Making the most of a couple layovers

Winnipeg

It’s travel season, and anyone who has flown in this country knows that delays and cancellations can be a part of the experience. Recently, I attended a 90th birthday party in Vancouver, B.C., for a prominent geneticist. My direct flight in the afternoon was cancelled, and I was moved to the 6 a.m. flight.

So, I found myself in Richmond, B.C., at 7 a.m. with hours to kill. My daughter has been going to school at the University of British Columbia for years now, so I’ve done the Vancouver tourist thing more than a few times already. The weather on this day was sunny and 22 degrees Celcius. What could I do outside that takes hours? Maybe a game of golf, or two!

Because of the chilly start to Manitoba’s golf season, and work responsibilities, I admit to not having swung a club yet in 2026. I thought I should warm up a bit, and not 10 minutes away from Vancouver International Airport lies the West Richmond Pitch and Putt. It is a nine hole course, and you can rent individual clubs. No drivers needed, but I did rent a nine iron and a putter. The shortest hole was 50 metres, and I think the longest was just under the length of the Blue Bombers field. All tee offs were from mats, but hitting from the fairways was more fun. In the soft, well groomed fairways, taking a divot was easy. It must be that west coast rain and Fraser delta sand.

After killing a whopping hour and a bit, and that was on a course busy with folks enjoying a rain-less day, I felt I was properly limbered up and ready for more challenge (and kill more time). Research showed a number of wonderful courses nearby, but I thought I still had a cob web or two in my game to sweep away. I selected a small, executive style course in Richmond with only three par 4s. Another 10 minute Lyft ride, and I was at the Country Meadows Golf Course.

I had no golf equipment on me, except for the one ball I bought at the pitch and putt. So, I asked for the whole schmear: clubs, bag, balls, power cart, tees…oh, orange balls!

Once the credit card cooled off, I headed out. What a difference climate can make! The vegetation and the landscaping in this tiny corner of British Columbia made many of Manitoba’s full 18 courses pale in comparison. The Canada geese on this course seemed to like their surroundings, as they were much more relaxed than their Manitoba cobra-chicken cousins. Renting the electric cart was a mistake. This course was on the delta of the Fraser, so there were no major elevation changes. Also, many of the holes were short and the next tee was never far away. After my first nine, I took the cart back and walked the back nine. This course had all the major obstacles: trees, deep sand pits, and water hazards. Speaking of water, the eighth green is completely surrounded by a moat of a hazard. Hole 9 is a post card. On the back nine, you can observe some of the curious dredging operations of the Fraser River. A shout out to the restaurant staff there, too. Overall, a wonderful experience.

The next day, after attending my soiree, I was alerted to yet another flight change. Instead of coming home to the ‘Peg directly, I had to now connect through Calgary. As we were landing in Calgary, I had the most interesting sight out the aircraft window, a golf green at the end of the runway! This turned out to be Wingfield Golf Club. This course is no stranger to folks on extended layovers. In fact, they go out of their way to try and squeeze you in for a round. This club has not one, not two, but three nine-hole layouts at the south tip of the airport’s 35R/17L runway. This course has sand and water, but what it doesn’t have are trees! Apparently, tall trees and airplanes are not a good mix. “Safety” regulations, am I right folks?

What does all of this talk about out of province golf courses have to do with Manitoba? Well, I started to think about the opposite…what would I do, in the summer, if I had to lay over at Richardson International for a long time? For the stranded golf-traveller here, I would recommend two locations.

First, the closest golf course to the airport is the Assiniboine Golf course, which is a public nine hole offering southeast of runway 13/31, off Ness Avenue. The second is the Player’s course, northeast of the airport, off Canada Way near Route 90. It too is a nine-hole offering, and it also has a large driving range. Both of these locations should fill the time nicely.

Remember folks, travel delays are real, and rolling with the carts down the fairways can be a part of managing that travel stress!