August 25

The 2008 Club Championship tournament was held Saturday and Sunday with a field of over a hundred players, and the weather cooperated except for a few showers on Saturday.

Dave Allen and Sasha Kovacs won the mens and ladies titles with scores of 145 and 160 respectively. Jim O'Neil and Lousie Major won the senior categories at 155 and 158. Chad Nicholson shot a great 1 under par 143 to claim the Junior Boys championship while Michelle Taylor won Junior Girls. Cody Lefler was 13 and under champ with an excellent 36 hole total of 157 (78/79).

Rick Nelson won Men's Low Net with 139, matched by Sue Hall in the Women's Division. Per Andreasen recorded the best net score of all players to capture Senior Men's with an outstanding 128 total, while June Church won Senior Ladies at 3 under par 141. Donovan Grubb was Low Net in the Junior group at 139 while Nick Lovelock walked away with the under 13 net prize with a great score of 132.

The Championships were generously sponsored by Desjardins Securities, with members Wayne Snow and Danielle Aitken attending and handing out the hardware to the victors.

August 14

It has been a while since Stephen Thomson has played golf at South Muskoka as he has moved to the United States and is teaching with Hank Haney at the International Junior Golf Academy. But Thomson knows the course here well, having worked in the Pro Shop for several years, and having been a junior member since he started swinging clubs. The familiarity paid off yesterday as he shot the Men's Night low gross front nine score of five under par 31, and then finished off a personal best score of 64 with a 3 under 33 on the back nine. Thomson's 8 under par score is the best of his career at the Club. He finished 5 shots clear of his former boss and mentor Ron Webb, who was in the same foursome and carded a tidy 3 under par 69 himself.

Thomson's 64 is the lowest round recored on the course for many years (except in 4 man scrambles!!) but remained a few shots off the course record - the eye-popping twelve under par 60 recorded by Brennan Webb several years ago.

August 11

Saturday was another very wet day in Muskoka but that didn't deter the more than 90 players in the 2008 Greavette Mixed Member & Guest tournament at South Muskoka. After a morning of rain that had the event almost cancelled the weather improved and the players took to the course at 1:00 o'clock.

The team of Dave and Helen Robinson with their guests Jimmy and Terry Jones won the overall championship with a score of 123.6, the sixth different winning team in the six years of the event. Their great team score of 45 in the 6 hole alternate shot segment was the difference as they edged their nearest rivals by 4 shots there and in the total 18 hole score.

For the second year in a row Judy & Drew Watson teamed with Tim and Linda Bryant to win the Cadillac Flight, with a score of 127.8. They were just a stroke ahead of the Majors and their guests. Kevin and Cheryl Browne joined with Steve & Cheryl Post to win the Buick Flight. They needed the retrogression formula to break their tie with Len & Midge Sculthorp with David & Linda Potter after both teams scored 131.6.

The Greavette is a challenging double two player mixed competition, and it has been strongly supported by sponsors Bill, Tim & Glenn Greavette since inception in 2003. At South Muskoka the members and club staff look forward to this event each year as it has quickly become one of the highlights of the golf season.

July 31

For the first time in club history more than 100 ladies took part in Ladies Night this past Tuesday, July 29th. 104 players took advantage of a rare rain-less day in Muskoka to play their round of golf and enjoy a delicious dinner after. Along with the usual complement of prizes, there were a number of special prizes with a "100" theme, as well as a congratulatory champagne toast to mark the milestone achievement.

Special thanks go to the chief organizer, Jennifer Webb and to Janice Broadworth of the club's kitchen staff. Ladies Night has been one of Janice's favourite weekly shifts for many years, and she takes great pride in providing the type of meals that keep the crowds growing month by month.

Ladies Night happens every Tuesday of the golf season with tees reserved for women only from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm daily (and earlier when numbers warrant). It is open to the public with either twilight or 9 hole greens fees payable, as well as a fee for meal and prizes. To register or to get more information contact Jennifer Webb at 645-9096.

July 25
The Summer 2008 newsletter is now available!

July 22
With 4 spots in the mens Canadian Open up for grabs, nearly 160 golfers teed it up Monday at Rattlesnake Golf Club in Milton. South Muskoka's Brennan Webb shot a 5-under par 67 on the Copperhead course, placing him in a four-way tie for second place. Todd Halpen of Calgary was the medallist with a score of 66. Unfortunately, in the tie-breaker to determine the 3 other qualifiers, Webb was eliminated on the second playoff hole.

July 14

Jay and Reta Houston were both on winning teams in this past Saturday's Tennessee Scramble. Reta teamed with Annette Allen, Debbie Todd and Karen Acton to capture the Ladies Division, while Jay joined up with Rick Nelson and Bill Lytle to win the Men's. They won a two hole sudden victory playoff over Dave Allen, Kevin Chilvers, and Dave Forth.

The Junior Division also required a playoff with Luke Schell, Justin MacDougall & Blaine Lovelock emerging victorious over Brandon Neville, Donovan Grubb and Logan Schell.

June 23

South Muskoka will be partnering with Muskoka D&M Corp, developers of the Granite Springs condominium project. The new development is onthe former Larsen property on Manitoba Street north, and adjoins the Club's first fairway.

Owners' rep Doug Gray has arranged for buyers to receive a set number of golf games over 3 seasons at the Club, plus a position on the membership waiting list. Final details of the number of rounds and restrictions are expected to be finalized shortly.

June 23

None of last year's champions were able to defend their title in the 2008 version of Porky & Rocket's Revenge. The 4 player scramble features a great mixture of outstanding shot-making and silly team attire as evidenced by the perennial "best dressed" team, who this year appeared as four nuns. Talk about bad habits!

The field also included a team of Daniel Chopra look-alikes, and 4 Scottish redheads, complete with tams and mini-bagpipe theme music.

Getting down to the golf results, Jim O'Neil lead Bruce Robinson, Jamie Beardmore and Don Vincent to victory in the Men's Division with a great score of 13 under par 59. Several teams tied for second at 63.

In Ladies, collegian Katie Broere teamed with Jennifer Webb, Reta Mae Houston and Beth Galbraith to take the crown from last year's winners - Burgess, Wilson & Kent. Collette Endress placed second this year, with Patti Reid, Lousie Major and Kathy Lawson.

Bruce and Bev Lawson joined up with Robb and Terry Watson to edge last year's champs by a single stroke. Rick & Sue Nelson, Jesse Sandhu and Brian Dickson slipped back to second place this year.

Winners of the $5 dollar bills for hitting the tree trunk on hole #12 were Kevin Chilvers, Brian Dickson and Kate Kaye. Many thanks to the Manns, Sanders and Kayes for their sponsorship of this great memorial event.

June 20

Now we now why Tiger always focusses on the Majors. This week the husband and wife team of Ken and Louise Major swept the low gross awards at our Mens and Ladies nights. Louise started the rare double with a smooth 43 on Tuesday the 19th, and Ken rose to the challenge by shooting 1 over par 37 the next night.

The low gross shooters at Ladies & Men's night receive a sleeve of golf balls, and all other scores are handicapped using the Calloway system. On a weekly basis from $350 to $800 in prize vouchers are distributed to 20-25 golfers in 4 or 5 flights. Both nights are open to the public, and information is available from the club ofice or Pro Shop.

June 19

Members and guests are advised that the Club will be aerating 6 greens per day beginning Sunday night June 22nd. Weather permitting (!) the process should be complete late Tuesday evening and greens in normal playing condition Thursday.

While we appreciate that aeration temporarily detracts from playing conditions , we trust that players will recognize this is a criticial component of all clubs' maintenance regimes.

June 11

There has been discussion of possible changes in the draw times for several curling leagues next season. An e-mail on this subject has been sent to all curlers on the e-mail list, asking for feedback. If you have not received the e-mail and are a curling member, please call Al Helmer in the Club Office to discuss these possible changes and make your opinion known.

The main possible changes are : Monday Businessmen to start at 5:15. Monday Night Men to start at 7:30. Both evening mixed leagues (Wed and Fri) to start at 6:30 p.m. and second draw then at 8:45 p.m.

June 9

Trailing by four shots entering the final round of play, Fred Aitken and Gary Doyle pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the 2008 Shier's Better Ball on Sunday. The team of Kyle Smith and Tim Johnson had opened the tournament with an awesome 64 in the first round, but ran into a few problem holes on Sunday, opening the door for the comeback. On the final hole of regulation play, Smith just missed from 14 feet, then watched as Aitken coaxed home a 10 foot birdie putt to give his team victory by a single stroke with a 4 under par total of 140. It was one of the most exciting finishes to the event in recent years. The team of Jennings and Back took the A flight net prize with a 121 net total.

The father and son team of Jim and Derek Dean won B flight gross with a total of 154, while Curtis and Morgan were net champs at 126. Shean Andresen and Mike Piui were low gross in the C flight with a 165 total, while the net winners were Main and Lazar with 128.

The over all net champions were Jerry Clifford and Rick Flagler who shot 58 and 59 net Saturday and Sunday, off gross better ball scores of 77/78. They also captured the John Shier prize for the low net score of the final round. A special long drive competition was held to mark the 10th anniversary of John Shier's untimely death, and was won by Mark Handrigan, who picked up a new Ping driver for his effort.

Adam Shier and Shier's Insurance have been great sponsors of this event over many years and the 2008 version was another tremendous success. And in a season of very adverse weather, Mother Nature finally gave the golfers a break with plenty of sun and no precipitation during three days of play.

June 7

Kyle Smith and Tim "Zach" Johnson lead the Shier's Two Man Better Ball after the completion of round one, after shooting a "lights out" 64 gross. Johnson lead the assault with 9 birdies, and an own ball score of 68. They bested playing partners Fred Aitken and Gary Doyle who rang up a smooth 68 of their own but still have a lot of ground to make up tomorrow.

With good scoring conditions the field took advantage of a soft South Muskoka course to post very low totals. The team of Clifford and Flagler have the net lead with an outstanding first round total of 14 under par 58.

Final round play gets underway at 9:30 tomorrow. With the course expected to be just as soft, plenty of birdies will be out there for teams looking to move up the leaderboard.

June 6

Junior golfers at South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club took part in the first ever Golfapalooza for Juniors on Monday at SMC&GC. The event was a fun day for Juniors who participated in a number of events centered around golf and other games. Lacrosse golf, basketball golf, soccer golf , and hockey golf were among the activities in Golfapalooza. Event organizers were very pleased with the turnout of over 80 junior and twenty adult volunteers for the first ever Golfapalooza. CPGA Assistant Golf Professional Erin Thorne stated , "For several years we have held the RJ'S Hair Studio Junior Skills Competition and it has been very enjoyable. However in recent years , we felt interest was fading and we were not getting the youngest golfers out. Golfapalooza allowed all ages to participate and have fun. We will definetly run Golfapalooza again next season" . In Golfapalooza , participants were placed on a team and went through a series of timed activities.

Following the Golfapalooza, the participants and volunteers were treated to a bbq complete with ice cream desert. Golfapalooza was made possible by the support of Tagwagi Golf and the Members' Golf Committee of South Muskoka C & GC.

Photo: Leighton Parrett cheered on by his team tries his hand at Lacrosse golf.

June 4

South Muskoka CPGA Assistant Professional Richard Ferraccioli led his team to a 2 stroke victory at the Dave Ellis Pro/Am held June 2nd at Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club in Port Carling. In his first trip to the event, Ferraccioli led his amateur team of Paul Fraser, Jim Fletts and Bob Niebert to a net best ball score of 17 under par, and he also captured one of the 7 skins prizes in the Pro Only competition.

The event has been held for the past 22 years in memory of former Muksoka Lakes G&CC golf professional Dave Ellis.

May 27

The Muskoka KIA Early Bird tournament took place Saturday in what seemed like the first sunshine of the entire 2008 golf season. And 118 players responded with some great shot-making and brilliant play.

Jason Hiley captured the Junior division with a round of 76, 4 shots ahead of Curtis Lang. Collegian Katie Broere won the Ladies, also with 76, 6 strokes clear of Debbie Todd who carded an 82.

The Men's Divisions were both close as Bill Lang's 1 over par 73 gave him the trophy ahead of Reed Lawson's 75, while John Acton captured the Senior Men's division with 3 over par, edging Bob Heath by a single shot.

This was Muskoka KIA's first year as sponsors and they were represented by the foursome of Paul and Ruby Erb with their guests Jim Kehl and Randy Doyle. Thanks to Paul and Muskoka KIA for their backing of this first member event of the 2008 season.

May 8

We are pleased to now make the Club's quarterly newsletter available on-line. To read the latest issue of South Muskoka News use the following link: Spring 2008 newsletter.

May 5

Although Saturday was a definite set-back, the club will open for the 2008 season on Tuesday morning, May 6th. Because the course remains quite wet, power carts must be kept on path only everywhere on the course, until further notice.

A few greens had minor amounts of snow mould this spring, which is now healing in the warmer temperatures. Damage from skunks and racoons diggging at grubs is the most serious problem, leaving quite large areas of ripped up turf in several places around the course, thankfully mostly in the rough.

A spring greens fee rate will be in effect until May 16th - $48 for 18 holes and $24 for 9. There is no twilight or sunset rate in this period. Regular cart rates apply. We look forward to seeing all members and other regular players soon.

April 7

The 2008 Club Championships wound up last Friday night with 4 well-curled final games. The event was again generously sponsored by Claudette Bass of Homelife Real Estate, ServiceMaster of Muskoka (Tim and Wanda Skinner), and Brian Jacques Law Office. Sixteen teams began the competition Tuesday night for titles in Mens, Womens, Mixed and Open divisions.

This year the championship week also included the Cavalcade Ford Hot Shots competition, won by Gerry Carriere (Mens) and Sue Larose Lorenzini (Womens) . Ted Gardner and Nathan Guy placed second and third, while Ruth Smith came second in Womens, followed by Mary Luke & Angela Ghikadis tied for third. All received great prizes compliments of Cavalcade Ford Lincoln and the Curling Committee.

In the Women's Division Sue Larose-Lorenzini continued her hot shooting and skipped Joan Gray, Sandy Gardiner and Lindsay Wilson to victory over Carol Wilson's rink, with Carol Smith, Gail Aggett and Louise Kirbyson. The Mixed Title was won by last year's champion Lee Maw, with Jenn Josiak, Jeff Gilbert and Casey Guy. They defeated Joanne Buie's team of husband Archie, and Larry and Jan Ringler. This was Larry and Jan's first season of curling, and they acquitted themselves very well in reaching the Club final game.

Ken Guy put another Men's title in his trophy case, supported by Tim Skinner, "Hot Shot" Carriere, and Brian Jacques. They defeated Pierre Belanger, Gary Vautier, Bob McNabb and James Telford (also a new curler). The Open Division went to another former winner as Tyler Lockhart skipped Adam Wallace, Jim Fitzgerald and Nathan Guy to victory over Rob Fitzpatrick, Earl Fagin, Steve Storoschuk and Douglas Cross. Lockhart Wallace & Guy won the same title in the 2005-06 season. All of the games of the week put a fine cap on the 2007-08 season at the Club.

April 7

Robyne Gardner skipped her team to the trophy at this year's Spring Fling, this past Saturday. She edged past Casey Guy's team from the opposite draw by less than 1 point. The Millie Martin team won the coveted tee shirt prize, awarded annually to the team finishing last in the standings of the two game event. They nipped past a very disappointed Mary Whittaker rink. Neil Beausoleil was the lucky winner of the 50/50 draw.

The Spring Fling is a charitable fundraiser and this year's event continued a great tradition of success and support for local causes. Over $ 3,500 was raised for the Trust Fund to aid Aaron Lillie, a young Bracebridge man with a serious spinal injury from a swimming accident last summer. Thanks to sponsor Desjardins Securities and all donors, and congratulations to bonspiel organizer and "committee of one", Mary Whittaker.

April 7

Nathan Guy knows his curling! He was the only member to correctly answer all questions on the Club Championships Trivia Quiz, and he takes home the two-part grand prize for his efforts.

The first part of his prize is a lifetime pass for South Muskoka's new swimming pool complex, and the second part is a $50 gift certificate towards his curling dues for the 2008-09 season.

Tim Kuehn and Robyne Gardner were just behind Guy in the contest with a single incorrect answer each.

Answers to the more difficult questions are as follows: TV broadcast expert Ray Turnbull was the lead on the first Canadian team to lose at the World Championships (in 1965); Manitoba has won the most Briers, with 26 to date, including 8 of the first 12 - second is Alberta with 23; Watson, Baldwin, Northcott and Richardson all won the Brier at least three times. Thanks to all participants and good luck next year!

March 31

For the first time in its long history the field at the Sportsmens Bonspiel included a national champion team, as Thomas Dufour and Team France were the featured five-some of the 2008 event. Dufour and his rink will compete next week in the Men's World Championships, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They will be trying to improve on last year's 6-5 won/loss record, when they lost a tie-breaker game to Sweden's Peja Lindholm and just missed the Page Playoff.

Dufour's team plays a strong game but was upset in the 3rd draw by South Muskoka's Archie Buie who then went on to capture the A event and the Muskoka Mechanical Services trophy, defeating Doug Miilar of Milton in a last rock nail-biter.

Dufour roared back from the loss to down Bill Arnold of Orillia and then capture the B Final and Muskoka KIA trophy with a convincing 6-end win over Barry Moylan's team from Annandale CC in Ajax. Dufour finished the bonspiel with a 4-1 record, the single loss coming in the game against Buie.

Adam Wallace stole in an extra end to win the C Event championship over Bill Harrison of Woodville, and received the Gagnon's YIG trophy for his efforts.

In the D final, a third South Muskoka team was victorious as Steve Cooke defeated Matt Cook of Tam Heather in another well-curled, close game, and took home the Labatt Trophy.

The Sportsmen's marks the end of the mens bonspiel season at the Club and always provides excellent games and great shot-making. The addition of Dufour's French champion team was the definite highlight of the 2008 event and the Club and the bonspiel committee prepared a great welcome for the five foreign curlers and their Quebecois Coach Andre Ferland. The Town of Bracebridge and the Club partnered with Hammond Corporate Apparel to produce custom shirts and hats for the team, featuring Town and Club logos along with the French flag.

Team France begins the 2008 World event against China this coming Saturday in Grand Forks, ND. Watch for television coverage on "bold" the former CBC Country Canada II television station.

March 25

As of 5:05 pm today, March 25th, tonight's Ladies and Industrial League curling draws will proceed as scheduled. No games have been cancelled at this time.

March 4

Three South Muskoka members have reached the Ontario provincial curling finals!

Jessica Lyall is playing with the Scott Brandon team out of Coldwater in the Bantam Mixed finals to be played at Midland March 26th-29th.

Jenn (Mooij) Josiak has qualified in the Tim Horton's Trophy event with the Susan Froud rink out of Alliston and will compete March 19th -22nd in Bancroft.

And Jeff Gilbert is going back to the finals again in the Men's Intermediate event with Al Corbeil from Alliston. They qualified in 2007-08, and will play again this year, March 12th-15th in Penetang. Congratulations, good luck and good curling to all!

March 3

Mark and Judy Hillman teamed with Nathan and Casey Guy to win the 2008 Labatt Mixed bonspiel on Saturday. They just edged out Bruce White's rink, and in doing so "won" the right to organize next year's event.

The Labatt is an annual affair that began under the sponsorship of Gilbey's International. Thanks to John Neeve and Labatt for their continued support. This year's bonspiel was run by Robert & Nancy Kinsman with John and Cathy Hughes. They did a fine job with a fun Hawaii theme for the day and several "tropical" costumes on the ice.

February 25

The changing of the guard in South Muskoka curling was in full swing this past weekend as 21 year-old Andrew Kuehn teamed with younger brother Brandon, Ken Terry, and "Old" Tom Morrison to win the A Event and the Ecclestone Trophy in the Men's Muskoka Lakes bonspiel. The former Junior members defeated Wayne Watkins of Huntsville to cap their undefeated run in the three day event.

In the other finals of the bonspiel, guest Doug Johnson of Keswick defeated Port Carling's Ed Wilson rink for the B Event championship and the Borntraeger trophy. Baysville's Bob Lacroix bested another Port Carling entry, lead by Ted Daglish, in the C Division and received the Book Trophy for his efforts. And convenor Ted Gardner won the D Event and the Duke Brothers trophy when he downed Basil Coote of Huntsville.

Teams skipped by Bruce White, Ken Guy, Carl Seymour, and Mike Michalski captured prizes in the "turkey" flights.

Originating in the 1930s, this bonspiel is one of the longest running events in the province. This year 32 teams from around Muskoka competed at 5 clubs over 3 days, leading up to the finals at South Muskoka Saturday night.

February 22

Skip Thomas Dufour will lead his French championship team of Vice Tony Angiboust, brothers Jan and Richard Ducroz, and alternate Raphael Mathieu in to the Sportsmen's Bonspiel at South Muskoka March 28-30. The team will be using this competition as one of several tune up events before they compete at the Ford Mens World Championships in North Dakota in early April.

The team confirmed their entry to Bonspiel organizer Jay Houston earlier this month. "We have always had strong curling in the Sportsmen's event" said Houston, "but we can't recall ever having a national champion team compete, so we are all really looking forward to their participation. We know they are working to sharpen their games as they lead into the Worlds competition. We hope we give them some good games, and that they will have some fun here as well."

The Sportsmens begins on Friday March 28th, and Dufour's team will play on the first draw at 5:00 pm. Two more draws follow on Friday night at 7:00 and 9:00. The round-robin portion of the event continues with 6 draws on Saturday. On Sunday 16 of the original 24 teams will begin a single knockout playdown for four trophies, with the final games slated for 2:00 pm Sunday afternoon. Entry is free and spectators are welcome. A solid sponsorship group is responsible for the high quality of this event, lead by Muskoka Mechanical Services, Labatt Breweries, Gagnon's Independent Grocer, and KIA of Muskoka.

For more information contact Jay Houston at 645-1417.

February 11

Ken Fay and Nancy Whitty teamed with Nancy's brother and niece, Murray Fischer and Julie Brahaney, to win the top prize in the 2008 Muskoka Lakes Association Mixed bonspiel at South Muskoka this past weekend. They won all three games, including their final game over the Curtis/Stewart team from Ajax.

Also winning three games and claiming the Indianhead Harbour Trophy was the Ron Perrier rink, with wife Pauline, and Robyne and Ted Gardner.

The MLA Mixed is a long-running event at South Muskoka, and is sponsored by the Association, Indianhead, Michael & Margie Michalski, as well as Muskoka Containerized Services. All teams played 1 game at the Port Carling Curling Club, and 2 at South Muskoka, followed by dinner, prizes and a dance at the Club. Convenor Jay Houston did another stellar job running the two day event, and Lisa Cooke again arranged an outstanding prize table to reward the most successful teams.

January 31

John MacInnis scored a rare 8-ender this afternoon in Mixed League play. His team included Vice Harold Roberts, second Walter Poulstrup and lead Ron Broadworth. After counting the perfect end in the 4th to go up 9 to 6, MacInnis had to score 2 in the final end to secure the victory over a stubborn team that almost scratched back for the win but would prefer to remain nameless.

This is the first 8-ender in a few years at South Muskoka. Congratulations go out to John and his team-mates.

January 21

The annual Molson Mens Bonspiel on Saturday January 19th was a hotly contested affair with 14 teams competing through 3 draws. It turned out the final game of the day decided the winner, with Tim Kuehn prevailing over Brian Hough to win his third game and rack up a total of 43 points.

The Kuehn team dug themselves a large hole against Hough when they gave up a steal of 4 in the third, but rallied to score 3 in the final end to tie. In the tie-breaker Kuehn calmly draw the button while Hough's shot came up just 2 inches off.

Robert Kinsman's team placed second, also winning three times but coming up a little short on points. In third place was the Baysville Curling Club team lead by Bob Lacroix.

The Molsons is a long-running event at South Muskoka, and the 2008 edition was one of the best, a testament to organizer David Thomson and his committee of 2 - Scott Clayton & Jennifer Thomson.

January 7

Carol Wilson ran the table on Saturday, counting 37.5 points of a possible 42 to win the first Denise Parise Memorial Bonspiel. Wilson had a comfortable 6 point margin over Robyne Gardner who was the high two game winner, opposite draw.

This bonspiel honours the memory of Denise Parise, a long-time member of our club and great friend, who passed away a year ago after a battle with cancer. The day was a fitting tribute, with some great curling, lots of fun and laughter, and a few Mud Slides consumed, in between Coors Lights.

Sponsors for the day were KwikKopy Muskoka, Home Depot, Wabora Japanese Fusion restaurant, Baill Consulting, Norwood Theatre and S.A.S. Home & Gifts. Thanks to Andree Baillargeon and her committee for putting together this inaugural event.

November 28

With the Christmas season fast approaching, there are some important calendar dates upcoming.

The Voting Members Annual General Meeting is on Saturday December 15th, in the clubhouse, at 1:00 pm.

Our Christmas brunch follows on Sunday December 16th. The 11:00 a.m. seating is full, but there are still some tables available in the 1:00 pm seating.

The Ladies curling luncheon is Tuesday December 18th at noon, and the Senior Men's Bonspiel is Wednesday the 19th.

The Club will be closed for the holidays from Saturday December 22nd until Wednesday morning, January 2nd. Merry Christmas, best of the season, and Happy New Year to all.

October 2

The first ever Ping Webby Golf Junior Invitational was held Sunday September 30th, and Jeffrey Gardner emerged as the Champion. Adam Frederick shot the low gross round of the event. Runner up was Logan Schell. Ping and Webby Golf Inc were the main sponsors, but strongly supported by the Tagwagi Committee, Platinum Poultry, the Golf Committee and the Board of Directors, who donated 2 Junior memberships for 2008. The lucky winners of those were Jaylene Holmes and Robert Greavette.

October 1

2005 winners Brian Jacques and Terry Nicholls returned to the winner's circle of the Finale again this year with a net score of 64.10, less than a quarter of a shot ahead of Fred Aitken and Jamie Hopkins. In the Men's Second Division, Doug Dureen and Lawrence Cutting teamed up for a 63.80, well ahead of the second place pairing of John Drohan and Brian Glennie who recorded 67.45.

In the Ladies Division Carol Wilson and Kathy Kent just edged out Beth Galbraith and Olga Fleming, 75.05 to 75.15, a very close contest. The Mixed champions are Brent and Cheryl Morrison who carded 63.85, ahead of second place finishers Rick and Sue Nelson.

In the year-end presentations Michael Ball was presented with the Doug Leonard Award for best exemplifying the spirit of Men's Night, through regular and enthusiastic participation and his always positive outlook. Winner of the Scott Self award was David Lawson (combination of academics and golf skills) and the new Bill Fleming award winner was Graham Finch. The Fleming award is in recognition of Bill's long involvement with our Junior golfers, and his contribution to the development of so many boys and girls.

September 28

Dick Schliwa shot 76 to edge Ken Fay by 2 shots and win the Bill Wood Memorial Trophy for the Seniors' Fall Classic at South Muskoka Thursday. Debbie Todd captured the Ladies Division, shooting 85, while her husband Jim won the Super Senior Men's category with an 82.

Doug McCulloch won the Men's Low Net with even par 72 and Bev Howard claimed the Ladies title with a net 65. Ed Chuter was first low net in Super Senior Men with a 5under par 67.

All players enjoyed a great dinner and prize presentations after play.

September 21

Neophyte golfer Lucy Taylor of Whitby took a 10 minute lesson before the start of the BMO Northern Ontario District Golf Tournament yesterday, and proceeded to record a hole-in-one on the fourth hole, and with that stroke won a $10,000 cash prize sponsored by the Muskoka local BMO branches. CPGA Assistant Professional Rich Ferraccioli, who gave Taylor her lesson, is the teaching pro at South Muskoka and has had a busy summer with both individual and group lessons, as well as Junior golf camps.

As part of the full tournament service package at South Muskoka, Ferraccioli provides swing tips on the practice range as players warm up before play. Taylor was obviously a quick study, winning only the second major hole in one prize in the thirty-four years of tournament play at the Club!!

September 11

The 2007 Junior & Senior Championship held Monday September 10th was a wet affair with light rain falling through most of the competition. The weather failed to dampen the spirits of the almost 100 adults and juniors who took part in the 9 hole alternate shot event.

Aaron Hammond and Judy Thorne emerged as the champions with a net score of 3 under par 33, a slim one shot margin over Kirsten MacDougall who was teamed with Thorne's husband Rick! A logjam of 9 teams tied for 3rd at 35. The Low Gross prize went to Chad and Dan Nicholson with a 1 over par 37, a great score for the difficult conditions.

The Junior and Senior is one of the longest running events at the Club and has been generously sponsored for several years by David & Rosie Smith, owners of Persimmon Golf Management. The Club and our junior golfers are grateful for their strong support.

September 10

Mike Morrow of Port Carling shot 75 on Saturday to win the low gross title at the 2007 Tagwagi tournament held at South Muskoka. The day started off with a fine misty rainfall but cleared early in the morning, and provided everyone with a glorious Muskoka fall day. Shawn Andresen claimed the Low Net prize, with a score of 70.

In the Ladies Division, Marilyn Walsh was Low Gross at 85, while Elissa Thompson claimed Net honours with a 74.

This year a Junior Tagwagi event was held on Monday September 3rd, and Jason Hiley won low gross while David Lawson earned the net prize.

In addition to the scoring titles, Tagwagi has a few special awards to recognize outstanding participants. Doug Dureen won the memorial "Spirit of Tagwagi" award for 2007. The Scott Self award, to recognize achievement in both golf and academics, was won by David Lawson. And a new award to recognize the outstanding volunteer spirit of member Bill Fleming was awardedby the Tagwagi tournament committee to Graham Finch - to recognize his attitude, effort, enthusiasm and participation in the Tagwagi Junior golf division.

August 28

Lori Fay defended her title as Ladies Club Champion, as she shot 84 and 85 this past weekend to edge Debbie Todd by three strokes. Todd captured the Ladies Net title at 6 over par 150.

The Club Championships this year were sponsored by Desjardins Securities and took place Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26. Saturday's wet weather proved a challenge for all players, but Sunday's sunshine and gentle breeze was perfect for golf.

The Men's "A" Flight was a very close competition with Kip Phillips emerging as the Champion with a fine score of 1 under par 143, a single stroke ahead of Bill Lang and Jeff Whittle who were both even par for the weekend. Bryan Beeson captured "A" Flight Net with 7 under par 137. In the Men's "B" Flight Bruce Lawson scored 166 to best Bruce Robinson by a shot, who had to settle for the Low Net prize at 141.

A very steady Jim O'Neil posted rounds of 75 and 76 to take the Senior Men's Low Gross title after Bob Heath encountered some round 2 problems and slipped back in the standings. Norm Quenneville won the Low Net with a score of 143. The Senior Ladies champion was June Church while Low Net went to Bev Howard with a 150 net score. There was also a Super Senior Men's category in this year's event, captured by Ken Major who shot an outstanding 74 on Saturday and then cruised to victory Sunday with a 162 total. Dr. Richard Carruthers was the Super Senior Men's Low Net winner with a score of 4 under par 140.

August 16

Christmas came early to South Muskoka this past weekend as the 5th Annual Greavette Mixed Member & Guest tournament took place with a "White Christmas" theme. In a clubhouse deocrated for the Christmas season over 90 enthusiastic golfers re-hashed their games while they enjoyed a turkey dinner complete with short bread cookies, shared with the stars of the show, Santa and Mrs. Claus.

And a little golfing took place as well, as 23 teams of 2 men and 2 women each played in a double pairs format, for 6 holes of alternate shot, 6 holes of scramble and 6 holes of net better ball. The team of Dave & Cheryll Stott with Bev and Dick Howard emerged as the overall champions of the day, continuing the event's tradition of first time winners. There have been no repeat champions in the 5 year history of the event, testimony to the difficulty of the format.

First place in the Buick flight went to the team of Drew and Janet Watson with Tim & Linda Bryant. In the Cadillac flight the title went to Jesse and Ricky Sandhu who partnered with Sue Nelson and Brent Dickson.

This event is strongly supported by Greavette Motors. While Bill was unable to play due to injury, both Tim and Glenn, Anita and Diana all played and took their part in the festivities. Their great support over the years has built a great tradition and made the event a truly memorable day. Mark your calendar for the 2008 Greavette at South Muskoka, to be held on August 8 & 9.

July 5

We are delighted to announce the opening of the re-built putting and chipping practice green. Get out that mallet and groove your stroke!! As the surface is pure bent grass it will have some speed difference compared to most of the greens on the course, but it will certainly be much more useful as a practice area than in the past. Enjoy!

June 24

Early Bird champion Terry Nicholls continued a very successful 2007 season, teaming up with Brian Jacques, Ken Major and Michael Ball to shoot an eye-popping 15 under par and win the Porky & Rocket Revenge Scramble. The outstanding score provided a 5 shot margin over their nearest rivals, three teams tied at 10 under par.

Sheila Burgess, Kathy Kent, Carol Wilson and Cheryl Tough took home the Ladies Division trophy for the second year in a row with a narrow two stroke victory over the second place team. And the Mixed title was won with a great score of 11 under par 61 by Sue and Rick Nelson, who partnered with Brian Dickson and Jesse Sandhu.

This event is held annually to honour the memories of our outstanding former members George (Porky) Mann and Dale (Rocket) Sander. The emphasis is always on fun, friendship and great golf, and the 2007 version was no exception, including one team who were all Elvis impersonators .

In a new twist, Kate Kaye and Kath Sander sponsored a contest for the team most in need of a "Rocket Wardrobe Makeover", won by "Porky's Picks" - Joan & Jacquie Mann, Patti Reid and Kathy Lawson. They took home a stylish selection of golf shirts to improve their look at next year's event.

Thanks to Joan, Greg & Jacqui Mann, John Marsden, the Sanders and Kayes for their sponsorship and participation.

June 14

The practice putting green has now been re-built, to USGA specifications, and the new sod was laid last Thursday. This will be a major improvement for the club, as the old green had some steeply sloped sections that offered little practice value. As a result of those steep slopes, all practice tended to be concentrated on the more level section and the traffic there was very high and hard on the turf.

The new green and surrounding chipping areas were designed by Greg Rimmington, Ken Fay and Kim Vine, with Ken and Kim handling virtually all of the construction. Sod was supplied and installed by Zander Sod of Newmarket, and the installation took a total of about 5 hours.

The seams are knitting nicely now and we expect to open the new facility in the first week of July.

June 4

Former Junior member Kyle Smith and his partner Tim Johnson made birdie on the first playoff hole to upset defending champs Rick Nelson and John Handrigan in the final round of the Shier's Better Ball played Sunday. Both teams matched their first round scores of 6 under 66 on a day that featured cooler temperatures, but tricky winds that pushed most teams to higher scores than round 1.

The overall net title was won by Andrew Shennan and Kyle Emms, with a great score of 122. Guy Hutcheson and Mark Curtis took home the John Shier Trophy for the lowest net in Sunday's round, at 58.

The Deer Fly Flight was won by Fred Aitken and Gary Doyle with a gross score of 8 over par 152, while Hutcheson and Curtis were low net at 124. The team of Wayne Court and Paul Evans captured low gross in the Mosquito Flight at 166 and the net prize there was won by Mike Puiu and Bob Kelly with a 126.

The event was again generously sponsored by Adam Shier and Shier's Insurance Brokers. A great crew of volunteers made everything run smoothly from the opening shots of Friday's practice round thru the final prize presentations on Sunday afternoon. Thanks to Bill Fleming, Brian Galbraith, Judy Thorne, and Katie Thorne for giving so much time of their weekend to ensure another succesfull Shiers tournament at South Muskoka.

June 3

The defending champion team of John Handrigan and Rick Nelson have a share of the lead after round one of the Shier's Better Ball. They were joined at 6 under par 66 by Stephen Thomson and Patrick Kirby, plus the phone book team of Smith and Johnson. John Jennings Jr and Eric Back have the net scoring lead at 57, 15 under par.

Perennial contenders Eric Faulkner and Mike Hansen top the second flight with 76 while three teams are tied for the net lead at 62. In the 3rd flight Gary Morgan and John Kelly are in first place after scoring 82 and Jim Doddington and Don Stroud recorded the best net score in the flight, at 11-under 61.

Early forecasts of wet weather mid-day have given way to clearer skies and the possibility of rain later in the day. Stay tuned for final results from this great tournament.

May 27

Terry Nicholls two putted for par on the first hole to win a three-way sudden death playoff with Bill Lang and Dave Allen and claim the Men's title in the 2007 Early Bird tournament. All three recorded excellent scores of 2 over par 74 on a day that featured punishing rough and tricky winds.

Jason Hiley shot the low round of the day and won the Junior Division with an outstanding 1 over par 73, while Katie Thorne claimed the championship of the Women's Division.

The Early Bird marks the opening of the South Muskoka members schedule and has been sponsored for several years by Kathy & Reed Lawson and RJ's hair Studio Inc. They did another outstanding job this year with a great prize table to reward many of the field of over 100 enthusiastic golfers.

May 9

The 2007 season is now well underway and the golf course is in great spring condition. Restrictions on power carts were lifted a few days ago as the wetter areas have firmed up nicely.

Special spring rates will remain in effect until and including Friday May 18th - just $46 for 18 holes, or $23 for 9, power cart extra.

If you encounter any difficulties with our new booking systems, either the online or phone versions, give us a call at the office or Pro Shop and we'll help you complete your reservation.

May 1

The Club will open for the 2007 golf season on Wednesday May 2nd. While the course is in excellent condition for this time of the spring season, some areas remain a little spongy and power carts will be Path Only until further notice.

Tee Time reservations will be required from Friday May 4th onward, but not for May 2 or 3. If you wish you may call the Pro Shop to check for tee time availability before you come to the club Wednesday or Thursday.

Our tee time reservation system is new and improved. Times may be booked on the automated telephone system at the same numbers - 645-8472 or 800-595-0155. You may also book on-line at www.drivetheball.com. There is a link to this site on the home page of our Club website www.southmuskoka.com.

The booking window is unchanged - you may book at 10:00 pm this Friday for play next Friday. To use the on-line booking feature, Club members require a 4 digit password and their South Muskoka member ID number. Green fee players enter their phone and credit card information. There are some changes in the phone system, and if you need any assistance, with either phone or on-line service, please call the Club office or Pro Shop.

We hope to see you all soon.

April 20

The warmer weather of the past few days makes our May 4th target opening date seem much more reasonable and attainable, and we will open earlier if conditions permit.

Special spring rates will be in effect from opening day until Friday May 18th. 18 hole rounds will be just $46 plus power cart. 9 hole rounds will be $23. These rates include applicable taxes.

Frequent players are reminded of our spring green fee sale which runs until Monday May 21st. The "Green Fees" section of this website has all the details.

April 8

The 2006-07 curling season came to a successful close last Thursday night with the title games played in four divisions - Men's, Ladies, Open and Mixed. The Championship playdowns were again generously sponsored by Claudette Bass of Homelife Real Estate, the law office of Brian Jacques, with Wanda & Tim Skinner of ServiceMaster of Muskoka.

Brenda Rynard edged out Carol Wilson in a very close Ladies final game. Lee Maw's team defeated Ron Perrier's rink for the Mixed Championship. In the Open Division two of the top teams all season long squared off, with Ken Guy downing Ken Fay. Steve Cooke repeated as the Men's Division Champion, handing rookie Brandon Kuehn his first defeat of the week. Look for Brandon to be back in these championships many times in future.

The 2006-07 season featured a great complement of club and invitational bonspiels. The Club also hosted the Ontario Curling Association Regional Men's playdown, won by the Glenn Howard rink, who then went on to win the Ontario and Canadian Championships, and today will compete in the championship game of the Mens World Curling competition.

The Club extends thanks to all of the volunteers who serve on the Curling Committee, serve as drawmasters, run bonspiels, and assist with clinics or the junior curling programme. Volunteers make the club's programmes the success that they are. South Muskoka is also indebted to the many companies and individuals who sponsor our leagues or donate to support bonspiels.

This year those sponsors included Ford of Canada, and Cavalcade Ford Lincoln, who introduced the country-wide "Hot Shots" programme to test the shooting skills of club curlers. Some lucky person will win a 2 year lease of a Ford Edge, and one curling club will receive a $5,000 cash prize, as a result of this competition. The South Muskoka Hot Shots champ was Greg Corbett.

The Club is now gearing up for the 2007 golf season, expected to open May 4th.

April 2

The Spring Fling ladies bonspiel was held on Saturday March 31 and was another resounding success. The Spring Fling signals the end of the curling season, and gives all participants a great day of fun and foolishness, including the infamous draw the button WITH YOUR SKIP ON A TRAY contest.

Each year the event donates its net proceeds to a local charitable group and this year $2,000 was given to support Interval House, Bracebridge's safe haven for women and children escaping troubled relationships.

This year the organizers also donated $750 to purchase a seat in the new Rene Caisse performing arts centre in memory of Denise Parise. Denise was an avid curler, longtime member at South Muskoka, and a Spring Fling regular. She passed away in March after a battle with cancer, and will be sorely missed by all of the staff, her friends, and her team-mates at the Club.

Congratulations to all curlers and thanks to the generous donors and sponsors of the 'spiel, and also to Mary Whittaker for doing another great job organizing the event.

March 27

South Muskoka member and staffer Erin Thorne shot 79-74 to finish 9th, and her University of Western Michigan Broncos team took 1st place overall at the NCAA tournament at William & Mary University this past weekend. It was the Broncos third tournament of the season, and their first victory. Thorne's room-mate won the individual title in the event, however Erin reports that she continues to hold a slight edge in scoring average for the year. Way to go Hammer !!

March 27

Mike Mumford of the Tam Heather Curling Club defeated Annandale's Bill Buffey to win the Muskoka Mechanical Services trophy and top prize in the 2007 Sportsmen' Bonspiel this past weekend. Mumford engineered a steal of 3 in the fifth end to break open a tight game and then ran Buffey out of rocks in the 8th for the victory.

Dundas Granite's Gerry McGill won the B title and the Muskoka Kia Trophy with an exciting extra end win over newcomer Mike Dorey from the Guelph Curling Club. It also took extra ends for South Muskoka's Steve Cooke to claim the C title over Todd Martin of Thornhill, and the trophy sponsored by Gagnon's YIG. Martin had tied the game with a great draw to the button to score one in the 8th end, and just missed scoring thw winning second point on a measure, but was unable to steal in the extra end.

Another South Muskoka team, led by skip Ron Perrier, won the final "D" trophy event with a convincing 6 end win over Gerry Pinkney's rink out of the Annandale club in Ajax.

The Sportsmen's bonspiel features some of the most competitive men's curling of the South Muskoka season, and the 2007 edition was no different, with close games the rule all weekend, and several good teams eliminated from play after the Saturday round robin. Bonspiel convenor Jay Houston, ably assisted by Brian Howden, did a great job organizing the draws, contests, and the prize table.

March 6

Robert and Nancy Kinsman teamed with John and Cathy Hughes to win the Labatt Mixed at the Club this past Saturday March 3rd. With their victory they earn the right to run the bonspiel in 2008!!

This year's organizers were Joe and Louise MacNeil, who won in 2006 with an out of town couple on their team, who were unable to help them with the 2007 event. But Joe and Louise did a great job anyway, assisted by Judy Hillman, and the day was a great success.

There was a country and western theme to the 2007 event which carried right through to the music for the dance, provided by DJ Ted "Sprain an Ankle" Gardner. Good luck to the Kinsman/Hughes team in trying to top this one next year!

February 26

The 2007 Men's Muskoka Lakes Bonspiel came to a successful close on Saturday at South Muskoka. This is one of the oldest events at the Club, originating in the 1930's, and features teams from around the Muskoka region playing at various rinks over the course of three days. This year 32 teams played at 5 clubs - Bala, Baysville, MacTier, Port Carling, and South Muskoka.

Ron Perrier went undefeated through the event and topped the Doug Cross rink to win the "A" Championship and the Ecclestone trophy. The Helmer family team, bolstered by import Rob Schmidt, claimed the Borntraeger Trophy and the "B" title, with a win over the Art Lawler rink. Carl Seymour from Huntsville edged Gary McCullough of Bala in the "C" Division final game, and received the Book trophy, while newcomer Andrew Kuehn bested Brian Jacques for "D" Division and the Duke trophy.

Organizer Ted Gardner, assisted by Dave Forth, did an excellent job arranging the draws and a great selection of prizes from Fresh Kutz in Bracebridge. Prizes were awarded to all runners up plus 2 teams each in the E and F "Turkey" Divisions. Next year's event is slated for February 21-23, so make your plans early.

February 15

The 2007 golf season at South Muskoka will feature an exciting new package for smaller tournaments. Beginning this year, groups of 12-48 green fee players can book a block of tee times and have a great steak BBQ after play from just $89 per player for 18 holes, or $54 for a 9 hole event. The package features no limit advance booking, so you can plan your outing and reserve your times well in advance.

Prices include all regular tournament services such as cart and sponsor recognition signs, Pro Shop scoring, closest to and long drive competitions, and all taxes and gratuities for our famous steak BBQ dinner. Some restrictions apply, so call the office at 645-4221 to get all the details, or email Al Helmer at gm@southmuskoka.com.

February 15

The Port Carling team of Doug and Kim Clendenan, Lorna MacFarlane and Bill Dedrick claimed the 2007 MLA Mixed championship at South Muskoka on February 10. They just edged out the team of Albin Hauck, Sheryl Goldthorp, Rob Hauck and Sandy Gardiner who had to settle for second place and the Indianhead Harbour trophy.

This 45th annual version of event took place February 9 and 10 at both South Muskoka and Port Carling curling clubs, and featured 12 Bracebridge teams and an equal number from Ajax, Newmarket, Orillia, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Port Carling and Thornhill.

The MLA Mixed receives great support from the title sponsor, the Muskoka Lakes Association, as well as from its participating sponsors Michalski Nielsen Associates, Muskoka Containerized Services, and Indianhead Harbour.

Bonspiel convenor Jay Houston was pleased with the turnout, the calibre of the competition, and the great sportsmanship and camaraderie of the event. All teams enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and dance at South Muskoka to wind up the event Saturday evening. Mark your calendars for next years event - February 8 & 9, 2008.

January 25

Whip Moore added Gary Russwurm to his Thornhill rink, and the local knowledge paid off as they went on to capture first place in last weekend's Molsons Men's curling bonspiel. Moore is a frequent visitor at South Muskoka, and a great supporter of the Club. He is a regular participant in the annual Sportsmen's Bonspiel, coming up in late March, as well as an avid golfer.

Congratulations and thanks to Dave "Committee of One" Thomson for doing a great job organizing the 'spiel, and to Joe Hawley of Molsons for his continuing strong support of this annual event.

January 14

In the B Final of the OCA Men's Region 3 TSC Tankard playdowns today, Greg Balsdon of Guelph broke open a tight 3-2 game with a steal of 3 in the 5th end, to take a 6-2 lead. Barrie's Cory Heggestad remained patient, blanking the 6th and 7th to retain hammer, but had to settle for just a deuce in the 8th. Balsdon came right back to score 2 in the 9th, and then ran Heggestad out of rocks for an 8-4 victory and a trip to the Ontario Finals in Sarnia.

In Saturday's draw, favourite Glenn Howard of Coldwater & District CC ran the table to claim the "A" title, including an 8-2 abbreviated four end victory over Heggestad in the final.

November 24

CPGA Head Golf Professional Ron Webb announced today that Richard Ferraccioli will join the staff for the 2007 golf season, replacing Ian Hogg who is moving on. We wish Ian all the best in his career and thank him for his time here at South Muskoka.

Rich joins South Muskoka from The Club at Bondhead where he had been Assistant Professional for two seasons. He is a graduate of the Georgian College Professional Golf Management programme and will be writing his final CPGA exam shortly. Rich had also worked at the Pheasant Run Golf Club, Newmarket.

In addition to his normal pro shop duties Richard will be delivering individual and group lessons, as well as Junior golf camps.

November 13

The Great Christmas Golf sale is underway again this year at South Muskoka. What better gift for those hard-to-buy-for people than golf passes at South Muskoka, the best golf value in Muskoka!

For a limited time you can purchase transferable passes (may be used by anyone) in packages of 2, 4 or 8 rounds. Some examples - 2 X 9 holes just $52, 4 X twilight rounds only $146, or how about 8 X 18 holes for the unbelievably low price of just $398, all taxes included.

To ensure delivery by Christmas this sale ends on Friday December 15, so get your orders in soon by calling Teresa at 705-645-4221 Ext 222 or faxing details to us at 705-645-1679. Credit card orders are accepted and there is no limit on the number of rounds or packages you may purchase. These passes are not just for gift giving - members can use them for their guests too!

November 1

The 2006-07 curling season officially began with the first rock thrown by the Senior Men's league at 9:30 a.m. on Monday October 30th. There is no truth to the rumour that it was hogged because the ice is slow.

Although there may still be the odd vacancy in some leagues, registration is essentially closed now and most leagues have evened out their teams and set the schedule for the first draw. If you haven't registered yet, please call the office to check on availability before completing your registration form. There is always room in the daytime Senior Men's Leagues and the Thursday Afternoon Mixed where weekly attendance is optional. Good curling!

The new "Stick" league did not get off the ground with a very low registration, insufficient to form even a part league. We are surprised at this as it seems to be catching on in other communities, but for now the launch has been deferred and we will try again another year.

October 6

The Board of Directors of the Club is composed of ten voting members, elected for a two year term at the Annual General Meeting held in December of each year. Five Directors are elected each year. The following Directors have one year remaining on their current terms on the Board: Jamie Hopkins, Candace Thwaites, Julie White, David Ruttle, and Kevin Chilvers.

The terms of the following Directors expire this year and they will be seeking re-election with the endorsement of the Board: Richard Kealey.

To fill the 4 vacancies on the Board, the Nominating Committee has recommended the election of: Rob Burgess, Bricie Boothby, David Finch and Stephen Roche.

Members wishing to nominate additional candidates for election must submit the name of the candidate to the Secretary, supported by the signatures of at least 15 voting members, at least 30 days prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting. The 2006 Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Sunday December 10th.

October 2

On a day that featured cool temperatures and threatening clouds, the Club wound up the 2006 season with the Finale, a 2 player handicapped scramble.

Lori MacDonald and Sue Hall won the Ladies Division, and the team of Annette Allen and Bricie Boothby placed second. Rob & Sheila Burgess won the Mixed Division shooting a gross 71, net 66.2, just edging Earl Fagin and Judith Barker by a tenth of a stroke!

The Men's A Flight was also extremely close as Gary Zunker and Brian Dickson recorded 62.7 vs the 63.1 carded by Bryan Beeson and Dave Allen. B Flight was captured by Dan Beadry and Trevor Murphy with 70.9, while second place went to Steve Peters and newcomer Blair McLaren.

The event put a fine cap on the 2006 members' schedule with the traditional NY Striploin steak BBQ after play. However, we are still looking forward to a few more weeks of great fall golf and we have now moved to fall green fee rates - it's twilight all the time !!

September 29

Its twilight all the time beginning Monday October 2nd, so the fee for 18 holes will drop to $44 all day. Anyone redeeming their pre-paid passes for full 18 hole rounds will receive $16 credit towards a power cart rental.

The autmun leaves have been falling steadily, and our crew cleaning them up daily, but we recommend the "leaf rule" for all but your most serious contests. Let's all hope we have a glorious few more weeks of fall golf.

September 29

Jim O'Neil wasn't bothered by the cold temperatures Thursday as he shot a smooth 2 over par 74 to capture the Bill Wood Memorial trophy as champion of the Seniors' Fall Classic. O'Neil followed a mediocre front nine 40 with a superb 34 on the back to finish 3 shots clear of the field. Grant Geddes took Low Net with a score of 72.

Sheila Burgess and Louise Major tied for the Ladies title and were both too cold for any playoff. They split the gross and net prizes.

In the Super Seniors' division, Doug McCulloch won low gross at 81 while Lanny McQuain shot a personal best to capture low net at 65. Ralph Sparks was 2nd gross with an 82.

All players enjoyed a wonderful roast beef dinner following play.

September 24

Due to a computer problem which developed over night Saturday September 23, our automated reservation service was out of order until Sunday afternoon. The service has now been restored and bookings should again be made in the normal manner by calling 645-8472 or 800-595-0155. If you have any difficulties with the system please call us in the club office at 645-4221 or the Pro Shop at 645-9096.

September 19

Under beautiful sunny skies and with tricky winds both Saturday and Sunday , the thick rough and fast greens of South Muskoka gave its members a formidable challenge over the weekend with only a few conquering the conditions and scoring well in the 2006 Club Championships.

Ken Fay and his better half Lori completed the rare "family slam" by winning the Men's and Ladies Low Gross titles. Louise Major and Gary Zunker took the Senior championships while Charlie Delahey won the Super Senior men's category, and Stephen Roche captured the Men's "B" Flight low gross .

As is often the case in the Championships, some interesting rules questions arose, including the club General Manager erroneously disqualifying himself for borrowing equipment, and another unlucky player hitting his ball with a practice putting stroke.

After play on Sunday all participants enjoyed a sumptuous beef buffet dinner, and the better scorers received some excellent prizes to reward their efforts.

September 12

If you know what the following club members all have in common, be the first to contact Al in the Club office and win free entry into the next member's tournament : Lori Fay, Harry Orr, Patricia Paterson, Reed Lawson, Louise Major and Doug McCulloch. Decision of the judging panel is final. (Hint: They are all Canadian is NOT the answer.)

September 9

Good friends Doug Dureen and Gary Doyle will share the 2006 Championship of Tagwagi after they both shot 75 during regulation play and then settled nothing with a sudden victory playoff that also ended in a draw. In a well played extra holes match they sawed off the 18th hole, after Dureen lipped out his approach shot from 145 yards for what would have been an eagle two!

The 2006 tournament was completed without a hitch despite sketchy weather and cool temperatures, a testament to the great tournament committee under the expert guidance of Ron & Jennifer Webb. Over 185 players from across the province took part in the 2 day event, which is sponsored by Ted & Jim Dean and Platinum Poultry.

August 28

For the third consecutive year Rick Nelson made it to the shootout of the Webby Golf Inc Par 3 Tournament, and he was victorious for the second time, making birdie on the third hole to defeat Jim Todd, Bruce Lawson and Al Helmer by a single stroke. Joe Conway won the Men's Division first net prize.

David Lawson won the Junior Division with an exciting extra holes victory over Donovan Grubb. Grubb and Lawson needed 9 extra holes to decide the matter! Chad Nicholson won the First Net prize for Juniors.

The Ladies crown went to Debbie Todd who upset the youthful Erin Thorne and savvy Bev Bailey in a very well-played 3 hole shootout. Thorne managed to claim first net off her outstanding gross score of even par 57.

The Par 3 Tournament is held in memory of Joe Gauley, a long-time member and great contributor to the Club through many years on the Board of Directors. Joe was well-known for his outstanding chipping and putting, and he spent many hours on the practice green honing those skills and enjoying those aspects of the game.

The course is set-up especially for this event, and this year actually featured 19 holes including a Par 2 from the hole 5 orange tees into the sand trap at the corner (no putting required). While the players enjoyed the great variety of unusual and challenging shots, the event will likely be dropped from the calendar next year, as it has been unable to attract a full field. Thanks to Webby Golf for their sponsorship.

August 26

Friday August 25th was the date for the Third Annual Muskoka Heritage Foundation Golf Classic, and it was a memorable day for the Foundation as well as one of their golfers, visitor Gary Scandlan. Scandlan scored a hole in one on the 4th hole and won a 2006 Buick Allure courtesy of Greavette Motors and Buick Canada! His playing partners were Mike and Gord Durnan, and Ken Watson.

Golf professional Ron Webb confirmed that this was the first ace for a major prize like a car or boat in all of his 33 years of tournament golf at South Muskoka. "We've obviously seen aces at various times on all of our par three holes", said Webb, "but the occurrence is so rare that you almost never hear of anyone getting one when a large prize is available. This is great for Gary, good for the tournament organization, and I am sure the sponsors will also be delighted that their prize was won."

The Muskoka Heritage Foundation sponsors this annual golf tournament as part of their ongoing fundraising programme. The Foundation is a non-governmental charitable organization which works to preserve the natural and built heritage and the natural environment of Muskoka.

August 22

John Hiley carried son Jason to victory in the 2006 Family Golf Tournament, as the pair carded an impressive 79 for Net 70 in the A Flight of this challenging alternate stroke event. They just edged another father & son team, Grant & Graydon Joyner, who were 1 better at 78 gross, but only even par after handicap. A fine round by the Joyners, nonetheless.

Curtis & Joyce Lang struck a blow for the Mother & Son division, winning the B flight of the event with a net 74. Their score was 1 better than Dave & Cheyll Stott who claimed second prize.

The event featured every conceivable family pairing except brothers- or sisters-in-law, and ex-wife with ex-husband, although word has it if a third nine had been played the Webbs may have filled in the latter category. Congrats to the golf committee on staging another fun event with an interesting format.

August 15

The 2006 Greavette Member Guest was another roaring South Muskoka success, thanks to a weekend of perfect weather, an enthusiastic field of 96 golfers, and the usual stellar support and sponsorship of Greavette Chev Olds Pontiac Buick Cadillac Ltd., and the Greavette family.

After Friday's practice round, all players retired to the clubhouse for an informal meal and round of music trivia that challenged even the post knowledgeable music buffs. Several games of , um, chance, followed to round out the warm-up session.

On Saturday the serious play began in earnest, for a few teams, while the rest of the tournament players enjoyed another great Muskoka summer day and the excellent company of their friends, family or colleagues.

When the dust had settled, Les Rozsa and wife Marilyn emerged with the first place trophy, along with their guests the McQuillans, with a sparkling net 108.8 score. They just edged out two teams in the same flight - The Actons & Chatlands, and Addie & Booker - who both registered 109.6.

The Cadillac Flight was won by the Rob & Sheila Burgess, with their team-mates from Florida, the Zeuchs.

This event also featured some prizes and contests provided by Buick Canada thru its national golf tournament, which added to the great prize table that was arranged by Bill, Tim & Glenn Greavette on behalf of their company. The 2006 Greavette was another tremendous success, thanks to their continued support.

August 10

Erin Thorne overcame a nervous first round 85 with a solid second round of 3 over par 74 on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to reach the low 64 who advance to match play, at the 2006 US Women's Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge GC in Oregon. Thorne finished as the second low Canadian, behind Meaghan Leblanc, who shot 153 but also failed to reach the Round of 64.

It was Thorne's first appearance in the US Amateur, and followed her start in the US Women's Public Links Championship earlier this summer, in what has been a season of firsts for the young and extremely talented Bracebridge golfer.

The cut line for this year's tournament was at 151, nine over par, so two rounds at Erin's second day score would have placed her comfortably into the round of 64, who proceed through match play to establish the tournament champion. No doubt, Erin Thorne will be back for a second try at this prestigious title.

August 4

The South Muskoka team of new member Cheryll Stott and Bev Howard won the Grey Power regional qualifier for Huronia District, played at Blue Mountain in Collingwood yesterday, scoring a net 62. Howard was actually a last minute stand-in as Stott's original partner was unable to play, and the first substitute had to withdraw before play with an injury. The two obviously hit it off and played well as a team in the net better ball event. They will now advance to the Provincial Grey Power Classic tournament slated for September 28th at Peninsula Lakes GC.

While they also played well, and scored 65, the Men's team of Reinie Zobrist and Nigel Innes did not fare as well. They finished in the middle of the pack, and their event was won with a score of 60!

July 31

With the sun shining, the 10th Annual RJ's Skills contest, sponsored by RJ's Hair Studio, took place on Sunday July 30th with 50 Juniors taking part. Players competed in four areas to challenge their games - iron play, wedge play, chipping and putting. All the Juniors enjoyed their day, capped off with hamburgers, pop, and prizes.

Walking away with the overall co-championships were Russ Mackay and Nolan Blum, winners of the 14 and over and 11 and under Divisions, respectively. Champions of the 12 & 13 bracket and the Girls Division were Logan Hammond and Rosie Kelly.

The prize presentations coincided with the completion of Reed & Kathy Lawson's Sunday golf round, so all the Juniors circled the 18th green to greet them, and thank them for the continued support of RJ's Hair Studio Inc. RJ's has been a great sponsor of the skills contest as well as other club activities and events. Thanks!

July 24

Stephen Roche lead the team of Kirk Self, John Jennings and John Jennings Sr. to victory in the Men's Division of the 2006 Porky's Revenge Scramble, with a score of 60. The mixed team of Katie & Judy Thorne with Andrew Thorne and Earl Fagin carded the low round of the tournament, an outstanding 58 which stole the thunder of the Fay family who shot an excellent 61.

The Ladies Division needed a sudden victory playoff to decide the championship after two teams finished in a dead heat at 64. In the playoff Erin Thorne, Kathy Kent, Sheila Burgess and Carol Wilson prevailed over Katie Broere, Jennifer Webb, Beth Galbraith and Reta May Houston.

The 2006 version of Porky's was sold out with 132 players and produced a great day of golf and cameraderie, all to honour the memory of George "Porky" Mann, a great member, and contributor to the development of South Muskoka.

July 16

Marline & Norm Sponenburgh are champions of the 2006 Mixed Net Better Ball. They carded an outstanding 56 and edged out early leaders Bill & Olga Fleming who scored 58. The tournament again featured outstanding team play, followed by a great "Christmas in July" celebration back at the clubhouse, complete with carols and a delicious turkey dinner !!

July 11

Erin Thorne continued a strong summer season by winning her US Women's Amateur qualifying tournament at Butler Country Club, in Butler, Pa. today. She will be heading to Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon for the national championship event beginning August 6th.

In the professional ranks, Brennan Webb again made it through Monday qualifying at this weeks' Nationwide tour stop in Minnesota. Brennan will be teeing it up for his second consecutive Nationwide event. He shot 74/75 to miss the cut by just 4 on a very difficult course at Findley Lake, NY that featured US Open-style roughs, and is looking to improve on that finish this week.

Stay tuned for the next developments !!

July 10

Stephen Thomson lead team-mates Gerry Carriere and Larry Tattersall to a narrow one stroke victory in the Tennessee Scramble on Saturday July 8th. They scored 59 to just edge out the team of David Lawson, Bob Cunningham and Bruce Flowers who finished at 60.

Thomson jump-started the team with an eagle on their first hole, and they then ran off an incredible series of birdies and 2 more eagles to get to 8 under par after just 5 holes!! Although the par threes gave them some trouble, yielding no birdies at all, they mastered almost all other holes on the course. For Lawson and his team-mates, who also played outstanding golf, a lone bogey cost them a chance at a playoff.

Debbie Todd, Cheryl Stott, and Lori MacDougall captured the Ladies Division, shooting a great round of 6 under 66. Patrice McCann, Sue Carriere and Judy Thorne placed second, at even par.

June 29

After yesterday's "tropical storm", the golf course has re-opened this morning, with power carts permitted but following the 90 degree rule on fairways. Ie: Carts are to remain on the path, enter the fairway at 90 degrees to play a ball, then return directly to the path and continue with play of the hole.

The flood in the restaurant has been cleaned up and it is business as usual, however we are wary of forecasts of addditional rain later today. Please remember to call the Pro Shop if you decide to cancel your golf plans for today.

June 27

There will be a distinct South Muskoka influence at this week's Nationwide Tour event - the Peek'n'Peak Classic at Findley Lake, New York. Brennan Webb has successfully Monday qualified for the event, his first on the Nationwide Tour, making another step forward in his professional career.

Brennan will be joined in his effort to unseat 2005 champ Esteban Toledo by Garrett Willis, an ETU team-mate, and a past visitor to our Club. Completing the SM entry will be Joel Hendry, a frequent Nationwide competitor, and partner of Ryley Webb.

We wish them all good luck and a three-way playoff for the hardware.

June 27

"To all the members who wished me well on my ventures to Colorado, I would like to thank you for your support. The tournament was a great experience for me and I look forward to representing the Club at all my future tournaments this summer." Erin Thorne

June 15

Later this month South Muskoka member and Pro Shop staffer Erin Thorne will travel to Pueblo, Colorado to compete against 143 other women for the USGA's Women's Amateur Public Links (WAPL) national championship. Erin plays NCAA golf for The University of Western Michigan Broncos, and qualified for this USGA event earlier this season.

The WAPL championship is one of the USGA's 10 amateur titles, and counts players such as Danielle Ammaccapane and Michele Wie among its past champions.

All members at South Muskoka will be rooting for "The Hammer" to have a great tournament and a great time in Pueblo. Congrats Erin and good luck !!

June 4

The sun came out, the wind picked up, the golf course dried out from Saturday's rains, and scores went straight up for almost all players in the final round of the 2006 Shier's Two-Man Better Ball at South Muskoka. But Rick Nelson and partner John Handrigan mastered the tricky conditions to shoot a sparkling 7 under par 65, highlighted by a pair of eagles by Handrigan, and walked away with the low gross title at 11 under par for the weekend.

Overnight leaders Stephen Roche & Kip Phillips, and Dave Thomson with Gary Bonsteel, both ran out of birdies and slipped back as a result, but Thomson and Bonsteel hung on to win the First Flight net prize at 121.

Second flight was won by the Tank and Kyle Emms with a gross score of 150, while Red & Morgan Taylor took the net at 116. In third flight, Bill Goodchild & Eric Bragg captured the low gross.

The John Shier award for the low net round Sunday, and the overall low net for the tournament went to Jim Dodington & Don Stroud who caught lightning in a bottle two days in a row and totalled just 113 net. Having played in many Shier's tournaments, the handicaps of these players are well-established, and they were said to be heading straight for the Lotto 6/49 sales depot after their Sunday round.

Thanks to sponsors AW Shier Insurance Brokers Ltd. The committee of volunteers is also to be thanked for a great event in 2006 - Brian Galbraith & Bill Fleming on the BBQ, Sheila Burgess and Judy Thorne on the registration and scoring desks.

June 4

The team of Doug Thomson and Gary Bonsteel from Rockwood Ontario is tied atop the leaderboard of the 2006 Shier's Better Ball with local boys Stephen Roche and Kip Phillips, after they both carded 6 under par 66 on Saturday. The weather made playing conditions difficult to say the least, but Sunday holds the promise of a much better forecast.

This 2 man "better ball" event is sponsored by Adam Shier and AW Shier Insurance Brokers Ltd. and is one of the longest running and most competitive tournaments at South Muskoka.

John Handrigan and Rick Nelson will keep the pressure on the leaders as they sit just 2 shots back, and they are followed by a pair of Huntsville teams at 69, including defending champions Bill Lang & Bill Muckler.

Terry Nicholls and Kevin Dunlop head the second flight, tied with Rob Burgess and Ken Hight at 75. Red Taylor and son Morgan hold the overall net lead at 54 after they scored 79 gross, their lowest score in over 15 years of attending this event. The final round begins Sunday morning with a 9:30 shotgun start - stay tuned for final results!

June 2

South Muskoka former junior member Brennan Webb won this week's Great Lakes Tour event at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ontario. He shot 67 in the first round to sit 1 stroke back of a trio in the lead at 66, but then blew away the field with a closing round 8 under par 64 to win by 3, with a 2 round total score of 13 under par.

With this win Webb moved in to second place on the Tour's Order of Merit, and has a few more GLT events on his schedule. Congratulations Brennan!

May 29

Members and guests are advised that, weather permitting, we will be aerating 6 greens per day starting on Sunday afternoon, June 4th. The aeration holes require about 2 days to close up and so the greens should be back in normal condition by Thursday June 8th . We are very cognizant of the impact that aeration has on play, however trust that all golfers recognize this is a necessary part of the maintenance regime at all courses.

May 29

Collegians Stephen Thomson and Erin Thorne lead the field and won the low gross Men's & Ladies titles at 70 and 71 respectively, in the 2006 Early Bird sponsored by RJ's Hair Studio. Bob Heath won Senior Men low gross, also at 71, and Bev Bailey captured the Senior Ladies crown. Gary Hill won the Senior Men's B Flight low gross and John Hunter placed first net at even par. On the women's side, Lori Fay won Ladies Low Net with a 72 and Olga Fleming took Senior Ladies net at one over 73.

David Lawson repeated as Junior champ with a great score of 1 over par 73, while newcomer Adam Frederick won low net with a 71.

Mark McGrath ran in to some problems on his finishing holes but hung on to capture the Men's Low Net with a 70, and Ken Major claimed the Senior Men's net at even par 72. The entire field was treated to a delicious buffet dinner after play, and a great prize table arranged by Reed and Kathy Lawson of RJ's Hair Studio. The day was a great launch to the 2006 Member Events schedule at the Club.

May 11

The Globe & Mail's GlobeGolf 2006 named South Muskoka as the "Best for Less" course in the Muskoka area.

The article honoured the 10 top golf regions in Canada, one of which was Muskoka. In Muskoka the list of the top 7 facilities had Bigwin Island GC leading the pack as usual, followed by Deerhurst, Lake Joe, O'Meara Grandview, Rocky Crest, Taboo and The Rock. This is an outstanding collection of top quality courses that is drawing golfers to Muskoka like never before.

South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club was recognized as the "Best for Less" course, acknowledging its great value proposition. Reviewer Ian Cruickshank says go with the driver on # 9 for a possible eagle opportunity, and marks the par three 14th hole as the club's best.

Correction: The toll free line for tee times should be 800-595-0155.

May 2

After very favourable weather over the past several days and completion of the usual spring clean up tasks by our maintenance crew, we are pleased to confirm that the golf course will open for the 2006 season Wednesday morning, May 3rd at 8:00 a.m. Tee time reservations will not be required until Friday May 5th.

On-course services will be limited until May 5th but the restaurant is open for full service from 7:00 a.m. daily, and that will advance to 6:00 a.m. weekends starting on May 13th.

Spring rates are in effect, $44 for 18 holes and $22 for 9, power carts extra, and will apply until and including Friday May 19th. Our 10 packs of green fee passes are supplemented this year with the new 4 pack of "Shotgun Specials", passes for our morning shotgun starts on days when we have afternoon tournaments booked.

See you soon.

April 25

We are pleased to announce the re-opening of the golf membership waiting list, effective from Monday May 1st. Applications will be accepted on a first come/first served basis from 9:00 a.m. May 1.

There are currently a total of 119 persons on our wait list, in 2 categories - "49 Years of Age and Under" (66 persons) , and "50 years of Age and Over" (53 persons). To fill memberships not renewed, the Club currently takes 3 names from the 49 and Under list for each 1 from the 50 and Over list, and that ratio is subject to change from time to time in the future at the sole discretion of the Club, as are all other membership privileges, fees, rules, attributes and criteria, in the normal course of business.

The Club's intention is to accept applicants until the wait lists total 250 persons combined.

Applicants must maintain their principal residence in Muskoka to be eligible, and must pay a total of $307 on application. Of that amount $200 will be credited against first year dues when membership is attained, and $107 will be retained by the Club as an administrative fee , including applicable GST.

Please refer any questions to the club office at 705-645-4221 or e-mail Club General Manager Al Helmer at gm@southmuskoka.com .

April 20

We have now seen the last of the snow from the winter of 2006 and we are pleased to report that the course has wintered very well. There are a few small spots of snow mould affecting a few greens but the majority are in great shape and getting even better daily with the lovely weather we have enjoyed.

Some traditional wet spots on the property are drying rather well and we continue to expect to open on May 5 or sooner. A further update will be posted after this weekend as weather reports are calling for rain and cool temperatures.

For green fee players, spring rates will apply - our normal twilight rate of $44, plus power cart. Nine hole rate will be $22, cart extra. Our tee time reservation service will be available from April 28th. For more information contact the Pro Shop at 645-9096 or the club office at 645-4221.

April 9

The Club Championship Finals took place Saturday evening, April 9th, with 4 excellent title games in the Men's, Ladies', Mixed and Open Divisions. The games culminated a week of double knock-out competition that began with 32 teams representing 10 leagues within the Club.

In the Ladies Division Rynetta McCrank edged Colleen Murphy in a very close contest. Likewise, Steve Cooke stole the winning point in the final end to nip Tim Kuehn's Industrial League team for the Men's title.

"Rookie" Tyler Lockhart led a young team to the Open Division championship with a convincing win over Archie Buie, capping off a week of very strong shot-making by his rink. Don Best defeated former champion Howard Nelson in the Mixed Division.

The Championships were again jointly sponsored by Brian Jacques, Claudette Bass of Re/Max and Service Master of Muskoka (Tim and Wanda Skinner). The playdowns capped a great season of curling which saw the Club successfully host the Ontario Championship for Bantams (age 14-16), as well as the usual schedule of bonspiels for men, women and Juniors.

April 1

A continuing equipment failure is affecting incoming telephone calls to the club. Calls do not reach the main switchboard and cannot be answered unless staff are in the office. We expect Bell to be able to repair the problem within the week, but as of Friday afternoon the necessary parts were not yet on hand. We regret the inconvenience this has caused. At this time of year the club office is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

March 29

Barry Moylan of Annandale Curling Club captured the Muskoka Mechanical Service trophy and the "A" championship in this past weekend's bonspiel at South Muskoka. Moylan reprised his 2004 victory in a well-curled, tight game against Gerry McGill and his team from the Dundas Granite club.

In other divisions, Todd Martin of Thornhill defeated Doug Cross of South Muskoka for the Labatt Trophy and the "B" championship. Doug Miller of Milton topped another Thornhill team led by Grant Shubert for the Gagnon's trophy for "C" Division. And the Muskoka KIA trophy and "D" event title went to Bill Hiller of Midland over Mike Mumford from Tam Heather Curling Club in Toronto.

The Sportsmen's Bonspiel is among the most competitive events in Muskoka curling and this year was no exception. The three game round-robin qualifier and the championship playdowns featured great shot-making and very close contests in virtually all divisions. Committee members Jay Houston, Brian Howden and Brian Jacques did a great job organizing the weekend for all teams , including a great schedule of off-ice activities to keep everyone entertained.

February 15

Don Wallwin lead his rink of wife Elaine and Dave & Sandra Forth to the championship and the MLA Trophy in the 44th edition of the Muskoka Lakes Association mixed curling bonspiel. The team scored a total of 45 points over three draws, edging by a half of a point the Huntsville team of Roy Sullivan, Sue Marshall, and Gerry & Susan Cox. Sullivan won the Indianhead Harbour Ltd. trophy. Third place in the event went to first time entrant Herman Lamers of Barrie, with his rink of Jackie & George Fowler, and Bonnie Seymour. The Lamers team was only a half point behind Sullivan in the very closely contested event.

The MLA is an association of cottagers and Muskoka residents and the bonspiel has been part of their social schedule since 1962. Curling this year was at South Muskoka and at the Port Carling Curling Club, and the event wound up with a dinner and dance Saturday night.

Mark your calendar for the 2007 version, slated for February 9th & 10th.

January 29

Rachel Homan of City View CC in Ottawa claimed an unprecedented 4th consecutive Ontario Bantam Curling Championship today when she broke open a close game against Clancy Grandy of Burlington CC with a score of 4 in the 5th end. She followed that up by making a great raise double take-out in the 6th to snuff out a promising end for Grandy, and then cruised home with the victory. Homan first won the Ontario title as an under-aged player in 2003, and repeated in 2004 and 2005.

In a second tie breaker on the Girls' side, Lesley Pyne of Annandale CC in Ajax claimed the last berth in the Ontario Winter Games with a victory over Jenna Harrington of Brockville Country Club. The other team to make the Games was Alex Hughes of Dundas Granite CC who finished alone in second place of the round robin with a record of 5-2.

The Boys Division was captured by Matt Mapletoft's team from Sydenham Community CC in Wallaceburg as he downed Edward Cyr of Minden. Mapletoft counted 4 in the fourth and again in the fifth when Cyr was slightly heavy with a draw, and the teams shook hands at that point. Cyr had edged out Neil Sinclair of Manotick in the first tie breaker game earlier Sunday morning.

All of these teams will be seeing each other again soon at the Ontario Winter Games, coming up March 8-12 in Collingwood.

South Muskoka was the host club for the bantam Championship this year, and had a great organizing committee headed up by Chairman Dave Demerling. The committee struck a good balance with emphasis on fun and socializing for the teams off the ice, and good competition and sportsmanship on it. The OCA was represented by General Manager Doug Bakes and Head Official Gord Gark of Sarnia, along with a crew of 5 other officials from around the Province. Complete results of all draws may be found at www.ontcurl.com.

January 28

Tie-breakers will be the order of the day Sunday January 29th at South Muskoka. Clancy Grandy and her team from the Burlington Curling Club will square off with Rachel Homan's City View CC (Ottawa) rink after both completed round robin play with records of 6-1. The winner will claim the 2005-06 Ontario championship, and Homan is looking to capture what must be an unprecedented 4th consecutive OCA Bantam title.

A second tie breaker game will also be required to award the Girls fourth berth to the Ontario Winter Games coming up in early March in Collingwood. Jenna Harrington of Brockville and Lesley Pyne of Annandale CC in Ajax tied with 4-3 records in round robin play and will play-off Sunday morning as well. Both games will be at 9:00 a.m.

The Boys' Division 7th and final draw ended with a three-way tie for the top spot, with Edward Cyr of Minden, Matt Mapletoft of the Sydenham Community Curling Club in Wallaceburg, and Ian Sinclair of Manotick all finishing with 5-2 records. Based on a pre-event skills test, the Mapletoft rink gets the bye to the final while Cyr and Sinclair will battle it out in Sunday's first Boys' tie breaker game. The Boys' Final game will start at 1:00 pm.

January 28

Matt Mapletoft of Wallaceburg sits alone atop the Boys Division of the OCA Bantam curling championships, with a 5-1 record after 6 draws, with the final draw to be played tonight. Three teams are right behind him with records of 4-2 - Edward Cyr of Minden, Andrew Larsen of Woodstock and Neil Sinclair of Manotick. Cyr and Larsen will meet head to head in the final draw at 7:00 pm tonight, while Mapletoft squares off against Sinclair.

Christian Tolusso of Carleton Heights CC can't reach the top of this playdown but is looking to get into a tie breaker for one of three berths in the Ontario Winter games, which will be awarded to the top three finishers of this event. He puts his 3 and 3 record up against Kyle Roth of Guelph.

In the Girls Division, the final draw will begin at 3:30 pm. Clancy Grandy of Burlington and Rachel Homan of the City View CC in Ottawa are tied for first place with five wins and a single loss each. Alex Hughes of the Dundas Granite CCand Lesley Pyne of Annandale CC in Ajax are tied at 4-2 and will settle the matter when they meet in the final draw.

Homan finishes up against Amy Miller of Coldwater while Grandy will face Ali Cummings of the Bayview Curling Club in Thornhill. With 4 Winter Games spots available on the girls' side, Jenna Harrington still has a chance to create a tie for the last berth as she sits at 3-3 and plays draw 7 against Taylor Mellor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Granite CC.

All results here are unofficial. Please see the OCA website for official results.

January 27

There is now a three-way tie for first place in the Boys Division of the 2006 OCA Bantam curling championship. Andrew Larsen of Woodstock and Matt Mapletoft of Wallaceburg caught up to Neil Sinclair of the Manotick Curling Centre after Sinclair suffered his first loss in draw 5. All three teams boast 4-1 records heading into the final 2 draws of play on Saturday (Noon and 7:00 pm).

The Girls Division is just as close, with Clancy Grandy of Burlington and Rachel Homan of City View CC in Ottawa now tied for first with 4-1 records. Alex Hughes of Dundas Granite, Jenna Harrington of Brockville Country Club and Lesley Pyne of Annandale CC in Ajax are in second place at 3-2 after 5 draws. The Girls Division's last 2 draws are Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

January 27

After completion of the fourth draw, two teams remain undefeated in the Ontario Bantam Curling Championships at South Muskoka. Clancy Grandy of Burlington CC leads the girls division, ahead of Rachel Homan of City View in Ottawa and Alex Hughes Dundas Granite, both with 3 wins and 1 loss.

In the Boys division, Neil Sinclair of Manotick CC has also piled up 4 straight wins to open the Championship, and leads Andrew Larsen of Woodstock and Matt Mapletoft from the Sydenham Community CC in Wallaceburg, who both have records of 3 wins and and 1 loss.

The 5th draw is slated for later today, with games at 3:30 and 8:00 pm. The competition winds up Saturday with draws at 8:30 a.m., Noon, 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm. Later today (at 5:45pm) the boys division will also compete in the "Hot Shots" competition, an on-ice skill test sponsored by local Ford dealer Larry Miller and Cavalcade Ford Lincoln.

The public is welcome to attend & admission is free.

January 27

With the fourth draw now underway two teams remain undefeated in the Ontario Bantam Curling Championship at South Muskoka. Clancy Grandy has her team from the Burlington Curling Club in the lead of the girls division with a 3-0 record, ahead of a log jam of teams at 2-1, including defending champ Rachel Homan of City View CC, Ottawa.

On the boys side, the team from the Manotick Curling Centre, skipped by Neil Sinclair, is also undefeated at 3-0. At the fourth end break Sinclair leads Jamie Parker of Oakville CC 4-1, without hammer.

Complete results are posted regularly by the OCA on their website at www.ontcurl.com.

January 23

With a busy weekend of regional playdowns January 21 and 22, the Ontario Curling Association has now determined the 8 boys and 8 girls teams which will vie for the Ontario Bantam Curling Championships to be held at South Muskoka later this week. The event kicks off with Draw #1 for the Girls at 2:00 pm on Wednesday January 25th.

The Official Opening ceremony will take place following those games, at 4:15 pm, and will be followed by an informal reception and then the first draw for the Boys at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to come out to South Muskoka and watch these games. Special seating has been brought in to the Club to accommodate the expected crowds, and admission is free. In addition, the club's restaurant will be available for breakfasts from 7:00 am until 11:00 am, and with a special bonspiel menu from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm.

The volunteer organizing committee and the staff of the Club have been tremendously assisted by the amazing support provided by companies and individuals throughout the community. The event major sponsors are BMO Financial Group, Hydro One, and Cavalcade Ford Lincoln, along with the South Muskoka Members Curling Committee. Team sponsors include Sleep Inn, Jay & Linda Harrison, and DURA Automotive Systems Ltd. Pepsi Canada Ltd and Sysco Food Services have teamed up to provide refreshments and snacks; Oliver's Coffee is sponsoring sleigh rides; Harvwood Contracting provided goods for a raffle; Harveys Swiss Chalet will be providing morning hot chocolate and muffins; and there are a number of individual donors and patrons - Murray and Joan Dauphin, Don & Helen Coates, as well as CIBC Bracebridge. The Computer Shop has loaned the event a PC so competitors can stay in touch with their family and friends via e-mail.

There are a large number of other companies who donated various products and goods for prizes and the team welcome kits. These include Rogers Video, the Town of Bracebridge, Muskoka Office Plus, WhipFit Cresting and Muskoka Springs Natural Spring Water. The Club and Committee thank them all for their tremendous support in making sure that all participants have a wonderful time in Muskoka regardless of the outcome of their games.

January 17

Due to the freezing rain and treacherous driving conditions curling for the balance of Tuesday (January 17) has been cancelled and the club is closed. This affects Junior curling , Tuesday Evening Ladies, and the Industrial League. Suitable make up arrangements will be announced in due course by the Drawmasters of these leagues.

December 22

12 teams of Senior Men took to the ice for the annual Christmas Bonspiel on Wednesday December 21st. Playing a modified skins format each team played 2 ends against 8 other opponents over the course of the day, which began at 8:30 am and ended shortly after 3:00 pm.

The curlers were treated to the delicious South Muskoka Christmas lunch buffet in between games at the noon hour.

Stu Mitchell's team topped the day with 15 points, 2 clear of Earl Fagin and 3 ahead of the Bob Wright rink. The day featured some great shotmaking and a controversial disqualification of the Bruce White team who went AWOL for almost 30 minutes after the final game to miss both the scoring and drink-buying deadline.

December 21

South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club will host the OCA Final for Bantam boys and girls from January 25th-28th, 2006, and the organizing committee will finalize the calendar of events within the next 2 weeks. Watch this website for further details.

Curlers have been booked at the Bracebridge Sleep Inn which can be reached at 705-645-2519. This hotel has no vacancy for the duration of the event, but out-of-towners have a good selection of other high quality hotels and motels to choose from in Bracebridge.

The full-service Muskoka Riverside Inn may be reached at 800-461-4474. The Travelodge Islander Inn is at 888-695-5885. The Inn at the Falls may be reached at 877-645-9212. Cedar Lane Motel is 705-645-9757. For the Wellington Motel call 705-645-2238.

Anyone with questions should contact Club General Manager Al Helmer at 705-645-4221 Ext 221.

December 9

Ken Guy skipped his team of Ron Perrier, Terry Evans, and Gerry Carriere to the A Championship at the recent OCA Senior Men's Zone 10 playdowns. The team advanced to region 3 playoff at Georgetown, but went 1 and 2 to fall short of making the final 4. Our congratulations to you all on a great run, and better luck next time!

November 22

Head Golf Professional Ron Webb has added a new CPGA Assistant Pro to his staff for the 2006 golf season. Ian Hogg will join South Muskoka after a recent tenure at The Rock GC in Minet.

Ian is a native of Niagara-on-the-Lake and qualified as a CPGA member after graduating with a B.A. in Sports Management from Brock University. He has a number of outside interests and hobbies, including Sno Cross and Cart racing, as well as hockey.

Ian will be handling all lessons and adult instruction in the 2006 season, as well as normal pro shop shifts and duties.

October 19

The golf club remains open on a weather-dependent day to day basis. Our fall rate is in effect - $20 for daily play, any number of holes. We do not have any power carts available to rent. Course conditions are excellent however at the moment we cannot keep up with the falling leaves and "leaf rules" must be invoked in some areas of the course.

A temporary green remains in play on hole #5 although the new green was sodded this week and is very attractive and inviting. Forecasts of wet snow for Thursday are discouraging but perhaps the weekend will give all a final game to close out the 2005 season.

September 28

Registration for the 2005-06 curling season is now underway. Registrations will be accepted until Thursday October 20th. Forms and schedule information are available at the Club office. Stop in or call the office to have your kit mailed to you.

The special rate for curlers new to South Muskoka is just $240 plus association fees and GST. October 7th is the last day for early payment discount.

A note regarding junior curling: the start date for the first session of Learn to Curl is Tuesday November 1, and the meeting for parents of competitive curlers is on Friday Novemebr 4th at 3:45 pm. The dates in the Junior Curlers' registration kits are incorrect.

If you have any questions about the upcoming curling season, call the Club General Manager at 645-4221 or e-mail to gm@southmuskoka.com.

September 22

The Coker College Men's Golf team's next tournament is being featured on the Golf Channel "College Central" broadcast at 10:30 on Thursday September 29th. It will reportedly feature tournament highlights, skills competition and an interview with Coach John Handrigan, former pro shop staffer and junior member here at South Muskoka. Make sure to tune in.

September 20

Effective from Monday September 26th we will reduce our regular green fee rate to our twilight rate of $44. This is because we will be reconstructing our 5th green and we will have to play a good temporary green on that hole for the duration of this season. Our objective is to have the new green in play early next year , dependent of course upon what this winter brings.

Holders of prepaid regular 18 hole green fee or guest passes will receive a power cart seat rental with those passes, and holders of twilight passes may now use them in prime time, effective from the 26th.

September 20

With the continued generous sponsorship of Dave & Rosie Smith of Persimmon Golf, our Junior & Senior pairs event was held on Monday September 19th. Brandon Kuehn and Bill Fleming won a seven way tie breaker to capture First Net honours in the Calloway handicapped alternate shot competition. The family team of Dan & Ben Nicholson won Low Gross with a fine score of 1 over par 37.

This year's event had a record field of 96 players who all enjoyed the challenging format, a dinner of chicken fingers & fries after, and a great prize table to boot. Thanks to our sponsors and to the Pro Shop for running another excellent event and bringing our Junior and Adult members together for this afternoon of fun.

September 19

Our 2005 Club Championships event was a 36 hole stroke play competition on the weekend of September 17th and some great fall weather was matched by several players in the field. Reed Lawson emerged as the overall Men's Champion shooting 74 both days. B Flight champ was Mark Handrigan, while Ted Lowcock won 1st Flight Net and Jeff Rogers captured 2nd Flight net honours.

Doug McCulloch defeated Grant Geddes on the first hole of their sudden victory playoff for the Senior Mens title, with Rob Burgess winning the low net in the bracket. Harry Orr ran away and hid on the rest of the Super Senior Men when he followed up his Round 1 even par score with a 77 on Sunday, to win Low Gross by a 13 stroke margin. Charlie Delahey captured Low Net.

In the Ladies Divisions, Lori Fay won Low Gross and Candace Thwaites was the Low Net winner. Pat Paterson took the Senior Ladies title away from defending champion Sheila Burgess, while Reta Houston won Low Net with a great 139 score. Our Super Senior Ladies group was lead by Louise Major and the net prize went to Diane Brewer.

The Junior Division had Katie Broere all on her own in the Girls Division, while 11 boys vied for their title. Jason Hiley played two excellent rounds to total 5 over par for the weekend and win top honours, and Russell MacKay won Low Net at 2 under.

September 12

The 2005 version of the longest-running "gathering of friends" in Muskoka golf history took place under glorious fall conditions on Friday and Saturday September 9th and 10th. Clear blue skies and gentle breezes gave the field of over 180 golfers excellent scoring conditions and put the final touches on their summer tans at the same time.

Peter Tobin captured the mens Low Gross while Kyle Ems was the net champion. Tim Lefler and Gary Doyle topped first flight gross and net, respectively, and there were 6 other Men's flights in the large field event.

On the Ladies side, Candace Thwaites was the gross champion and Cindy Russell won low net. Marilyn Walsh won first flight low gross while Elissa Thompson won low net. There were gross and net winners in 4 other ladies flights.

Saturday's golfing and prize presentations were capped off with the traditional South Muskoka steak BBQ and buffet dinner, to complete a great weekend of golf. The Tagwagi Committee again deserves a great big thanks for a wonderful weekend of golf and camaraderie at South Muskoka.

August 29

A drop in registration for the 2nd Annual Par 3 Tournament has committee members scratching their heads as both new participants and returnees from last year again had a blast playing the specially modified South Muskoka layout. The course measured just over 2800 yards for the men with a par of 55 and just under 2700 yards for the women with a par of 62. Favourite holes seemed to be #7, "Smitty's Rug", which played off an astro turf board on the rock outcropping, "Sandy" playing from sand only tees in the #14 bunker, and "Twelve and a Half" - which played from #12 gold tee to #13 green and offered a treacherous shot to a green sloping away guarded up front by sand and at the rear by water.

The low 3 shooters in each division qualified for the 3 hole final - Rick Nelson, Rick Thorne & John Acton ; Sasha Kovacs, Diane Brewer & Bev Howard ; and Nick Cross, Katie Broere & Jason Hiley in the Junior Division.

The playoffs featured some great shotmaking in front of the gallery surrounding the 18th green. Rick Nelson captured the Men's, Sashsa Kovacs the Ladies, and Nick Cross the Juniors.

Event sponsor Webby Golf assembled a great prize table despite the relatively small field of players, and players also enjoyed a delicious cold buffet after play. The time par for the event has now been established at 3 hours and 5 minutes to complete the initial 18 holes !! Let's hope we see a full field next year.

P.S.: Long-time member Eva Kovacs played in this event in her first- ever start as a guest professional - Eva just passed her CPGA playing ability test and joined the ranks of golf's professionals. Unfortunately Ron Webb also played (for amusement only) and ran off a string of 4 consecutive birdies to finish at 2 under par 53 to capture the unofficial Professional Division title.

August 22

Joan Cumming & grandson Rob Golden tied with Rick and Andrew Thorne for first place in the new in '05 Family Golf Tournament at South Muskoka this past Sunday. Both scored net 71's to lead a very closely contested field. After some questionable weather Saturday, Sunday was clear and let everyone enjoy the BBQ lunch and a great golf game featuring the very challenging alternate stroke format. Congratulations to all participants, and thanks to the committee for bringing this new event to the member's schedule.

August 19

Brennan Webb captured his second victory as a professional this week when he won the inaugural Wintonbury Hills Open at Bloomfield, Connecticut. Webb defeated Sam Corden on the second hole of a sudden death playoff, after both completed regulation play at 7 under par. Webb clinched the victory by hitting a 5 iron to 3 feet on the 230 yard par 3 17th, and then sinking the decisive birdie putt.

Refusing to look too far ahead to the South Muskoka Family Day tourney on Sunday August 21st , Webb opened and closed with rounds of 3 under par 67 over the par 70 Pete Dye layout, and shot 69 in the second round to stay close to the lead. In the final round he ran through the green and bogeyed 17 to slip back into a tie with Corden, but then won the playoff with a superb tee shot on the same hole. For more information see www.clevelandprotour.com .

August 15

This past weekend was the Third Annual Greavette Member & Guest tournament, a mixed tournament that features a practice round Friday followed by a Ryder Cup style format over 18 holes Saturday. In the double two person team event, each couple must play 6 holes of scramble, then 6 holes of Chapman alternate shot, followed by 6 holes of net better ball. Both couples scores are then added to make up the team total. Full handicaps apply to the net better ball segment, and portions of them also allowed in the scramble and alternate sections.

This year teams were flighted by gross handicap into 3 flights, "Buick, Pontiac and Cadillac" with the over-all Champions Beth & Brian Galbraith with Frankie & Sue Francis scoring an eye-popping net 105, several strokes clear of the field. Possibly realizing the "lightning strike" quality of that score, the entire team volunteered for drug-testing immediately after the event.

The Greavette family have continued their strong support of this event and it was a pleasure to have them all in attendance, participating, and even taking home some prizes themselves! Their sponsorship allows the committee to provide a first class tournament and great venue for members to host guests at the Club. Thanks to Bill, Tim & Glenn, the entire family and their companies.

August 8

We have begun top-dressing the new sod on greens 4 and 10, as they have begun rooting. We are still watering frequently and rolling each day and are pleased with their progress so far. We could conceivably bring the greens into play as early as Wednesday afternoon however at this time we are planning to continue using temporary greens until Friday morning to give the sod a little extra time to get established.

Our reduced green fee ($44 twilight rate) will continue to apply until end of Thursday, assuming we resume play on the permanent greens next day.

August 1

Following an analysis by DCS Agronomy, and very rapid deterioration of the #10 green, both that green and #4 will be re-sodded on an emergency basis on Tuesday August 2nd. The 10th green developed symptoms of poor drainage earlier this summer, which became acute after recent rains. Aeration would reduce the problem in the short term but a better match between sod soil and sub soil was necessary for long term health. This work is being done as a warranty item by our contractor.

The fourth green is the worst of our spray-damaged greens and while the others are 90-95% restored, it continues to show 40-50% damage, and its improvement virtually stopped during the recent hot weather.

The specialty sod being used to resurface these greens should be ready for play within a week, given normal weather conditions for this time of the season. During that time, the 10th hole will be moved to play as a par 3 from our driving range tee to the range green; while #4 will play some 25-27 yards shorter with a green cut on the old approach to the existing green complex.

Daily green fees while we use these 2 temporary holes will be reduced to our twilight rate. We regret any inconvenience or loss of enjoyment during this period.

July 25

The 2005 Porky's Revenge Scramble featured an ace, and a high-scoring team of "free swingers".

Kailey Brooks counted her first ace on hole #14 and her team of Jennifer Webb, Beth Galbraith and Reta Houston needed it to stave off the team of Erin Thorne, Sheila Burgess, Kathy Kent and Carol Wilson who finished 1 shot back.

The Men's Division was also closely contested with Ted Lowcock, Mark Haley, Mike Hansen and Ray Rueger pulling out a slim 1 shot victory over the Sunday morning gang of Chris Wilson, Jeff Wood, Mike Smith and Leo Broere. This Division also featured the kilt-wearing aforementioned "free swingers".

The Nelson Dickson squad - Rick, Sue and Jesse Nelson plus Tennessee Scramble champ Brian Dickson won the Mixed event, just edging the team of Ken, Lori and Lindsay Fay with George Elder.

Congratulations to all participants and to the Committee for a wonderful day of golf in memory of George "Porky" Mann.

July 23

We are pleased to advise that NLG Construction have now completed final tasks on the course this week. They will be returning in early October to attend to some corrective measures on #6 fairway (and drainage) and some incomplete cart path tasks.

Our crew are implementing our recovery plan to address scars and dried out areas throughout the course. We will of course be running the irrigation system nightly, but many areas will require additional watering once and perhaps twice during daylight hours. Most of that will be spot watering but there may be some larger areas where staff will need to use multiple sprinklers of the irrigation system while play is occurring so please be accommodating and do your best to play around the sprinklers and staff will likewise try to water around the play.

We use the services of DCS Agronomics on a consulting basis and they were on site yesterday to assist us with our damaged greens 4 &17, as well as the new greens on #5 and 10. There is a serious problem with #10 and the green is deteriorating badly, almost as we watch. We will be implementing some chemical solutions that should help this green improve somewhat, and in the meantime we ask your continued patience with the very poor condition and playability of this surface.

#5 green also has problems of a different nature and we will be deep aerating it shortly to help the turf improve.

We will be manually watering greens 4 and 17 thru the day. Hopefully this will not affect your play but if it does please take and allow relief without penalty for both yourself and your playing partners. We will again be overseeding the weak areas of these greens in approximately 10 days when better growing conditions should prevail and we are optimistic their health will continue to improve from that process.

July 19

Recently engaged, Robb Watson and Terri Benvenuto held an early celebration after they finished in first place in the inaugural Mixed Net Better Ball held Sunday July 17th. Robb and Terri scored net 60!

The field of 68 golfers was divided by total team handicap, creating three flights. Bruce and Bev Lawson won first flight honours with a score of 61. Gary Zunker and Candace Thwaites teamed up to win second flight, also at net 61. And Lanny and Marilyn McQuain took thrid flight top prize, with a net 62.

The scores were strong and the field very closely grouped. The weather was a real challenge for most of the day, but thankfully the really heavy rain held off until dinner was underway.

After play the prize presentations followed a delicious Christmas turkey dinner, in keeping with the tournament's adopted theme of Christmas in July. Christmas ornaments and trees decorated the lounge while Christmas music played in the background, and the emcee even wore his favourite Christmas tie. Special tribute was paid to Jamie Hopkins and Santa's Village and Sportsland, celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

July 14

John Marling became one of few members in recent history to successfully defend his title as a champion of the Tennessee Scramble, teaming with Brian Dickson and the sneaky-long Bruce Robinson to win a 5 team sudden victory playoff. Dickson sank a bending 25 footer for birdie three on the first playoff hole, putting with an instrument that he later hooked up to provide satellite TV service at the cottage. The winners edged 4 other teams who all managed to shoot six under 66 during regulation play.

In a verified random draw the first team drawn in the Ladies Division was the "Pro Shop" team of Kailey Brooks with Jennifer Webb and Karen Acton, and they eventually placed first by one stroke over the next ladies team. The Ladies had a very strong Division this year with other teams anchored by Erin (The Hammer) Thorne, Eva Kovacs, and Katie Thorne.

The Junior Division featured just two teams, however they all played exceptionally well with the LOSERS recording a score of 58! That is tough competition. David Daleman, Ben Nicholson, and Russ MacKay scorched the course with a tournament low 56 to win. Yes, that is fifty-six!!

All participants enjoyed a great day of golf and socializing, capped off with the famous South Muskoka steak & burger BBQ dinner. Thanks to the Golf Committee for a day of fun and good sportsmanship.

July 1

BP - Bracebridge

Bracebridge Press has learned that Head Golf Professional Rob Webb has ruled Rick Nelson ineligible to compete in the Junior Division of the upcoming Tennessee Scramble at South Muskoka. Nelson is a card-carrying Junior member of the RCGA and after hearing of Webb's ruling was said to be considering his options. Attempts to reach Club General Manager Al Helmer were fruitless and it is reported he is apparently still trying to master voice mail service.

Webb was adamant about his ruling: " Rick only has a Junior member's card, he does not meet any of the other criteria and he will compete in his usual Division, with the rest of the ladies who enter the tournament".

Stay tuned for further developments!

June 29

South Muskoka's Buick Challenge qualifier was held Saturday June 25th, with a field of 14 4-person teams vying for the right to advance to the regional playdown at Grandview next month. The team of Jay Houston, Bob Heath, Rob and Sheila Burgess scratched out a 1 stroke victory at net 59. There was a logjam of four teams tied in second at net 60.

The winning strategic move may have come when short game ace Bill Fleming had to withdraw and was replaced on an emergency basis with the long-driving Sheila Burgess, who took advantage of her forward teeing position to set up several good birdie and eagle opportunities for the team. Good luck at Grandview!

June 28

GOLF MEMBERS SURVEY: METHODOLOGY AND NUMERICAL INFORMATION:

Last fall adult golf members were surveyed by mail for their level of satisfaction with 18 different aspects of the service provided by the Club. The mailing included a return envelope addressed confidentially to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, with own postage required. No follow-up contact was attempted with members who chose not to reply.

The attributes surveyed included physical aspects of the Club as well as service behaviours and staff performance in the office, restaurant, Pro Shop, and from starters, rangers and maintenance staff. Members were asked to respond to positive statements, with 1 meaning Not At All, and 7 meaning To a Very Great Extent.

281 responses were received, a high response rate in excess of 50%, and the rating of the general statement - Overall, you are pleased with the Club service to golf members - was 5.77 (out of a maximum of 7.0).

Attribute scores ranged from a low of 4.75 to a high of 6.41, with twelve scores in the range of 5.0 to 6.0, and five above 6.0. The lowest scores recorded were in the areas of the Tele Tee service, pace of play, condition of power carts, and rangering. We consider all attributes rated less than 6.0 to be opportunities for improvement.

COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS:

The questionnaire encouraged comments and suggestions, and over 70% of respondents added remarks. These ranged from the speed of our greens to the content of our TeleTee messages to the number of shoe cleaners on the golf course, and the need sometimes for more smiles from Club staff. They also included compliments and kudos for various aspects of our operations.

ACTION PLANS :

We are working to improve our performance in all opportunity areas. In assessing the survey results and the comments and suggestions, it is reassuring that many areas of concern to members were already being addressed by the Club, confirming many of the priorities we have set. There are other areas where change will only occur gradually, or, for reasons of resources, will not be initiated or completed for some time. In some other respects, a single suggestion will be acted upon immediately ( eg. the new bench at bag drop).

A number of members made suggestions on ways to improve our service. Your evaluations and suggestions are valued and we will be working to improve service across all departments and areas of the Club. A special sub-committee of the Board has been struck to work with the Club GM on the development of a comprehensive service strategy.

There were many comments regarding the un-evenness of tees, and we have now re-built most of the worst culprits in this respect. Likewise, several members suggested putting windshields on all power carts, and we are doing this gradually, with 20 additional carts equipped this spring. The need to relocate the handicap computer had already been identified and (we think) a better space now provided.

Pace of play and our use of rangers is clearly an ongoing concern to members, and an area where as a Club we have made good progress in the past, but we continue to focus on pace to keep improving. This season we have adopted the 10 minute tee time interval from 9 until noon, and we have seen positive early results. We will be making more use of rangers this season, and we have re-evaluated our time par in light of changes to the golf course since the initial rating was set – these include the difficulty of some holes, length of rough, cart path rules, etc.

There was a frequent suggestion made that our bunker sand should be upgraded and this is now complete, but only for green-side traps. We do not yet have a time-frame or a budget established to convert our fairway traps, but we do intend to do this in conjunction with the next phase of work on our golf course Master Plan.

The shortcomings of our reservation system as far as cancelling or changing a time have been apparent since we first installed the system, but cannot be solved by our current vendor. This system will most likely be replaced in the few next years. (Some members may not be aware of the service problems that we had before adopting TeleTee – suffice to say that this system has solved many more problems than it has created.)

We found a problem with the secondary clutch in certain model years of our power carts, and we think we have repaired them all. We are using a new cart feedback report to make sure we get fast service/repair on units that are beginning to show problems.