Niagara On The Lake- part 2

Mon. Sept. 14, 2015- Niagara On The Lake- Ontario, Canada

We were up by 6:30 A.M. It was 49 degrees F and cool. We watched the early news and enjoyed some good coffee in the room.  7:30 A.M. found us seated in window-side tables of the comfortable Tiara room for breakfast. The buffet on display would have fed the Chinese army on a month’s maneuvers. We opted for some really tasty omelets and home fries on the menu. The service was wonderful and the food agreeable. Both the Monzons and the Lowrys wandered in as we enjoyed the facility. Flowers abounded on the terrace, birds soared over the nearby Niagara River. It was a really pleasant place to start your day.

Ten A.M found all three couples assembled in the hotel parking lot and ready to tackle the Royal Niagara Golf Course. We drove through the back roads for 25 minutes towards St. Catherines, admiring the well-ordered rows of grapes and rich farmland. The area is a rich and visual delight to wander through.

At the Royal Niagara G.C. we paid our fees and loaded our bags onto carts. That’s when the starter gave us our first unpleasant surprise. Due to the previous day’s soaking rain, it would be a cart paths only day. That means that only your clubs get to ride. We would have to slog it over five miles or so of soggy golf course. The target for our first nine holes was a deeply ravened monster called the Old Canal Course. Visual and physical hazards abounded. The air soon became laden with expanded and bluer versions of “Oh Gee,” and “darn, I missed my shot.” It was a struggle. For all of us.

The second nine, the Escarpment Course, was higher up in elevation with better drainage and  less physical and visual hazards. We actually began to enjoy the play and do much better. The “darns” and the “gees” were also much less pronounced. We finished after five hours and were ready for a beer. We saddled up and drove back to the hotel. The comfortable bar on the lower floor welcomed us. We laughed at what a shambles the round of golf  had become. Needless to say, we won’t return ever. ‘Conquer the Canal Course” might be a rallying cry for some. To us, our saying was “give the land back to the cows!”

It was late in the afternoon, so we repaired to our rooms to clean up and ready for dinner. We were headed for one of the more storied places in NOTL, The Olde Angel Tavern. The clapboard sided, two-story Inn had been here since the early 1800’s. The wear of two centuries had polished the weather worn oaken floors to a high sheen. As always, there is a time warp effect when entering a place this old. You can almost feel the presence of the sailors, royal marines and miscreants who must have wiled away many hours here enjoying variants of local ale and rough red wine. The place was pretty crowded for 6:30 P.M. on a Monday night.

We were seated in a back room addition that was both comfortable and well lighted. We downed some decent Kouncilers (sp?) Red while we perused the menu. The choice was simple for me. In an olde English/Canadian Tavern, you order the fish and chips. The lightly battered haddock and crisp fries proved to be a treat that we much enjoyed. We chatted amiably of our lives and families while enjoying the place and each other’s companies.

The day was waning as we made our way back to the Hotel. Although early for some, we were of the age where ten P.M. means lights out. The Lowry’s graciously invited us all to share a nightcap in their third floor room. We drank the Trius Red and talked both Canadian and American politics. The airwaves were shared by both nations and we were all pretty well acquainted with the various personas in “The Game.” None came off too well in our collective estimation. After a bit, we bid everyone goodnight and repaired to our room to read and drift off to the embrace of the sand man. It had been a nice day in a storied venue on lake Ontario.

Tuesday, Sept. 15- Niagara On The Lake- Ontario, Canada

We were up by 6 A.M even though we had a later start today. It was 55 degrees F out, sunny and cool. We began to pack our gear and ready for departure. 8:30 A.M found us again seated in the comfortable Tiara Room enjoying the sunny terrace and appreciating the relaxed ambiance of the hotel. We would definitely stay here again on future visits. We repeated the omelet selections and again enjoyed our tasty fare. About now, I was starting to feel like an ad for Iowa Pork, from the caloric load of the last few days. We resolved to walk the nine holes of gold today to help mitigate the onslaught.

Everyone had checked out and assembled at ten A.M. in the hotel’s parking lot. We drove down the scenic and beautiful parkway towards the small St. David’s G.C, off York Rd. on the escarpment. The Georgian style mansions, well ordered wineries and businesses along the Parkway bespeak a land of plenty.

At the St. David’s G.C, we checked in and readied our gear for play. A small crowd of people had already assembled. The nearby Queenstown G.C had women’s leagues all morning. The overflow of tourists and locals shifted here for play. It is a pleasant, though hilly, course which we much enjoyed playing. The occasional ravine or hazard elicited a few "darns,” and “Gees,” but we had fun. It was sunny and gorgeous out, a picture perfect day. We finished in two hours.

As we stored our clubs and readied to leave, we gave the requisite fist bumps and made small talk with these estimable friends. We would see them in Florida in a month or so and looked forward to the coming season at Spring Run. We made a final “see y’all” and headed back towards the Queenstown Bridge and home. It was an effortless sail across the usually busy bridge. Customs was perfunctory. We were home within and hour. It had been an interesting and enjoyable sojourn with friends in a beautiful Town along lake Ontario in Canada. We will do it again.

                           -30

                  (2143 words)

                Joseph Xavier Martin

           September 2015