The Skydome

One stadium in Toronto has hosted The Blue Jays, The Raptors, The Buffalo Bills and Toronto Argonauts, as well as many concerts and plenty of main events. It is now known as the Rogers Centre, (especially to those who are born after the 92-93 World Series) but if you are or were a fan from 1989 to 2005, it will forever remain the Skydome.

The Dome, just as it is opening.

Fun Fact 1: The highest attendance for the Dome came from Wrestlemania 18 in 2002 with 68, 237 people.

Fun Fact 2: The venue was noted for being the first stadium to have a fully retractable motorized roof, as well as for the 348-room hotel attached to it, with 70 rooms overlooking the field.

What are 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here

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5 Pin Bowling

If you’ve ever bowled in Canada you are probably used to seeing a few of the lanes only having 5 pins and using smaller balls with no finger holes. That’s because 5 pin bowling is unique to Canada. The game was created in 1909 by Thomas F. Ryan after many of his customers complained that 10 pin bowling was too strenuous. Since then most bowling alleys in Canada have dedicated 5 pin lanes.

http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/CWMGary-51046

In traditional 10 pin bowling, each pin is worth a single point and knocking all of them over yields 10 points but with 5 pin bowling, each pin has a different value (the furthest two are worth 2 points, the middle two are worth 3 points and the center pin is worth 5 points) and knocking them all over yields 15 points. Another difference is in 10 pin you have only two chances to knock down all the pins whereas with 5 pin you have three chances.

Truthfully though, as an adult, 5 pin isn’t much fun. It is definitely geared for the younger crowd who would have trouble with 10 pin and the elderly who still want to be active on the lanes. I have fond memories growing up and having birthday parties on the 5 pin lanes, and somewhere out there is embarrassing videos of said parties, so the game will always have a special place in my heart. 


 What is 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here

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Joe Carter's World Series Winning Home Run

Many days have passed since October 23rd, 1993, when Joe Carter captivated our entire nation as he stepped up to bat against Mitch Williams in the bottom of the ninth inning, game 6 of the 1993 World Series. Rickey Henderson was the tying run on second and Paul Molitor represented the winning run on first.  The count was 2-2,  Williams through a fastball down and in, Carter kept his head down and hit a rocket over the left field fence! Pushing the Toronto Blue Jays past the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 to end the series.

Joe Carter, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee since 2003, was only one of two people to ever end a World Series with a home run. Bill Mazeroski ended the 1960 World Series when Pittsburgh defeated New York in-game 7.

As an 11-year-old boy who loved baseball and the Blue Jays, hearing Tom Cheek say "Touch 'em all Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life"  remains the best sports moments of my childhood. As an adult I can appreciate how rare those moments actually are. Being a professional sports fan is full of disappointment and pain. Unless of course, you are a New England Patriots Fan

What is 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here

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Toronto Maple Leafs

Things have changed on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs since I was a kid. Back then it was Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark that would bring the crowd to its feet at Maple Leaf Gardens. Now we are in a new age at the Air Canada Centre where the crowd swoons over the young talent with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander.  You can guarantee that this years playoff berth has fans excited for the future. Go Leafs Go!


What is 150 of our favourite Canadian things? Read about it here

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The 19th Hole: Varadero Golf Club, Cuba

Back in October I was on vacation in Varadero, Cuba (forth time in two years) and on a whim decided to go golfing; and was I ever glad I did. Boasting challenging holes and a beautiful 18^th finish, I had to try out Varadero Golf Club this time around. So off we went early one morning (five of us in total) to the Varadero Golf Club.

Real Man Travels loves to golf!

Today's Fivesome: My friends, Paul, David, Stefano, Mike and myself

The five us on the 18th green

First Impressions:

Pulling up to the golf club, you could see eight foot high chain link fences caging in the maintained palm trees, the rooftops of resorts close by, and of course, an old Spanish colonial clubhouse. As with most things Cuba, the course looked dated. The paths were older concrete and cracked almost everywhere. The clubs to rent were also dated and very hit and miss. But to be honest, it didn’t matter to me, I just shoot for fun. The course looked huge, vibrantly green and well maintained, especially for the hot climate (it was 35 degrees Celcius that day).

One of the holes on the course with a water hazard.

Clubhouse:

This clubhouse was a beauty. Pure old Spanish colonial oozing out of every little detail. Why take the stairs to the rooftop bar when you can take an elevator with iron grates and buttons. It was a bit dicey, but it worked. The rental shop was a closet with shelving and really stood out as an eye sore amongst the beauty of the rest of the clubhouse. The restaurant sits about 40 feet above the beach and looks out to the clear blue ocean, a perfect setting for lunch or dinner.

Panoramic view of 9th hole

Course:

It could’ve been the rental clubs, the 35 degree weather, the eight beers or that that this was actually a hard course to play. Either way, I had an awful showing shooting a 108. I normally shoot in the low to mid 90’s. The course was actually quite challenging. The par fives play very long and some holes require you to be able to drive 225+ yards just to clear the first water hazard. Definitely not beginner friendly. While the course is quite challenging, the views on the 9^th and 18^th holes are to die for. I have never golfed ocean side and now I wish I could all the time! It was absolutely stunning to be on the green looking out at nothing but rich blue water for miles.

18th Hole

Food and Beverage:

I didn't try any food, but definitely had my fair share of beer. Typical offerings of beer here are the Cuban brands Cristal and Bucanero as well as some imports like Corona and Heineken. They also have many liquor and mixed beverage offerings. Lastly, the rooftop bar has a wide variety of cigars for your purchasing pleasure.

View looking down the beach from the clubhouse patio.

View looking down at the beach from the clubhouse patio 2

Value:

Your 18 hole green fee, cart and clubs costs 95CUC, which is approximately $95US dollars. This is pretty steep in terms of Cuba, but when on vacation you can’t complain about spending some money for a good time. You will get a solid four hours out of the day, on a beautiful course that will challenge you, regardless of skill level. And you will have amazing photo opportunities on the 9^th and 18^th hole to get framed up or blast on social media.

Panoramic View of the 18th Hole

Final Thoughts:

The golf club allowed us to play as a fivesome which was a huge game changer. It allowed all of us to be together and share a day of laughs and frustration. The weather was unbelievably hot (35 degrees Celcius + humidity), a temperature I am not used to playing golf in and had me completely drained by the 12^th hole. The course was beautiful, challenging, well maintained and the beer cart guys were always quick to find us. The clubhouse was stunning, with all its Spanish details, and the view from the bar and restaurant were breathtaking. The price seemed a bit high for Cuba, but as stated earlier, for an afternoon out with my friends it was worth every penny. Overall, I give this course a 3.75 out of 5.

Have you ever golfed here? What were your thoughts on it? Let me know either on Twitter, Facebook or in the comment section below. Cheers! 

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