Because Ladies Deserve to be treated Special…

Hello all!  It has been a little while since my last blog as we have been getting the engines fired up out here in K-country to an exciting 2012 golf season.  We are now just starting on our second month and waiting to put into action some exciting plans for the special ladies in your life!!

My wife Tracy believes whole heartedly that golf should be no more than 9 holes and that it should be way more about having some laughs with friends, trying to get a bit better, going out for dinner after, and having 2 or 3 hours to talk with friends about how awful their husbands are with forgetting important dates, working too much, and ignoring household chores.  Sadly she is right on all counts…but that is for another blog.

We felt that Tracy is NOT ALONE with those thoughts, so we wanted to try to create some opportunities for amazing wives like mine (wonder if I will get points for that) and put together some incredibly fun and informative nights where ladies from Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis, Exshaw, Canmore, Banff, Longview, and anywhere within driving distance can come out and spend some awesome time together.  FOR KANANASKIS C.G.C. WE WANT TO TRY TO CREATE A COMMUNITY FOR OUR MUCH BETTER HALVES so that they can socialize, have a blast, learn something about golf, win some prizes, and have great meals.  How do we do this?  Here’s how!!

1) Kananaskis Ladies Clinic – We are offering an extremely exciting program this year that will focus on all facets of the game of golf.  The first 18 lucky ladies to sign up have a choice of 5 or 10 – 1 & 1/2  hour lesson packages throughout the summer.  Over those lessons, our fun and highly qualified PGA of Canada Professionals are going to touch on all aspects of the game including full swing, chipping, putting, sand play, pitching, course management, and much more.  We will also be playing in a fun 9 hole event at the end of the teaching sessions, and having an incredible meal prepared for us by our Phenomenal Chef, Mr. Dan Thornton.  As if that wasn’t enough…to sweeten the pot just that much more, we are throwing in a complimentary Ladies Golf Shirt (value of $50 – $70) just so you have something nice to remember us by.

How much would you pay for something like this (gonna sound like an infomercial here…).  $700?, $600?, $500?  Na…

We have always been about Value, Fun, Amazing Scenery, and then a pinch more value out here in Kananaskis Country.  Here are the prices for everything I mentioned above.

a) for the 5 lesson package that includes a complimentary Golf Shirt, 9 hole tourney with cart, and meal – we are asking $200!!!!

b) for the 10 lesson package that includes the same things but 10 lessons instead of 5 – we are asking $330!!!!

HOW DO WE DO IT??? (simple…we just don’t pay our Professionals…just don’t tell them…our little secret 😉

If you are interested, please email our amazing coordinator of these ladies clinics…Mr. Lino Toppazzini (PGA Of Alberta Professional) at golfshop@kananaskisgolf.com OR call him in the Pro Shop at (403) 591-7088 ext. 321

2) LADIES NIGHT!!!

What would you say if we told you that 4 times a year you could bring a group of your girlfriends out to Kananaskis Country Golf Course, hang out with arguably the “hottest” Golf Professionals in Canada (or at least in the Kananaskis Valley), have some laughs, have a little clinic before you play, grab a power cart and play in a different format each time for 9 holes, and then go into the Clubhouse for some prizes and a great meal?  WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED?

Guys…if you were able to convince your wife/partner/girlfriend/or other?? that it would be a great idea to come out to the mountains four times a year for our Ladies Night…think of all the fun YOU  could have that night??  EVERYONE WINS…

Here is what we are scheming up at K-country:

a) Tuesday June 26th – Tee times – 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

b) Tuesday July 24th – Tee times – 4:30 – 5:30 pm

c) Tuesday August 28th – 3:30 – 4:30 pm

d) Tuesday September 25th – 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

The cost each night is $80 per person which includes valet service, 30 minutes of range time where you will get a chance to ask your local PGA of Canada Professional any questions you have about your game, 9 holes of Golf on Two of Canada’s most popular golf courses, a ride in a power cart, $15 meal voucher, and prizes…ALL SPONSORED BY TAYLOR MADE!!!!  WHATTA DEAL!!!!

If interested in signing up you & your friends for one or all of these sessions, please contact our sales office at 1-403-591-7154 and ask for Nicole Quigley or Mike Epoch.

It is our goal out here to create a special culture and environment where all of our guests have the best time and FEEL LIKE THEY ARE A PART OF A SPECIAL COMMUNITY.  Our two amazing golf courses, majestic scenery, passion for teaching, and desire to provide amazing experiences will GUARANTEE that no matter whether you are taking a series of 10 lessons or coming out for 1 ladies night, that you will have the time of your life. 

We look forward to spending some quality time with the very special ladies who are wanting to come and be a part of our Kananaskis Community.

Talk soon.

Bob

@bobpaley

It takes two…

Like many families, the Paley family is busy.  We go like stink 17 hours of every day with both Tracy and I working, the boys in school, hockey, soccer, badminton now, volleyball, basketball, drums, etc. etc.  Sound familiar?  I have always tried to make a conscious choice to lead an active life which includes strength training, intervals, and riding the road bike in the summer.  In our busy day, the only time that really makes sense for me to train is first thing in the morning and I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis who have an amazing facility.  The problem is this…I choose to get up at 5:25 in the morning 5 days a week so that I am able to squeeze in the workout, get back in time to help get  boys ready for the day and get myself ready for my day.  The workout energizes me and helps me think better for the entire day.  THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THIS WHOLE CONCEPT IS ONE THING…5:25 in the morning…5 days a week.

Here is the crazy part.  When I am forcing myself to get out of bed in the morning, and I am going up alone, you can’t imagine the dialogue and battles that I have in my head as I lie in bed.  “You need 8 hours of sleep”, “You worked out hard yesterday”, “You can workout later tonight” (never, ever, happens), “You can workout twice tomorrow” (…ya…right), “Tracy could probably use some help this morning getting boys ready”.  Honestly when I am working out by myself…it is a friggin battle to get up.  Yet whenever I get back from working out I feel AMAZING.

On the complete other side of the coin is working out with a partner.  One of my great Assistants, Scott Golding, has committed to getting back into shape this off-season and he has joined me for much of the winter.  He and I go up to the gym five days a week.  Every morning that we work out together, I know I have to get my butt out of bed and get over to pick him up.  I hate his guts when I am getting up, but he is relying on me to pick him up.  It’s the same for me, when he picks me up…I know that he is going to be waiting for me on the drive way and if I’m not there I am letting him down.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the wonderful word of “buddying up”.  This little concept applies to SO MANY THINGS IN LIFE.  If you set goals for yourself as an example, and you keep them to yourself, no one will know if you accomplish or don’t accomplish them.  It is a sure way to fail in what you are doing because if you “cheat a little” and have that extra large fry, Big Mac, two Chicken wraps, and a Chocolate Milk on your way home to Kananaskis (completely hypothetical example) and you have a goal of not eating crap or not eating late at night…then no one will know…who will be the wiser?  Who am I hurting with those 2546 calories as I drive home to K-country.  Simple answer…I FAIL…I am cheating me…PERIOD.  In order to make goal setting much more effective, it is critical that you share your goals with at least one other person so that you have to be accountable to someone.  Without accountability and inner drive, we all have such a low percentage chance of succeeding, it’s crazy.

Going out to golf is yet another example.  This time of year with the golf season just starting, it is like New Year’s Eve for everyone in Canada.  This is gonna be the year…I’m going to practice 3 days a week for an hour each day.  Or…this is gonna be the year where I play 3 days a week and get in 50 rounds.  Guess what?  Without having a buddy or a partner to help hold you to some of these goals that you have set, it is going to be extremely difficult for you to accomplish anything (unless you are an incredibly motivated person).  Buddy up, find a partner, and drag each other out to get out to practice, play golf, and maybe join a league.  By becoming a part of a community, you have other people that will directly or indirectly help you accomplish your goals.  Becoming a part of a community by joining a health club, or joining a golf club, or joining some kind of support group all help us to accomplish the things that are important to us.

 

So do you have to join a golf club in order to accomplish your goals of playing more or of learning more about golf?  Well as a matter of fact…YOU DON’T.   Come here…come in a bit closer to your screen/monitor, I have a secret to tell you.  Kananaskis Country Golf Course is introducing men’s, ladies, and family leagues this summer.  We want to help formalize a great community out here amongst a group of golfers that will help everyone accomplish goals that they have set out for the year.  If you sign up, commit to the program, and make the call, then you are committed…much like me getting out of bed to go and pick up Scotty to go and workout.  I will be blogging about these leagues in future editions, however, know this.  Without the ability to lean on buddies or friends, your percentage of chance of accomplishing your goals is dramatically reduced.  If you have great friends, a great facility, great instructors, great Food and Beverage, and some great prizes…guess what you got?

You have the leagues at Kananaskis Country Golf Course for the 2012 golf season, a guaranteed great time, and the satisfaction in knowing that you are working towards your goals of playing more golf, learning more about your game, and spending some incredible time in the mountains decompressing and being a part of a very special community.

If you can’t wait till my next blog and want more info about our leagues please call me at (403) 591-7088 ext. 321

Until our next blog…  Take care.

Bob

(twitter – @bobpaley)

The Bigger Picture To Golf; a sense of Community

Yesterday I had the fortune/misfortune of going to a celebration of life for a dear friend of mine up in Edmonton who was an avid golfer and member at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club and the Petroleum Club.  It was a misfortune because a great friend of mine passed away, however, it was a HUGE fortune because of the amazing turnout and “feel” that there was at the Derrick in that room as we all listened to the amazing eulogies given and watched images of John’s life flash before our eyes in a presentation put together by his Granddaughters.

As is common place at the end of these types of celebrations, everyone lined up to meet and talk with the family, and after we would get a glass of wine, a bottle of beer (alright…both) and talk to each other about John, his life, how we knew him, and just enjoy each others company.  I bet you that I met about 20 – 30 people that I had never met before that night and without any prior knowledge of who we were, after 5 minutes of talking about Golf, John, Kananaskis, and the Derrick, it was like we had known each other for years.  We would talk about golf holes that we both knew, issues on the golf course that we could both empathize with, funny things that had happened to us while playing, and telling “John stories” about his prowess on the golf course and the moments that we remembered playing together with him, recalling it like it was just yesterday.

It struck me coming home to K-country last night from Edmonton how important that golf is for so many reasons.  It isn’t just a strategical game played outdoors; it isn’t just about 4-5 hours of quality time with friends; and it isn’t just about getting away from the stressors of your day and “re-connecting” with nature & getting a chance to unwind. Golf is also about COMMUNITY.  As crazy as it sounds, at this function yesterday there was a real sense of comraderie and community about all of the people in that room that was brought to us not only by the relationship that we all had with John, but also with the game of golf.

While belonging to amazing Private Clubs like the Derrick or the Petroleum club help facilitate a sense of community for some, the really cool thing about the game is that you don’t have to belong to a club to get that “feeling” of community or sense of closeness to a person, place, or thing.  The game is much bigger and much more global than that.  Not everyone there was a member at the Derrick or the Petroleum club.  We all didn’t feel close to one another because we see each other every day at the club.  Private clubs absolutely facilitate this and are amazing environments to get to know people and to help you feel like you “belong” somewhere and be a part of something, but they don’t corner the market on it.  Golfers of all different calibres, sex, membership status, income level, and experience felt that instant connection last night because of a shared enjoyment for a great game that brings so many people closer together.  After 4 hours of golf with someone, you know them better than you know some members of your family after knowing them for years.  The game builds you up, it strips you down, and it makes you feel a part of a much bigger picture if you truly look for it.

Last night in Edmonton at the Derrick Golf & Winter Club…I saw it.

JT, you will forever be missed my friend.  Once again, you have taught me a life lesson without really trying to.  Rest in peace…all of your friends at Kananaskis will miss your visits over all of the summers to come.

Your Friend,

Bob

 

 

Bubba Golf – Summary from the Masters

Needless to say I am not a Professional Golf Prognosticator…actually to  be honest I had to google the word “prognosticator” to see if I was spelling it right.  Having said that, I do have a few takes on the Masters that I would like to share with you that may or may not be reality, but make sense in my world.  Unquestionably the Masters is one of those “special” events that transcends golf and golf fans.  People who may not otherwise follow the PGA tour or play the game of golf themselves, somehow get drawn in to this special feel that the Masters tournament brings to Television.  There is a rich history and culture around the tournament that transcends golf.

In the 76 year history of the event, there have been very few Sundays that don’t provide great drama with late charges, birdies, eagles, double bogeys, and multiple leader changes.  This year was no exception with names like Mickelson, Westwood, Kuchar, Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson, Padraig Harrington, and Ian Poulter all being in the mix through the day.  Three names that were noticeably missing from the Sunday Drama were World #1 Luke Donald, World #2 Rory McIlroy, and of course pre-tournament favorite and Bay Hill Champion, Tiger Woods.  What did Tiger’s Sunday absence mean to the viewership of the Masters on Sunday?  Only the worst rating in Masters broadcasting since 2004 and down 22% from last years rating when Tiger made a late charge only to be defeated by Charl Schwartzel.   There are real prognosticators (what a great word…) out there that suggest that Phil’s early triple bogey on 4 caused a number of viewers to turn off their TV’s…the real influencing factor in my opinion was no Tiger.  The sport has been very dependent upon him for so many years and now finds itself at a crossroads with so much new great talent out there, yet so many people that refuse to watch it because of no Tiger.

Here is my hope and take with Bubba Watson’s win.  In my humble opinion the game of golf needs a new hero…in fact it needs a whole collection of hero’s.  If you think of Professional Hockey, Football, or Basketball, they all have a multitude of stars that they are able to hang their hats on and promote.  Golf has that same talent pool to draw from.  Exciting young and up and coming talent like Rory McIlroy, Bud Cauley, Keegan Bradley, Gary Woodland, Kyle Stanley, Webb Simpson, & Ricky Fowler joined by veteran stalwarts like Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickeslon, Steve Stricker, etc. etc…BOTTOM LINE…there is a lot to promote.  And now there is Bubba!!!  Here is what I hope that Bubba Watson helps to bring to the game of golf that maybe has been missing over the past number of years but SORELY is missing and will help to bring people back to the game.  BUBBA WATSON is about FUN…How refreshing is that?  He leads a simple life, enjoys simple things, he has a deep faith in God, has life outside of golf, a new Dad and strong family guy, has never taken a lesson in his life, “feels his way around the golf course” and beats to his own drummer.  One of the main reasons that people have fallen out of love with the game of golf is that it is too hard…it isn’t fun, and they have overcomplicated things.  Bubba brings a very simple mentality to the game which I truly hope that people pick up on and become disciples of “BUBBA GOLF”  and his philsophies.  He doesn’t know what his swing looks like, he doesn’t have a posse of Sport Psychologists, Swing Coaches, and Short Game Coaches.  Again, he “feels the game”.  I love Tiger as much as the next guy, however, I really believe that we need to start looking for new heros to emulate, follow, and believe in.  I can’t think of a better guy at the most perfect time for the game of golf right now,  than Bubba and his outlook on both life and golf.  Neither, in his book, should be taken too seriously.

On the other side of the spectrum of taking life and golf seriously is TIGER WOODS.  I do not pretend to know or understand the immense amount of pressure that he is under day in and day out, however, from an outsiders perspective, it is my belief that he needs to “Bubbatize” a bit and see that golf is a game and most importantly understand that when he “reconnects” with the fun factor to golf and takes a little bit of the pressure off of himself that HE WILL PLAY BETTER.  Tiger is not about winning golf tournaments…he is about winning majors.  Knowing that there are only 4 events a year that really matter to him, he has clearly put a great deal of pressure on himself for those four tournaments.  You could just see it all week with his reactions to missed shots that weren’t perfect or what he was hoping to accomplish.  I understand the importance of holding yourself to a higher level and the importance of expecting a lot out  of yourself in order to push yourself to achieve…in Tigers case however, I really feel like this is what is his achilles heel (sadly, pun intended).  While this will sound extremely simplistic (and I apologize for that), it seems to me that a number of the previous Masters winners had the tournament simply fall into their lap.  By that I don’t mean that they didn’t work their tails off and that they didn’t play amazing golf…OF COURSE THEY DID…THEY WERE MASTERS CHAMPIONS!!!  My point is that Charl Schwartzel would never have believed he would birdie 4 of the last holes to win in 2010…Bubba Watson said time after time this year, that he never saw himself winning the Masters…Mike Weir in 2003 was an underdog and simply allowed himself to perform at a Super High Level…all without the EXPECTATION THAT THEY HAD TO BE PERFECT AND HIT EVERY SHOT IN ORDER TO WIN THE GREEN JACKET.  I don’t know much about competitive tournament golf at the PGA Tour Level as I haven’t been there, but I do know as a Golf Professional and as a Human Being that if someone is consistently telling you that you are an idiot or that you can’t do something, and is always down on a person…that these self-fulfilling prophecies will all come true.  It is that much more sad when that “someone” who is telling you all these negative things is yourself.

As a fan of golf and as someone who is in a business that benefits when Tiger is on his game, I hope that he turns his mentality around and “Bubbatizes” things a bit.  Bubba’s voice inside his head before the miraculous playoff wedge shot that he hit was that he had hit the shot thousands of times before and he was simply just going to do it again.  His mind was his best friend and together at Augusta on Sunday they hung out together and allowed each other to enjoy the experience and not get in the way of each other.  Tiger and his mind can not say the same…

Talk soon.

Bob Paley

@bobpaley (twitter)

Let us help you Reconnect with your Family

I swam with my son Sammy this morning at the pool before he had to go to school.  We got to the pool at 5:50 am and swam until 6:30.  It was an amazing experience for me as it was the first time that he and I had a chance to train together in a pool as he is a part of a swim club where he trains with his buddies, and I…well…don’t swim that often.  As we got out of the pool, I found myself rushing the two of us to get showered, changed, back to the house, have breakfast, get dressed, out to the bus all before 7:20.  I thought to myself that this was exactly what our life is like seven days a week, seemingly 365 days a year.  With both of our boys in hockey, soccer, skiing, golf, basketball, volleyball, drums, and badminton our lives are like 95% of families in the North America…CRAZY!!  With my work schedule, my wife Tracy’s busy life, the boys activities, and school, we are a family who is always on the go.  Although we are always there for one another, we are very rarely spending quality time TOGETHER.  If we are at hockey, Tracy isn’t there. If they are at soccer, I am not there.  If we are skiing, the boys usually take off with their buddies…it goes on and on.

This “epidemic” of being busy is something that families all across the world are experiencing because we want to give the best for our kids.  We want them to try EVERYTHING and find that one thing that they are “passionate” about.  Sometimes, this is done at the expense of just hanging out as a family.  I am proud to say that one of the things that we have found as a family (and as our kids get a bit older) is that coming out to play golf has become an amazing way for our family to spend 4 and a half hours of quality time together that can’t be interrupted by Facebook, Twitter, I-Phone apps, texting…or any other crazy technological “improvements” that have come into our lives.  We have time together to talk about golf, life, things happening at school, girlfriends (yup…Grade 6 & 8 and already girlfriends…), and many other topics that wouldn’t see the light of day during our regular crazy lives.

To help share this experience that our family gets to enjoy, we are extending the same offer to your family to come out to the beautiful Kananaskis Country area and experience some peaceful and tranquil time away from the realities of life.  During our twilight golf hours (typically four hours prior to darkness), we offer COMPLIMENTARY Junior Golf for kids under the age of 18.  We are also offering Parent/Child Leagues throughout the season that allows parents and children to come out to the golf course, learn about the game together, play together, have a meal together, and win some fabulous fun prizes.  Our goal is to provide a platform for you and your kids to reconnect.

Here are the dates for the Parent/Child Clinic & 9 hole golf event during the 2012 golf season:

1) Sunday June 17th (Fathers Day…come celebrate the day with Dad!)

2) Sunday July 15th

3) Sunday August 19th

4) Sunday Sept. 16th

Call me at the Pro Shop (403) 591-7088 ext. 321 to get more details about all of our Junior and Parent-Child events running throughout our golf season.

If you have any ideas for Blogging topics or any information that you would like to see about our golf course or in this blog, please don’t hesitate to give a little feedback and I will get on it for ya.

Have a great week and talk soon!

Regards,

Bob

(@bobpaley) – twitter

What’s New in 2012 for Kananaskis Country Golf??

I am proud to tell you that this will be my 15th season out here in Kananaskis Country Golf Course.  I can honestly tell you that in all of my years, this is the 2nd most excited that I have ever been to start a golf season!!  Why second?  Because I would be lying if I said that my first season out here wasn’t the most exciting.  Back then, I had no idea what to expect, my eyes were wide open…couldn’t believe how busy we were, how much people loved being here, or how crazy the “behind the scenes “was.  So why does 2012 got me so excited??

For this reason and this reason alone…Change…

No…we didn’t blow anything up, or change the front 9 of Lorette to be the back 9 of Kidd, and yes…we still ask that you pay a modest rate for Green Fees, and wear clothing while playing.   We are, however,  looking into doing some really cool things that I would like to fill you in on.

1) Golfers will be allowed to driver their carts on the fairway!!! – We have been cartpath only on the golf course since we finished construction on them in the mid 90’s.  It’s honestly going to feel weird (and admittedly a bit dirty) driving carts on the grass after having been off them for so long!  There are many reasons for employing this change in our philosophy including; improved customer experience, positive implications for pace of play, and to be frank we believe that some of you weren’t coming to see us because we didn’t allow you on the golf course with your cart 😦

2)  Ridiculously low Green Fee rate the first week we are open! – We have always been proud of the great value that we offer our guests…BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS.  Our green fee rate for the first week we are open (May 11th to May 17th is regularly $98 with a discount of $20 for Alberta Residents.  For this first week…and this first week only…we are offering the rate for???  Not $60…not $50…not even $30!!  THAT’S RIGHT for the first week we are open our Green Fee rate is $20 in honor of our 30th Anniversary!  But act quickly…book your time now…cause we can’t do this all day!!  (Did I sound a little like Vince??)

3) Catering to the Kids!!!- If you have kids and your lives are anything like ours…you struggle to get quality time together as a family.  Facebook, I-phones, laptops, video games, kids activities, girlfriends (not ready for this phase yet…but it’s coming), and everything else that life has to offer are challenges that get in the way of good quality time with our kids.  WE HAVE A SOLUTION!!  Kananaskis Country Golf Course is offering two great things to help you spend more quality time with your kids:

a) Complimentary twilight rate for kids who are under the age of 18! (i.e. gratis, free, no chargeo, libero (Italian for “free”…go ahead google it…I did) for the entire golf season.

b) Parent/child league – With the help of our friends from Taylor Made/Adidas we have created a fun, educational league designed for parents and kids to again spend some quality time together learning in a ENTERTAINING ENVIRONMENT about the game of golf with our PGA of Canada Golf Professionals and then go out onto the golf course and play 9 holes of golf with each other.  Included in the package is instruction for Parent and Child, golf, golf cart, prizes, and a meal.  We will be providing more information in future blogs about dates!

4) Men’s and Women’s League – Again with the help of our friends from Taylor Made/Adidas – we have put together a monthly men’s night and ladies night that is designed to create a sense of community amongst those individuals who want to come out to play at our wonderful facility, get a chance to participate in some instruction with our Professionals before they play, compete for prizes in a variety of fun formats, and meet after the round for something to eat, drink, and tell lies about how well we played.  Proximity prizes (i.e. long drive, long putt, closest to the pin), individual prizes, team prizes will all be offered along with a voucher that each participant can use towards food and beverage.  Again, more information to follow in future blogs.

5) Value Added gifts! – To add to the already great value that you get at our facility, we have decided that in 2012 we are going to give everyone who plays golf in the month of May a free car.  For those individuals who are looking for a great deal in June and July we are going to give anyone who plays Regular priced golf after 4:00 (excludes twilight) will get a free trip to Hawaii.  What’s that?…Oh…really…that’s not it?… Ok…maybe overstepped my boundary a bit (ok a lot), still feeling a bit like Vince in terms of wanting to give you all great deals!  Here is what we are going to do for sure.

a) May 18th – May 31st – we are offering a $20 value added voucher to all players who play with us on those dates!!  This voucher can be used in our Pro Shop for merchandise or in the Clubhouse for food and beverage!!

b) June 1st to July 31st – for those golfers who play with us after 4:00 and before twilight – we will offer them a $10 voucher that can be used in the Pro Shop for merchandise or in the Clubhouse for food & beverage!

Are you a little jacked up now too?  Hope so…believe me when I say that the 5 items that I mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg.  Again, I have run out of time and room in this blog to tell you about EVERYTHIHG THAT WE HAVE GOT PLANNED FOR 2012.  Future blogs will further expand upon what else is coming down the pipe!

In the meantime, if you are wanting more information on any of the leagues that I discussed (Men’s, Women’s, or Family), or anything else I discussed in this blog, please don’t hestitate to call me at (403) 591-7088 ext. 321 or email me at bpaley@kananaskisgolf.com.

Talk soon,

Bob (follow me on twitter – @bobpaley)

Wildlife at Kananaskis Country Golf Course

Working in the Pro Shop, we do field a large number of questions about a very wide array of topics.  Over the years our staff have had to become experts in things such as: the migratory patterns of Canadian Geese, the feeding habits of the Grizzly Bear, weather patterns in the Rocky Mountains, and of course the mating ritual(s) of the very famous Canadian Moose.

In order to be proactive with all of you, I am going to answer for all of you in advance what we, in the Pro Shop, DO NOT KNOW about the following animals that live with us out here in Kananaskis Country Golf Course

1) The Deer – To be honest – deers are the least intimidating or threatening of all the animals you will see out here in Kananaskis.  The only time they are potentially an issue is when you are driving 180 Km/hr on Highway 40 to try to make it to your tee time on time and one of these animals jumps out in front of you because for whatever reason, they believed it was a good idea.  Here are a few things that we have been asked about deers in the valley that we honestly don’t know the answer to.

a) We don’t know if you will see the deers during your round of golf today.

b) We aren’t 100% sure if Deers stand up or lie down when they sleep, however, we do know that they are wide awake when being chased by Grizzly Bears.

c) Not really sure if the deer that you saw today is the same deer that you saw four years ago during your last visit out here.  Despite the markings that it has a white tail, we need more information to go on to make that positive I.D. for you.

2) The Various Families of Bears (including the very popular Grizzly) – Unquestionably the animal that our team out here gets asked the most about.  Honestly after 15 years of working at this amazing place, I am not sure if people are interested in them because they are extremely horrified of them, or because they have that “dangerous” but “beautiful” side to them.  Again, in no particular order here are some questions about our fuzzy friends that we just honestly don’t have the answers to.

a) I don’t exactly know if the bears have eaten yet today but with this being Tuesday I do know that normally they are served Lasagna in the cafeteria.

b) While you pose a great question, unfortunately the bears forgot to drop off their schedule to us this week so I don’t exactly know when they will be arriving on the Mt. Lorette golf course today.

c) Actually…that is a question Mr. Jones that I can answer…Yes…Grizzly bears can run faster than your golf cart.

d) That’s hilarious Mrs. Smith…so you are saying that you don’t have to be able to outrun the bear…you just have to be able to outrun someone in your foursome!!!  That is too funny… Wow…I hadn’t heard that one before.

3) The Elk – ah…our friend…Mr. Elk… – unquestionably the one animal that gives our superintendent the most trouble during and after the golf season.  Elk are famous for handing out on our golf course and doing what it is that wild animals are known to do…pee and poo all over the place.  That’s right…I said…pee…and poo.  The acidity of the urine can cause the grass to burn which gives us those wonderful, but thankfully temporary dead/dormant spots on the fairways during the early part of the season.  The Elk “poo” as it were, is simply an assortment of “Chocolate Covered Almond” looking treats that literally cover our ENTIRE golf course.  Unquestionably the most fun and sought after task for our amazing maintenance team is to go out and clean up as much of the elk poo as possible before we open.

a) While we don’t typically have a large number of questions about the elk family…I have included a picture of a moose above as well so that our guests and staff members are familiar with the subtle differences between the two species.

4) The Squirrel – Perhaps the most talked about animal at Kananaskis Country Golf Course is the one that “co-habitates” the most with our guests out on the golf course.  Known to very few people, the squirrel is a very social animal and is the only animal besides humans that take part in vacations and all inclusive resorts.  Kananaskis Country Golf Course is one such resort that squirrels enjoy visiting in the summertime because of the great weather, great scenery, great activities, but mostly because of the great food!  The squirrel resorts at Kananaskis Country Golf Course are found on the 11th tee box at both the Mt. Lorette Golf Course and the Mt. Kidd golf course where our “cute” little friends have full access to power carts who have just recently loaded up at the snack shack before teeing off on the 10th hole.  Squirrel stories for 30 years have been told out here of how they have carried Roast Beef sandwichs, muffins, chocolate bars, beef jerky, and even the occasional cigar for a post meal puff.

Past times at the spa and resort for squirrels in Kananaskis is of course; hiking, golfing, jogging, pine-cone collecting, musical concerts including visits from the always popular “Benny the Banjo” (see above), swimming, and of course the ever popular “getting chased by an Owl” relay in the darkness of night time.

Over the past handful of years, the Kananaskis Country Golf Course has gotten smarter than their furry friends with how they package food which now prevents a majority of the “trips to the squirrel buffet” at the 11th tee box of both golf courses.

Summary

I hope that this blog has proven to be useful to help better educate yourself about some of the wildlife that we co-exist with in the Canadian Rocky Mountains on Kananaskis Country Golf Course.  There is always nature to be seen out here although we never know when we are going to see it.  Whether it is Grizzly bears, Black Bears, Brown Bears, Wolves, Coyotes, Deer, Elk, Moose, or the dreaded squirrels…we all get along and respect each others space.  This allows us to co-habitate and enjoy each others company.  Hopefully in your next visit with us, you can add more stories to our already large portfolio of “animal vs. golfer” stories that exist over our 30 years out here…

We all look forward to your next visit.

Until next time…

Bob (follow me on twitter – @bobpaley)

What a Golf Professional Does Not Do in the Winter…

I have to tell you that in my 20+ years in the Golf Business in Canada, I have been asked at least 20 times every off-season “What do you do in the Winter as a Golf Professional when the course is closed?”  It has actually become a bit of an inside joke amongst my family and close circle of friends because they all know the frequency of times that I am asked this question, and they also know about the “schpiel” that I always get  into when I deliver the reply to that question.  My friends and family roll their eyes when I start into the schpiel and invariably go and grab another drink at the party or find ANYWHERE else to be than with me and the person who has asked the dubious question.  In answering the question, I have to tell you that almost always people are surprised to find out that we are normally just as busy in the winter time as we are in the summer time.  After hearing my now “well rehearsed reply” about what we do in the winter, like clockwork, I normally hear what it is that people think we did as Golf Pros in the Winter…  Whether they were serious or not, here in no particular order are some of my favorite things that people have thought may have been what I do in the wintertime to try to keep busy…

1) Professional Dog Walker,

2) Play golf on the “Brand X” tour for seasonally unemployed Canadian Golf Pros down in the United States,

3) Wash windows on the corner of 17th Ave and 14th St. in Calgary for handouts,

4) Gigolo (really?…a male prostitute…me?…do you think it’s an option?…seriously…come on!!),

5) Live off of the Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars that I make during the summer playing and teaching golf (would be a nice option…unfortunately my last name isn’t Haney or Leadbetter) ,

6) Playing golf on TV with Tiger and Phil,

7) Live down in Phoenix or Palm Springs and play golf while my kids go to school up in Canada,

8) Can we go back to the Gigolo thing for a second…should I be flattered, shocked, mad, or ashamed at that statement??

9) Hunt wildlife on the golf course and track hibernating bears so that we know where they are in the spring (one of my personal favorites)

10) Collect Unemployment, drink beer, catch up on Victor & Nicky Newman on the Y&R and Bo and Hope Brady on Days of Our Lives (I will confess to having a bit of a crush on Kristian Alfonso (Hope) when I did watch the show when I was in University…seriously…I don’t watch it now in the winter).

These all represent just a few of the beauties that I have heard (both in jest and serious) from people who I have talked to over the years about what they thought I did in the winter.  There are countless other ideas that people have brought up but I don’t want this to drag on for you!! While I totally understand that every job has it’s misconceptions (i.e. Teachers have it so good because they get summers off and don’t have to work weekends….or it would be so incredible to be a rock star or famous athlete and have all that money and fame)…it is still really funny to me what people honestly think that we do out here.  Add to the fact that in Kananaskis we live in the mountains and you can get some beauties like #9.

In my quest to educate you about what Golf Professionals really do, here are a number of the things that WE DO ACTUALLY DO IN THE WINTER TIME.  Please keep in mind that every Golf Professionals job is different in Canada.  Some are employed 12 months and are kept very busy, some have to find work for 1, 2, or 3 plus months, some go to school in the off-season to improve their level of education, while others are forced into a second career (i.e. working on the rigs) in order to help fund being a Golf Professional or to pay the bills during the winter months.  What I am about to walk you through are some of the things that I do during the off-season in order to get ready for the upcoming season.

1) Buy all of our merchandise for the next season at a number of different BUYING SHOWS that exist in Alberta.  Some Golf Professionals will venture to more exotic places like Las Vegas or Orlando, whereas me…I like to hit the hot spots of the world…EDMONTON ALBERTA.  Home of the PGA of Alberta Buying Show in October and the Edmonton Gift Show that takes place in February (conveniently during the Familiy Day Long Weekend where my wife and I have to bail on our kids and go to Edmonton to work…SOLID PARENTING…)

2) At the shows we spend Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to bring in the best value goods we can.  With each of the 50-70 different comapny’s that we have to deal with, we have to negotiate payment terms, figure out embroidery or Transcription Printing on each garment, create purchase orders, and ensure that we haven’t overspent in any one particular category.  With the volumes that we buy in, it will take up to 3-4 weeks to create all of our Purchase Orders.

3) Work with various Tournament Groups and Business Partners to help secure their Corporate Giveaways for the next year.  This typically takes place between the months of November and April.

4) Work on Policies and Procedures for our Outside Operations (i.e. our Valet, Power Cart, and Driving Range Attendants), our Starter/Marshals, and our Pro Shop Staff,

5) Gigolo (just kidding…wanted to see if you were still with me…)

6) Volunteer Work on the Board with the PGA of Alberta.  This is an extremely fulfilling role for me that allows me to rub elbows with some of the greatest minds in golf to help us make the zone of Alberta the best it can possibly be for Golf Professionals and our business.

7) Hiring – Within Pro Shop Services at the Golf Course we have anywhere between 45-50 staff between all of our departments.  In order to fill this staff, we go through over a hundred candidates and resumes looking for the most qualified individuals who are going to help us create PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCES FOR OUR GUESTS.

8) Training – Work out 5 days a week in both Strength Training and Interval (Cardio) training in order to best prepare my body and mind for the long golf season ahead.

9) Emails – I am a slave to my Outlook Inbox.  Whether it be customers, reps, staff, department heads, respondents to Gigolo want ads (I got to let that go…), and a variety of other emailers, a good chunk of my day is devoted to communicating via email.

10) Attend education seminars through the PGA of Alberta including monthly Professional Development Series on a series of topics that make me a better Golf Professional (i.e. this year I took a session on Social Media and one of Merchandising), and also attending the large PGA of Alberta education Seminar that have 150 – 200 members at it and learning about things like the Golf Swing, how to run a better business, how to hire better staff, etc.  All of the education we take allows us to interact with other Golf Professionals, find out what is happening at their golf courses, and also to find things to excite us and prepare us for the upcoming season.

11) Service our Power Carts – it is a job shared by members of our Pro Shop and our Outside Services Manager that maintains that we have our fleet of 150 golf carts in good working condition for the upcoming season.  We work hand in hand with Club Car to ensure that we are being proactive with all of the maintenance and care that we give our carts.

12) Planning, planning, planning. – whether it be coming up with sales competitions, creating leagues for the summer, figuring out how to best train our staff, deciphering how we are going to promote our faciity and the services we provide, or deciding on what lines are going where in the Pro Shop and what sales themes we are going to have throughout the year…a very significant chunk of our time in the off-season is spent planning out as much as possible so that all we need to do in-season is execute.

13) Once April roles around we start receiving all of the merchandise we purchased back in October and February!  It starts out like the best Christmas ever and then after pricing literally over 10,000 different items, it seems a lot like that one Christmas when you were a kid when you didn’t get anything you wanted and your sisters both got EVERYTHING they wanted and you got in trouble for crying about getting a wooden soldier instead of the really cool Ninja warrior action figure that was CLEARLY SPELLED OUT ON YOUR SANTA CLAUS WISH LIST but wasn’t delivered…(should probably get over this too…that was over 35 years ago).

Man…these blogs don’t take long to get too long…already at 1500 words and so much more to say.  Here is how I will finish this blog…

IN ANY PROFESSION THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS ABOUT THE JOB WHICH ARE BETTER AND WORSE THAN WHAT PEOPLE SEE EVERY DAY.  No matter what anyone tells you, I truly believe that I have the best job in the world because there has never ever been a day (in the winter or the summer) that is exactly the same as any other day.  There are new challenges, new environments, new focusses, and new demands that we face at Kananaskis Country Golf Course every day.  I love the seasonality of my job because I get to plan and do more administrative work during the winter and then spend most of my time executing the plans during the summer.  I am very blessed to be a Golf Professional and doubly blessed to be one in Kananaskis.

Hope that this week treats you well and I look forward to our next time together.

Talk soon.

Bob

follow me on Twitter (@bobpaley)

Blog(Bob Laments On Golf) in the Mountains… see what I did there???

Having not ever written a blog, it is important for me to tell you that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing.  My name is Bob Paley and I am the PGA of Canada Head Professional out here at Kananaskis Country Golf Course.   Here is what I know…I love to write, I love to talk golf, I love to talk about our Kananaskis family, …I LOVE TO TALK…period.  Our management team talked over the winter and decided that it would be a great idea for our golf course to get into the “blogging business”.  After figuring out what the hell blogging was, I immediately put my hand up and said that I would like to volunteer for the job.  My goal in this blog is to provide for all of you a little bit of a behind the scenes look into the golf business, into life at Kananaskis Country Golf Course, into our family out here in K-country, and really pretty much anything that I can think about.

In wanting to do a good job on the blog I have done extensive research that involves a poll I sent out on my twitter account (@bobpaley…shameless self promotion) about what the rules of blogging were.  In a slightly less than scientific approach to acquiring data and information from this poll, I determined from the large number of responses I received (2) that the following protocol was critical in writing blogs.

1) Be no more than 500 words

2) Make sure that it doesn’t take more than a minute to a minute and a half to read (how do you control that?  Do you time a 5 year old reading it and base it off of that, or do you time it off of a speed reader from Harvard?)

3) Tell your readers if you are going to be making them read longer than one and a half minutes

4) Don’t just talk about golf…talk about other things that are interesting to people,

5) Be Funny,

6) Be informative,

7) Include video, photos, & audio in your blogs so that people have more to do on your site than just read the sad drivel that you have to write.  This is definitely going to prove to be a challenge cause I have no idea how to get pictures from my phone or camera (actually check that…don’t have a camera) to my computer.

8) Make sure to create a tonne of new blog topics and keep your site fresh…people want new content and won’t keep going back to your blog if they see the same ol blogs Day in and Day out.

Man, that’s a tonne of pressure!  As we spend some time together this season, you will see that I am a little on the “verbose” side and getting anything under 500 words is going to be a challenge for me.  It is my goal for this year to provide for all of you a fun look into this crazy business of ours and allow you all to better get to know us, our team, our family, and our passion…which is creating PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCES for our guests during our 5 month season in the mountains.  Along the way we might talk a little about hockey, hiking, strength training, golf instruction, our food and beverage department, our Turfcare team, strategies to booking times, special deals we have going on this year…and MUCH…MUCH…more.  Holy cow…this machine is telling me that I am currently at 570 words right now and I am just getting started!!!

It is Good Bye for now, but Hello for a great season of Golf at Kananaskis Country Golf Course.  Here’s to getting to know one another.

Talk soon.
Bob

Golf Exercises

Fitness is an ever increasing topic of discussion in golf circles and amongst PGA Tour players.  Here are a couple of great exercises that can be done in the comfort of your home and will help you get in shape for the next golf season or help maintain those necessary muscles throughout the summer.

Single leg, straight leg deadlift – If you don’t have access to the gym or have dumbells at home this exercise can still prove to be a challenge without weights.  The key is to never let your raised leg touch the ground.  For beginners, use a supporting wall to rest your hand and make sure you maintain balance.

Single leg squat – Another great exercise to help develop stabilizer muscles in your lower body which are crucial for balance in your golf swing.  This is a difficult exercise so start with a smaller range of motion (if need be) than the one demonstrated on this video.

Planks – This exercise will help develop your core muscles which are another group of muscles important for stabilizing and balancing out your swing.  You can also target your obliques by rotating to each arm and creating a plank that way.  How long you hold your planks is up to you, but try to increase the length of time each day you do these.

Remember, these are just a few exercises we think are helpful for improving your game.  Explore different ways to strengthen your body and those muscles that are most important in developing your golf game.  Hope this helps!!