The league consists of 12 teams playing each Wednesday night between April and September. Tee time is 6:00 PM. The home course is Murray Hills Golf Club located in Wooler, Ontario.
There may have been plenty of bugs but nobody could complain about the weather as we played our final 18 holes of the playoffs. Sunshine, clear skies and no wind meant perfect conditions as the teams started their final rounds.
The "A" Flight crowned a new champion this year as the Wedgers held off a determined KGB team for a four stroke victory.
In the "B" Flight, the Rolling Stones defended their title by a convincing margin of 12 strokes over their nearest competitor.
And in the "C" Flight the CCCP made up an 8 stroke deficit to start the day and edged the Bogies for top spot by only two strokes.
Several individuals also walked away with awards for closest to the pins and cleaners while many more won draw prizes. A delicious steak meal followed the awards and many members took part in the putting competitions late into the evening.
Special thanks to Steve Powell whose hard work made the days events run smoothly as always. Also thanks to Alida and Tom St.Denis for another fun season. Thanks to Debbie Stewart for her help at the party following the round.
It was clear to see by the smiles, laughs, noise level and bruises that a good day was had by all as we wrapped up another year. Congratulations to all of the winners and to all league members have a safe winter and we'll see you in the Spring.
Here are the final results:
"A" Flight 1. Wedgers - 379 2. KGB - 383 3. Southpaws - 397 4. Dubbers - 414
It was another clear night for golf as we played our second nine holes to reach the halfway point of our playoffs. There was plenty of swinging and swatting as the balls were flying and the mosquitoes kept us busy when we weren't taking a shot.
Here are the scores from tonight and the updated leaderboard after 18 Holes.
"C" Flight 1. Bogies - +16 (97) ~ 200 2. CCCP - +21 (102) ~ 208 3. Latecomers - +27 (108) ~ 224 4. Hackers - +30 (111) ~ 233 See you on Saturday afternoon. Tee-time for the final 18 holes is 3:00 p.m. sharp. Plan to be there a little early.
It was a beautiful clear evening for golf as the first round of the league playoffs got underway earlier tonight. With action in all three divisions, here are the standings following the first nine holes of play.
The second round of nine will be played on Wednesday September 9th and the Final Round of 18 will be played on Saturday September 12th beginning at 3:00pm. That will be followed by the year-end party.
We also want to send out best wishes to Rick Dean of the KGB for a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him back on the course next Spring.
As we head into the playoffs and approach the end of our season I thought you might be able to draw some inspiration from watching this video of some of the great moments of the Canadian Open.
Despite the interesting possibilities heading into the final night of the regular season, no real changes took place in the standings and the playoffs are ready to begin next Wednesday night.
The Southpaws had a chance to move into first with a good night but with only one golfer showing up those hopes were dashed prior to the first swing of the round. This allowed the Wedgers to enjoy a relaxing round of golf on the final night as they clinched first place again this season.
The Fat Shafts only managed two points but with the Southpaws forfeit to the Dubbers they never had a chance to make a run at a tie for fourth. It was learned prior to the round that a tie wouldn't have helped the Fat Shafts any way as they still would have lost the second tie breaker of total gross score in head to head play.
Four other teams finished the season on a high note as the KGB, CCCP, Fivesome and Latecomers all took six points in their matches.
The Closest to the Pin prizes tonight were won by Greg Moran on #11 and Dave Maybee made a rare appearance and stuck on close on hole #2. Lyle Williams won this weeks 50/50 prize.
The Playoffs will begin next Wednesday night.
Teams in the "A" Division include the Wedgers, Southpaws, KGB & Dubbers. Fighting for the "B" Division title will be the Fat Shafts, Whizbangers, Rolling Stones and Fivesome. The "C" Division will be a dogfight between the Bogies, CCCP, Latecomers and Hackers.
With just one week of the regular season remaining, only a couple of teams have any hope of making a move to change their playoff positions following action tonight.
The Bogies, who seem to have taken over the charity car wash this year, failed to show up for their crucial match with the Fivesome. With the forfeit, the Bogies dropped to the top "C" Flight position while the Fivesome were handed the eighth spot and now lead the Bogies by five points. It will come down to the matches next week to determine where these two teams will be seeded heading into the playoffs.
Meanwhile the last week could be interesting in the battle for the "A" Flight. The Fat Shafts can still technically tie the Dubbers for fourth place and the final spot in the "A" Flight. It won't be easy though as they'll face the Wedgers next week who are currently in first place with 100 points. I'm not sure how the tie would be broken if it should happen. To make things more intriguing, the Southpaws will try to take six points of their own from the Dubbers in their last regular season match and will also be pulling for the Fat Shafts to upset the Wedgers for a chance to slip into first place by one point.
By the way, the 100 points by the Wedgers surpasses their league winning total of 97 last season.
It should be a fun night to wrap up the regular season next Wednesday.
Winning the 50/50 this week was Jim Lidster while the Closest to the Pin prizes were won by Dennis Schick on hole #1 and Bob Harvey on hole #10.
The mosquitoes were thick and plentiful on a damp and humid night of golf this Wednesday night. Many golfers found themselves swinging and swatting simultaneously.
Heading into tonight, there were just three weeks left before the playoffs and the time to make a move was quickly coming to an end for teams looking to improve in the standings or perhaps drop to a different flight.
The Dubbers took four points and remain in the last position (4th) in the "A" flight but remain only seven points ahead of the Fat Shafts and Whizbangers who are tied for top spot in the "B" flight. The Fat Shafts took six points tonight while the Whizbangers managed only two.
Further down the standings the Bogies hold a one point lead over the Fivesome for the last spot in the "B" flight (8th). A lot could change in the final two weeks of the regular season depending on what transpires on the course.
The Closest to the Pin winners this week were Mark Adams on hole #9 while Sandy McLeod took the honours on hole #18. Don St.Denis was the 50/50 winner this week.
It was also great to have Jim Conley back out playing again following his surgery and recovery. There's no excuses now Jim.
Now that we're into August, the regular season is quickly coming to an end but a few playoff positions are still up for grabs.
The Dubbers grip on the final spot in the "A" Division shrank after losing six points to the Fat Shafts tonight. This moves the Whizbangers, who took five points from the second place Southpaws, just five points out of fourth spot.
The battle for the final spot in the "B" Division continues to be fought for by three teams. The Bogies have a slim hold on 8th place by only one point over the Fivesome and CCCP.
The Closest to the Pin winners this week were Al Wilkinson on hole #8 and Ian Rogers on hole #17. Marty McDonald collected the 50/50 prize.
The standings saw very little change after our round tonight. With the regular season quickly approaching the end, the divisions continue to become a little clearer. The main reason for this is lack of movement as teams remain in the same positions.
The only change this week saw the Bogies take five points from the Rolling Stones and slipped one point ahead of the Fivesome for the last spot in the "B" Division. All other positions stayed the same.
Paul Reid shot a 27 which was good enough to move him into a tie for the Individual Low Gross with three other players.
The Closest to the Pin winners this week were Roger Bulman on hole #7 and Tom St.Denis on hole #16. The 50/50 winner this week was Jim Fiorini.
For the last two weeks the 16th hole has been more generous than usual as two golfers found the cup with their tee shots.
Last week Dan Jess of the Fat Shafts helped propel his team to take over the Team Low Gross (87) with his first Hole-in-One on 16. This week Kevin Wadsworth from the KGB followed up winning the Closest to the Pin prize on hole 15 with his ace on 16. Congratulations to both Dan and Wally.
With just five weeks remaining in the regular season the playoff picture is starting to become clearer and if teams are looking to make a move they'll need to do it sooner rather than later.
The other Closest to the Pin winner this week was Bill Hewson on Hole 6. The 50/50 winner was Glen Lonergan.
Sorry for the lack of an update this week to the standings and so forth. I missed golf this past Wednesday night and haven't had a chance yet to get the updated standings or to see if anything else interesting took place.
Once I get the information I will update the site.
After four straight weeks of playing 18-hole rounds, the league returned to the usual nine hole match tonight which meant a quicker finish and return to the clubhouse for social time.
The skies were threatening to begin the round but the sun returned and made for a muggy evening of golf.
Five of the six matches were clean sweeps as the Bogies, Wedgers, Southpaws, KGB and Rolling Stones each took six points.
Now into the second half of the season, points become even more important as teams battle for playoff positions.
Paul Scobie's tee shot on hole number four was accurate enough to win the Closest to the Pin prize on the front nine while Peter Hughes shot on hole 13 did the trick on the back nine. Mark Kennedy was the 50/50 winner this week.
It was a hot and humid evening as we played our last 18 hole match of the season. The temperature was pushing 30 degrees when we teed off but cooled off a bit as the sun set and the mosquitoes came out.
It was business as usual as teams continued to jockey for positions. The Dubbers and Wedgers were the only teams to take all 12 points in their matches for the night.
Nick Vangemeren had the low nine hole score of the night with a 27 which was good enough to move him into a three-way tie for the Low Individual Gross.
Mark Adams put one tight on hole #2 to take the Closest to the Pin prize on the front nine while Paul Dicrescenzo had the best shot on hole #11 for the honour. The 50/50 prize went to Sean Jarvis.
Just a reminder that next Wednesday night (July 1st) is the 18 hole team scramble. The cost is $10 per team and is the only chance you'll have to play a whole round with your team this season.
Mother nature must have been on our side tonight as the rain stopped just before we teed off and started again shortly after we finished.
The Rolling Stones put together a solid night as they not only took 12 points from the Hackers but also posted the new Team Low Gross with an 88.
The rest of the standings remain relatively close with some teams making moves to improve their position. Most notable were the Whizbangers who leapfrogged two teams to move into fourth place and a potential spot in the "A" flight of the playoffs if they can hold or improve on that position.
It was a Father / Son sweep when it came to the closest to the pin prizes as Michael Walker took the honour on hole 1 and Dave Walker stuck it tight on hole 18. The 50/50 was won by Jim Conley and we also send our best wishes to Jim for a speedy recovery.
Just a reminder we have one more week of 18 holes of league play before our Team Scramble on July 1st.
The first three months of the PGA season have produced some great shots and the folks at PGATOUR.COM have compiled their list of the Top 10 shots so far.
You may or may not agree with the order but some of these shots are pretty impressive.
(Don't forget you can click on the second box from the right to enlarge the video)
Despite a recent sighting of a black bear on the golf course our members safely completed their first 18-hole round relatively unscathed.
Congratulations to Al Wilkinson who used a pitching wedge to ace the 143 yard ninth hole for the leagues first hole-in-one of the year. Nice shooting Al!
With a possible 12 points up for grabs and the standings being so close for some teams the 18 hole nights are an excellent chance to make a move. Seizing the opportunity tonight were the CCCP who blanked the Hackers and vaulted out of last place to move into eighth. The Fat Shafts were the only other team to take all 12 points at the expense of the Fivesome.
While the Wedgers continue to enjoy a comfortable lead, the battle for second is still anyone's race at this point with only three points separating second from fifth.
Sandy McLeod had a good nine hole round of even par 27 which moved him into a tie for the Individual Low Gross with Norm Toyne.
The closest to the pin winners for the night were Doug Stewart on hole #9 and Brian Moelker on hole #18. Dennis Schick took home the 50/50 winnings.
It took seven weeks but the Wedgers finally suffered their first blemish of the season as they dropped six points to the Fat Shafts Wednesday night. They had yet to lose a point through the first six weeks of the season but despite the loss they remain one point ahead of the Southpaws for first place. The Fat Shafts moved into sixth place by themselves.
At the same time, two teams near the bottom of the standings moved out of last as the Latecomers and Bogies each took six points. The Fivesome and KGB also took six points each to remain tied for fourth place while the Dubbers were shutout but remain in third spot by three points.
The closest to the pin winners for the week were Paul Reid on the front nine (hole 8) and Doug Stewart on the back nine (hole 17). The 50/50 winner was Jim Lidster.
Just a reminder that for the next several weeks we will be playing 18 holes. The start time will remain 6:00pm.
Despite the fact the fair-weather only golfers decided to stay away, there were still enough members to start our weekly round in the light rain tonight.
Unfortunately the light rain eventually turned into extremely heavy downpours and the hearty souls who gave it an honest effort were forced to call it quits. A few members did manage to finish their rounds despite the standing water and pelting rain.
As it turned out the round was canceled and no points were awarded for the night.
Winning the 50/50 prize was Dave Walker while Coady McGillvary (#7) and Peter Hughes (#16) won the closest to the pin awards.
As the league has now settled into its usual rhythm the weather was almost summer like as we hit the links tonight. The black flies were plentiful and the return of the mosquitoes has begun but that didn't deter the play of our members.
The Wedgers continued their strong play while the Southpaws stumbled and allowed the Dubbers to move into second place overall. The middle of the back continues to be bunched up with only five points separating 4th from 8th.
The closest to the pin prizes were won by Andy Koetstra on the front nine (hole 6) while Jim Turner's shot on the back nine (hole 15) was the best of the night. Bill Hewson took home the 50/50 prize this week.
Norm Toyne turned in the best round of the year so far and won some cash in process.
Toyne shot the low round of 27 or even par to take over lone possession of the Low Gross score. He also managed to win the closest to the pin prize on the back nine with an impressive shot on hole 14. The best shot on the front nine was turned in by Dave Reid on hole number 5.
The Wedgers team total of 91 moved them into a tie for Team Low Gross with the Southpaws. Barry Defosse won the 50/50 this week.
The black flies were plentiful but the weather continued to be nice on Wednesday night. Four weeks into the season and every team finally has points on the board as the standings start to spread out.
The Bogies took two points and the Latecomers grabbed one as they became the last two teams to remove the zero's next to their team names in the standings.
The Wedgers took another six points to remain perfect while the Southpaws suffered their first blemish with a five point night to drop one back of first overall.
Winning the Closest to the Pin honours on the Front Nine was Michael Walker on the 4th hole while Jeff Istead's shot on hole 13 was good enough to win the cash. The 50/50 draw was won by Dan Jess.
The sunny and cool weather continued which allowed for our members scores to continue to drop overall.
A quick look at the scores of those that counted showed an improvement as everyone continues to shake the winter rust off and steadily get back to the usual form.
There was no change at the top of the leader board as the Wedgers and Southpaws remain tied with a perfect 18 points each. The Whizbangers and Dubbers also remained solid to start the season with another strong week to remain in the top four.
Only two teams have yet to win a point this season but it's only a matter of time.
Paul Scobie's low score of 28 was good enough to move him into a tie for the Low Gross with Tim Donaldson and Norm Toyne. Andy Koetstra shot a 27 but was not counting this week for the Fat Shafts and was not eligible.
Scobie also had a good enough shot on hole 12 to take away the Closest to the Pin winnings on the back nine. Mark Kennedy was closest on the third hole to take the honours on the front nine.
Members also received some sad news as longtime Mens League and golf course member Lou Boudreau passed away earlier in the day. Lou was 77 and is survived by his wife of 52 years Peggy and his children. Lou loved to golf and we will miss seeing him walking the course.
While the work continues at the course on the new 6th hole, I wondered if Tom & Alida had this in mind when they planned it.
The world’s longest and highest par three, the signature hole at Legends Golf and Safari Resort in South Africa, has its tee box poised at a dizzying height atop of Hanglip Mountain, 1 410 feet above the green and is only accessible by helicopter. This means that the ball needs to travel an incredible 830 metres from tee to green (the total distance across and down)!
Padraig Harrington became the first-ever golfer to make par on this amazing hole in a playoff against Raphaël Jacquelin. Balls hit off the tee are estimated to have a 'hang time' of 26 seconds, so a little help is needed in keeping an eye on it. With technology in the form of four separate cameras, tracking equipment and ball watchers standing ready, they are able to point out where the balls land on or around the ‘map of Africa’ green.
It is the 19th hole on the course and only used in playoffs. A hole-in-one will earn you one million dollars. Have a look at this video of them playing the hole.
The rain threatened to make the second week of the league a damp and miserable one but luckily the weather co-operated in the end. It was cool but the round was able to be completed as we continue to settle back in to the regular Wednesday night routine.
Only two teams remain perfect after two weeks as the Wedgers and South Paws upped their total points to 12. The Dubbers and Whizbangers continued their strong early play improving to 11 points each and a tie for third. Three teams have yet to register a point.
The low round of the week was turned in by Norm Toyne and his 28 was good enough to move him into a tie with Tim Donaldson for the lead in the race for Low Gross.
After another long winter of bitter cold temperatures and blowing snow we've finally been able to put all of that behind us and pull our clubs out of storage.
It was great to get back out on the golf course to play the game we all love or love to hate. It's also nice to see old friends and enjoy some laughs and good times together.
The weather was sunny and cool and we couldn't have asked for a better first night. Some of us might have hoped for some better scores but that will come in due time.
Great to see everyone again. Lets have a fun season!
Arthur is 90 years old. He's played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One day he arrives home looking downcast.
"That's it", he tells his wife. I'm giving up golf. My eyesight has got so bad...once I've hit the ball, I can't see where it went."
His wife sympathizes. As they sit down she says, "Why don't you take my brother with you, and give it one more try". "That's no good", sighs Arthur. "Your brother is a hundred and three. He can't help".
"He may be a hundred and three", says the wife, "but his eyesight is perfect". So the next day Arthur heads off to the golf course with his brother-in-law. He tees up, takes an almighty swing and squints down the fairway. He turns to the brother-in-law. Did you see the ball?
"Of course I did", says the brother-in-law. "I have perfect eyesight". "Where did it go?", says Arthur. "I can't remember".
Are you getting eager to pull the golf clubs out of storage and hit the links once again?
I ran into league President Steve Powell last night and if all goes well and the weather co-operates, we could be golfing by mid-April. The exact date is obviously to be determined.
As you know, last year our league start date was delayed due to the snow and cold of winter lasting longer than usual and we didn't begin until May.Lets all hope this year brings us a return to spring like weather much sooner.
I'll keep you posted on any news as soon as I have it.
There may have been plenty of bugs but nobody could complain about the weather as we played our final 18 holes of the playoffs. Sunshine, clear skies and no wind meant perfect conditions as the teams started their final rounds.
