Breaking 100 on the “Smart As Trees” Podcast

Covid restrictions are gradually lifting in Ontario: thank goodness for that. The weather is warming up bringing spring and a new golf season back to us: thank goodness for that. Hopefully we can welcome back the green grass, buddy foursomes, ladies and mens’ nights and lots of laughs on the links without any obstructions like the past couple of challenging years. I know I can’t wait get out for the first round and donate a few golf balls to the fish and the squirrels.

Last week took me back to Sault Ste. Marie, the city which got Breaking 100 started. Unfortunately there was a few feet of snow on the ground, so visiting the city’s golf courses wasn’t in the cards. Co-author Bryan Davies and I put some work into planning new Breaking 100 projects, which we are excited to get working on developing. A year of golf without Covid restrictions and better access to courses will be so helpful for our research and advancing our writing projects.

While I was in the city, I did get the opportunity one afternoon to visit with local online broadcaster theborderline.ca. I had a fun chat with station manger and podcaster Adrian Vilaca for his “Smart As Trees,” podcast. It highlights unique people who can contribute to the deep and rich Sault Story. The fact that he saw me as a fit for one of his episodes was a honor. It was a pleasure to chat with Adrian, who happened to be a wonderful resource in our research for the book, “Breaking A Hundred: A Century of Sault Golf.” Adrian is a former President of the Sault Golf Club and helped us connect to a most unique piece of golf history for the book. He let us look at the notes given to him by George Constable, another former club President. Constable had grown up as a caddy and member at the Sault Golf Club when it was the original nine-hole club which opened in 1919. His notes referenced an opportunity many in Canadian golf would have cherished. Constable was privileged to walk with the legendary Stanley Thompson when he was hired to expand the Sault Golf Club to an 18 hole championship course in the early 1950’s. It was a remarkable piece of history that both Bryan and I were so honored to review and reference in our book. Thank you Adrian.

Here is a link to our chat. Listen here. The Borderline is Sault Ste. Marie’s unique online source of and eclectic bland of music, conversation celebrating the people and stories found along the historic St. Mary’s River and the heart of the Great Lakes. The Borderline’s hope is to make your life richer through music and the arts. We aim to inspire heart, mind and spirit by creating meaningful listening experiences on air and in a live setting. Have a listen to the station and their diverse playlists. There is a little something for everyone.