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Golf
Men's Wednesday Golf-Around

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Activity: Men's Wednesday Golf-Around:
This is a group of men, mainly from the VBA, who golf at various 18-hole championship (regulation-size) courses, all within a 40 minute drive of the VBA.

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, we played at Springfield and then had our end-of-year lunch after, at Chuck's Roadhouse.
The weather was hot - about 30C, so even though it was now Fall, it was our last "summer" day of the golf-season.

Above, from the left, Michel Brochu, Ross Wasylyshyn, Pat Bailey, Ron Russell

Click Here for more 2023 photos

PHOTOS

Click Here for the 2023 photos

Click Here for the 2022 photos

Click Here for the 2021 photos

Click Here for the 2020 photos

Click Here for the 2019 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2018 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2017 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2016 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2015 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2014 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2013 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2012 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2011 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2010 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for the 2009 photos - Golfing and end-of-year BBQ

Click Here for 2008 Golf photos, including the annual BBQ

Click Here for historical (2003 - 2007) photos.

HISTORY

Did you ever wonder how this group got started, and which original members are still golfing in the group?

It all started in 2002, when David Kuhn quit the Cutten Club, and started recruiting players such as Doug Fitzsimmons to play at different courses around the Guelph area. The rest is history.

Are you interested in more historical details, like who played which years, and what were the top 3 scores each year?

Click Here for the Golfaround History

Co-ordinators:

Doug Fitzsimmons; 38 Honeysuckle Drive, Phone: 519-824-7836.
Marty Grieve; 23 White Pine Way;
519-824-1647; Golf-Foursome Scheduler.


Course Booker:

Doug Fitzsimmons; 38 Honeysuckle Drive, Phone: 519-824-7836.

If you have any questions about the club, and/or are interested in joining, please contact Doug Fitzsimmons, or any of the golfaround golfers. 
We would love to have you join our group as a spare. Over time, if you want, you can move up to become a regular golfer.
 Sometimes, that even happens in your first year, if you want.

Schedule:  We play golf once a week, on Wednesdays.  Typically the first tee time is 9:30am, with a total of 3 consecutive tee-times. 
We play 4 or 5 courses, and play each of them about 6 times, for a total of 24 games during the summer, from early May to mid-October.

Dues:  We charge $0 / year. But ... regular golfers are required to drive approximately once every 4 weeks. Spare golfers are not required to drive, but are required to pay $5 each time they play, up to a maximum of $20.  For this small price, you save up to $15 each time you play golf, so it's a great deal.  The money they pay goes toward the annual BBQ. 
Note - since Covid, each golfer has to drive himself, to maintain social distancing.   We expect this to continue because the golfers seem to prefer this.  Therefore, since each driver drove themselves, we dropped the $5/spare charge.

VBA Golf-Around Group - 2023 Courses and VBA Golf-Around Pricing:  
Course Name

VBA Special Deal (all prices include HST)

Travel Cost Travel Time in minutes
  Walking Riding    
Wildwinds - PAYP $39 $52 $5.00 21 minutes
Guelph Lakes $41.00 $56.00 $5.00 15
Savannah Links - PAYP $45.00 $67.00 $10.00 32
Springfield  $40.00 $55.00 $0.00 8
Vic Valley $34.58 $50.68 $5.00 10

NOTES:

  1. PAYP - Pay As You Play:  Wildwinds and Savannah Links are both "pay as you play", so you don't buy tickets ahead of time.  You pay at the desk.
  2. Ticket-courses are Springfield, Guelph Lakes, Vic Valley.
  3. All prices include 13% HST.
  4. Springfield, Guelph Lakes, Vic Valley - we buy tickets for the whole year ahead of time. Regulars are obligated to buy enough tickets for the year, and also to sell that ticket to their spare, at their cost-price.   Spares are obligated to buy them. 
  5. "Travel Cost" - this is the amount which the regularly scheduled driver would pay someone else, if he can't drive himself.  (because of Covid, everyone drives themselves, until notified otherwise)

Spare golfers pay $5 / outing, up to a maximum of $20 for the year. This money goes toward the end-of-year barbeque which all golfers - both regulars and spares - enjoy. The rationale for charging spares is that the regulars must pay for the gas to travel and play. The spares never pay for gas, and therefore this maximum of $20 helps to pay back the regulars in some way.   Also, the spare is getting the advantage of the discounted rates that Doug Fitzsimmons has negotiated, which typically amounts to a $5 to $15 savings each time they play, so, using the logic of my wife, they are saving money each time they play!!  Because of Covid, everyone drives themselves, so we've waived the $5 spare fee until we start driving as a group again.

At the end of the year, in late September or early October, we have a barbeque at the Recreation Centre BBQ area or at a restaurant. Any spare cash is used to offset the cost of the steaks and beer. There is typically an additional cost of about $10 or so. (The costs range from a low of $1, at the 2011 BBQ, to a high of $12 at our 2012 BBQ). You are invited to the BBQ if you played at least ONCE during the year.

Details: Up to 2007, we had a group of 8 regular members, and a group of spares. In 2007, we expanded to 12 regular golfers instead of 8. In 2008, we expanded to 16 regular golfers instead of 12. For 2009, we removed Wildwinds golf course, and replaced it with Savannah Links. At the conclusion of 2009, we voted to keep the same 6 golf courses again for 2010, but would throw in ocassional extra courses outside of these 6, on non-Wednesdays. For 2011, we removed Springfield, and replaced it with Wildwinds. For 2012, we removed Wildwinds, and added Grey Silo.  For 2013, we removed Elmira, and replaced it with Wildwinds.  Because of the lack of regular players, we dropped the regular group from 16 players down to 12.  For the 2014 season, we removed Vic East, and replaced it with Springfield and stayed at 12 regular players. For the 2015 season, we removed Grey Silo, and replaced it with Paris Grand and dropped to 8 regular players. For the 2016 season, we removed Paris Grand, Innerkip and Savannah Links, and added Puslinch, Doon Valley and Turtle Creek. For the 2017 season, we removed Puslinch, Doon Valley and Turtle Creek, and added Victoria Park East, in an effort to play closer to home. Also, by reducing it from 6 courses to 4 courses, we end up playing each course six times. For the 2018 season, we left the golf courses identical, but increased the golfers from 8 to 12. For the 2019 and 2020 season, we removed Vic East, and replaced it with Vic Valley and stayed at 12 regular players.  For 2021, we kept Springfield, Guelph Lakes and Vic Valley as 6 visits; and we reduced Wildwinds to only 3 visits and added Savannah Links for 3 visits.  For 2022 and 2023, we did the same as 2021 which is to have Springfield, Guelph Lakes and Vic Valley as 6 visits; and Wildwinds and Savannah Links for 3 visits. 

Summary:  FOR 2023, we have 12 players. 

The 12 regular members are committed to play golf each Wednesday, or else find a replacement from among the spare-list. The spare list is a list of those golfers who do not want to make this committment, but would enjoy filling in for those regulars who cannot make the date.

Foursomes are arranged at the start of the season. Also, Doug Fitzsimmons books all the courses at the beginning of the season, as we show them on our web-page.  He also collects the money up-front for any tickets we have to buy up-front, and pays the courses for those tickets.

Each week, Doug Fitzsimmons advises the group in an email, of the next week's course, and times. The top name for each foursome will advise his foursome of the pickup times, and will be responsible to drive his foursome, or arrange transportation (if the top name does not have a van, or car with a large trunk, for example, he will ask one of his foursome to drive, and then arrange suitable gas-compensation for this favour).
2023 NOTE - since Covid struck, every person has been driving themselves. I don't know if this will change in 2023, but ... we'll see.

Most golfers ride. We sometimes have two or three members who choose to walk the courses - which is their choice.  Some of the choices are made depending on the weather, and how hilly the course is. Some members play from the white-blocks; some play from the forward-blocks; it's entirely the choice of the player.  After the game, we typically go into the clubhouse to have a beer/pop, and discuss the game.

For 2023, we are golfing at 5 courses, and we negotiate a deal that is equivalent to us using coupon-books, but without the hassle. At some courses we buy 50 or more coupons (for the group), which could then be used anytime. At other courses, they offered us the discounted rate simply for showing up as a group. Regulars are expected to buy enough tickets to cover the number of times we play during the year. If they need a spare, it is expected that they will sell their ticket to their spare at their cost. Spares are expected to buy the ticket from the regular at the discounted rate.

Getting a Spare: If a regular golfer can't golf on a specific date he must get a spare, and do it ASAP - at least one week in advance would be nice - longer is better. Then he lets his leader know, and lets Doug Fitzsimmons know, by email! Also if you are the leader that week, and you are away, you are still committed to organize the driving for your foursome - either asking the spare to drive, or asking one one of your foursome to drive, and then typically pay a gas allowance for this favour.

Gas Allowance: (as gas prices crept upward, we had to institute this policy).  As the golf courses settled in to be just Guelph, we have relaxed the policy a bit.  And when we started driving ourselves, this policy stopped.

Pre-covid, regular drivers are expected to drive their foursome six times during the summer, no matter where it is. They do not get a gas allowance or reimbursement. It's part of the duties. If a regular driver cannot drive, and asks someone else in his foursome to drive, or asks a spare to drive, he is expected to pay that driver gas money, as per the "Travel Cost" column in the chart above.

Members: The 12-member list (alphabetically by first-name) for the 2023 season is:

1. Bill Joyce - 416-834-1935 2. Bob Craig - 519-265-0243 3. Carl Phillips - 548-988-7899 4. Doug Fitzsimmons - 519-824-7836
5. John Towle - 519-265-4995 6. Ken Boyd - 519-821-5456 7. Michel Brochu - 647-692-2010 8. Pat Bailey - 905-730-4847
9. Ralph Stolberg - 519-401-9035 10. Robert Stanley - 647-760-9077
11.Ron Russell - 519-837-5535
12. Ross Wasylyshyn - 519-836-8909

The Spare List (alphabetically by first-name) for the 2023 season is:

Bernard Novak - 905-703-5494 Bernard Skinner - 519-820-2158  
Bruce Barnes - 519-282-7759    
Cas Herold - 519-822-4278 David Butler - 519-836-3972
Away mid-June to early Oct.
Gino Lago - 519-836-5690
Jim Allan - 519-265-9187 John Barnum - 519-265-3850  
John Rawbone - 519-821-3754 Kris Ottosen - 519-767-0810  
Marty Grieve - 519-824-1647 Mike Wilson - 548-988-3549  
Robert Pearce - 905-842-3114 - Away during the summer; but has email. Robert Stanley - 647-769-9077  
Rollie LaLiberte- 226-780-0596 Sean Clarke - 905-299-8141  
Tom Kane - 519-827-1475 Tom Stewart - 613-355-2098  
Vance Curry - 1-519-466-2742    

Need a Spare?

Email to all the spares: Click here to email ALL the spares. Please ask them to respond for specific dates. Once you get a confirmation from one, you must inform anyone else who responds, so they don't think that they are your spare as well.  If you don't find a replacement in a few days, you are expected to start phoning, to get a spare. 

Interested in playing? Join our spare list, or possibly even our regular list, by contacting Doug Fitzsimmons at fitzsimmonsds@yahoo.ca.
As openings in the regular group happen, we fill them from the spare list.

Detailed Schedule for 2023: (The numbers in the foursomes match the number beside each member name above).

Week  2023 Dates Golf Course 1st Tee Time; 9:30am 2nd Tee Time; 9:40am 3rd Tee Time; 9:50am
1 May 10th Vic Valley Doug Fitzsimmons-Ken Boyd
-Ralph Stolberg-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-Michel Brochu
-Pat Bailey-Ross Wasylyshyn
John Towle-Bob Craig
-Robert Stanley-Ron Russell
2 May 17th Wildwinds
9:40 first tee
Doug Fitzsimmons-Bob Craig
-Pat Bailey-Robert Stanley
Bill Joyce-Ken Boyd
-Ron Russell-Ross Wasylyshyn
John Towle-Michel Brochu
-Ralph Stolberg-Carl Phillips
3 May 24th Guelph Lakes Doug Fitzsimmons-Michel Brochu
-Ralph Stolberg-Ron Russell
John Towle-Ken Boyd
-Bob Craig-Pat Bailey
Bill Joyce-Robert Stanley
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
4 May 31st Springfield Bob Craig-Pat Bailey
-Ron Russell-Carl Phillips
Doug Fitzsimmons-John Towle
-Ralph Stolberg-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Ken Boyd
-Michel Brochu-Robert Stanley
5 June 7th Vic Valley Bill Joyce-Bob Craig
-Ralph Stolberg-Carl Phillips
Doug Fitzsimmons-John Towle
-Ron Russell-Ross Wasylyshyn
Ken Boyd-Michel Brochu
-Pat Bailey-Robert Stanley
6 June 14th Savannah Links Bob Craig-Michel Brochu
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
Pat Bailey-Ralph Stolberg
-Robert Stanley-Ron Russell
Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-John Towle-Ken Boyd
7 June 21st Guelph Lakes Ken Boyd-Pat Bailey
-Ralph Stolberg-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-Bob Craig-Michel Brochu
John Towle-Robert Stanley
-Ron Russell-Carl Phillips
8 June 28th Springfield Ken Boyd-Bob Craig
-Ron Russell-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-Pat Bailey-Carl Phillips
John Towle-Michel Brochu
-Ralph Stolberg-Robert Stanley
9 July 5th Vic Valley Doug Fitzsimmons-Robert Stanley
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-John Towle
-Pat Bailey-Ron Russell
Ken Boyd-Bob Craig
-Michel Brochu-Ralph Stolberg
10 July 12th Wildwinds
9:40 first tee
Bill Joyce-Ralph Stolberg
-Robert Stanley-Ron Russell
John Towle-Bob Craig
-Pat Bailey-Ross Wasylyshyn
Doug Fitzsimmons-Ken Boyd
-Michel Brochu-Carl Phillips
11 July 19th Guelph Lakes Doug Fitzsimmons-Bob Craig
-Robert Stanley-Ross Wasylyshyn
John Towle-Michel Brochu
-Pat Bailey-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-Ken Boyd
-Ralph Stolberg-Ron Russell
12 July 26th Springfield Michel Brochu-Pat Bailey
-Ron Russell-Ross Wasylyshyn
John Towle-Ken Boyd
-Robert Stanley-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-Bob Craig-Ralph Stolberg
13 Aug. 2nd Vic Valley Bill Joyce-John Towle-Ralph
 Stolberg-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bob Craig-Michel Brochu
-Robert Stanley-Ron Russell
Doug Fitzsimmons-Ken Boyd
-Pat Bailey-Carl Phillips
14 Aug 9th Savannah Links Doug Fitzsimmons-John Towle
-Michel Brochu-Ron Russell
Ken Boyd-Ralph Stolberg
-Robert Stanley-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Bob Craig
-Pat Bailey-Carl Phillips
15 Aug 16th Springfield Doug Fitzsimmons-Pat Bailey
-Ralph Stolberg-Robert Stanley
Michel Brochu-Ron Russell
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-John Towle
-Ken Boyd-Bob Craig
16 Aug 23rd Vic Valley Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-Michel Brochu-Robert Stanley
Ken Boyd-Bob Craig
-Ron Russell-Carl Phillips
John Towle-Pat Bailey
-Ralph Stolberg-Ross Wasylyshyn
17 Aug 30 Guelph Lakes John Towle-Bob Craig
-Michel Brochu-Ralph Stolberg
Doug Fitzsimmons-Ken Boyd
-Pat Bailey-Ron Russell
Bill Joyce-Robert Stanley
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
18 Sept. 6 Wildwinds
9:40 first tee
Bill Joyce-Ken Boyd
-Michel Brochu-Ross Wasylyshyn
John Towle-Ralph Stolberg
-Ron Russell-Carl Phillips
Doug Fitzsimmons-Bob Craig
-Pat Bailey-Robert Stanley
19 Sept 13 Guelph Lakes John Towle-Ken Boyd
-Robert Stanley-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Pat Bailey
-Ralph Stolberg-Carl Phillips
Doug Fitzsimmons-Bob Craig
-Michel Brochu-Ron Russell
20 Sept 20 Springfield Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-John Towle-Ron Russell
Ken Boyd-Michel Brochu
-Robert Stanley-Carl Phillips
Bob Craig-Pat Bailey
-Ralph Stolberg-Ross Wasylyshyn
21 Sept 27 Vic Valley Ken Boyd-Ralph Stolberg
-Robert Stanley-Ron Russell
Doug Fitzsimmons-Bob Craig
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
Bill Joyce-John Towle
-Michel Brochu-Pat Bailey
22 Oct. 4 Springfield Michel Brochu-Pat Bailey
-Ron Russell-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-John Towle
-Bob Craig-Robert Stanley
Doug Fitzsimmons-Ken Boyd
-Ralph Stolberg-Carl Phillips
23 Oct 11 Guelph Lakes Bob Craig-Michel Brochu
-Ralph Stolberg-Robert Stanley
Bill Joyce-Ron Russell
-Ross Wasylyshyn-Carl Phillips
Doug Fitzsimmons-John Towle
-Ken Boyd-Pat Bailey
24 Oct 18 Savannah Links Pat Bailey-Robert Stanley
-Ron Russell-Carl Phillips
John Towle-Ken Boyd
-Bob Craig-Ross Wasylyshyn
Bill Joyce-Doug Fitzsimmons
-Michel Brochu-Ralph Stolberg

 

Example: Take as an example, the May 10 grouping to Vic Valley. The first foursome is the group Doug Fitzsimmons; Ken Boyd; Ralph Stolberg and Carl Phillips.  

The first person of each foursome is responsible for transportation for that foursome, so for May 10, Doug Fitzsimmons is responsible for driving one foursome, By "organize tranportation", that means that he drives if at all possible. If he doesn't have a car/van that fits 4 golfers and clubs, then he gets someone in his foursome to drive instead, and pays him for gas, at the agreed-upon rates.  Again, because of Covid, everyone drives themselves now.

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Updated March 4 2024

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