HSC News Item: Sept 23, 2023 – Sawmill Practice (2023) Reported by: George Supol, GHSC Hickory Ambassador.

On Monday, September 18, 2023, fourteen GHSC members travelled to Sawmill Golf Course which is located in Fenwick Ontario. This course is a 60-minute drive from Toronto and is in the Niagara region of Ontario.

At Sawmill, protecting and enhancing the environment is a serious concern. In 2002, it became a fully certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada (ACSSC). It was just the 27th golf course in Canada to receive this prestigious designation and the first in the Niagara region. As such, Sawmill is considered to be a “Golfing Sanctuary.”

Sawmill is the site of GHSC’s upcoming Ontario Open Championship (Day #2, October 1) and the Society’s Organizing Committee decided to make a practice round available. The players played from the green tees to a Par 71 at 5,189 yards, 65.6 rating, slope 116. Sawmill is considered to be an excellent test of hickory golf. Most of the course is relatively flat, but there are several very interesting holes in the mix with some significant elevation changes. The greens are also large, quick and sloping. There are many bunkers too. The course is in excellent shape.

The best scores of the day were a pair of 84’s shot by Nick Pileggi and George Supol. George and Russell Dick took the two Closest-to-the-Pin prizes.

Allan Lew and Ron Weins, Hickory Ambassadors, co-organized the event and did a fine job of looking after the players that attended. Sawmill is a favourite course of GHSC because of its suitability for hickory golf, its natural setting, the hospitality of George Julie, Founder, and Jeremy Julie, GM, and the wonderful team of support staff that the Julie’s have assembled.

Pics below include seven pics (#2-7) taken by Frank Collis, GHSC Member and our Player/Photographer. Click on an image below to see its larger version.