Tag Archives: Blue Bay Golf Course

Easing things off

Pam's SandalsCuracao has basically gotten back to “normal” – minus the tourists! While most restrictions have been lifted, and restaurants and stores are open again, tourists are not yet being welcomed. Flights are not wide open, and cruise ships are not welcome, yet.

A couple of cool little guysIt was nice to go out and enjoy a dinner cooked by someone else. I was getting tired of eating my own cooking. The beach restaurant has renamed itself, and gotten a new menu. The food was pretty good. It was just good to be out on the beach enjoying the evening.

Just hanging aboutThe flamingos have returned to the lake just off the first hole here at the golf course. They seem to leave at odd times, then return. We have not spotted a routine to it – sometimes they are there, and sometimes not. There are quite a few here this time, usually ten or more at a time.

Chasing a stickWith the lifting of the quarantine we were able to get Bailey down to the ocean. She loves to chase sticks out on the water. We can throw it as far as we are able and she’ll still chase it down.

The golf course has re-opened and I’ve played a few rounds. That’s also been very nice. Before the lock down we were out playing at least twice a week, and it’s a big part of our routine. We’re glad to have that back. Here is a short movie of my “hole of the round.” It’s a lovely par 3 across the ocean. You need  a nice drive, because the swirling winds can easily send you into one of the many bunkers protecting the green.

Birds on the golf course

The Curacaon parrotPam and I are on the golf course at least once a week. She takes the camera and has taken some great shots of me playing, and of the birds that make the golf course their home.

I’ve said it before, but there are around five thousand different bird species that spend some time on Curacao. Local species include parrots, flamingo and the predator falcon called the cara cara.

Another birdSome birds are here for just a few weeks. They use the island as a way station as they fly their migration routes.

Lots of color, lots of sounds, lots of fun.

In praise of golfing

Nasty skyWe have had a lot of fun playing the golf course here at Blue Bay. Lots of afternoons you will find Pam and I on the course, me losing the balls, Pam trying to find them!

We met a couple from North Carolina basically the first week we moved in the building, and Jeff and I have played a lot of rounds together. They don’t live here full time, but when they come to the island we definitely fit in several rounds.

The first greenThere are a lot of beautiful vistas on the course, none more spectacular than the par three, sixth hole. (That’s the featured picture of this post.) It plays at about 170 yards and your tees is up on a cliff. You drive over the ocean, and hope your ball catches the green. The green is quite a bit lower than the tee box, but still up on another cliff. You don’t have a lot of margin for error!

The fourteenth holeJeff and I both really like the par four, fourteenth hole though. It’s a dog leg right, with beautifully landscaped fairways, and a terrific undulating green. You don’t have a lot of margin for error on this hole either as there is heavy rough with cactus to the right. To the left is heavy brush with lots of prickly bushes.

Boxing Day in Curacao

Boxing day - 1st holeBoxing Day in Canada is a big day for shopping. Get out there and spend, spend, spend!

Here in Curacao, I’m starting a new tradition. Hitting the links! That’s right, today I went golfing.

The Blue Bay golf course is a fun course. I like playing it, it suits my game. Not too long, but lots of water and challenging with all the wind.

The big bIf you notice, in the picture of me warming up, there is a big blue B in the pond over my left shoulder. We’ve lived here for quite a while now, and only today did we notice that the B is filled with blue bottles! You can see them clearly in the picture to the left here of the bird perched on the sculpture.

Here is a video of me playing the 18th hole. It’s one of the longest par 5s on the course. Today I managed a nice birdie. It’s important to keep the ball on the fairway on this hole. To the left is a water hazard and to the right is some really ugly rough. Your second shot needs to keep to the middle as well. The left has water down the whole fairway. I think I made a pretty nice putt to finish the round!

A hole in one!

FlamingosI’ve been playing the Blue Bay Golf Course on Curacao quite regularly in the last seven or eight months and I’ve had some good rounds, and some not so good rounds. Yesterday, I played terribly, and Pam said, “Let’s go today, you’re bound to do better.”

And I did. I played very nicely. Drove the ball well, and was putting like a house on fire. When we had just finished 16 and were driving to the par 3 17th, Pam said, “Well you have to be pleased with your round.” I had just missed a birdie putt by about an inch. I was feeling pretty good about my game. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a nice round.

Came to 17 and it was running at 111.8 yards according to my range finder. It was funny because I had had another shot of 111 yards and hit a nice nine iron to within a couple feet. Sometimes the winds are swirly at 17 so I took a nine iron and an eight iron to the tee box. I hit my nine iron and it seemed a bit left, but it bounced once, then rolled into the cup!

And here is the movie to prove it!

Guess I can stop now

17th holeI have been playing quite a bit of golf here at the Blue Bay golf course. It’s quite a challenging course, with tremendous sea views, to soften the blow as you write down your score. The greens closer to the ocean are lightning quick, while the ones a little further inland are not as quick. With all the undulations, it’s an intense challenge.

The Trade Winds make each hole difficult. If you have the wind with you, your shot can really fly. If you’re going into the winds, a high shot can see your ball being held back by the wind. If the wind is sliding across the fairway, a slight hook becomes a 40 yard slide! It can even impact your putts.

The course has a sunset rate that begins at 4 pm. I’ve been able to finish the whole 18 most days before the sun sets. The sun sets around 7 pm, but I’m usually done by 6:15 or so. Depends on how many balls I have to search for; if I put them in the fairway, I’m done earlier!

The 17th HoleBut I’ve got a bit of brag post to make – the number 17 hole is a par 3, 120 yards. I usually put it on the green, using an 8 iron. But if the pin is on the right side, there is an eyebrow bunker right in front, and for some reason that intimidates me and I usually hit very poorly when the pin is there. Well, on Sunday (April 29) I was playing with Jeff, our next door neighbour and we came to 17, and the pin was behind the eyebrow bunker. I hit a nice 8 iron and Jeff said, well, that’s right at it. We got up to the green and my ball wasn’t there. It was however, in the cup! HOLE IN ONE! Fun stuff.

We went golfing a couple days later, and Pam said to me, now don’t be upset if you don’t get a hole in one today! haha

(Side note: there is a tournament this fall that they are already advertising, and there is a prize for getting a hole in one on the 17th. That prize is a million dollars!)