2015 Recap

80th Annual Golf Classic

Deer Creek Golf Course

The 80th Annual Father and Three Sons Golf Classic was held on Friday, August 28th at Deer Creek in Ajax, Ontario.

The event was hosted by the Boyers, one of the longest participating families, who took great care to honour the traditions of the tournament and incoporate some truly memorable features to mark the 80th Anniversary.

2015 Event Summary

2015 Scramble Recap

One of the more recent traditions to have been established is the playing of a Scramble on Thursday, in which family members get to play with each other (unlike the Friday round). Despite a brief burst of rain partway through the afternoon, the day was a great one for golf and the course was in immaculate condition.

In what has seemingly become a tradition in itself, there were strong performances by the Boyers, Lucianis, Hendersons and Gallos. All were sure they had a good shot at the trophy, but in the end it was the Lancasters who bested the field, carding a -15.

2015 Tournament Recap

Friday morning presented the golfers with a truly perfect golf day, which started with the the Boyer boys presenting registrants with some fantastic swag, the crown jewel of which was an elegant Father and Three Sons tote bag painstakingly designed by Michael Boyer, which is sure to become a favourite for business travelers.

The information package was detailed and informative, clearly indicating where and when folks needed to be for the many events and special surprises to pulled off according to plan. Of course, some families made sure the Host Family continued the tradition of having to chase people down to complete Registrations and Family Pictures according to the timelines set forth in the Agenda. Dads were muttering and brothers were blamed as the late arrivals were finally processed and everyone made their way to the edge of the practice green for the traditional group photo.

While the crowd grew, it became apparent that none of the Fathers had yet returned from the annual Fathers’ Meeting. The fathers arrived, en masse, in a truly memorable fashion, as they were piped in by the Highland Creek Pipe Band, which included Deer Creek’s own Ken Russell and Maple Leaf Alumni Glen Healy. The procession lent an air of gravitas and pageantry to the proceedings, befitting the longstanding traditions of the tournament, and was appreciated by Fathers and Sons alike.

Shortly afterwards, the photographer appeared in the crow’s nest atop the club house to take a wide shot of the assembled group.

After a short welcome and rules announcements, Devon Butler (14) joined Sam Hisey (85) for Sam’s annual lesson in how to hit the perfect ceremonial tee shot. The golfers were then piped out as they headed onto the track to take up station at their designated starting holes for a round of golf that, for the 80th time since 1935, provided the backdrop to the forging and renewing of friendships among families, veterans and iniates alike.

2015 Banquet Recap

Met in the great hall for socializing before the formal banquet began, kicked off with a prayer of thanks led by John Nash. Golfers were treated to a spectacular buffet supper of prime rib and chicken, with a big-screen TV high above the dining room looping through the many candid pictures taken throughout the day.

The Boyers, with Brandon in the role of Emcee, kept things moving smoothly throughout the supper, and called upon Fathers to introduce their sons. This featured the usual ribbing and teasing about forgotten shirts, questionable priorities (i.e. subs playing for sons choosing honeymoons over golf) and abundance of poor performances on the course. Beyond the teasing, thanks and praise were heaped on the Boyer family and Deer Creek staff for organizing and running a wonderful tournament, as well as acknowledging the many extra touches the Host Family had incorporated to mark the 80th Anniversary.

In keeping with the entire agenda set out by the Boyer family, every aspect of the evening – from supper to introductions to awards to wrap up – ran smoothly and on time. The event concluded with the introduction of the Geof Lauer family as hosts for the 2016 tournament, to be held at Rebel Creek in Waterloo, Ontario.