September-2010 Buffalo Edition - PDF - Sports and Leisure Magazine

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Page 8 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE September 2010 Doctari’s Fishing Forum with Rich Davenport Stellar summer gives way to fantastic fall The days are growing shorter, the nights a bit cooler, and the calendar says its time to bid adieu to summer and welcome autumn fishing all across the WNY region. The summer of 2010 will be remembered for hot days and hotter fishing, setting up a potential bonanza for autumn as fish begin the feeding binge in advance of winter. Walleye Lake Erie exhibited perhaps the best walleye fishing season of memory, and even those who remember the heydays of the 1980s concur this year topped all others for consistent numbers, large sizes and a prolonged hot and heavy walleye bite from June through August. As waters cool, migrating baitfish and the following walleye start heading back to the shallow western basin, but with water temperatures still high across all of this magnificent Great Lake, anglers should expect yellow pike to remain in New York waters through end of September. Most consistent action remains west of Dunkirk Harbor, with recent best success reported as west of Barcelona Harbor, near Salmon begin their annual spawning runs in fall, as Collins angler Dane Stocker shows here. Ripley/State Line, working worm harnesses over 110-130 foot depths. Dipsey diver rigs bring top mention, with dipseys set back between 160 and 260 feet, depending on counterweight setting. All hours of the day produce, but early and late show best. Stick baits run off seven to 10-color lead core and medium to large spoons run off downriggers set near 70 feet also consistently tempt ‘eyes into strikes. Chautauqua Lake walleye anglers witness higher catch rates, thanks to aggressive restoration efforts over the past several years. North basin efforts produce when working outside weed edges near the 17-foot break line, either drifting with spinner/worm combos or casting 1/4 oz Hot-N- Tots worked with a slow retrieve. Trout and Salmon Lake Ontario all summer kept trout and salmon seekers busy with schools of fish near shore between one to five miles off ports such as Wilson, Olcott and Oak Orchard; a rarity during any typical summer. Spoon programs presented 40-60 Photo by Rich Davenport feet down produce large Chinook salmon and rainbow trout. Expect the bite to heat up, with sizes showing even larger than what anglers have seen thus far this year. In fact, spring and summer LOC derbies in 2010 produced some of the largest fish (salmon) seen in many years, good news for silver fish follies. As September wears on and the fall salmon spawning run begins, expect many fish eager to bite close to the creek mouths. Lake Erie also shows tremendous action for Lake Trout west of Brocton Shoals, with steelhead now mixing in. The bite has been best 80 feet down over 10+ foot depths. Expect steelhead to start moving towards streams for their fall runs, with smaller fish entering now, larger fish following later in the month. My adventure: Climbing Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro By Ch2 Sports Director Ed Kilgore The idea of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa (at 19,340 feet - about a mile higher than any mountain in Colorado) hit me in May of 2009, and finally became a reality in August of 2010. Eight Buffalo area climbers joined me to help raise money for Kids Escaping Drugs, and we trained hard for over a year to get ready, and it’s a good thing that we did. I can honestly tell you the sixday trek up that big mountain was much tougher both physically and mentally than I thought it would be. After flying some 24 hours from Buffalo through Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro airport, our first glimpse of Kilimanjaro was intimidating. Downright scary, in fact, because the mountain dwarfs the rest of the landscape. That first day through the jungle on the Machame trail for about seven miles of gentle and sometimes quite steep terrain was surprisingly tough, and I was a wee bit discouraged. At least the playful Colobus black-andwhite monkeys were fun to watch along the way. Day two was another full seven-hour day, with much of the trail following the path of Photo courtesy Ed Kilgore Ed Kilgore standing at Uhuru Peak, the tallest point in all of Africa. a steep rocky ridge before reaching Shira Hut. While it was still fairly warm, the nights would be quite chilly from here on. I hadn’t camped out since Boy Scout days, but my sleeping bag was warm and I had a good blow-up ground mattress, so sleep came quickly. Now we’re over 10,000 feet and looking down at the clouds below us with a terrific view of Mount Kilimanjaro in front of us, and my spirits have improved. Our porters help our mood, as they hustle past us with our tents and other items to set up the next camp for us, and lots of soups and pastas keep us going, even though our appetites aren’t always the best. Day three wasn’t good, as we began a five-hour climb towards Barranco Camp. We reached the famous Lava Tower at 15,000 feet - higher than any of us have ever been except in an airplane. During the night, 16-year-old Austin Schaffer became quite ill with altitude related symptoms and had to go back down with his father Jerry. All of us were a bit shaken by this. Austin, I’m happy to say, has recovered nicely. Right after breakfast we go up the “Great Barranco Wall” - a steep and intimidating rock wall that includes a couple spots where you literally have to “hug the wall” and avoid looking down at straight drops of several hundred feet. Wouldn’t you know that’s when I get an unexpected “nature call!” My “situation” gives guide Jeff Evans some great material for some “Kilgore imitations” as we climb the rocky wall, and all of us - me included - laugh ‘til we cry. continued on page 15 continued on page 15 Williamsville golfer sets sights on defending men’s state title By Mike Dyer Kenneth Riter will have a lot of Western New York cheering for him this month as he seeks to defend his title as New York State Golf Association Mid-Am champion. “It’s something I’d like to do,” said the Buffalo native. “I’ll go into the tournament this year with the same determination I had last year.” Only once in the history of the tournament has a golfer won back- to-back titles. That was Syracuse’s Jim Roy winning the Mid-Am championship in 2001 and again in 2002. Roy has won four titles overall. The 47-year-old Riter, a Kent State graduate, birdied the final hole in the rain last year to take the NYSGA crown by a single shot over three golfers. Riter slipped in an eight-foot putt for a 54hole total of 218. That was good enough for Riter, a member of The Park Club, to capture the Robert Hogan Men’s Trophy as state champion. Riter steered in two birdies on the final day after ending the second day of competition with bogeys on his last three holes. Photo courtesy Kenneth Riter Kenneth Riter, the 2009 New York State Golf Association Men’s Mid- Amateur Champion. That tournament was held at Glens Falls Country Club, clear across New York State. Glens Falls is known for its tight, hilly fairways. The 27th annual NYSGA Mid-Am will take place Sept. 24-26 at picturesque Crag Burn Golf Club in East Aurora. Riter, an architect and father of three, is very familiar with Crag Burn’s layout. “I’ve played it many times,” Riter said. “I will be looking forward to playing in front of my family, friends and coworkers this year.” As he approached the 18th tee on the final day last year, Riter thought to himself he didn’t want a playoff. “I hoped to avoid that,” he said thinking back. His tee shot landed just eight feet from the pin and he tapped in the putt for birdie to beat a field of 128 golfers from all across New York State. Two of the last four New York champions hail from Western New York. Lancaster’s Aaron Tallman was the winner in 2006. Also, Williamsville’s Tim Hume was crowned champ in 2000. Back in 1994 Rochester’s David Benedict walked away as champion. Western New York had its qualifier for the tournament on Aug. 25 at Transit Valley Country Club, East Amherst. Riter didn’t have to compete. He was exempt from the competition for winning the 2009 championship. Crag Burn Golf Club didn’t open officially until 1972. The par-72, 7,066-yard layout can be treacherous to golfers. Top birdie holes are the par-5 second, eighth, 14th and 16th holes. There are four par-3s as well. The Mid-Am is restricted to male amateurs 25 years or older. Admission is free to the state championship. Albany’s Charlie Murphy was the very first Mid-Am champion back in 1984.
September 2010 SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE Page 9 Mill Creek Golf Club review By Ronald S. Montesano There is no grand entrance that leads to Mill Creek golf club in Churchville, N.Y., nor is there a garish billboard along I-90 westbound. If you know where to peek, though, you can see the early holes of the club’s championship course that border the popular, busy interstate. Mill Creek maintains a profile of equilibrium; those in the know are quite aware of its location and excellence, and they do a fine job of spreading the word by mouth. It’s time that you became aware of this golfing and dining sanctuary near Rochester. The Mill Creek experience began at the turn of the millennium, in 2000, with the debut of the Short Course, a nine-hole layout designed by architect Rick Jacobson. Situated on the northwest corner of the property, the short course provides a unique challenge to the beginning and experienced golfer. With four sets of tees on each hole, a variety of distances and topshelf white sand in the bunkers, the Mill Creek Short Course offers an analysis of a player’s iron and short games. For the beginner, hoping to gain understanding and improvement, the Short Course and practice facility is just such a laboratory. For the experienced player, intent on honing the variety of shots needed to compete successfully in tournament golf, the nine holes accord the necessary environment from tee to green (and surroundings) for rehearsal and execution. In 2004, the Championship course and its Adirondack house-style clubhouse opened for play and sustenance. Located atop and around the glacial drumlin in the center of the property, the championship course measures between 5,000 and 7,100 yards, depending on the tee deck you select for play. A codesign from Raymond Hearn and Paul Albanese, Mill Creek submits a winding, soaring and descending challenge throughout its 18 holes of golf. From the initial first teedrop to the opening fairway to the challenging climb up the final hole, Hearn and Albanese etched an intriguing and memorable routing throughout this varied piece of land. The Mill Creek champi- Photo by Ron Montesano The split fairway of Mill Creek’s 4th hole offers heroic and safe avenues to reaching the putting surface. onship course begins its saga on the tee decks. Isolated dots of level grass, situated at varied distances and angles to the target fairway or green, ensure that skilled golfers will face a challenge to execution, while improving players will be guided a bit more toward the safe zones. The fairways are wide-enough corridors that a slight miss will still find the edge or the first cut of rough. Hazards tend to bump gently in from the sides, although a fair number of center-line bunkers and streams make the course both aesthetically and architecturally varied and appealing. The architects took advantage of their own creativity and the topography that the site provided to design split fairways on a number of holes, most memorably the fourth, 10th, 11th and 18th holes. None of these four resembles the others in the slightest. The 10th drops off the tip of the drumlin, the 11th promenades back up the western slope, the 18th creeps around the eastern side and the fourth lies in a meadow on the far-eastern edge of the property. Arriving at the approach shot, one immediately notices the size and texture of the greens. Enough care was given to create flat spots that each putting surface boasts four to eight pinnable locations. Nothing enervates the average golfer more than putting to a well-worn hole location via bumps, ball and spike marks, only to see the ball veer offline or hop and stop just shy of the cup. No worries regarding this at Mill Creek, mate! Play six rounds at the course and you might see the same flag stick location a second time. Depending on the time of day, the amount of sunlight suggests the gradient and skew of the greens. The closer one gets to the putting surface, the more one notices the subtle deviations from flat that Albanese and Hearn gently massages into the greens. Putting is enjoyable, challenging and equal parts frustrating (miss!) and rewarding (make!) at Mill Creek. Mill Creek has its share of memorable holes. For my money, you won’t forget the eight, a driveable par four with danger left and long. The green, situated just behind a bunker and bank, slopes ever so gently away from the approach shot. Think about the last green you approached that sloped away from the fairway. The aforementioned 10th and 11th work in vertical juxtaposition to light the fuse to a sparkling inward nine holes. The 13th through 15th may represent the backbone of the back nine. All three sit in the lowlands west of the drumlin, deceptively undulating through apparently flat terrain. A short par four, a long par four and a sizeable par five, each places opportunity for glory or tragedy at your disposal. After your round, golf clinic or practice session, be sure to not miss the opportunity to share some food and libation in the tavern or restaurant. The reclaimed timber, arched into an inspiring peak, offers a final reminder to the size of the property and the owner’s vision. In the end, the grand entrance to Mill Creek will never be needed; the grandeur of the experience sees to that. For more information visit: Mill Creek Golf Club, www.millcreekgolf.com, Albanese/Lutzke Design, www.golf-designs.com; Raymond Hearn Design, www.rhgd.com. Fall is a “Special” Time for WNY Golf By Rick Zurak, Golf Editor It’s that time of year again. The time when Western New York golfers get to enjoy the best time of the season. The reason: There is no time like fall time for golf around here. The main ingredients include cooler temperatures, less crowded golf courses and best of all, “Fall Specials” galore. Leading the pack this year is Batavia Country Club. If you haven’t played there recently you will be pleasantly surprised. The course has plenty of challenge and is in the best shape ever. Add to that the fall specials and you just can’t beat it. September Sundays kick it off with rates for golf and cart at just $25 before 9 a.m., $20 from 9-1 p.m. and just $15 after 1 p.m. Starting Oct. 1, it’s $15 anytime, seven days a week, just a killer deal. Better yet, get some players together and form a small tournament. Owner/Manager Chris Pompa will take care of you like no other. The Links at Ivy Ridge had a great summer and looks forward to a great fall. The award winning Links, located on Main Street in Akron, starts their fall rates on Sept. 20. They include $30 for golf and cart before 9 a.m. and $37 after 9. Weekends the rate is $45, but the best deal of all at Ivy, and perhaps in all of WNY considering the quality of the golf course: $30 for golf and cart seven days a week after 2 p.m. Very, very nice all around. Just down the road from Ivy Ridge are the 54 flags of Arrowhead, Rothland and Bright Meadows. Fall rates Photo courtesy The Links at Ivy Ridge The Links at Ivy Ridge is one of the great area courses offering great Fall specials. are intact right now with more on the way starting Sept. 17. For those rates go to fiftyfourflags.com, but for now enjoy Arrowhead from anywhere between $20-$41, Rothland from $16-$26 and BrightMeadows from $12- $19. All rates are for 18 holes and include cart. Arrowhead at $20 with cart is pretty tasty. If you haven’t been to Rochester to play Ravenwood, now is a great time to go. They have a “pay what you want to pay” feature on their website (ravenwoodgolf.com). It’s there that you will find the two-time host of the New York State Amateur as low as $32. Senior rates for those 60 and over are also in place. Ravenwood is what I call a “treat yourself golf course.” It’s incredibly scenic, full of rolling hills, very well manicured and every bit as good as most private country clubs. And as I mentioned, it has hosted the NYS Amateur twice so you can play from the tips and get all the challenge you want. Need a sweet three-day golf vacation? Ravenwood teams up with Bristol Harbour Resort, Greystone and Mill Creek to form the Finger Lakes Golf Trail. Enjoy any three golf course and two nights stay for less than $300. Fingerlakesgolftrail.com is the place to go for a memorable “local” golf vacation. To the south we go to Byrncliff Resort. Located 10 miles east of East Aurora in Varysburg, Byrncliff has received a ton of play this year, which is a testament to the golf course and hospitality of the resort. Known for its cross country skiing and snowmobiling trails in the winter, Byrncliff is still in bigtime golf mode with fall rates as low as $20 (walking) during the week and $20 (with cart) Sundays after 1 p.m. There is a senior special with continued on page 15
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