Grand Centre Golf and Country Club

You're always in for a treat when you play the Grand Centre Golf & Country Club. Today's visit was to take in their annual Seniors Championship. As usual, another strong turnout as 80 plus golfers gathered to compete in this years event. 

There is a 240 yd driving range, which is long enough for a Rory McIlroy 5 iron. A chipping and pitching area, a practice bunker with green and lastly, a 4,800 sq ft practice putting green are all onsite to work on any shortcomings in your game.

The course features natural terrain and three sets of tees with distances that range from 5,258 yards to 6,497 yards, making this a perfect course for anyone that visits. The tee boxes are large, flat and trimmed to a high standard.

Well defined fairways make their way through stands of mature aspen, pine, poplar and spruce trees. The fairways feature many sweeping contours that can challenge both drives and second shots. Landing areas are generous and numerous fairways have mounding that may or may not return off-line shots back into play. The rough appeared to be cut to around 2 inches and errant shots were not severely punished.

Grand Centre's greens complexes are big in size and receptive to incoming shots. The greens, known for their consistent conditioning, played very quick for todays round. The use of bunkering to frame the fairways and greens complexes is strategic as mis-hits will tend to migrate in their direction.

A number of the tees are elevated. Two of the more exciting are 7 and 14. On the 7th, a 159-yard, par 3, that is nestled tightly into the trees. The goal is to drop a short iron onto the well contoured green protected by bunkers right front and left side. Gracing the centre of the fairway on the par 5, 483-yard, 14th hole, there is a 100-foot-tall tree you need to avoid off the tee. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Lobstick tree that once adorned the first fairway of the Stanley Thompson designed Waskesiu Golf Club. Both holes are great fun.

Grand Centre G&CC had a very productive winter as they have built a magnificent addition to the clubhouse. With the improvements to the clubhouse, an extension to the outdoor wraparound deck that overlooks holes 9 and 18 was also completed. The renovations made to holes 4 and 5 last year are now complete and the improvements have been well received. Well done, it's reassuring to see the club continue to make improvements.

It is not just the golf, however that keeps people coming back. Along with a full service bar, the restaurant is open to serve breakfast, lunch and supper.  

The golf course is a gem and Grand Centre G&CC has put all the necessary ingredients together to give the members and visitors a most enjoyable experience.

Grand Centre was hosting it's annual 2 day Men's Open on June 22/23. Never one to turn down an opportunity to play this track as I've always played well here.

Grand Center plays to a maximum of 6497 yards from the tips, the forward tees provide a more manageable length of 5258 yards.

Sculpted fairways are framed with poplar and spruce trees. A good variety of straight holes and an even mix of dogleg left and dogleg right holes require consistency off the tee and water features come into play on more than a few holes. The contoured greens, although expansive, place an emphasis on quality approach shots and are often met with the challenge of two putting. Birdie opportunities abound with properly executed shots. Elevation changes are featured throughout the round. Conditioning of the fairways, greens and bunker complexes consistently earn high marks.

Arrive early and make use of the driving range, practice putting green and short game practice area prior to your round. The fully licensed restaurant complements a great day of golf. Grand Centre Golf Course will satisfy any golfer's expectation of a great product at a great price.

Although it's a two hour drive from home, this is a course I make an effort to play three or four times a year. This past weekend it was competeing in their annual two day Men's Open.

Large flat tee boxes provide good sight lines out to wide carpet like fairways framed by mature pines and birch trees. Errant shots will gravitate towards the strategically placed bunkers along the fairways and around the greens. Although there are four water hazards on the course, only one comes into play. Beware of Hole 4, a taxing 426 yard, Par 4 is stroke index 1 on the card and it will stretch the nerves of any golfer. A few of the greens were a bit bumpy but considering I made a 42 footer for birdie on Hole 9 to take the "longest putt" prize I can't complain.

The course plays 6497 yards off the tips & over the course of two days I was pretty pleased with being just 8 over my handicap.

The restaurant as usual outdid themselves, the groundskeepers presented a challenging track to compete on. Hats off to Dean and all the staff at Grand Centre Golf & Country Club.

You'd be hard pressed not to enjoy a round at Grand Centre GC. A very good parkland course that winds its way through the trees, a dash of water here and there, bunkers in all the right places, generous greens that will exercise your putting skills and if that's not enough, there are a couple of risk/reward holes thrown into the mix that will tempt even the most conservative player. The grounds keeping staff do a marvelous job of keeping the course in good order.