GHSC News Item: October 18, 2025 – A Road Trip for the Ages (2025) 

Reported by: Wayne Hein, GHSC Hickory Ambassador

(This news item was published on October 18, though Wayne’s trip to Edmonton took place back during August 10 – 16, 2025. This trip is always one of the highlights of our annual historical golf events.)

Immediately upon returning home and arriving at our home course, Cambridge Golf Club, the question from the members and other players I knew was: “How was Edmonton?”

Our Journey to Western Canada Begins (Sunday)

Every road trip should introduce you to new experiences and adventures to engage you in conversation for years to come. Have a seat in your comfortable chair, sip on your favourite beverage and hear our tale.

Let me say first of all, that reproducing this tale is a real challenge that was undertaken last year by Vaughan Perusse with photographs by Allan Lew. Both were missing on this journey and we hope that next year they will join us for another adventure.

Centred in the province of Alberta and approximately 2-1/2 hours slightly northeast of Calgary, the metropolis of Edmonton has a population of just over 1.5 M people. And like Toronto, Edmonton has many smaller subdivision communities encircling the main city core.

Our destination was the Sherwood Park area, relatively east of the city. It’s a thriving community where the main focus is on commercial applications such as oil refineries and storage facilities, a major railway hub and distribution, spotted with housing and entertainment areas. But first, our journey begins in Breslau, where this small main airport for the Kitchener Waterloo area is located. This was my first time flying out of this airport, about 20 minutes from home, and I must say it is a more convenient and comfortable place to depart, given the commotion, chaos and massiveness of Pearson International in Toronto.

It is here where we caught our flight via West Jet to Calgary, which is the only location the airline flies to and from this departure point. There were rumblings when we booked the flight months in advance that a union segment of Air Canada would be going on strike, just about the time when we were travelling west (we were correct and the union did – good call!). Although the flight would take us to Calgary, there would have been more inconvenience with Air Canada direct to Edmonton, given the potential situation.

On this flight was a small contingent of Hickory Players from Ontario, Lorne Emery (President and Director of Golf Historical Society of Canada) from Cambridge, Ron Wiens (GHSC Hickory Ambassador) from St. Catharines and myself (another GHSC Hickory Ambassador) from Kitchener. Awake at the crack of stupid Sunday morning (around 2:00 a.m.) to be at the airport by 4:00 a.m. and catch a 6:00 a.m. flight, needless to say, two of us three were not morning people and given the three flights leaving around that time, there was a mass of people in the airport already as Flair Airlines played gate roulette with their flights.

Out in Calgary waiting for our arrival was Chris Cade (our fourth GHSC Hickory Ambassador) with our rental vehicle, a 2025 Dodge Durango arranged through Enterprise (who kindly upgraded the vehicle to this larger mode of transportation). Also coming from Ontario separately to meet us in Edmonton, we had … “BOND” – Charles Bond (no relation to James the spy) from Brampton, Chris Hawes from Ottawa and John Matthew IV from Toronto.

This was the Magnificent Seven from Ontario.

Overall, the flight was uneventful, with only minor turbulence over Thunder Bay as pre warned by the Captain/First Officer during the initial flight briefing, (I still can’t understand how this atmospheric event seems to happen every time the flight attendants bring around the drinks and snacks, waiting to spill the pretzels or the full glass of beverage that might end up in my lap or down my shirt when trying to drink).

As for trying to get some rest because of the early rooster call, forget it. Personally, I find it difficult to sit somewhat semi-upright while bobbing my head, only to catch the action and spring to life once again (or snoring beside strangers). Or maybe it’s because I learned to fly a Cessna 150 in Oshawa many years ago (or the model Boeing 737 from my computer’s Flight Simulator), and I’m constantly listening to the sounds of the aircraft and going through the checklists/procedures as my eyes start to close.

Our First Day in Western Canada: A Visit to See Ben Plaunt (Sunday)

Loading the clubs, suitcases and ourselves into the car in Calgary, we set off to the nearest Tim Hortons en route for some sustenance, then while en route, a side trip to see Ben Plaunt in Beaumont, AB and his garage-based hickory golf club business. Ben Plaunt was the winner of our 2024 Ontario Open Hickory Golf Championship. During our 30-minute stay with Ben, we were educated and entertained by his knowledge and invaluable experience, and seeing his stock of hickory shafts and forged club heads, waiting to be frequency-matched, balanced and assembled.

Our minds now spinning, it was time to head to our hotel in Edmonton/Sherwood Park. Although we were invited to play golf once we settled into our rooms, we declined so we could recharge our batteries (both physical and hearing aids) in anticipation of our next day.

Dinner that evening was at Blowers and Grafton, a restaurant named after two streets in Halifax featuring down east cuisine. We dined in the restaurant last year while in Edmonton and the food was very good. And once again, for most of the contingent joining us, it was the same good food – almost. I ordered what looked to be a decadent treat of Lobster Mac & Cheese to which I was warned by our server that the plate was very hot when it arrived. Unfortunately, the contents of this so-called “hot dish” was cold, and while everyone else enjoyed their meal, I had to send it back for a redo. Everyone had finished when my redo came out for a second try. Oh, the plate was piping hot…the food was only slightly warmer than the original plate. Still, it was delicious. But the event immediately placed me in the crosshairs of things to remember, along with a jovial ribbing.

Our Second Day: Northern Bear Golf Course (Monday)

With Monday now upon us, the 2-hour change in time allowed us to further refresh and enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s nook area, although we learned we cannot beat Lorne when it comes to getting up in the morning. Fully fueled, we hopped into the car and headed southeast in Sherwood Park to Northern Bear Golf Course in Strathcona County, AB.

This Jack Nicklaus-designed course (really out in the countryside, I wonder how Jack found this!) opened in 2002 with a televised charity event featuring Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky. With 5 sets of tee blocks ranging from 5800 to 7400 yards, this part-links, part-woodland course was a fair and true challenge for those playing hickory clubs (at the 5800 mark) and a great starter for what was to come later in the week. The sad part was that the clubhouse was destroyed in a total loss fire on January 13, 2024 and was still to be rebuilt. But they continue to promote, hosting an upcoming PGA Tour Americas Tournament, September 11 – 14, 2025.

Dinner that evening was at Brown’s Socialhouse, based on my recommended trial evening weeks earlier, back home in Waterloo, about 10 minutes down the road. No problems here; the food and drinks were delicious. Thankfully, this was a well-received recommendation. I had to make up ground from the previous night!

Our Third Day – Playing The Muni (Tuesday)

Tuesday took us to Riverside Golf Course, an Edmonton City-owned Municipal property (again Lorne was first down to breakfast), originally associated with the Dawson Coal Mine (which closed in 1944). The mine occupied the site before the original 9-hole course was built in 1951. Set alongside the North Saskatchewan River, this mature parkland course has the uniqueness of being heavily treed such that you cannot see adjacent fairways, nor can you see the river that runs right alongside, shaping the overall course configuration. At 5779 yards and challenging the hickory player’s tee ball, this “muni” catches your attention with its straight fairways and moderately undulating greens as its primary defence. When you arrive, there is a nostalgic air to the clubhouse and locker rooms, which transports you back into the 1950s. After our game was finished, we sat on the patio to watch other golfers play their 18th hole.

Leaving the course, Chris indicated that it was about time to refuel the new 2025 Dodge Durango. We all acquiesced and proceeded to the Costco Gas Bar down the street from the hotel. After waiting in line for about 5 – 8 minutes, we squeezed around a very large pickup truck into the front gas pump on our row. How many Senior Hickory Golfers does it take to open a gas filler door? Chris looked around for a lever, no lever. Button? No. Push on the door? It’s not opening! Panic…we’re holding up the line that’s getting longer behind us. 3 guys on their cell phones asking Mr. Google how to open the door. Ron grabbed the manual in the glovebox. Press on the door said the manual – we tried that – didn’t work. Finally, about 5 minutes later, pressing in the right spot, the door opened. Chris filled the car; we humbly left the pump. I’m calling Chris “The Durango Kid” moving forward.

Returning to the hotel and changing for dinner, we convened at Original Joe’s Restaurant, just down the same street from Brown’s Socialhouse. Our transportation this night was courtesy of John Matthew IV as the Dodge Durango was placed into the custody of Ron Wiens to visit friends. Modern technology still appears to have some “glitches” as Ron let us know that the GPS system that was to take him to the West Edmonton Mall, directed him to an unknown subdivision with the mall nowhere in the vicinity. Where’s the hand-held Map? Clearly, we were not going to ask Ron for directions from this point onwards. Oh, the food and company were again very good, with the three of us enjoying a delicious French Onion soup appetizer before the main course.

I would be remiss if I forgot to introduce Mother Nature into our adventure at this point. You see, up until this time, those of us from Ontario have been in the warmest summer in some time, with temperatures in the high 20s/low 30s and humidity that escalated the heat effect into the high 30s/low 40s. In Edmonton, we experienced typical and enjoyable summer weather. Monday presented us with decent 20 degrees weather, although mostly cloudy, and Tuesday was even better with 24 degrees, mostly sunny and moderate humidity. Read on, as things are about to change.

Our Fourth Day: The Legends (Wednesday)

I now introduce you to “The Legends” Golf Course, a 27-hole layout, three 9-hole tracks identified as “The Legends”, “Old Hickory” and “The Champions” (https://www.legendsgolf.ca/). Like Augusta, every hole comes with an identifiable name in respect of their accomplishments and in relation to the game. Our hosts were the owners, Messrs. Ron Lyons and Edwin Chan, along with the tournament organizer Chris Ream. The Canadian Hickory Open is a 3-day event attracting 121 hickory golfers, coming in from across Canada and international locales (Japan, China & USA). This was the 26th year of this masterful event.

This course fully supports hickory golf, setting aside tee times not only for this tournament, but also for a weekly league of players. A further site attraction is Canada’s only Golf Car Museum featuring fully restored antique golf carts, their advertising posters and a massive display of golf balls and other golf memorabilia. See the event’s website for some excellent photos.

There are a couple more “unique” things that I will mention later on when I talk about the closing banquet.

Wednesday was day 1 of the “Open” event (Lorne patiently waiting in the breakfast room for the rest of us to show up), beginning with a 4-player team “scramble” event. Teams are drawn up with varying handicaps and skill levels to keep a competitive, but fun round with new friends.

I mentioned Mother Nature earlier … well, she didn’t want anyone to miss out on the typical weather experienced normally at the home of golf in Scotland, by dropping temperatures to approximately 15 degrees (9-10 degrees less than yesterday), windy with rain showers off and on. And for those using 90 to 100-year-old (or older) clubs, the challenge level was upgraded. More Mother Nature to come.

On this evening after golf, an invitation was given to us to visit Chris Ream’s home for a BBQ dinner and to view his collection of antique golf memorabilia. Between Chris Ream and Ron Lyons, I’m sure there’s a challenge between them as to who can collect the rarest pieces of golf history relating to the game. A shout-out to Chris and his family for their hospitality as event hosts for many years.

Our Fifth Day: Day #2 at the Legends (Thursday)

After another good night’s sleep, “Open” Day 2 – Thursday (and another day that Lorne was first to the chow line at breakfast). Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a slight respite by elevating the temperature and giving us some sunshine. Today was a two-player scramble where we all paired up with a partner. A good day for golf with good scores on everyone’s part.

Each day at the Legends, many people brought extra clubs for a “boot (car trunk) sale.” The negotiations were fast and furious, bartering, swapping, buying … it was better than a feeding frenzy. Dinner was at the club featuring burnt-end pork belly cubes with all the fixin’s.

Our Sixth Day: Day #3 at the Legends (Friday)

Friday … the 3rd Open final day … 27 holes of single stroke play competition, (damn if Lorne didn’t beat us to the breakfast buffet again!). The four of us (Chris Cade, Ron Wiens, Lorne Emery and I) had pledged to wear ‘kilts’ on the final day for play and the group picture.

BWAHAHAHA said Mother Nature. I’ve got you now! Woke up to temperatures that will top out at 10 degrees C, BRRR! Common sense said – nope – no kilts! Out we went in our plus fours. The first 9 holes were in quiet weather wise but on hole 10…here came the cold, misty rain with a chilling wind. And it didn’t stop! The decision was made to only play 18 holes as we were all soaked, even in our rain gear. You know that situation when you’ve been in the bathtub for too long and your skin looks shrivelled and pruney?

We expedited a return to the hotel to change into dry clothes along with spreading our clothes over the shower rail to dry and our clubs spread out up against the wall to dry the wood out (although they do have a shellac coating).

Back at the club for the banquet. Of course, the rain subsided (go figure!) and the BBQ steak dinner was on, with a buffet table of sides fit to feed a king.
After our dinner, the time came to announce the winners. There’s a sign on the first tee of the Old Hickory course that says, “The winner isn’t the one with the lowest score…the WINNER is the one that has the most fun!” I’ll second that! Congratulations to Taren Plaunt as the 2025 Overall Open Champion.

Now here’s one of those “unique” things about this tournament. They also celebrate the winning golfer from the First Nations community. A large contingent of players from the First Nations have supported and been a big part of this tournament from the beginning – Congratulations to Dwayne Racette from Saskatchewan. The Senior Champion is Scott Bower from Japan, The Legends Champion (+70) was Chris Ream, and the Ladies Champion was Fran Zinger (whom I had the pleasure of playing with on Wednesday). BRAVO TO EACH AND EVERY CHAMPION!

Continuing with the unique features, this year the tournament attracted the Chairman of the China Golf Heritage Society, Mr. (James) Feng Duanyue and Mr. Scott Bower representing the Japan Hickory Golfing Society. In honour of these gentlemen, the club engaged the Hung Mon Athletic Club for a Special Presentation. A traditional Lion Dance was staged by the group and is a symbolic celebration, which by custom, lions and loud music (drums, cymbals) scare away evil spirits, and usher in good luck to those in attendance.

The most important part of this event, is the initiation of a “Legends” Honoree onto the clubhouse wall of fame. Joining past recipients is this year’s nominee, Bill MacDougall. His life achievements as a PGA Teaching Professional were shared with the congregation. Bill is confined now to a wheelchair due to cancer, and his fighting spirit was appreciated by all the participants, garnering a hearty standing ovation. It was an honour to meet this gentleman!

Our Seventh and Final Day: The Return Trip (Saturday)

Seventh and final day – Saturday, and there was Lorne once again waiting for us as we completed our final packing scramble, grabbed some breakfast, then jumped into the Durango, to return to the Calgary Airport. During the return trip, we learned of a spirited discussion between Lorne and Chris that took place separately. Something to do with examining the versatility or merit of a “rut” club vs a “Jigger”? This could warrant another dialogue in future articles.

Chris’ flight left 4 hours before ours back to Toronto, and after a 7-hour wait in the Calgary Airport, watching the Blue Jays game on Lorne’s laptop, playing games or reading on our cellphones, we finally boarded for the trip back to Kitchener/Waterloo Breslau Airport for a bleary-eyed, can’t sleep on the plane, after-midnight arrival (close to that magical “crack of stupid” time getting home and into bed)!

So how was Edmonton? I would do it again in a heartbeat!

(Another fun historical golf experience.)