That first year the three of us played the Championship at the Sauble Beach Golf and Country Club in beautiful Sauble Beach. Drop by and play a round some day. Nice people there.
http://users.sitewaves.com/index.cfm?member=saublegolf
As the tournament evolved, more of our friends got involved and the tourney got a little bit bigger (but never too big) - this is a special group.
As we started to have families...we found a perfect way to finish off our summer. Every September...on the weekend after Labour Day...we would all go to spectacular Torpitt Lodge on Sparrow Lake.
The 46 room hotel was purchased by Jack Tresidder Sr. in 1919. He formally renamed it Hotel Torpitt because so many guests came from Toronto and Pittsburg. the hotel burned to the ground in May 1939 and was rebuilt in a record 23 days. It was renamed Torpitt Lodge. Faye and Jack Tresidder Jr. operated the Lodge from 1972 to 1999. It was operated as a Sports Lodge for a few years and then demolished to make way for 18 fractional ownership cottages and now called Tory's Landing.
There has never been a better family place (in my opinion) and the 9 hole golf course adjacent to the course was second to none. Rebar....was used for pins.....the greens at best were like an obstacle course, the ball never, ever rolled anything close to straight. The opening par 4 was about 230 yards...and was probably the hardest 4 in golf....trust me, you had to see it to believe it. But....oh what a great course, and what tremendous times we had. And the Green Jacket was awarded here many, many times.
Torpitt is gone now, and with it the mystique of The Green Jacket has lost something too. However every year we still make it happen....and this year is no different. Year 25 is upon us.
Some Green Jacket Fast Facts!!!
- 1st Winner - Ollie Cavers (1987) - Ollie has a fantastic Golf Shop in Ajax, Ontario called Ollie Golf. http://www.olliegolf.com/ If you want some great custom clubs, give Ollie a call.
- Most wins - Stu (the Messiah) Aird - 9 times..
- Most Recent Winner - Paul (Fry) McKeon - 2010
- only members to never win - Dill and Tippy (my brothers - sorry guys...but it had to be said)
- 3 past winners not here this week...Dave McClintock - Joe Smith and with special memories of our friend Randy (Rooster) McMillen.
- Woman started their own version of the Tournament in 1994....and annually award The Fred A Henz Award (Fred was a long time visitor to Torpitt) - and made a beautiful "box" which is now the award.
- First woman winner - Barb Galway - 1994
- most wins - Laura Ramsay - 6
- most recent winner - Rosie McMillan - 2010.
Teeing off first the women's group. **note** - we have never really figured out the rules that the girls play under, they seem to make it up as they go every year, and changing it hole to hole.....odd, but they do seem to have fun....so I shall remain quiet. - Rosie, Patti, Norah and Laura....will vie for the Fred A Henz Award....Good Luck Girls.
Men's Division has a "little" more order.
Group 1
Ollie(Caveman) Cavers - 2 time winner - (handicap 12) - Founding Member and First Champion.
Paul ( Fry) McKeon- 1 time winner - (25 (seriously) - Founding Member and Last Champion.
Stu (Messiah) Aird - 9 time winner - (handicap 6) - Most wins
Don (Dill)McMillan - never won - (handicap 21) - playing solid golf - poised for first win
Group 2
Mike (Jr.)McMillan - 3 time winner - (handicap 17) - Founding Member
Dennis (Ned)Convery - 4 time winner - (handicap 10) - Likes fishing more than golf now
Scott (Strongheart) Aird - 2 time winner - (handicap 17) - capable of a duck hook phenomena!
Steve (Tippy) McMillan - never won - (handicap 21) - even a blind squirrel eventually finds a nut.
I look forward to this every year....It is good people sharing great memories....and as we play on the same weekend that we used to go to Torpitt our thought will be somewhere between Sauble Beach and Sparrow Lake and every where in between.
