swing, my driver works! the rest of my game always could use some improvement.

Spring weather

Missing golf... had to sketch a golf course tonight. This is hole number 13 at Greenhills from photo taken couple of years ago. This week is going to be warm enough to golf, but really, the conditions are not good enough to golf. As much as I want to get out there, walking on course too soon will do damage.

Heron Point, Sunday

Golf on Sunday at Heron Point, at Alberton (near Hamilton). Normally I like to walk and carry my clubs, but we road in a cart on Sunday, mostly because its easier to draw. Playing other Clublink courses, I am more inspired to draw. "Heron Point has played host to several Canadian Tour events, including the 1997 Canadian Masters won by Mike Weir at 18 under par, serving notice that his PGA Tour future was bright. This mix of meadowlands, linksy terrain and wetlands designed by Thomas McBroom provides a true test of anyone's game." Clublink

No. 6 Par 5

No. 8 Par 3

Managed to sketch 6 holes, here is No. 6 and No. 8. Didn't play very well, posted 95 (ESC), real score would have been about 102.  ESC: Equitable Stroke Control, is a system used by the USGA to minimize the effects of "disaster holes" on a golfer's handicap index. Then, playing at Greenhills on Tuesday for ladies night. Game was much better, in fact best this year at 82.

Country Club Golf

2 days in a row off work, means 2 days in a row of golf. The Country Club on Sunday and Heron Point on holiday Monday.

The Country Club, a traditional old course, is set in the rolling hills of the Humber River Valley in Woodbridge. There are two 18-hole courses were created by the distinguished designer Howard Watson and fine-tuned by renowned architect Arthur Hills. We played the East Course, which undulates along the valley's edge, offering spectacular views of the surrounding hills and Toronto to the south. Two of the four sketches I did while playing at The Country Club.

Hole number 1, completed while waiting to tee off.

Hole #6, started while waiting for group in front of us, and finished as we played the hole.