2017 Playoffs - Round Two

What a difference one round made for several teams tonight as moves were made to set up an interesting final round on Saturday. Before we go any further, a reminder that the new start time for the final round of 18 holes will be 2:00pm, an hour earlier than previous years.

We must also congratulate Al Wilkinson who aced the 5th hole this evening.

Andy, Tom and Kory wait for Lyle to putt on 13.

Not surprisingly his hole-in-one also stood up for the closest to the pin on that hole. Well done Al.

In the "A" Flight the Southpaws took advantage of some mistakes made by their opponents to move up to first place with a two stroke lead over the KGB. The Fat Shafts are just five strokes off the pace while the Dubbers sit 13 strokes behind.

Over in the "B" Flight the Rolling Stones have a total of 198 and appear to be on cruise control. Unless they fail to show up on Saturday they should be able to hold their 19 stroke lead over the Fivesome. The Whizbangers are 20 off the pace while the CCCP need to make up a 21 stroke deficit on the weekend.

The battle for "C" Flight is a bit tighter as the Hackers sit atop the standings with a 208 total. That puts them four strokes ahead of the Wedgers and seven strokes up on the Latecomers. Sitting 15 strokes back are the Bogies.

Their were two golfers who shared the low round for the night as Al Wilkinson and Tim Donaldson both shot one over par 28. The rest of the closest to the pin winners were Kyle Wilkinson on holes 6 and 8. Al Wilkinson had another on hole 7. On the back nine the winners were Jim Conley, Andy Koetstra, Tom St.Denis and Don Muldoon.

Once again a reminder that the final round will take place on Saturday at 2:00pm with the meal and party to follow. I'm sure Steve Westlake and Kim Defosse will have the putting contest going as well. See you there and please don't drink and drive.

2017 Playoff Standings

"A" Flight
1. Southpaws - 99-93 - 192
2. KGB - 95-99 - 194
3. Fat Shafts - 95-102 - 197
4. Dubbers - 102-103 - 205

"B" Flight
1. Rolling Stones - 103-95 - 198
2. Fivesome - 114-103 - 217
3. Whizbangers - 110-108 - 218
4. CCCP - 108-112 - 220

"C" Flight
1. Hackers - 108-100 - 208
2. Wedgers - 107-105 - 212
3. Latecomers - 100-115 - 215
4. Bogies - 115-108 - 223

Let The Playoffs Begin

With so many possible playoff scenarios heading into tonight's matches, the final standings were decided without the need for tie-breakers, coin flips or calculators.

When the dust settled on this final night of the regular season, the three playoff brackets were clearly defined heading into round one next Wednesday night.

Scott Reilly starts his round on hole 12.

The playoff flights are listed below.

On this night, three teams swept their matches as the KGB, Hackers and Rolling Stones took six points. Earning four points were the Fat Shafts, Southpaws and Latecomers while two points each went to the CCCP, Fivesome and Bogies. Tim Donaldson shot a round of 28 for the low score of the night.

The 50/50 was won by Dave Pemberton while the closest to the pin winners were Randy Conley on hole #9 and Andy Koetstra on hole #18. Andy's round of 26 this season held up to win the Individual Low Gross while the KGB won the Team Low Gross with their score of 88.

Playoffs will take place the next two Wednesday nights from the White tees and on Saturday September 9th we play the final 18 holes from the Blue tees followed by the wrap up party. Everyone think sunny thoughts.

2017 Playoff Flights

"A" Flight
1. KGB
2. Fat Shafts
3. Southpaws
4. Dubbers

"B" Flight
1. Whizbangers
2. CCCP
3. Rolling Stones
4. Fivesome

"C" Flight
1. Latecomers
2. Wedgers
3. Hackers
4. Bogies

Crunch Time

With only two more regular season weeks left after tonight's round, the opportunities to make a move for a playoff position are running out quickly.

The Southpaws made progress tonight by grabbing six points to slide past CCCP by one point and sit in fourth place and the last spot in the "A" flight. Only three points separate sixth place and fourth and the next two weeks will decide the "A" and "B" flight combatants.

Dave Pemberton strikes the ball on 18.

The Fivesome sit in ninth and are six points away from moving into the top eight. Meanwhile, the battle for first overall got a bit tighter as the Fat Shafts were handed six points by the absent Rolling Stones while the KGB took only four points to hold a three point cushion for first.

Taking six points tonight were the Southpaws, Dubbers, Whizbangers and Fat Shafts. The Fivesome and KGB earned four points while two points each went to CCCP and Wedgers.

The closest to the pin winners were Jim Conley on hole #7 and Rick Dean on hole #16. Randy Grills was the 50/50 winner this week.

Team Low Gross Tie

After seeing teams struggle to post low scores to start the season, tonight things improved a great deal with several posting totals in the 90's.

Jim Conley takes aim at hole #12.

In the process, two teams posted scores of 92 as both the Fat Shafts and KGB are tied for the team low gross.

It's also getting crowded in the race for individual low gross as Tim Donaldson shot even par 27 to move into a tie with Kyle Wilkinson and Rick Dean. Other low scores tonight included a 28 by Steve Westlake and 29's by both Jerry Powell and Denis Schick.

It was a night of sweeps in the matches as the Fivesome, Southpaws, KGB, Rolling Stones, Fat Shafts and Wedgers all took six points.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Jimmy Rodgers on hole #1 and Jim Turner on hole #10. Nick Defosse was the 50/50 winner this week.

A Change at the Top

It was a warm and sunny night for golf. The conditions would have been perfect had it not been for the black flies and mosquitoes swarming and sampling us.

The top teams continue to keep things crowded near the top of the standings. The Fat Shafts took advantage of some help by the Dubbers to move into sole possession of top spot for the first time in many years.

Three teams swept their matches as the Fat Shafts, Latecomers and Rolling Stones all took six points. The Bogies came close with five and the Fivesome and Southpaws each earned four points. Taking two points each were the Whizbangers and the Dubbers while CCCP grabbed a single point.

Rick Dean tied his leading Individual Low Gross score by shooting another 26 tonight. I was also informed that Jim Conley had an impressive recovery on hole 17. After putting his tee shot in the pond he proceeded to hit from the red blocks and holed out for par. The Closest to the Pin winners were Dave Reid on hole #6 and Josh McDonald on hole #15. The 50/50 winner was Don Muldoon.

Rick Dean Was Dialed In Tonight

After a slow start for many to the season, the cobwebs are starting to disappear and the lower scores are being posted. Rick Dean was turned in the lowest individual round of the young season tonight by shooting a one under par round of 26. Paul Reid also had an impressive even par round of 27 this evening as well.

It was almost another week of clean sweeps in the matches with the Fivesome, Southpaws, KGB, Rolling Stones and Wedgers all taking six points. The Fat Shafts earned four points while the Dubbers took two.

The Closest to the Pin winners tonight were Symen Korver on hole #3 with a very tight shot while Tyler Donaldson also put his tee shot close on hole #12. The 50/50 winner was Randy Conley.

A clerical error week one resulted in a missed low team score and the Team Low Gross being reported erroneously. The current leaders in this category are the Whizbangers with a score of 91. Sorry for the confusion.

A Night of Sweeps

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am blaming the colder weather for my less than impressive play during tonight's round of golf.

Andy Koetstra leaves his par putt on 12 just short.

Judging by some of the other scores I saw, I wasn't the only one affected. We have to blame something don't we?

It was feast or famine with the matches tonight as all six of them were clean sweeps. The Hackers, Dubbers, Whizbangers, Southpaws, Rolling Stones and Fat Shafts all took six points. 

The low score for the night was turned in by Peter Hughes with a 29. The Southpaws took over the Team Low Gross with a 94, one shot better than the mark set last week by the Fat Shafts.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Jim Conley on hole #2 and Rick Dean on hole #11. The 50/50 winner was Jim Lidster.

2015 Playoffs - First Nine

It was a hot night on the old links as we kicked off the 2015 league playoffs and for one particular golfer, the night was even warmer.

Norm Toyne helped his Wedgers team to a lead in the “B” Division by shooting an impressive three under par round of 24. That score combined with the rest of the team produced the low total of the night with an 89. The KGB sit seven shots back with a 96. The Fivesome turned in a 99 while the Whizbangers shot 104.
 
In the “A” Division the scores were more average which will keep things relatively tight heading into round two next Wednesday. The Southpaws and Rolling Stones each posted scores of 94 while the Dubbers shot 97. The Fat Shafts had a less than impressive start but still remain within nine strokes of the lead after posting a 103.

Over on the “C” Division, the Bogies set the high mark by turning in the groups only sub 100 round by shooting a team total of 99. That score gives them a one stroke lead over the CCCP who played to a total of 100. The Latecomers and Hackers also had strong nights and sit six shots out of first after shooting 105 each.

There were eight Closest to the Pin holes to shoot for this evening with four on the front and four on the back nine. The winners were:

Hole #1: Paul Dicrescenzo
Hole #2: Randy Conley
Hole #3: Rick Dean
Hole #4: Jim Turner
Hole #10: Tim Donaldson
Hole #11: Al Wilkinson
Hole #17: Ralph Lampert
Hole #18: Mark Kennedy

Please note that the start time for the final 18 holes on September 12th has been changed to 2:30pm. This is 30 minutes earlier than normal. See you next Wednesday night.

 
2015 Playoff Standings – Week 1

“A” Division
1. Southpaws - 94
1. Rolling Stones – 94
3. Dubbers – 97
4. Fat Shafts – 103

“B” Division
1. Wedgers – 89
2. KGB – 96
3. Fivesome – 99
4. Whizbangers – 104

“C” Division
1. Bogies – 99
2. CCCP – 100
3. Latecomers – 105
3. Hackers – 105

One More Week Before Playoffs

With only one more week of regular season rounds remaining, the playoff picture is clear for those teams at the top and bottom of the standings, however there is still room for change in the middle with one round left.

This week the Southpaws assured themselves of at least a share of first overall by taking six points from the Rolling Stones. The Dubbers sit firmly in third. The final spot in the "A" Division of the playoffs will be determined next week as five points separate the KGB, Fat Shafts, Wedgers and Whizbangers. One will be in while the remaining three will battle it out in the "B" Division. The final "B" Division spot is also unknown as four points separate the Fivesome and Bogies for that place in the standings.

During play this week, the Fat Shafts and Southpaws were the only teams to sweep their matches and take six points. The Wedgers, Dubbers and Whizbangers took five points each. The Bogies grabbed four points from the Fivesome who took two. Taking single points were the CCCP, Latecomers and KGB.

The Closest to the Pin  winners were Kyle Wilkinson on hole #8 and Benny Brock on hole #17. The 50/50 winner this week was Randy Conley.

Stones Nearing Century Mark

It's still a battle at the top of the standings between the Rolling Stones and the Southpaws.

Kevin Wadsworth is dialed in on hole #16.

The Stones are closing in on the 100 points mark for the season while the Southpaws remain within striking distance of the lead should they falter.

Both teams continued their winning ways on Wednesday night as they swept their matches. Also taking all six points up for grabs were the Dubbers. The Whizbangers took five points, the Fivesome and KGB earned four, the Fat Shafts and Hackers took two while the Wedgers earned a single point.

Taking the Closest to the Pin honours tonight were Jim Conley on hole #5 and Kyle Wilkinson on hole #14. The 50/50 winner was David Swartz.

See you Wednesday night.

Southpaws Remain Perfect

Four weeks into another season and the Southpaws remain the only team without a blemish to their record for the fourth straight week they took all six points in their match and have yet to give up a point to their opponents. The Rolling Stones are nearly perfect having lost only two points so far this season. On the opposite end of the standings, the Hackers are the lone team yet to register a point but there's lots of opportunity to change that yet to come.

It was a cool and breezy night which might have had some impact on the scores being a bit higher than normal for some but Tim Donaldson and Al Wilkinson still managed to turn in impressive rounds with each of them shooting a one over par 28. The low team gross for the night was the Southpaws with a 90.

It was another night of all or nothing for the matches as the Southpaws, Dubbers, Rolling Stones, Wedgers and Bogies all took six points. The CCCP grabbed four points while the Fivesome nabbed two.

The Closest to the Pin winners on the evening were Peter Hughes on hole #4 and Coady MacGillivary on hole #13. The 50/50 winner this week was Randy Conley.

2014 Playoffs - Second 9 Holes

If you believe the weather man I don't think we'll see the same warm conditions on Saturday as we did tonight but as long as it remains dry we won't complain. It was night two of our playoffs and with 18 holes remaining two divisions remain tight while the other has a bit more wiggle room.

Andy Koetstra tees off on hole 15.

The battle in the "A" Flight continues to be tight and is setting up for an interesting Saturday. The first place Rolling Stones were led by Kyle Wilkinson who shot an even par 27. Norm Toyne turned in a very impressive two under par round of 25 to help the Wedgers stay within striking distance only five strokes back. The Southpaws also remain in the mix six shots off the pace.

Over in the "B" Flight the Whizbangers have opened up a bit of a lead on the competition. Jim Rogers posted a score of 30 to lead the charge and give the team a five stroke advantage over the Dubbers who were lead by Jim Conley's round of 31. The Fat Shafts faltered and now sit 10 shots back of first while the CCCP sit 11 shots back.

In the "C" Flight the Bogies have opened up a comfortable 15 stroke advantage over the Latecomers. Paul Reid once again turned in an impressive round of 30 to lead the charge.

Kory Hietala launches his tee shot.

We've seen leads evaporate on the final Saturday so there's always a chance to mount a comeback.

Just a reminder that the final 18 holes will be played this Saturday afternoon with the shotgun start beginning at 3pm. All team members will golf for their teams with the top three for each nine holes counting as usual. The BBQ and festivities will follow in the evening. Please have a designated driver on standby and drink responsibly. Lets have a great final round. See you then.

2014 Playoff Standings - After 18 Holes

"A" Flight

1. Rolling Stones (174)
2. Wedgers (179)
3. Southpaws (180)
4. KGB (187)

"B" Flight

1. Whizbangers (192)
2. Dubbers (197)
3. Fat Shafts (202)
4. CCCP (203)

"C" Flight

1. Bogies (192)
2. Latecomers (207)
3. Hackers (216)
4. Fivesome (217)

Does It Get Any Better?

Carl Troke chips out of trouble on hole 12.

I think we can all agree, as July nights for golf go, that was pretty sweet! Tonight was easily the most comfortable evening for Men's League in recent memory. And even the bugs decided to leave us alone for the most part.

The conditions also helped to produce some very good scores for many of us with Tim Donaldson and Al Wilkinson posting the low score for the night at even par 27.

Terry Hore tees off on 18.

Wilkinson also nabbed the Closest to the Pin prize on hole #1 while Paul Dekeyser stuck it tight on hole #10. The 50/50 winner was Randy Conley.

The points were a bit more spread out tonight however four teams still managed to take all six points up for grabs as the Rolling Stones, Southpaws, Fat Shafts and Wedgers won their matches. The Hackers grabbed five points, Latecomers four, CCCP 2 and the Whizbangers earned a single point.

Honourable mention goes to Dave Reid and Terry Hore who both made long chip-ins for birdies on the back nine.

Dave Reid misses his putt on 12.

Heading for Home

Now that we're officially into the second half of the season, now is the time for teams to start making moves in preparation for the playoffs. Things are still relatively tight at this point so by mid-August the standings could look completely different.

Andy Koetstra tees off on hole 3.

On this night there were no team scores close to challenging for Team Low Gross however Andy Koetstra did take a run at the Individual Low Gross but came up two shots shy after shooting a 26.

In the evenings matches, all but one saw all the points taken by one team. The Whizbangers, Southpaws, Dubbers, KGB and Rolling Stones all took six points. The Wedgers grabbed four points while the Latecomers earned two.

The Closest to the Pin winners on the night were Benny Brock on hole #9 and Randy Conley stuck it close on hole #18.

Steve tees off on hole #3 while Andy and Nick look on.

The 50/50 winner tonight was Len Bosma.

You will also notice I decided to try adding video from the night to the updates from time to time. Below you'll see some impressive shots on hole #5 by Nick VanGemeren and Steve Powell.

See you next Wednesday night.

Wilkinson Fires A 24

There were some doubts that we'd actually get this week's 18 hole round in without being washed away by rain or thunderstorms but luckily the bad weather stayed to the south and some impressive rounds of golf were turned in Wednesday night.

The most impressive round of the evening was shot by Kyle Wilkinson who posted a front nine hole score of 24 to take over the Individual Low Gross lead for the season. Norm Toyne's round of 25 was also impressive but not quite enough on this night. Lead by Wilkinson, the Rolling Stones also posted the new Team Low Gross score of 82.

The shot of the night however went to Symen Korver who sank his 143 yard tee shot on Hole #9 for a hole-in-one. Congratulations Symen!

The Closest to the Pin winners were Randy Conley on hole #7 and Dave Wharry on hole #16. Pat Convey was this week's 50/50 winner.

In team play the Southpaws, Rolling Stones and KGB took all 12 points up for grabs in their matches. The Wedgers came close taking 11 points while the Latecomers earned 10 points. The Whizbangers grabbed 9 points, the Fat Shafts improved their total on the season with another 3 points. The Bogies added a pair of points while a single point went to the Dubbers.

Just a reminder that next Wednesday will be another 18 hole round of golf. See you then!

Holy Heatwave Batman!

The suns rays shine through the trees on the 17th green.

I'm going to hazard a guess that our round of golf tonight was one of, if not the hottest nights of golfing we've had in all my years of playing in the league. Perhaps someone older and wiser can recall a round that was more hot and humid without a breath of a breeze in the past but I can't imagine it being any worse. On the positive side, although we might have finished the round soaking wet, it wasn't due to any rain storms. Actually, some precipitation would have been welcome. And surprisingly the deer flies and mosquitoes were noticeably absent as well. They were probably drinking beer in the shade some place watching and laughing at us.

Lyle Williams grabs a seat in the shade on Tom St.Denis.

The hot weather seemed to work to some players advantage tonight while others struggled to keep their grips dry and hold on to the golf club. Okay, I'm talking about me. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Sandy McLeod shot the low round of the night posting a one over par 28. The Closest to the Pin winners were Matt Couperus on hole #13 and Jim Conley on hole #4. For the second time in two weeks Benny Brock won the 50/50 prize.

It was almost an all or nothing night for the matches as five teams swept all six points up for grabs. They included the Dubbers, CCCP, Whizbangers, Southpaws and Wedgers. The Rolling Stones earned 4 points and the Fat Shafts grabbed two points.

Lyle Williams and Mark Kennedy rest in a shady spot.

2012 Playoffs - Round One

The arrival of the playoffs seemed to elevate the play of many of the members tonight with some wonderful scores turned in.

Congrats Norm Toyne on your 20th Ace.

Jim Conley posted a very impressive round of 25 which came just one week too late to win the Individual Low Gross title for the season but it went a long way towards helping his Dubbers team stay close in the "B" Division.

Norm Toyne also turned in the fourth hole in one in five weeks for the league and the 20th ace of his career as he sank his tee shot on the 97 yard sixth hole. Congratulations Norm on the milestone.

The Standings after the first nine playoff holes are as follows:

"A" Division

1. Rolling Stones (89)

2. Southpaws (92)

3. KGB (95)

4. Fat Shafts (102)

"B" Division

1. Whizbangers (87)

2. Wedgers (89)

3. Dubbers (92)

4. Fivesome (101)

"C" Division

1. CCCP (97)

2. Bogies (103)

3. Latecomers (107)

4. Hackers (110)

Next Wednesday night we play nine more holes from the white tees followed by 18 holes from the blue tees on Saturday September 8th and the wrap-up party.

That Was Cutting It Close

We knew the rain was coming, it was only a matter of whether we'd get the round in before the skies opened up or not. We did...but only by a whisker, and that's all that mattered. In a scene reminiscent of last season the threat of rain didn't keep us from getting out. Plus, it was actually quite muggy at times as we finally had a normal temperature.

For the second time in only two weeks, Lyle Williams of the Fat Shafts was the weeks 50/50 winner. The Closest to the Pin winner on the front nine was Len Bosma on Hole #4 while Jim Conley stuck it close on Hole #13.

Five teams swept all the points in their matches as the Southpaws, Rolling Stones, Fat Shafts, KGB and Hackers all took six points. The Bogies came close earning five while the Dubbers squeaked out a split on the net to earn a single point.

Those who stuck around after were treated to a sighting of the resident fox as it scampered around the eighth and ninth holes.

Storms Miss But Rain Hits

The storms moved out in time but at least one torrential ten minutes of rain managed to soak the golfers tonight. On the bright side it cooled us down for about five minutes before the humidity kicked in again.

Sorry guys but I had to leave before everyone had made it off the course so no update this week to the standings yet. Hopefully I'll get it done before next week...but don't count on it. I do know that Jim Conley won the 50/50 this week.

Have a good weekend and see you next Wednesday.

Light Rain and Low Scores

The rain stopped prior to tee off and only made a brief appearance during the 18 hole round on Wednesday night.

The Southpaws had a good night taking all 12 points in their match while also setting the new Low Team Gross shooting an 84. The Rolling Stones and Whizbangers also took 12 points each. Randy Conley for the Stones had his first ever hole-in-one as he deposited his tee shot into the cup on hole 16 using a wedge.

Tim Donaldson shot lights out for nine setting the new Individual Low Gross bar even lower with a 25. Andy Koetstra also shot 25 and an 18-hole total of 52 but didn't count as it was his night to sit out.

Dan Jess won the 50/50 while the Closest to the Pin prizes went to Al Wilkinson on hole #9 and Steve Powell on #18.