A visitor to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame at Glen Abbey Golf Club looks at a self-quiz interactive panel in the Tools of the Game exhibit. (Handout)

Fore!

Even though our golf courses are "under the weather" at this time of year, don't despair as you can get into the swing of things in anticipation of the coming season.

Lift your spirits at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in Oakville, or if baseball is the game of choice, small groups can make an off-season visit to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Marys.

For hockey fans, there's the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto to reminisce over the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup.

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Sport-themed getaways include the interesting and entertaining Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Located at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, here's where to "explore the development of the game of golf through equipment, fashion, architecture, rules and maintenance," said director Karen Hewson.

Collection highlights include a 1904 Olympic trophy won by George Lyon of Toronto, a 1975 Commonwealth trophy won by Canada and four trophies from Canadian Open championships.

View some 1800s-era irons, long-nose woods and feathery balls, and learn about the "guttie'' golf ball that revolutionized the game in the mid-1800s.

The more resilient gutta percha ball increasingly allowed golfers to use irons.

Exhibit galleries start with the Hall of Fame, Trophy Room and Putting Green, and play on to Holes one to 18, the Club House and gift shop.

Newest inductee Mike Weir is among 65 of the "greatest players and contributors to the game in Canada'' profiled at the hall.

Learn how the game is traced to Scotland while the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers was the world's first golf club, organized in 1744.

The first courses were on links close to the sea and golfers wore red coats to warn others that a ball might be coming their way.

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Play ball!

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is fittingly located in St. Marys with close ties with its history.

"Baseball's origins in Canada date back to 1838 when a game closely resembling baseball in its current form was played in the nearby community of Beachville,'' said Scott Crawford, director of operations.

The hall was relocated from Toronto and opened in the Stratford-area community in 1998 to honour legends including Fergie Jenkins and current Canadian-born big leaguers.

There's a "batting rotation'' for artifacts with only about one-third of them on display at one time with one room dedicated to the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos.

Some treasures include a Babe Ruth bat, Ty Cobb glove and 1899 scorecard from the Toronto Baseball Club.

The picturesque 13-hectare site is being developed into "The Great Canadian Dream Park" with a major fundraising program underway.

Along with the existing three ball diamonds, plans call for building a larger museum, stadium, education centre, dormitory, walking trails and picnic grounds.

The dorm will "host everyone from the Canadian Olympic baseball team to kids attending the hall's innovative Kids on Deck summer camps,'' Crawford said.

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He shoots, he scores!

Relive those winning days of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Learn all about Toronto winning the Stanley Cup in 1967 as well as 1962 to 1964, with Montreal interrupting the streak in 1965 and 1966.

The hall is where visitors can take shots at "real-time'' goalies, stop the shots of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, call the play-by-play of some of the greatest goals and watch hockey flic ks in the two theatres.

With the "largest collection of hockey memorabilia in the world,'' the hall allows visitors to pose with its greatest artifact - the Stanley Cup.

Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com

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IF YOU GO:

• The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame is at Glen Abbey (1333 Dorval Dr., just north of the Queen Elizabeth Way) in Oakville.

  It’s open now Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: $4; $3, seniors and children to 18; $8, families. www.rcga.org; (905) 849-9700, Ext 411

• The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Marys is closed until May 1, except for pre-booked visits by groups of four or more. www.baseballhalloffame.ca; (519) 284-1838

• The Hockey Hall of Fame, at Yonge and Front streets in Toronto, is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $15; $12, seniors; $10, age four to 13; free, three and younger. www.hhof.com; (416) 360-7765