GHSC News Item: January 1, 2022 – Reflections (2021/2022)

Location: Fescue’s Edge GC, Scotland ON

Reported by: Lorne Emery, GHSC Board Member 

Today is New Year’s Day 2022 and for the second straight day, I’ve had the pleasure of golfing with three of my good friends (Gerald Achymichuk, Mike Stephenson, Allan Lew). While it’s too cold to play hickories, 2022 is off to an early start and promises to be another great year for all forms of golf play.

In reflecting on 2021, it was certainly a challenging year. Because of the pandemic, the golf season for me did not start until March 12, the first day that Fescue’s Edge opened. The same cast of characters were there to open the season and help me close it out yesterday. A lot of golf was played except during the shutdown in Ontario which started April 17 and lasted five weeks.

Despite the shutdowns, I set a personal record for eighteen-hole games played (184), hickory games played (108), and most games played with another person in one year (97 with Mike Stephenson). Mike’s numbers are close to mine and Gerald was not far behind.

The new Golf Canada relationship was a big highlight for me and I was one of the first to sign up for a hickory handicap. If you have not done so, I highly recommend you participate in 2022. We would love to double the number of hickory players tracked.

My partial 2021 hickory golf stats logged at Golf Canada using my new hickory handicap account:

In 2021, we had many great opportunities to play hickory golf, ranging from our regular Hickory Fridays at Cambridge to our outings at Brantford, Galt, Dundas Valley, Royal Ashburn, and Tarandowah to name just a few.

The Hickory Ambassador trip to Bracebridge and North Bay in August was an amazing trip and we need to do more of these outings, a great time was had by all.

I also want to recognize some extraordinary acts of golf dedication that I witnessed this year. Russell Dick and I organized Guttyfest in early October, a celebration of pre-1900 golf. With the torrential rains in the fall, golf carts were not allowed. George Supol and Gunnar Eriksson have significant physical challenges requiring the use of a cart and chose to play through the pain by walking. It was inspiring to see this.

So, the 2021 season is history and four of us have a head start on the 2022 season. It is my hope that many of you reading this will decide to get your historical clubs ready for another great season.