Have A Safe & Happy Holiday

The golf course has officially closed for the season and we now have to settle in for what will likely be one of the longest winters of our lives.

Despite the cold weather, snow and ice we have some hope that 2021 will bring some cheer in the form of a Covid19 vaccine. Perhaps a return to some type or normality by this time next year isn't just a Christmas wish.

In the meantime, to all of our members, your families and loved ones, stay safe and have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year. If all goes well, we'll meet once again in the Spring.

Photos of Past Seasons

We didn't get to have a normal 2020 golf season or playoff party due to the Covid19 pandemic so just to wrap things up for this crazy year, here are some photos taken of many of our league members over the years. Some have passed away while others look a few years younger. You can click on the photos to see them larger and to click through them easily.

Continue to stay safe, have a good winter and we hope to see you again in the Spring of 2021.

2020 Final Standings

2020 Final Standings

1. Fat Shafts (43 pts)

2. Southpaws (40 pts)

2. Rolling Stones (40 pts)

4. Dubbers (38 pts)

5. KGB (36 pts)

6. Whizbangers (29 pts)
7. Fivesome (18 pts)

8. Bogies (8 pts)

9. Wedgers (6 pts)

9. Hackers (6 pts)

Sitting Out This Year

CCCP

Latecomers

Individual Low Gross

 

Peter Hughes - 26

Team Low Gross

 

Fat Shafts - 87

 

Final Playoff Standings

"A" Division

1. Whizbangers - 383

2. Fat Shafts - 398

3. Southpaws - 401

3. Dubbers - 401

5. K.G.B. - 402

6. Rolling Stones - 403

 

"B" Division

1. Fivesome - 408

2. Wedgers - 428

3. Bogies - 435

4. Hackers - 439

Whizbangers & Fivesome Win Playoffs

The final round of the 2020 Playoffs proved to be rather anticlimactic as both Divisions ended up as cake walks for the winning teams.

In the "A" Division, the Whizbangers made sure their lead would remain after the last nine holes and thanks to a final round score of 90, they cruised to the title with a total of 383 and a margin of 15 strokes over the second place Fat Shafts who posted a 398. The other four teams in the "A" flight were all close with only two strokes separating them but too far back to make a charge. Congratulations to the Whizbangers on a solid effort and on snapping the Fat Shafts winning streak.

The low rounds of the night were posted by Ross Prophet and Andy Koetstra who both shot 28. Denis Schick had a two over par 29. The Closest to the Pin winner on hole #4 was Sandy McLeod.

Over in the "B" Division it would have taken an incredible collapse by the Fivesome to squander their lead and they cruised to a 20 stroke victory over the second place Wedgers by shooting a four round total of 408. Eric Korver and Kim Defosse had the low rounds for the night with both shooting 32. Justin Timson earned the Closest to the Pin prize on hole #13.

This was certainly a very strange year for the league with the late start and all of the changes due to Covid19 and the entire league handled the tee times and social distancing extremely well. Thanks for making it work. I know we were disappointed there was no party this year but it's a different world we live in right now and it was obviously the right decision.

Our thanks to Steve Powell once again for ensuring the league ran smoothly all season long. It was and continues to be a fluid situation and Steve was on top of things and we would be lost without his efforts.

I know all of the members of the Wednesday Night Men's League want to thank Alida and Tom St. Denis for brainstorming and finding a way to make our league work this season. It looked as though the year could be completely lost but as the pandemic improved they were able to open things up and figure out a way to get us back out there.

The future is still uncertain but hopefully by the time Spring rolls around we'll see a more normal world emerge and next year we can get back to golf as we know it with a full 12 team schedule. Until that happens, stay safe and take care of yourselves.

Just a reminder for those who still want to golf on Wednesday nights, we will still be going out and playing best ball as long as the weather and daylight allows. 

Final Playoff Standings

"A" Division

1. Whizbangers - 383

2. Fat Shafts - 398

3. Southpaws - 401

3. Dubbers - 401

5. K.G.B. - 402

6. Rolling Stones - 403

 

"B" Division

1. Fivesome - 408

2. Wedgers - 428

3. Bogies - 435

4. Hackers - 439

Week Four - Schedule

Here are the groupings and times for the final week of Playoffs. Once again, this is on the White Tees.

Time       Front                Back

5:30        3 & 10                2 & 7

5:40        3 & 10                2 & 7

5:50        4 & 9                  1 & 5

6:00        4 & 9                  1 & 5

6:10        6 & 8

6:20        6 & 8

3. Dubbers                        5. Fivesome

4. Fat Shafts                     2. Bogies

6. Whizbangers                 1. Wedgers

8. Southpaws                    7. Hackers

9. K.G.B.

10. Rolling Stones

2020 Playoffs - Week 3

We saw some movement tonight and the last week of the playoffs will be a challenge for teams to make a run at the Division titles but you never know what will transpire.

In the "A" Division the Whizbangers turned in an impressive round of 89, lead by Sandy McLeod and Taylor Rivando who each shot rounds of 29. Steve Guindon added a round of 31. This allowed them to overtake the Southpaws for the lead heading into the final week. Rivando also grabbed the Closest to the Pin prize on hole #12. Steve Westlake of the Fat Shafts had the low round of the night with a one over par 28. Mark Lafee also posted a 29.

Over in the "B" Division the Fivesome have a very comfortable 16 stroke lead with nine holes to play. Kim Defosse had the low round shooting a 29. Randy Grills stuck his tee shot tight on hole #3 to win the Closest to the Pin prize on the front nine.

The Schedule for the final week is posted above. Hopefully all team captains have the schedule soon and will contact you with your tee times to confirm. See you Wednesday.

"A" Division

1. Whizbangers: 204 - 89 = 293

2. Southpaws: 196 - 103 = 299

3. Fat Shafts: 209 - 92 = 301

4. KGB: 206 - 97 = 303

5. Dubbers: 205 - 100 = 305

6. Rolling Stones: 205 - 102 = 307

"B" Division

1. Fivesome: 207 - 99 =  306

2. Wedgers: 215 - 107 = 322

3. Bogies: 225 - 102 = 327

4. Hackers: 224 - 106 = 330

2020 Playoffs - Round Two

That's it for the Blue Tees for this year and for some of us, it's welcome news as they proved to be troublesome on night two of the playoffs.

In the "A" Division the standings remain relatively tight and with two weeks remaining a good round by one team or a bad round by another could have a serious impact on things.

The Southpaws moved into first place by themselves with a low round of 94 for the night. That gives them an eight stroke lead over the second place Whizbangers and and nine stroke lead on the Dubbers and Rolling Stones. The KGB had a good night and are ten strokes back while the Fat Shafts continue to struggle and sit in last place 13 strokes off the pace.

The low rounds of the night were turned in by Jim Conley and Tim Donaldson who both shot 28. Kevin Wadsworth posted a two over par round of 29. Andy Koetstra won the Closest to the Pin prize on hole #2.

Over in the "B" Division, the Fivesome have a fairly comfortable lead. They shot a score of 107 and sit eight shots ahead of the Wedgers who turned in a score of 105. The Hackers are well back in third and are one stroke ahead of the Bogies.

Scott Reilly had the low round on this side shooting a 31. Eric Korver was close enough on hole #11 to win the Closest to the Pin.

Next week we start the last two weeks of playoffs with both week on the White tees. Check your tee times and we'll see you there.

"A" Division

1. Southpaws - 102 - 94 = 196

2. Whizbangers - 105 - 99 = 204

3. Dubbers - 107 - 98 = 205

3. Rolling Stones - 102 - 103 = 205

5. KGB - 110 - 96 = 206

6. Fat Shafts - 110 - 99 = 209

"B" Division

1. Fivesome - 100 - 107 = 207

2. Wedgers - 110 - 105 = 215

3. Hackers - 118 - 106 = 224

4. Bogies - 111 - 114 = 225

2020 Playoffs - Round One

By the looks of the scores posted on night one, it looks like all teams found some trouble and I'm sure some teams will be surprised to see how close they still are in the race to win the playoffs.

In the "A" Division there is a tie for first place between the Southpaws and Rolling Stones who both shot 102. The Whizbangers sit in second after posting a 105. The Dubbers are five shots off the lead after a round of 107 and the Fat Shafts and KGB are in last place tied with scores of 110.

Tim Donaldson had the low round of the night shooting a 28. Al Wilkinson posted a two over par 29. Donaldson also left with the Closest to the Pin cash from hole #10.

Over in the "B" Division the Fivesome had the low round of the night overall with a 100. That gives them a ten stroke lead heading into week two as the Wedgers shot a 110 for second place. The Bogies are one shot back after shooting 111 and the Hackers sit in fourth spot after a team round of 118.

Kim Defosse had the Closest to the Pin on hole #1.

Please remember to check the schedule for your tee times and also note the small change to the schedule for week three in the previous post.

Have a good weekend and we'll see you Wednesday night.

"A" Division
1. Southpaws - 102
1. Rolling Stones - 102
3. Whizbangers - 105
4. Dubbers - 107
5. Fat Shafts - 110
5. KGB - 110


"B" Division
1. Fivesome - 100
2. Wedgers - 110
3. Bogies - 111
4. Hackers - 118

2020 Playoffs Schedule

The first thee weeks of the playoff schedule has been released with the fourth week yet to be decided. I've included a photo of it below for your reference.

Please note that there has been a change to the grouping. It will now be the Top Six teams that will compete against each other and the Bottom Four teams that will do battle for the two Playoff Divisions this season.

Please check your tee times for Wednesday and we'll see you there.

Note: Updated week 3 for teams 1 & 2.

 

Fat Shafts Defend Regular Season Title

The final night of our shortened season proved to be the deciding night and when the dust settled, the Fat Shafts narrowly defended their regular season title.

Several teams had a chance to claim first place. The Fat Shafts and the second place Southpaws went head to head and both teams scored well with the Fat Shafts winning the gross for four points and the Southpaws took the net for two points. This meant the Dubbers had a chance to move into first if they could beat the KGB. Both teams played well but the KGB took all six points to play spoiler. The Rolling Stones were also in the mix and took six points to slip past the Dubbers into a tie for second place with the Southpaws.

Also taking six points tonight were the Whizbangers and the Fivesome.

Several players turned in solid rounds with Tim Donaldson shooting a 27, Andy Koetstra and Stephen Westlake both shot 28 and Al Wilkinson and Peter Hughes each shot rounds of 29. The Fat Shafts had the low team total of 89.

The 50/50 winner was Peter Hugues while the Closest to the Pin winners were Kevin Wadsworth on hole #9 and Paul Reid on hole #18.

The final regular season standings are listed on the right. Peter Hughes round last week of 26 earns him the Individual Low Gross award for the season. The Fat Shafts had the Team Low Gross this year with an 87.

The playoffs begin next Wednesday night and go for four weeks. The first two weeks will be on the Blue Tees with the last two week from the White Tees. There has been a slight change and the top six teams will compete against each other with the bottom four teams battling it out. As usual this is strictly gross score total based on your best three players each night. Tee times have yet to be set but as soon as they are Steve Powell will contact the team captains and I'll try to post them here as well.

See you next Wednesday and good luck in the playoffs.

Hughes Fires Low Gross

While the blue tees proved troublesome for many tonight, for Peter Hughes it wasn't much of a bother at all as he set the new Individual Low Gross mark to beat by shooting a round of one under par 26.

Only one week remains in the regular season and there's still several teams who have a chance to finish in the top spot. The Southpaws stumbled tonight losing all six points in their match with the Dubbers and have now slipped into a second place tie with them.

The Fat Shafts took six point in their match and the defending league and playoff champs have a slim one point lead at the top of the standings. The Rolling Stones also took six points and remain five points out of first place, however the Southpaws and Fat Shafts play each other next week so it will likely be either them or the Dubbers that will take the Covid19 shortened title.

In the other matches on the night, the Whizbangers and KGB also took all six points up for grabs. The Closest to the Pin winners were Ross Prophet on hole #8 and Kevin Wadsworth on hole #17. The 50/50 winner was Jim Conley.

As mentioned, next week is the final week of the regular season. The playoffs will start the following week with the top four teams playing each other in the "A" Division and the other six teams will battle in the "B" Division. It's my understanding that the first two weeks of playoffs will be from the Blue Tees and the last two weeks will be from the White Tees to ensure we have enough daylight. If I get any other details I'll post them here.

See you next week!

Harry Morris Has Passed

It is with great sadness that I share the news that long time member of our league, having played with the Wedgers and a member of the Murray Hills Golf Course, Harry Morris has passed away at the age of 69.

For those of us who had the absolute pleasure to golf with Harry or share a chat with him at the Brighton Speedway, it is a big loss. Harry's laughter and smile was infectious and he brightened everyone's day when he was around. Harry was always counted on to deliver fresh local tomatoes to those who wanted them on Wednesday nights.

Harry will be missed greatly by all who knew him and we send our sincere condolences to his entire family at this difficult time.

Conley Joins Group at 27

It has become a bit more crowded in the battle for the Individual Low Gross title this season as Jim Conley joined the growing list of golfers to have shot rounds of even par 27 after he had a solid outing tonight. 

Also posting rounds of 27 were Andy Koetstra and Tim Donaldson who already reside on the Low Gross list. Denis Schick shot a 28 with three fives and three birdies in his round. He also missed a hole in one by two inches on hole #17.

The Southpaws increased their lead at the top of the standings slightly with only two weeks of regular season play remaining. The Fat Shafts and Dubbers still remain in striking distance but will have their work cut out for them. The Southpaws and Dubbers had the low team scores of the night with both shooting a total of 91.

The Dubbers, Southpaws, Fivesome and Rolling Stones all took six points. The Whizbangers took four points against the Fat Shafts who earned two points on the night.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Steve Powell on hole #7 and Stephen Westlake on hole #16. The 50/50 winner this week was Scott Burnie.

See you all next week.

Some Sing The Blues

The Blue tees on paper don't look too intimidating but for many of us the added challenge can prove difficult and it looks like that was the case for some tonight. The weather was hot and sunny so it was just a matter of finding a clear path to the green.

Tim Donaldson turned in the lowest score of the night by matching his season low of even par 27. Andy Koetstra was one shot off the pace posting a 28.

Three teams managed to grab all of the points up for grabs in their matches as the Southpaws, Dubbers and Fat Shafts each earned six points. The KGB took five points while the Bogies moved up in the standings by taking four points. The Hackers grabbed two points and a single point went to the Wedgers.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Al Wilkinson on hole #6 and Taylor Rivando on hole #15. The 50/50 winner this week was Adam Farkas.

I've been informed that when the playoffs begin in four weeks, there will be two groups instead of the usual three. The top four teams after the regular season will playoff against each other while the lower six teams will do battle. If I hear of any other details I'll be sure to share them. See you next Wednesday.

Rivando Joins Group at 27

The heatwave continued tonight as we passed the halfway point of league play in this Covid19 shortened season. However, the sun wasn't the only thing hot on the course tonight.

Taylor Rivando of the Whizbangers turned in an impressive even par round of 27 to move into a four way tie for the Individual Low Gross lead. Denis Schick also scored another low round with a 28 as the Whizbangers posted the low team round of the evening with a 90. The KGB also had an impressive effort shooting a team score of 93.

The Dubbers, Whizbangers, Rolling Stones and Fat Shafts all took six points in their matches. The KGB earned four points against the previously unbeaten Southpaws who took two points on the night.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Marty MacDonald on hole #5 and Paul Reid on hole #14. The 50/50 winner was Denis Schick.

A couple of reminders for next week. With the use of masks being made mandatory inside all commercial buildings in our area, please note that to enter the clubhouse you will be required to wear a mask. You won't have to wear one on the deck or anywhere else on the golf course. It was good to see all teams make it out this week. Captain's please make sure your teams are set to go next week at the proper tee times. Stay cool and stay safe!

Happy Canada Day!

It looked as though the Canada Day holiday caused some issues for some tonight as three teams failed to provide competition in their matches on a warm but beautiful evening for golf.

The Whizbangers, Bogies and Fivesome all forfeited their matches when they didn't have enough players show up which made for an evening of golfing without any pressure for some.

The teams that earned points tonight were the Rolling Stones, Fat Shafts, Southpaws and KGB who all took six points. Andy Koetstra had the low round for the evening playing the back nine blues to a three over par 30. Stephen Westlake shot a 31 for the same nine holes. The Fat Shafts had the team low round of the night with a 95. The Southpaws shot a team score of 98.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Scott Reilly on hole #4 and Tim Donaldson on hole #13. The 50/50 winner was Mark Kennedy.

Please make sure your teams are set for next week and everyone knows their tee times.

Southpaws Remain Perfect

What a difference a week makes. After the sweltering humid round of golf we had last week, it was a much more comfortable overcast round with a slight breeze for tonight's round of play.

Some impressive golf was turned in once again as Tim Donaldson shot an even par 27 to join Andy Koetstra and Denis Schick for the Individual Low Gross lead. Andy also shot his second round of 27 tonight, just missing a birdie on the final hole. The Fat Shafts posted their second sub-90 round as a team shooting an 89. The Southpaws had an impressive 91 score as well.

The Southpaws remain the lone team after three weeks of play to not give up a single point in their matches after taking another six points tonight. The Fat Shafts also earned six points. The Dubbers sit in second spot after taking five points while the KGB also took five points. Four points went to the Fivesome giving the Rolling Stones two points. Single points were earned by the Wedgers and Whizbangers.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Kim Defosse on hole #3 and Taylor Rivando on hole #12. The 50/50 winner was Dave Walker.

Just a reminder to team captains to make sure your team is set for next Wednesday night and everyone knows their tee times.

Season Humming Along

It still feels a bit odd as we continue to adjust to the way things are with the league and golfing in general this year but everyone seems to be handling it well.

The weather was ideal for a round of golf Wednesday night as week two of our shortened season teed off and produced some impressive scores on the longer blue tees. Tim Donaldson had the low round of the night shooting a 29 on the front nine and combining with his teammates to post the low round of the night with a 92.

The Southpaws and Dubbers were the only two teams to take all six points in their matches. The Rolling Stones came close by earning five points. The KGB and Hackers each took four points while the Fivesome and Wedgers snagged two points. The Fat Shafts had to settle for one point.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Tim Donaldson on hole #2 and Al Wilkinson on hole #11. The 50/50 winner this week was Dave Reid.

Keep cool this week and stay safe until we hit the links again next Wednesday night. Please check the schedule for your tee times and make sure your team lineup is set ahead of time.

Better Late Than Never

Covid19 really put a wrench in our plans this year in more ways than one and although we're about two months late starting an abbreviated season, it was nice to get out tonight and see some familiar faces again.

It was a hot round in more ways than one with some impressive scores and shots along with the extreme heat and humidity.

Denis Schick and Andy Koetstra set the mark to beat for Individual Low Gross as they both posted an even par round of 27. Al Wilkinson and Stephen Westlake also had impressive rounds with each of them finishing with 29. The Team Low Gross mark was set by the Fat Shafts who combined for a total of 87.

Three teams grabbed all six points up for grabs with the Fat Shafts, Southpaws and Whizbangers sweeping their matches. The Bogies took four points while the Dubbers and Rolling Stones battled to a tie and three points each. The Wedgers earned two points on the night.

The Closest to the Pin winners were Andy Koetstra on Hole #1 and Paul Scobie on Hole #10. Lyle Williams was the first 50/50 winner of the season.

Thanks to Steve Powell and Tom and Alida for getting the league set up on short notice and during these crazy times.

Just a reminder to check your tee times for next Wednesday and make sure you have your four golfers there and ready to go 10 minutes prior.

2020 League Schedule Released

It looks like we're good to go starting on Wednesday night.

The 10 Team league schedule has been worked out with tee times and is available by clicking on the link below in this post.

You can also click on the right where it says 2020 Schedule to see who you're playing each week.

Just a reminder, only the four players on each team that are competing are to show up for play. No spares allowed.

See you Wednesday night.


Click here for 2020 Schedule

League Starts Wednesday June 10th

It's official!

The league will begin play on the evening of Wednesday June 10th but as you can imagine it won't be business as usual. I've been provided with the changes and rules that will need to be followed so we can do this safely and within the safety guidelines set by the Province.

• League Dues will be $20.
• League dues will enter you in the 50/50 and Closest to the Pin for the year.
• No league hole-in-one pot.
• The Schedule has yet to be set.
• Tee times will begin at 5:30pm and the last group will tee off at 6:20pm.
• Arrive 10 minutes before your tee time.
• Everyone will tee off on either Hole #1 or Hole #10.
• NO Spares! Only the four golfers counting will be playing. Arrange your four players ahead of time.
• No congregating in the parking lot before or after the round.
• You will play each team once.
• There will be two or three weeks of playoffs.
• No Party this year.

That's the way things are set up as of now. If I hear of any additions or changes I will let you know.

See you out on the course.

Course Opens Saturday

I’ve received official word that the golf course will open on Saturday. However, the details about how you can golf are still being worked out and the discussion about league play is also taking place but if or how this will move forward is still undetermined.

While other information is still yet to be confirmed I can tell you that if you wish to just golf on your own at Murray Hills you will need to book a tee time in advance. This will allow for better control of the golfers on the course. The hours of operation may also be limited as well.

So the best advice I can give you is to call ahead and speak with Alida or Tom.

I’ll keep you updated as quickly as I can. 

Signs of Life?

Here we are a month and a half since my last post in April and we're still waiting for a possible golf season and league play this year is still up in the air even if the course does open.

There does seem to be a bit of hope today as there is talk the Ontario Government may allow golf courses to open this Saturday in time for the long weekend. This has yet to be confirmed by Premier Ford.

Considering how wide open the courses are compared to what we deal with each day in grocery stores it would seem we'd actually face less risk on the links. Add to that how fortunate we've been in this area with known cases remaining low.

That doesn't mean the risk is gone of course and even if we do get the okay to start golfing soon, there will likely be some wise social distancing measures in place. Of course if you show any symptoms or have a persistent cough you'll want to stay home just in case.

So we'll wait and see if and when we can get the clubs out of storage. I do know that Tom and Andy have been busy preparing the course over the last few weeks and it will be ready for our return. These are certainly odd times we're living in and our main priority will always be to look out for our own safety and those we interact with.

Once again, if I hear any news one way or the other I'll let you know.

COVID-19 Closes Course

We hoped it wouldn't happen but Tom and Alida have had no choice but to close the golf course.

With the continuing COVID-19 Pandemic causing increases in more cases and deaths in the province and around the world, we all have to do what is necessary to try and bring this crisis to an end as soon as possible.

Here is the announcement posted to the Murray Hills Golf Course Facebook page earlier today.

Until such time as the course reopens and the league can begin play, stay safe and take care of those you love and as soon as we get the word that things are in the works to begin play, I'll let you know. Hopefully we will be back golfing again this summer.

A New Season Approaches...We Hope

Winter was going so well and the weather has certainly been cooperating as far as having hopes of returning to the golf course and league play in the near future.

However, the current landscape of the world with the arrival of Covid-19 and the new normal of self-distancing, quarantines and empty store shelves certainly has us preoccupied with more important things.

While I'm sure we're at least a month away from any start date for the season, I'll be sure to let you know of any developments as I get them regarding the start of league play. If all goes well we can flatten the curve of this thing and return to some form of normal life sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, follow all necessary precautions and stay safe. We hope to see you out in the fresh air on the golf course soon.