Down The Stretch We Come

The summer is flying by as we will soon head into August. That means we'll be down to the last weeks of regular season play before the Playoffs begin again and time is running out to earn the points needed to secure your place in each flight.

While the top three teams appear to have a lock on their "A" Flight positions, the KGB, Dubbers and Hackers can still battle it out for the last spot.

Rob Campbell takes aim at hole #16.

The Whizbangers also have time to move from their current "C" Flight position into the "B" Flight with some points down the home stretch.

The top three teams all swept their matches tonight with the Southpaws, Fat Shafts and Rolling Stones taking six points each. The Dubbers moved into a tie for fifth with the Hackers by taking five points along with the Latecomers. The Bogies earned four points while the Hackers took two points. Single points went to the Whizbangers and Fivesome.

Nick Vangemeren had the low round of the night shooting even par 27. The low team scores were shot by the Southpaws and Fat Shafts with 93 each. Vangemeren also took the Closet to the Pin prize on hole #6 while Jerry Powell had a terrific shot on hole #15. Tim Donaldson was this weeks 50/50 winner.

2015 Playoffs - Final Eighteen (Nine)

Our luck finally ran out. After a season of amazing weather on Wednesday nights, our final round and party were met with rainy and cold conditions.

A pre-game beverage and chat.

Some of the long time members couldn't recall ever having a final day like the one we had today but at least we were still able to play some golf, enjoy another very tasty meal and share some good conversations one final time this season.

Here is a final look at how the playoffs wrapped up on this day. Our final 18 holes had to be shortened to a final nine holes thanks to mother nature.

In the "A" Division, the Southpaws claimed the title after posting a round of 87 for total of 270. That was good enough for a 19 stroke margin of victory over the second place Rolling Stones who shot 105 today and a total of 289 overall. The Fat Shafts turned in a round of 100 to finish four shots back of second with a 293 total. Finishing in fourth were the Dubbers who had a round of 107 and total of 305.

Over in the "B" Division the Wedgers easily held on to their lead to coast to the win. They shot 100 even for a three round total of 279. Moving up to second on the final day were the Whizbangers who shot 92 for a total of 291. Five shots behind them with a score of 296 were was the KGB who had a 103 today. The Fivesome were well back in fourth spot scoring a 119 round and a final total of 322.

The "C" Division was also won by a significant margin. The Bogies ran away with it by posting a 92 today and had a three round total of 288. This was good for a 17 stroke victory over the second place Hackers who shot 99 today and 305 overall. The third place team was the Latecomers shooting 101 in the rain and a 312 total which was two shots better than the CCCP who finished fourth with a total of 314 after turning in a round of 106 for their final round.

Despite the less than ideal conditions there were some good scores posted today. The low round was shared by Tim Donaldson, Andy Koetstra, Denis Schick and Paul Reid who all shot two over par 29. The most honest golfer of the day was Scott Reilly.

There were a total of 14 Closest to the Pin prizes up for grabs. The winners were:
Hole 1: Denis Schick
Hole 2: Steve Westlake
Hole 3: Denis Schick
Hole 4: Dave Walker
Hole 5: Terry Hore
Hole 6: Norm Toyne
Hole 7: Coady MacGillvary
Hole 8: Frank Cusson
Hole 9: Thom Christmann
Hole 10: Mark Kennedy
Hole 11: Paul Scobie
Hole 12: Nick Vangemeren
Hole 17: Tim Donaldson
Hole 18: Mark Kennedy

As always, a special thanks goes out to Steve Powell for all of his hard work, not only for this day but for the entire season.

Watching Jim's tee shot on 10.

Our thanks to Tom and Alida St. Denis for another fun year and excellent course conditions. Also thanks to Debbie Stewart for her assistance today as well. I would also like to pass along my thanks to those of you who took the time to visit the blog this season and especially those who allowed me to post photos and videos of them. If all goes well, I'll be back to do it again next season.

Don't forget, as long as we're able to, we will still be golfing on Wednesday evening and everyone is invited to come out and take part in the scrambles and fun. If we don't see you, have a great safe and happy off season and we look forward to seeing you again next Spring.

2015 Playoffs - Final Standings

"A" Division
1. Southpaws - 270
2. Rolling Stones - 289
3. Fat Shafts - 293
4. Dubbers - 305

"B" Division
1. Wedgers - 279
2. Whizbangers - 291
3. K.G.B. - 296
4. Fivesome - 322

"C" Division
1. Bogies - 288
2. Hackers - 305
3. Latecomers - 312
4. C.C.C.P. - 314

Mark putting for birdie on 10.

2015 Playoffs - Second Nine

After a scorcher of a round last week, I don’t think anyone was complaining about the temperatures we were blessed with for week two of the playoffs and the second nine holes from the white tees.

Andy Koetstra of the Fat Shafts posted the low round for the evening by shooting a 26.

In the “A” Division, as most expected, it remains a two team race for the title after 18 holes. The Southpaws hold a slim one stroke lead over the Rolling Stones after shooting an 89 tonight and a total of 183. The Stones and Fat Shafts both shot 90 while the Dubbers posted a 101.The Stones have a total of 184 while the Fat Shafts jumped into third, 10 shots off the pace with an 18 hole score of 193. The Dubbers are five strokes back in fourth with 198.

Barring a major collapse on Saturday, the Wedgers appear poised for an easy victory in the “B” Division. Their 90 for the evening leaves them with an 18 hole total of 179, best among all teams and 14 strokes ahead of the KGB with 193 after they played to a 97 tonight. The Whizbangers turned in a round of 95 to remain within six strokes of second place. The Fivesome, who shot 104, dropped to fourth place with a total of 203.

Over on the “C” flight, the Bogies continue to lead after 18 holes. They shot 97 this evening and have a team total of 196 heading into the final day. The Hackers, who shot 101, are within striking distance just 10 strokes behind. The CCCP had the high total for the night shooting 108 which dropped them into third place with a total of 208. Meanwhile the Latecomers shot a 106 and fell to fourth with a total of 211.

There were eight more 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 #3: Symen Korver
Hole #4: Tom St. Denis
Hole #5: Nick Vangemeren
Hole #6: Andy Koetstra
Hole #12: Frank Cusson
Hole #13: Kevin Wadsworth
Hole #14: Steve Westlake
Hole #15: Denis Schick

Once again, just a reminder that the final 18 holes are this coming Saturday September 12th and the start time is 2:30pm.

2015 Playoff Standings – 18 Holes

“A” Division
1. Southpaws - 183
2. Rolling Stones – 184
3. Fat Shafts – 193
4. Dubbers – 198

“B” Division
1. Wedgers – 179
2. KGB – 193
3. Whizbangers – 199
4. Fivesome – 203

“C” Division
1. Bogies – 196
2. Hackers – 206
3. CCCP – 208
4. Latecomers – 211

Defosse Off To Good Start

After some miserable weather to start the season last week, we were all much happier to see an exact opposite this week with sunshine, warmth and calm conditions.

Dave Walker tees off on the ninth hole.

Hopefully it helped to give everyone better results in their game.

Kim Defosse has his swing down when it counts to start the season. For the second week in a row he took home a Closest to the Pin prize as he stuck his tee shot tight on hole #2. Jim Turner was tops on the back nine taking the honours on hole #11. For the second week in a row the 50/50 prize went to a member of the Fat Shafts as Lyle Williams had his name drawn tonight.

It was almost an all or nothing night for points as five of the six matches were swept.

Art Mansfield miss his putt left on hole #4.

The Wedgers, Southpaws, Latecomers, Rolling Stones and Whizbangers all took six points. The KGB earned four while the Dubbers grabbed two points.

There were no changes in the lead for Individual and Team Low Gross spots however Nick VanGeveren, Tim Donaldson and Kyle Wilkinson all turned in impressive rounds of 29 each.

Fair Weather Golfers Be Warned

That might have been one of the most miserable opening nights of Men's League in recent memory as far as the weather was concerned. But the cold, rainy and windy conditions couldn't keep most of the golfers from striking out and getting the first round of the season in the books.

Paul Reid come up a little short with this putt.

Despite the adverse conditions some impressive rounds were posted including the early leader for Individual Low Gross, Nick VanGemeren who shot a 26 to set the bar high right off the bat. The Team Low Gross was turned in by the Southpaws with an 85.

Four teams swept the points up for grabs in their matches as the Fat Shafts, Southpaws, Rolling Stones and Whizbangers took six points each. The Latecomers came close with five points and the KGB earned four points. The Wedgers took two points and the single point went to CCCP.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Nick VanGemeren on hole #1 and Kim Defosse on hole #10.

Carl Troke leaves his birdie attempt short on 17.

Dave Reid was the first 50/50 winner of the season.

See you next Wednesday evening when we'll do it all again, and hopefully in some better weather conditions.

Let The Playoffs Begin

It was a sparse group of golfers tonight as many failed to show up for one reason or another but despite the low numbers, the regular season came to an end and now we move to playoff mode.

On this night the final points of the evening were handed out with the KGB, Wedgers, Southpaws, Rolling Stones and Latecomers all taking six points. The Bogies earned four while the CCCP grabbed two points.

Four golfers tied for the low round of the night with Dave Walker, Colin McDonald, Nick Vangemeren and Steve Westlake all shooting a one over par 28. Vangemeren also took home the evenings 50/50 prize. The Closest to the Pin winners were Art Mansfield on hole #7 and Dave Powell on hole #16.

The playoffs will begin next Wednesday night and the division groupings are listed below based on where your team finished during the season. The next two Wednesday's will be nine hole rounds played from the White Tees. The final 18 hole round will be played from the Blue Tees on Saturday September 6th beginning at 3pm followed by the wrap up party and steak BBQ. Please note that only four golfers can play with 3 counting on the Wednesday night rounds but on the Saturday 18 hole final day, all golfers on each team can play with the top three scores counting.

Good Luck and hope to see everyone out.

2014 Playoff Divisions

"A" Flight
1. Southpaws
2. Wedgers
3. Rolling Stones
4. KGB

"B" Flight
1. Whizbangers
2. Dubbers
3. CCCP
4. Fat Shafts

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

Is This July?

I can't believe I'm saying this but where's the heat? Two weeks in a row we've had ideal clear and cool conditions for golfing. The typical sweltering heat of summer is nowhere to be found here. But of course that can change so we'll enjoy these conditions while we can.

Dave Walker tees off on Hole #1.

The low scores of the night were impressive but not good enough to challenge for the Individual Low Gross. Kyle Wilkinson and Nick Vangemeren tied for the low scores of the night with even par 27. I don't know who had the high score for the evening but there's a good chance Art Mansfield of the Fat Shafts came close by shooting a 46. Good job Art!

In the matches for the evening, the Southpaws, Fat Shafts, Rolling Stones and Dubbers swept all six points up for grabs. The Wedgers earned five points, the CCCP four, Whizbangers two and a single point went to the Bogies.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Nick Vangemeren on hole #2 and Tom Christmann on hole #11. The 50/50 winner this week was Marty MacDonald.

Below you'll find a few more short videos of the nights action to enjoy and perhaps chuckle at. Please note there might be the odd bit of foul language so if that offends you, please skip them. I'm too lazy to edit them and bleep stuff out.

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.

That Went By Fast

The final points of the regular season are added up after the round.

Just like that another regular season of Men's League golf has come to an end. We've been lucky with the weather for most of the season and hopefully that trend will continue as we move into the next two weeks of playoff action.

For the second year in a row the Southpaws will be crowned Regular Season Champions. They amassed a total of 105 points this year which was 15 points better than the second place Rolling Stones.

Norm Toyne's single round score of 25 held up as the Individual Low Gross winner while the Southpaws Team Gross of 87 was best for the season.

Wrapping things up tonight, five teams took all six points available in their matches. This included the Fivesome, Southpaws, Dubbers, Wedgers and KGB. The Rolling Stones earned five points and the Latecomers took one point.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Dave Walker on hole #9 and Nick Vangemeren on hole #18. Paul Scobie was this weeks 50/50 winner.

The low individual score of the evening was 27 shot by three different golfers, Kyle Wilkinson, Tom St.Denis and Nick Vangemeren.

The Playoffs start next Wednesday night. The next two Wednesday's will be nine holes each from the white tees with the final 18 holes from the blue tees on Saturday September 7th. This will be followed by our annual wrap-up party.

Good Luck to everyone!

That's More Like It

After suffering through sweltering heat last Wednesday night, the change in temperature was welcomed by all of us as the humidity has left us for a while. This made for a much more comfortable round of golf.

With only four more weeks of regular season play remaining, the playoff positioning is becoming more clear and the chance for teams to make moves is quickly running out.

Four teams swept all six points in their matches tonight. They included the Whizbangers, Southpaws, Dubbers and Rolling Stones. The KGB grabbed five points while the Wedgers earned four points. The Latecomers took two points while a single point went to the Hackers.

Nick Vangemeren had the low round of the night with a 28. Kevin Wadsworth was this weeks 50/50 winner while the Closest to the Pin winners were Michael Walker on Hole #5 and Paul Dicrescenzo on the 15th hole.

Bugs In Our Game

Dave Walker in deep thought prior to his tee shot on Hole 17.

Its taken a while but those pesky bugs have arrived again. For some of us the bugs aren't just in our game. Rather, tonight the mosquitoes made their triumphant return to annoy us each and every shot. I kept reminding myself it's still better than the long winter we had. On the plus side, we managed to get the round in prior to watching another strong Spring storm system roll into the area.

Teams sweeping all six points in their matches tonight included the Rolling Stones, Southpaws, Latecomers and Bogies. The KGB and CCCP each earned four points while the Dubbers and Whizbangers took two points each.

The Closest to the Pin winners this evening were Nick Vangemeren on hole #5 and Tyler Donaldson on hole #14. Eric Korver was this weeks 50/50 winner.

Finally The Clubs Come Out

After what seemed like the longest winter in recent memory, the clubs came out of storage and we found our way back to the golf course to begin another season of golf and another year of Men's League.

Despite a few patches of snow still evident back in the more sheltered holes, the course was in pretty good shape. But lets be honest, it didn't matter what shape the course was in, it was just nice to swing the clubs and break off some of that winter rust.

Some guys managed to turn in some impressive scores to start the year but the low score of the night went to Sandy McLeod with a 27. The early lead for Team Low Gross went to the Rolling Stones with an 88. Nick VanGemeren grabbed the Closest to the Pin on Hole #1 while Paul Reid was tightest on Hole #10. Bob Donaldson was the first 50/50 winner of the year.

Four teams managed to take all the points up for grabs with the Fat Shafts, Southpaws, CCCP and Dubbers sweeping all six points. The Rolling Stones and Latecomers each earned four points while the Whizbangers and KGB grabbed two points each.

Wilkinson Starts With A Bang

Kyle Wilkinson stepped up to the tee on hole #17, his starting hole for the night, and promptly fired a dart and sank his third career hole-in-one. This makes three weeks in a row that someone has walked away with an ace. Kyle used his 56 degree wedge on the 134 yard hole. Congratulations Kyle!

Kyle Wilkinson all smiles after his hole-in-one.

With only one week remaining before the start of playoffs there's still plenty of room for some changes to take place in the standings. With only one point separating the Dubbers and Fat Shafts for fourth place, the last spot in the "A" division is still in question. The Wedgers are six points back of the Dubbers for fourth and could still be a factor depending on the tie-breaker.

The "C" flight teams are already decided however the seeding there is yet to be determined.

The only thing for certain is that the Southpaws will be the regular season champs with 114 points and a 15 point cushion over the Rolling Stones heading to the final week of play.

The Southpaws missed a chance to add to their impressive total tonight as the Fat Shafts narrowly took all six points up for grabs in their match. Other teams taking six points this evening were the Latecomers, Whizbangers and Rolling Stones. The KGB took five points, the Fivesome earned four, the Dubbers took two while a single point went to the Hackers.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Rick Dean on hole #9 and Peter Hughes on #18. The 50/50 winner was Nick Vangemeren.

Reilly Drains Fourth Ace

Scott Reilly aces 2nd hole.

For the second week in a row our league saw a hole-in-one as Scott Reilly aced the 132 yard 2nd hole. Scott used a 9-iron to grab his fourth hole-in-one ever on his way to a 3 over par round of 30. Congratulations Scott!

Hitting their shots tight on the money holes tonight were Jim Boers on hole #8 while Nick Vangemeren was the Closest to the Pin winner on hole #17. Don St.Denis was this weeks 50/50 winner.

Five of the evenings matches were swept as the Wedgers, KGB, Rolling Stones, Whizbangers and Southpaws took six points each. The Hackers earned four points from the Dubbers who settled for two. 

It's hard to believe that only two weeks of regular season golf remain before playoffs begin. The summer has flown by once again.

Hughes Aces Eighteen

I had my doubts as to whether the weather would hold out for us as the sky was threatening for most of our first 18 hole night but aside from a few light showers all went well.

That was good news for Peter Hughes as he took full advantage of the round to sink a hole-in-one on hole #18. Hughes used an 8-iron on the 143 yard hole. It was also the Closest to the Pin hole for the back nine so he picked up some extra cash to help pay his bar tab for the night. Nick VanGemeren grabbed the other closest to the pin prize on hole #9. The 50/50 winner this week was John Renault.

Two teams turned in impressive scores tonight to take over the Team Low Gross lead. Both the Southpaws and Rolling Stones shot an impressive 86 to share the honour.

A total of 12 points per match was up for grabs this evening. Not surprisingly, the Rolling Stones and Southpaws both swept their matches. The Fat Shafts earned 10 points. The KGB and Bogies grabbed eight points each while the Whizbangers took seven. The CCCP grabbed five points, the Dubbers and Wedgers took four each while the Latecomers managed two points.

A reminder that we play another 18 hole round again next week.

Wildlife and Insects Abound

On any given night at the golf course we can see various forms of wildlife. Some of the animal variety and some in the form of the golfers themselves. Tonight some golfers were fortunate enough to see deer while a family of foxes have also been spotted around the 12th hole. Mosquitoes were plentiful on hole #15 on this night although none of us thought they were cute and cuddly.

I was also informed that someone hit a horse to the left of the 12th hole and Dave Walker was wondering who it might have been. Rumour has it that Nick VanGemeren was the guilty party but that was only according to Dan Jess.

As for the golf on this beautiful evening there were some good and some not so good scores turned in but nobody really cared considering the ideal conditions. Grabbing all six points tonight were the Dubbers, KGB, Whizbangers and Wedgers. The Rolling Stones and Southpaws took four each while the Fat Shafts and CCCP earned two.

The 50/50 winner was Ron MacDonald. Closest to the Pin winners were Eric Korver on hole #7 and Kim Defosse on hole #16.

Very young fawn located near hole #5.

League Starts With A Bang

I don't think Nick VanGemeren could have asked for a better start to another year of Men's League play as he fired an Ace on the 132 yard 2nd hole. Nick used a wedge to put the cookie in the jar.

Steve Westlake had the hottest overall game of the night as he grabbed the early lead for Low Gross with an even par 27. The Southpaws set the low mark for Team Low Gross combining for an 88. The first Closest to the Pin winners of the season went to Jim Turner on Hole #1 and Andy Koetstra on Hole #10. The 50/50 was won by Dave Powell.

It was all or nothing when it came to the evenings matches. The Bogies, Southpaws, Wedgers, Fat Shafts, Dubbers and Latecomers swept all six points.

Vangemeren Ties Low Gross

On a night like so many others this season where the rain was falling yet again, there were actually some impressive scores turned in tonight. In fact our scheduled round of 18 was shortened to only nine holes as a lack of daylight would have been a factor.

Nick Vangemeren shot the best round of the evening, a 26, which was good enough to move him into a tie with Paul Scobie for the Individual Low Gross.

Among the teams taking all six points in their matches were the Fat Shafts, KGB, Dubbers and Southpaws. The Whizbangers and CCCP each took four while the Hackers and Latecomers earned two points each.

Andy Koetstra saved his best shot of the night for his final hole which happened to be Hole #1 and earned the Closest to the Pin prize. Paul Scobie stuck his close on Hole #10. The 50/50 winner this week was Jim Rogers.

It is my understanding that instead of playing the team scramble next week, we will use the night to make up 18 holes lost to the weather.

Finally, No Rain!

It wasn't the nicest night of golf we've ever had but it was by far the best night we've had so far this season. It looked like it might rain but it held off which is a first so far as we managed to get our second official round of matches in.

Teams grabbing all six points included Fat Shafts, Fivesome, Bogies, KGB and Rolling Stones. The Dubbers took four while the Whizbangers earned two points.

Two more golfers moved into a tie for Individual Low Gross as Nick Defosse and Tom St.Denis both shot a 29. The KGB posted the new Team Low Gross with a total of 91.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Steve Guindon on hole #3 while Nick Vangemeren took it on hole #12. The 50/50 winner was Ian Rogers.

Blue Tees Play Tough

The play from the blue tees proved to be a challenge tonight for many. The distance combined with some stiff breezes made for some challenging holes and in some cases some higher scores than normal.

The Rolling Stones, Latecomers, Wedgers, Hackers and KGB all took six points while the Dubbers grabbed four from the CCCP.

The Closest to the Pin prizes were won by Kim Defosse (#5) and Nick Vangemeren (#14). Andy Koetstra grabbed the 50/50 prize.