Masters on the Mountain

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Saturday, April 9th, 2011

Like a dog that isn�t getting enough exercise, or a kid that overdoses on a sugary drink, island golfers tend to get a rather crazy look in their eyes when the rain begins to wain, the cherry blossoms come out, and the local clubs start gearing up to kick-off their Spring social golf programs. Fortunately Golf Vancouver Island has come up with the golfing Prozac for those who can't wait to tee it up in the same social golf, beer, razzing and give-it-as-good-as-you-get-it men's-night atmosphere they have been missing: The Masters on the Mountain.

The Masters on the Mountain is to golf what a prime rib dinner is to a starving man � pure heaven. Taking place from Friday April 8th to Sunday April 10th at the incomparable Westin Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, BC, the Masters on the Mountain is a pairs event that offers golfers of all levels a chance to compete on freshly mowed fairways, and putt on speedy greens when the rest of the country is still shaking off the winter cob webs!

Like many tournaments there will be great golf and incredible prizes but that is where the similarities to other tournaments end. Unlike other tournaments the field is limited to the first thirty-six golfers to sign-up. Unlike other tournaments you will be able to play in the same foursome with your buddies for the duration of the tournament. Unlike other tournaments they will feed you free beer if your chosen team is leading after the first period on Hockey Night in Canada! Unlike other tournaments they will give you a prize if you shoot your ball from the clubhouse deck to the 18th green! And unlike any other tournament you have played, you will be combining your score with the score of your chosen playing partner at the Masters in Augusta. That�s right, your playing partner will be one of the best golfers in the world and you get to choose who it will be. The Masters on the Mountain officials will then combine your daily score with your chosen partner�s daily score to determine the two-day tournament winner.

Says tournament director Patrick Meagher, �The concept behind the tournament was simple: come up with an affordable event that has a great prize but emphasizes fun as much as it emphasizes great golf.� The Masters on the Mountain meets most of these goals and then some! First prize is a trip for two on the award-winning Vancouver Island Golf Trail and a return trip to defend your title at the 2012 Masters on the Mountain Tournament (a prize total worth over $3000!) and entry is just $475 for two nights, three rounds, dinner and prizes! Those who live in the area or who have a cousin's-best-friend's-brother that you can stay with can opt to drop the final social round and the accommodation and reduce their price to $249!

To win the tournament, golfers will not only have to play well but they will also have to do a good job in picking their Augusta partner. That means that first place won�t necessarily go to the best golfer. As a result the pressure is suddenly off. As Patrick explained, �If you go out and shoot a mediocre round but your Augusta pro goes low for the day, you are still likely going to find yourself in the hunt for the championship. But if you shoot a career round and your Augusta pro posts a big number you are likely going to be sitting somewhere in the middle of the pack. Last year�s Masters gives us the perfect example for how much fun this format is. Think about having Phil Mickelson as your partner last year. You sinking that �life or death� four foot par putt on 13 would have been no where near as critical as Phil getting off the pine straw and through the trees on 13. If you made your putt but Phil rattled his shot off a tree or into Rae�s Creek you�re posting a big number and likely out of the tournament. If you miss your par but Phil pulls off the miracle birdie you�re even par for the hole and still in the hunt for the tournament. I guess the only thing that wouldn�t be fun with that format would be sitting in a room with thirty-five other golfers having to watch Phil Mickelson decide to go for it on 13 after you just posted a good score for the day. I mean can you imagine what your reaction would be when you see him decide to go for it with a six iron off the pine straw over water? Talk about gripping your beer tightly! On second thought, even that would be fun!�

By getting players to partner their score with an Augusta pro The Masters on the Mountain is getting competitors to take a collective deep breath. �When players know that what they do on the course is only half the story it brings out a whole new side to them. Suddenly they aren�t stressing over every single shot or decision�. While players will still want to post a good score (show me a golfer who doesn�t care how they play and I will show you someone in deep denial) they will now be able to stop focusing on being 100% perfect every single time and start focusing on enjoying themselves and even giving each other the screws. As a result, at the Masters on the Mountain, the flavour of the beer, the quality of the company and the quantity of chirping, are as important to the tournament and as your play on the course. �For me�, says Patrick Meagher, �that is the perfect competitive mix and a dream way to start the 2011 golf season�.

For more information on the Masters on the Mountain tournament or to register, call 1-888-465-3239 or visit www.GolfVancouverIsland.ca/Masters.