Seguin Valley’s back on line!
TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - SEGUIN VALLEY’S BACK ON LINE
One of my favourite courses in Ontario, and arguably the most photogenic, is reopening tomorrow. And it’s doing it to shockingly little fanfare. Which seems only appropriate for Seguin Valley considering how mismanaged it’s been from the outset.
While the Parry Sound course remains up for sale for a rumoured $10 million, you’ve got to believe owners Ron Dennis, Marie McCulloch and the estate of the late co-founder Robert McRae would be quite happy to part with 2,300-acre property for any reasonable offer. The trick has always been finding a party that wants the whole kit and caboodle—the 300-acre course and the remaining 2,000 acres of prime real estate development land.
The course itself was closed all of last year, while five staff tried to keep the place in as good condition as possible, but with the possibility of Seguin falling into a state of disrepair, which would make the golf course aspect of the property unsalable, it was decided late this spring to reopen the course—which has been keeping golf superintendent Chris Hudswell and his crew rather busy, digging out bunkers and grooming the course in time for tomorrow’s opening.
“It’s playable, but I’m not happy with the conditioning,” admits Hudswell, who’s been at Seguin from the beginning—well, its second beginning anyway. When the original superintendent was removed from his post during the build-in phase around nine years ago, Hudswell arrived to discover foot-long rough, four-foot weeds in the fairways, rocks popping through tee decks and the usual platform of 12-14 inches of mix beneath many greens actually ranging from three inches on one side to 30 inches on the other.
“The owner (the late Robert McRae) thought we were three weeks from opening when I came here,” says Hudswell. “But we were a year away. We had to hire Evans Construction and do a total rebuild of all the greens and tees, add more drainage, re-rout some holes, build the cartpaths… We also added the floating bridge at the par-3 seventh.”
Consequently, the original quirky Dave Moote construction became a hybrid design that included input from co-owner Ron Dennis, Evans’ Ted George and even Hudswell. The finished product is, well…OK, there isn’t really a finished product. The sign says Seguin Valley Golf & Country Club, but there’s no country club experience here—just golf. Golf that’s in need of ownership that understands and appreciates golf—that will pour the money needed to make this course a Top-25 experience in Ontario, something it’s quite capable of being given it’s multiple photo-op layout.
“It’s the most spectacular piece of property for golf in Ontario,” says Hudswell. “I don’t know how you get any better.”
Having played there twice, there’s no argument here. Only Bigwin island rivals it for sheer jaw-dropping beauty.
Seguin Valley, which has never achieved its potential, is in need of new money…and maybe a new logo while they’re at it.
In the meantime, the new green fee is $75 plus taxes, which includes your cart—much more reasonable that the $100 that they were charging two seasons ago. It’s probably still a little high for the Parry Sound area, but with walking almost impossible on that layout, ownership needs to cover the expense of their power carts somehow.
By the way, the website STILL has those $100 greens fees listed. It hasn’t been updated since early in 2008…even though they’re hoping for public players tomorrow. That doesn’t bode well for Seguin’s latest incarnation, which breaks my heart.
