But
perhaps the real key to the recent surge of attention that PEI has
garnered as a golf destination can be attributed to The Links
at Crowbush Cove. Located just 20 minutes north of Charlottown
on the north coast, Crowbush played host to last years Export ‘A’
Skins Game which featured Mark O’Meara, Fred Couples, John
Daly and Mike Weir. As a result, Crowbush received national exposure.
The move to bring the popular Skins game to PEI was an incredible
bonus. Full credit to the aggressive premier Pat Binns who along
with Jack Kane successfully lobbied that Crowbush and PEI has what
it takes to host a world class golf event.
 |
|
The
Links at Crowbush Cove
|
In
pictures or on television The Links at Crowbush Cove looks absolutely
breathtaking, in real life, it does literally take your breath away.
Carved out of sand dunes and sitting right next to the ocean, this
is where Anne of Green Gables would have played her last round.
It is really no surprise that golfers from around the world have
flocked to PEI of late. Golfers are truly a unique brood of people
and the idea of travelling to an island to play golf has an extra
special edge to it, especially when you consider that the islands
entire surface is red clay, which means the fairways are like chocolate.
Imagine taking a bite out of a giant block of chocolate - firm and
consistent - and that is how you want a championship golf course
to perform so that the golfers true skill is not impeded by uncontrollable
inconsistencies.
The fact that the island is so small has its advantages too, particularly
in the case of Golf Links PEI, who can carefully control both the
manufacturing and the marketing of its golf properties. In a sense,
PEI is like one stop shopping for golfers, you have everything you
need in one place, and the island is one of the finest shopping
centers in the world.
While Anne of Green Gables has been the symbol of PEI for decades,
it seems fitting that the modern title of her story would have to
be changed to Anne of Green Fairways.
BIO
Mike Bourne is producer and host of Atlantic Canada’s first
and only live talk show devoted to golf - The Golf Shop can be heard
every Saturday morning from 7-8 on Talk Radio 920 CJCH. He is 26
years old - has lowered his handicap from 20 to 7 in the past year.
He can be reached at www.thegolfshop.ns.ca.
|