It is fall ball for the first time in the Victoria Open since Craig Stadler won at Uplands in 颅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 颅Properties DCBank Open 颅presented by the Times 颅Colonist. The tournament is usually staged in June but was pushed back this year due to the 颅pandemic.
Other than the wetter and cooler conditions, the course鈥檚 defence against the power of the pro swings are its flash-quick greens and an 颅unforgiving rough curated by Youell, one of the few in the Canadian golf grounds-keeping business given the designation of master 颅superintendent.
鈥淭he golfers are going to have to be accurate,鈥� said Youell.
鈥淭hey will need to hit the ball straight and keep it below the hole. That鈥檚 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.鈥�
Even before greens there will be a challenge.
鈥淭he roughs are thick and gnarly so you don鈥檛 want to miss the fairway,鈥� said Youell.
There is also a wrinkle added that even the veterans on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour 颅sa国际传媒 haven鈥檛 seen previously on the course.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a new fairway bunker on the left on Hole 2 added over the last year that will be something to consider off the tee,鈥� said Youell.
鈥淭he pros won鈥檛 have seen it before because the last 颅Mackenzie Tour tournament here was in 2019 pre-pandemic.鈥�
