It is fall ball for the first time in the Victoria Open since Craig Stadler won at Uplands in October of 1984. The Walrus is long retired but not Brian Youell, who was groundskeeper at Uplands even back then when the golfers wore bright pastel shirts and listened to Duran Duran on their Sony Walkmans.
Uplands is again ready to stand up to the pro onslaught this week in the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by the Times Colonist. The tournament is usually staged in June but was pushed back this year due to the pandemic.
Other than the wetter and cooler conditions, the course’s defence against the power of the pro swings are its flash-quick greens and an unforgiving rough curated by Youell, one of the few in the Canadian golf grounds-keeping business given the designation of master superintendent.
“The golfers are going to have to be accurate,” said Youell.
“They will need to hit the ball straight and keep it below the hole. That’s because the downhill putts will be tough to stop on these fast greens. The players have said the greens are the best they play on all season on the Tour.”
Even before greens there will be a challenge.
“The roughs are thick and gnarly so you don’t want to miss the fairway,” said Youell.
There is also a wrinkle added that even the veterans on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada haven’t seen previously on the course.
“There’s a new fairway bunker on the left on Hole 2 added over the last year that will be something to consider off the tee,” said Youell.
“The pros won’t have seen it before because the last Mackenzie Tour tournament here was in 2019 pre-pandemic.”
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
