Golf on the Rock

Filed in archive Golf Travel on March 19, 2007

Courtesy: Pippy Park golf course

Newfoundland is Canada's easternmost province and the last to join the rest of the country in Confederation. That happened in 1949.

Up to that point, Newfoundland had been part of the United Kingdom.

The official title of the province is actually Newfoundland and Labrador and its history is as rich as that of any other province in the country, perhaps more so. Many who live there call it simply the Rock.

For Canadian readers of this blog, none of this is news, of course. Canadians often make Newfoundland and its inhabitants (mockingly referred to as "Newfies") the butt of numerous jokes.

But a nicer people you will not find anywhere. Thank goodness they possess a wonderful sense of humor, as well!

That is evident in their jokes about the rest of us who live "down the road". Vengeance is sweet, sayeth the Newfoundlander.

Newfoundland's climate is very maritime, which means, it can be pretty rough in the winter and sometimes cruel in the summer, too.

Consider Newfoundland to be a lot like Scotland and you'll get the picture.

What many, Canadians among them, do not know about Newfoundland is that it has some excellent golf to offer the traveling player with a penchant for stunning island scenery.

At the recent Toronto Golf Show, I noticed that Newfoundland and Labrador had a booth among the many other Canadian provinces, U.S. states and European countries promoting their golfing wares.

Intrigued, I struck up a conversation with Sandy Hickman who is the head of golf marketing for the Tourism Board in Newfoundland.

You can listen to our conversation here.

Golf_NFLD.mp3