2014 Golf Tournament at Bear Mtn Golf Resort

It was a beautiful day on Friday October 3, 2014 for Coach Lloyd Gauthier and 30 friends and the annual Coach & Friends Golf Tournament.

The 8 groups played the Mountain Course at the beautiful Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Langford near Victoria, BC.

On Saturday, we were shared a lovely buffet dinner at the host hotel in downtown Victoria. 

2014 Watermelon Open - July 1st

                      2014 WaterMelon Open

 

 

A small but loyal group got together on a beautiful Canada Day and kept the “ Watermelon Open “ tradition alive !

 
Thank you Ron Webb and Millstream Market for sponsoring!  Thank you Jean! The golf course was in Excellent Shape!

“ Wishon” Golf was well represented !

KP Women Winner  - Isobel

KP Men Winner – Tom

“Closest to “ Winner  - Hansen

 

Steve & Hansen

Tom

 

See you all next year !

2014 Coach & Friends Golff and Dinner - Volunteers & Sponsors Needed!

2014 Coach & Friends Golf And Dinner

Call for Volunteers and Sponsors

 

See previous Post for details on hotels, golf and the dinner

 

It’s that time of year when we still some enjoyable weather to experience and our golf game  is still sharp J So..I am pleased to announce that from October 1^st to the 6^th  we will be celebrating our 13th Annual Coach And Friends Golf And Dinner.

We are back in the lovely downtown core of Victoria with wonderful things to see and do ! So now that we have a new Host Hotel where we can have our Meet and Greet, Wine and Cheese and most of all our Dinner it is time to ask for volunteers and Sponsors to make our annual event a wonderful success each year
 

“ This is your dinner ! “ as Lloyd would say and it’s a success because of everyone coming together and celebrating !

 Please,  if you are interested in sponsoring a hole, wine and cheese night, contributing to the meet and greet, door prizes or even your time in helping with calling  last year’s participants and some of the other finer details please let me know !

**Note...Dinner and Golf Details for 2014 are outlined in previous blog below.

 

Thank you

 Stephen Stern

Coach and Friends 2014
midasman1962@gmail.com

 250.920.6776

2014 Coach & Friends Golf & Dinner - Start Planning NOW!

2014 Coach And Friends Golf And Dinner

Posted June 25 by Pam Irvine - NOTE change of dinner location this year.

 

It’s that time of year when we still some enjoyable weather to experience and our golf game  is still sharp J So,  I am pleased to announce that from October 1^st to the 6^th  we will be celebrating our 13th Annual Coach And Friends Golf And Dinner.

We are back in the lovely downtown core of Victoria with wonderful things to see and do !

Hotel :

The headquarters for the event is at the Embassy Inn Hotel and Suites (www.embassyinn.ca)

located in lovely downtown Victoria ! The rooms are great and the price is right at a wonderful rate.

We have a group block of 25 rooms reserved on the 3rd and 4th floor for check in October 1, 2014 for five nights departing October 6, 2014 for a rate of $89.00 per night plus taxes (without breakfast) and $109.00 per night plus taxes (with breakfast).

 

HOTEL RESERVATION:  Guests should reserve their rooms on an individual basis by calling
1-800-268-8161 and identify yourself as Golf and Friends” #3909 to get the special rate. 

The following room types are available for pick up:

 9 -Traditional Rooms with 2 Queen size beds

4-Tradionial Rooms with one Queen bed
6-Traditonal Rooms with one King bed
1-Suite with one King bed
1-Suite with two Queen Beds
2-Suites with one Queen Bed

 

Please quote the group name (Golf and friends), number (#3909) and room type when we call in to pick up our rooms. The Release date will be September 1, 2014, if any rooms are not picked up by then they will be released and subject to availability after that.

 GOLF, FOOD AND FUN:  For those guests arriving on Thursday or sooner,  the Highlands Golf and Country Club tee times have been booked for guest between 11am to 1pm for those wishing to golf.  The golf fees will be around $75.00 ( to be finalized in the next few weeks ) which includes shared cart.   Thursday evening things get started in the one or both of the host suites at the Embassy with wine, cheese and food.  Hopefully we can convince last year’s grand chef to work his magic and as usual, it will be a great time to meet and greet old friends.

Friday - In the morning breakfast will be served in one or both of the host suites at the Embassy Inn Hotel and Suites  (7-8:30) and then the  Shamble format tee times at Bear Mountain (Mountain Course) will start from 9:00 to 11:20 am.  Cost for golf will be around $75.00 including shared cart and team compositions/groups will be announced.  The Shamble format was very popular last year as the best drive from each team was selected and then each player played out their ball from the selected spot.  You will be asked to name the provincial/city or state team you want your score to go towards in order to declare this year’s championship team

Friday nite

Guests will gather at one or both of the host suites at the Embassy Inn Hotel and Suites after golf to announce the winning team as well as to share golf stories.  The plan is to have pot luck or get together at the hotel for dinner.  ( Great food ! ..ask Lloyd ! )  Should be a good time !

Saturday

Breakfast will be served in one or both of the host suites at the Embassy Inn Hotel and Suites (7-8:30) , then it is an open activity day to go whale watching, golf or whatever you want.  We will be booking some times at Olympic View for those who can’t get enough golf. Our “Coach and Friends” Dinner will be held at out host hotel , Embassy Inn Hotel and Suites , 520 Menzies Street, Victoria, BC.  Cocktail hour will be from 6:00pm - 7:00pm with dinner starting around 7:00pm .  The cost of the dinner is will be close to last years (to be confirmed).  As usual it will be a great evening with friends, fun and special prizes and surprises.

 

Sunday

Highlands Golf and Country Club tee times have been booked for guest between 11am to 1pm for those wishing to golf.  The golf fees will be around $75.00 ( to be finalized in the next few weeks ) and at Bear Mountain (Valley Course) will start from 9:00 to 11:20 am.  Cost for golf will be around $75.00 including shared cart

Please contact Steve if you have any questions or to be put on the list if you are interested in attending.  HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL SOON...Stephen Stern at    midasman1962@gmail.com

2014 Watermelon Open July 1

 

2014 Watermelon Open

Team Scramble Event

When: July 1^st, 2014
Where:

Demamiel Creek Par 3 Golf Course

6518 Throup Rd, Sooke, BC
Phone: (250) 642-2500

Time: 10:00 am Start  ( Sign your group up and head out )

Pot Luck BBQ Lunch ( Bring your own Chairs )
Putting Competition

Please email me at midasman1962@gmail.com to let me know if you are interested so that I can confirm numbers with them !  ( I tentatively said 20-30 people )

Thanks,

Stephen Stern (posted by Dave Irvine)

Hole In One Number 17: Witnessed By Marita and Ken Wittman

Well the Coach did it again.  When most golfers including pros struggle to get one hole in one in their lifetime, Coach drains number 17 with Marita and Ken Wittman looking on.  Pictured below is Coach holding that little golf ball that made it's way into the hole, struck by Lloyd's famous 3 wood, on the 165 yard par three at the Classic Golf Club.

However there is a lot more to this story and I will let Marita tell it in here own words. 

My husband Ken and I met Coach while on vacation at Bear Mountain Resort on Vancouver Island last August 2013.  We met by accident on the course on Saturday, which had been a somewhat frustrating round hampered by inconsistency.  While chatting after the round, we discovered Lloyd was available to give some on-the-course tips to improve our enjoyment of the game and so we immediately engaged him to go out with us the next day. 

 

 

That Sunday we learned some important course management skills, but also learned all about Lloyd’s unique perspective and style.  It was a very enlightening round of golf, which we all enjoyed.  Lloyd presented Ken with his signature red hat that he claimed would take 5 strokes off Ken’s handicap and we agreed to keep in touch after we returned to our home in southern California.

In October 2013, Ken competed for and won our golf club’s annual net championship title.  He then represented our club in the Southern California Golf Association Net Champions Tournament in Palm Springs.   Ken attributes his success to the lessons he learned from Coach (and his hat, of course).  But that’s not the end of the story .  . .

 

 

In January 2014 we received a call from Coach that he would be in the Palm Springs area in February.  We set a date to play a round at the Classic Club for February 16^th. 

We drove from Orange County that morning and met Lloyd at the course.  After a leisurely breakfast snack, we commenced our round.  The first hole was a par 4, which Lloyd easily pared and we both boogied. 

 

The second hole was a par 3 measuring 165 yards to the pin.  Lloyd used his 3 wood for a cut shot that curved beautifully from left to right and dropped gently onto the green and began to roll toward the hole.  My husband Ken said, “That looks good, it’s going in” and we all watched as surely enough it did!  Lloyd had achieved his 17^th hole-in-one! Ken and I feel privileged that we were there to see it.  Congratulations Lloyd! 

Thanks,

Marita Wittman

Newport Beach, CA

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues”.

 

I would like to thank Marita and Ken for the post information. If any of you out there have a golf story or want to post something to Llody's blog you can send me the information at weshadikin@shaw.ca or you can be an author and post stuff yourself, just let me know.

 

Great day golfing to Coach and Friends...remember "Think Birdie". 

The Coach In Indian Wells California

While the snow, cold and rain is gracing the fairways of most Canadian golf courses, guess where the Coach is at?  Yupp, the Coach is having the time of his life in Indian Wells just outside of Palm Springs.

After a wonderful round of Golf on one of the best courses in Arizona it is time to celebrate and the smile on Lloyd's face tells it all.  Below is Francis Wong and his wife Mary -Ann (blond lady) and Lloyd and his date for the evening.  It was Valentine's Day and Lloyd and his new friends want to wish the rest of us Coach and Friends group a happy day.

 

Hopefully the rest of us can get an invite next year to Indian Wells in February...sounds like a plan.  I also heard a rumour that Lloyd may have sunk another hole in one making it his 17, I will wait for official notification before posting the details.

Keep well and Think Birdie

 

 

 

 

A Close Qualifying Miss For Mark

We'll the first stage is over and unfortunately I missed the cut. I had a decent round 1 scoring 73 in very windy conditions which left me tied for ninth. The second round was A very poor performance on the greens and after many three putts I finished with an 81 and missed the cut by four shots.

I am very disappointed at my finish here, my ball striking was exceptional but the putter let me down.  So while I am disappointed with the result I will take the positives (my ball striking) and review my short game for needed areas of improvement.

Failure lies on the road to success and I will look at this as another learning experience.
I am grateful that I have the talent , ambition, and opportunity to pursue this goal.  I will continue to work hard every time I tee it up, I will seize the opportunity to improve each day.
Professional golf is a journey , and as long as I can accept the fact that there are many twists and turns in this journey, it will turn out fine.

I really appreciate the support of my friends at Think Birdie and will post some
Pictures of these outstanding golf courses in Portugal when I get back to Canada.

Talk  to you soon

Mark Forrest

Mark Forrest: Senior Tour Qualifying Day 1

The big day has arrived and I can hardly believe it.  Thanks to all of you who have made this day possible.

It is the  morning of the first round, I think I have made excellent preparation for this event. My game is good and my putting was outstanding yesterday. I have been playing every other day and practicing on the other days.  The key here is to learn and understand the breaks and speeds of these greens they are in fantastic condition but require a sharp set of skills to make good putts.

I have played some practice round with people from around the world; Sweden , Germany, Scotland just to name a few and now it is go time.

My tee time is at 10:10...wish me luck...and Think Birdie.

Mark Forrest

Mark Forest-Senior Tour Qualifying: Article 1

Hello Coach And Friends;

After close to a year of hard work I am now in Portugal to go thru final preparations for
The European Senior Tour Qualifying School.  The last few months have been extremely busy with work and practice for this event

The fall we had in Vancouver was actually quite nice for golf so I got a lot of playing time in.  As the day lite hours got shorter and the weather got colder and wetter I spent most of my evenings at one of the local driving ranges. A couple of months ago "Coach" spotted something in my swing that I needed to fix and after many weeks of practice I have it corrected.  My game feels solid and I must say that with "Coach's" help I am ready for the challenge.  I had the pleasure of playing a round of golf with Hal a few days before I left.

My preparation plan now that I am in Portugal is to play some practice rounds at the course and then work 90% on short game. The course that I will be playing is  Gramacho In Carvoeiro. I played this course last year and I like the Layout  It is in fantastic shape as all the golf courses are in Portugal. (You really have to consider Portugal as a golf destination).

I played 18 holes on it yesterday and was even par in windy conditions, so I am optimistic
That my preparations are so far ,so good. The next couple of days will be spent at the short game area and will play again on Friday or Saturday  . I plan to repeat this rotation for the next week to ensure that I have both a feel for the course and a great short game.

The first official round of the qualifier is Jan 30 2014. After the second round they will cut the field to the approximately top 22 players. These players will join the other qualifiers from the other two courses at the Finals. The Final are 4 rounds at Val De Pinta golf course.  The top 14 players from the finals will gain status on the European Senior Tour.

Scoring can be followed on the European senior tour website. If you Google European senior tour you will see the link to the website. Once you are there you will see a button at the top that says Q-School. This will get you to the scoring.

I will keep you updated as the event approaches and see if I can get some pictures to share from theses fantastic golf courses.

Until then, Think Birdie

Mark Forrest.