While we’re early in the winter season thoughts always move forward to the start of the 2018 golf season and for us all I hope it’s a healthy and successful season with birdies for everyone!  But here, a brief look back over the past year.  In 2017, I was fortunate to travel to Kelowna and play two fabulous courses over a 24 hour stretch.  Gallagher’s Canyon and Tower Ranch are sensational layouts in the Okanagan.  I can’t wait to get back!  I was also fortunate to join a golf course near my new home in Burlington, ON – Hidden Lake Golf Club – and loved my club championship experience along with weekly play with Men’s Night.  A real highlight for me was chances to meet leaders in golf.  One such leader is Scott Stevens who leads up Eat Sleep Golf.  Scott hosted me for a round at The Briars Golf Course and I loved this venerable Stanley Thompson and Robbie Robinson design.  My review was the top read post in 2017.  Also, I had the pleasure of interviewing golf ball designer Dean Snell, releasing that interview around the time of his visit to the Toronto Golf and Travel Show.  All three parts of this interview were popular with readers, as Dean discussed a wide variety of topics including his decisions to focus on a golf ball for the everyday player.  A late season post also made the top 5 list, as I explored – with the help of several Twitter followers – great 3-hole stretches in Canada.  I was also very pleased, and surprised truthfully, to have been recognized by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada as a third place winner for golf photography in 2017.  My blog header photo is an early morning shot at Green Gables in PEI which was published in 2016 on Canadian Golf Magazine and was honoured at the Association Annual Golf Day and Awards celebration.

Thank you all for your continued support of this blog and my golf writing.  I hope we can continue to engage around this game we love

Here are links to all five leading posts from the past year.

The Briars – this course is like going back in time.  Tranquil, well designed and providing a good challenge for golfers of all skill levels, I can’t wait to get back and play there again!

Dean Snell Interview – Part 1 – Dean’s vision to start a new golf ball brand

Dean Snell Interview – Part 2 – Insight on product development

Dean Snell Interview – Part 3 – Dean’s approach to ball fitting

3-Hole Stretches of Greatness – check out this list of great golf holes and share your thoughts and any omissions to the list.