GHSC News Item: August 13, 2021 Post-1900 Hickory Play

Location: Osprey Links Golf Course, Collander ON

Reported by: George Supol, GHSC Board Member 

Lorne Emery, GHSC Board Member, and Bill Vossen, a member of GHSC and a resident of North Bay, organized an August 13, 2021 trip to play Osprey Links using hickory golf clubs. Twenty-three players attended this casual play event including 13 GHSC Hickory Ambassadors and 10 local golfers interested in participating. This was a repeat performance of last year’s visit to the same great venue and is reinforcing the further development of a regional players’ group in the North Bay area.

Located in Callander, ON about 10 minutes south of North Bay, Osprey Links Golf Course is a Rene Muylaert par 71 design. This professionally designed course offers something for every level of player. The front nine is a traditional links style golf course with eight strategically placed ponds enhancing every hole, while the back nine is a completely different challenge. Being almost completely cut out of the forest, it features tree-bordered fairways and extreme elevations. Contoured fairways with two contrasting cuts of rough, more than forty bunkers, and many impressive outcrops of precambrian rock combine to make this course a truly memorable experience.

The most impressive hickory play this reporter witnessed on this day was an eagle by Corey Eberhardt on the par five 5th hole. Two towering shots (driver, wedge) followed by a 20-foot downhill put. With hickory clubs—there was lots of wow factor!

Our group was also joined by Jim Burton, The Grateful Golfer. Jim attributes his hickory play to helping him win his golf matches with modern clubs, due to the slower, smoother tempo of his hickory swing. This is an observation we often hear at GHSC.

After the round, the players and a handful of spouses joined for a meal at Average Joes Eatery & Patio Bar overlooking Trout Lake.

A few selected pictures of this event are presented below.