"Doon Valley Gets New Holes" - Waterloo Record Article

By Mark Bryson, Record staff

Think twice before pulling out the driver on the new holes at the Doon Valley golf course.

Elora-based golf course architect Shawn Watters — with his options limited by environmental constraints, archaeological issues and the Grand River Conservation Authority floodplain — has designed an 18-hole layout that encourages golfers to weigh their choices before pulling out the big stick. Those who can’t control the urge to go for broke will pay the price with penalty strokes and lost balls if they aren’t hitting it straight.

“Visually, it’s a lovely piece of property and I would hope people will enjoy it, but if you’re going to go out there thinking it’s a driver-wedge kind of golf course, it’s not that at all,” said Watters, who calls it “a difficult property” to work with.

In total, 10 holes have been constructed at the City of Kitchener course and two existing holes have been restructured, resulting in an 18-hole course and a nine-hole course. A nine-hole pitch n’ putt, as well as a driving range, is scheduled to open in the fall.

Eight of the new holes are located on the Cambridge side of Highway 401 and this is where penalty strokes can pile up in a hurry. The “Savannah-style” holes — Nos. 8 through 15 — are much tighter than the “parkland” holes on the Kitchener side. There is also plenty of water to deal with and no shortage of environmentally sensitive areas.

The changes actually begin at No. 3, back on the Kitchener side. Upon arrival, especially from the back tees, golfers might be a tad intimidated with what awaits them on the 349-yard, par-4 hole. It looks incredibly tight and trouble is everywhere. Truth is, it’s not as tight as you think, but accuracy is crucial. Hit a 200-yard club here with a goal of par in mind.

No. 4 is also new and very easy on the eyes. With the Grand River running along the right, this par-3 measures 220 yards from the tips. Bunkers and marsh run along the left side of the hole.

Nos. 5, 6 and 7 are existing holes. Play these and then head to the tunnel that will take you underneath the 401 to what appears to be a completely different golf course.

What hits you at No. 8 is the noise. The constant buzz of passing transport trucks is a bit of a distraction at first, but quickly fades.

No. 8 is a 336-yard risk-reward hole that isn’t really worth the risk. Hit an iron short of the brush that brings the fairway to a screeching halt and go for the green with your second shot. Bombers will be tempted to clear the cabbage off the tee, but there are bunkers and other nasty stuff on the other side. And unless you are hitting it 330 yards, what’s the point?

The ensuing holes are fair but challenging, with Watters pointing to Nos. 14 and 15 as his favourites.

The 14th hole is a 383-yard, par-4 test, while No. 15 is a 350-yard, par-4 dogleg to the left.

The 152-yard, par-3 11th hole was my favourite. Secluded from the rest of the course, it’s just a nice, little hole that allows you to catch your breath. Par is a good score.

It’s cliché, but the new holes are challenging but fair. Stay out of trouble and good scores are available. Hit it in the junk and you’ll pay the price.

As Watters suggests, the 18-hole course should be played a few times before giving it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Play it with the right clubs in your hands and it will make for an enjoyable outing at a reasonable price.

Of note, the new greens were in fantastic condition during a media outing last week. They were neither fast nor slow, but the roll was consistent throughout the round.

Also worth noting, the course is currently operating without a halfway house on the 18-hole course. The new design rendered the old one obsolete and has prompted the City of Kitchener to buy a new beverage cart this week. The plan now, said Gary Hastings, the city’s manager of golf courses, it to construct a halfway house at the end of the 7th hole before heading under the tunnel. Golfers would pass it twice on the 18-hole course and twice on the 9-hole course as well.

This article was featured in the July 22nd 2010 edition of the Waterloo Record. To find it online, click here.

"Up and Doon" - Golf Scene Magazine Article

KITCHENER CLASSIC IS RENOVATED AND READY FOR THE 2010 SEASON

story by Bill (Skip) Johns

When I made a major lifestyle/job change in late 1972 by coming to Kitchener-Waterloo from my hometown of Niagara Falls, about the only thing I knew was going to stay the same was the fact that I was going to play golf.

In that first summer of 1973, my home base turned out to be the Doon Valley golf course where a friend at the Kitchener daily newspaper, and I, would play about once a week.

It only lasted a year after I met other golfing enthusiasts and switched my site of playing to the other Kitchener-owned facility, Rockway.

Although that is inching up on 40 years ago, I still have fond memories of my early days at Doon and still enjoy visiting the layout which first opened under private ownership in 1956 and was eventually bought by the city in 1966.

In fact, during my tenure at the Kitchener-Waterloo Record where I covered golf for more than 25 years, I wrote a late-career feature naming my favourite 18 holes in the area and Doon’s challenging 421-yard par-four 13th hole, a dogleg left, always made my list.

So what’s happening on the Doon municipal golf front as we get into the 2010 season?

To borrow a word from a well-known TV cooking-show host, “Bam.”

Recently I had a chance for a non-playing tour of the course which has expanded to 27 holes in addition to adding a nine-hole “chip and putt” layout and changing some tees and the practice facilities.

Kitchener’s director of golf operations Gary Hastings and Elora-based architect Shawn Watters, who crafted the new holes and some changes on the existing 18, were my guides for a trek around the new layout which is scheduled to be fully open sometime in June.

If you’re from Waterloo Region, when you say 27-hole courses you probably first think of Foxwood, Conestoga and Brookfield, to name just three fine layouts all built privately but currently operated by GolfNorth Properties.

Those three operations all have one thing in common. You can mix and match your nine-hole pairings to get the 18 you want to play on any given day.

Not so at Doon Valley.

The new 27 layout will feature 18 holes which you will play from start to finish and then nine “old” holes which can be repeated. However, the “new” 18 – featuring 10 newly-built holes – will not be combined with the “old” 9 in any manner.

“It will be different from many other 27s because once you start the new 18 you don’t get back to the clubhouse until the 18th hole,” explained Hastings who also pointed out there will be new halfway-house and washroom facilities in the area where the expanded course goes under Highway 401 alongside the Grand River.

“We worked on a lot of possible routings but because of extensive environmental concerns that we had to look after, we just couldn’t find a way to incorporate the new holes into a traditional 27 layout,” explained Watters.

“We’ve heard some of the regulars are concerned about the new layout but I think once they get used to playing the holes they are going to love the course,” Watters added.

It would take thousands of words to describe all the changes at Doon – space we just don’t have – but I will highlight some of the most prominent.

The first-hole tee has been shifted left and turned into a par four from a par five.

After playing the second hole which hasn’t changed, you head downhill to play three (par four) and four (par three) which are both new and obviously with great views of the Grand. Five, six and seven are parts of original three, 10 and 11.

Holes eight to 15 are the brand new big section of the course on the “other” side of 401 and Watters has crafted some challenging but fair routes which also supply some outstanding views of the river and surrounding areas. Much of the new will feature wetlands or swamp areas in front of or alongside the tees and some dogleg fairways.

The “new” 18 finishes with existing 16, 17 and 18. The new 18 will play to 6,443, 5,915 and 5,179 yards off the three sets of tees, compared to the old 18 of 6203, 5863 and 5493. Par is still 72 for the men and also for the “front” tee users.

The “old” nine, which will feature a nine-hole rate or special 18-hole charge if you want to repeat, is a combination of the former front- and back-nine holes. From one to nine they are in this order: old 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 8 and 9.

Kitchener golf officials haven’t come up with nine-hole names yet, or even if they will, for the 27-hole operation – unlike 27-hole layouts mentioned earlier for example, where each nine has it’s own name – but their rates sheet calls the combination nine explained above as the Stand Alone nine.

Watters thought it might be nice to refer to this nine as the Classic since it’s the only playing stretch that features holes not changed from the original layout. Maybe there should be a little contest from members and golf fans to come up with names for the new 18-hole routing. Hey, just an idea.

If all my explanation about the new holes and routing has you confused – and if you’re not familiar with the operation it should – get out and play it as soon as it’s ready. It should be a relatively easy walk which has been a tradition at DV and the variety of prices are still an outstanding value.

Doon Valley isn’t the Whirlpool course in Niagara Falls, my favorite public facility in Ontario and my home base for many years in the old days, but it is going to be a great expansion to public access play in this Region and the province. I’m looking forward to my first playing trip around the “new” 18.

"Having played more than 1,000 golf courses in my passion for this game for the past 60 years, I can truly say I was fascinated, and a little surprised, by what has transpired at Doon"

This article was featured in the Summer 2010 edition of GolfScene Magazine. To view it online, click here.

Getting Down to Earth in Glasgow

Out of all their Scottish expeditions, Shawn and Emmett seemed to enjoy their time in Glasgow the most. They felt as if Glasgow had the most to offer as a destination. To them, it didn't feel phony, dressed-up and touristy, like Edinburgh. It felt like a real place, where areas of the city are still gritty and sketchy. Just a little time ago, Glasgow was home to biggest collection of slums in all of Europe, a fact which can still be witnessed if you make a trip to the city's outskirts. Put it this way, Edinburgh is an established city, and Glasgow is still in its infancy. Exciting things are occurring in the city. Glasgow has a killer music scene (arguably the best in all of Europe), awesome restaurants, a plethora of free museums and attractions and incredible shopping opportunities. While in town, Shawn and Emmett explored Glasgow, stopping in at such attractions as the Gallery of Modern Art, the People's Palace and the Sir Norman Foster's "armadillo". They lodged in true Scottish fashion, above the Babbity Bowster pub, located just off of High St. Included with this post are some photos from Shawn and Emmett's 5 day visit to the exciting and vibrant city of Glasgow.

The People Palace (a museum on Glasgow's history)

Modern Glasgow: the Clyde Auditorium aka 'the Armadillo'

The Babbity Bowster Pub and Inn

Glasshouses, the Queen & Rod Stewart in Edinburgh

For 4 days before making the trip (via train) to St. Andrew's, Shawn and his son hung out in Edinburgh. The city is the capital of Scotland, and the second largest after Glasgow (stay tuned for more on that later). Edinburgh is known for its castle, as well as its International Festival, an event which nearly doubles the town's population of about 500,000. While in Edinburgh, Watters visited the Edinburgh Castle, hiked up mountains, dined in fabulous restaurants, and lodged at the Glasshouse - a 5-star boutique hotel. Highly recommended! In comparison to Glasgow, Shawn found Edinburgh a little too touristy and found it lacking the charm which Glasgow provided. That said, Watters was amazed by the scenery and the historic components of the city. Shawn and his son managed to see the Queen and her motorcade (along with just 10 other onlookers!) and catch a concert at the Edinburgh Castle by the one and only Rod Stewart - quite a unique experience! The Scots love their Rod Stewart! Included with this post are photos from Watters' visit to Edinburgh. Stay tuned for Glasgow.
View of the town from the Edinburgh Castle

Shawn at Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park overlooking Edinburgh
The renowned Scottish Parliament by Enric Miralles
A church downtown Edinburgh

Magic in St. Andrew's

Earlier this summer, Shawn P. Watters and his son, Emmett, took a trip to Scotland in order to partake in the 150th anniversary of the British Open. The two took to the Old Course at St. Andrews for everyday of tournament play, marveling in some of the world's greats. In the end, South African Louis Oosthuizen took the title, beating Lee Westwood by seven strokes! The weather was a bit iffy - play was even suspended due to the wind - but the golfers took it in stride. Highlights for Shawn included seeing Tiger putt on the 18th hole, watching all the golfers flocking to the fish and chip stands during the suspended play, and checking out the inside of the clubhouse, including the players' locker rooms. This is a privilege very few are granted. Included with this post are photos from the Old Course at St. Andrew's. Stay tuned for more updates on Shawn's trip to Scotland, including looks at both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Watching the action on the 18th

Tiger chips onto the 18th green