Westworld Saskatchewan

14 W E S T W O R L D | S U M M E R 2 0 1 5 DAKOTA DUNES GOLF LINKS GETAWAYS I makes a golf course great have changed dra- matically over the past decade. Out: the kind of bulldozer- happy designs popular from the end of the Second World War to the 1980s, with rows of big bunkers arrayed along the edges of ultra-smooth fairways to frame the hole and punish errant shots. Some additional telltale signs: plentiful arti cial- looking ponds, exaggerated humps between fairways and around greens, and exuberant landscaping. In: A return to ideas of design prevalent in the 1920s and 1930s (an era now consid- ered the Golden Age of Golf Design), combined with a more naturalistic aesthetic sometimes called minimalism, based on the idea that the landscape need barely be disturbed and only minimal dirt moved during con- struction. ere's a real philo- sophical distinction, with the 1950s-1980s era emphasizing di culty and shot values and the newer one focussing more on strategy, the beauty of nature and the importance of fun. You could think of it as the di er- ence between a typical PGA Tour stop in Florida – all hous- ing developments and water hazards – and a rough-hewn Scottish course hosting the Open Championship. Well, the Saskatchewan climate and landscape happen to have a lot more in common with Scotland than Florida, and plenty of the province's more than 250 courses are indeed underappreciated gems, if not quite St. Andrews. Not to mention they're the stomping grounds of Weyburn-born Graham DeLaet, one of the purest ball strikers on the PGA Tour. ough the course roundup that follows isn't a scienti cally rigorous top 10, it does re ect a good bit of research (as we in the golf media call the act of gol ng) and conversations with golf bud- dies, industry members and local media outlets, including the province's excellent golf web- site, Saskgolfer.com. And it turns out that 10 courses really aren't enough. Among the notable omissions are two private courses not open to the public, both of them dating from that Golden Age. Saska- toon's Riverside Golf and Coun- try Club was widely considered the province's best course until the opening of nearby Dakota Dunes. And several holes at Regina's Wascana Country Club have recently been restored by Rod Whitman and Je Mingay, architects who are in alignment with the Golden Age/minimalist approach. Late cuts included verdant and vertiginous Madge Lake and Green Hills golf resorts in the northeast, and White Bear Lake in the southeast, as well as Regi- na's Deer Valley, which would cer- tainly be on the list if not for a small caveat. Set in a beautiful val- ley south of Lumsden, the course has been beset by slumping and erosion over the past few very wet years, and that's a ected the play- ability of a couple of holes. By the way, every one of these courses is highly walkable, which as any Scot will tell you, is always the best way to enjoy a game of golf. Plenty of natural prairie at Dakota Dunes.

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