Cherry Hill Club - One Hundred Years : simplebooklet.com

1Anyone who has had the opportunity to play golf with a parent or a child, understands the meaning of the phrase, “quality time spent with loved ones.” I count the many rounds played at Cherry Hill with my father, William S. Reynolds, among my most treasured memories. He had the smoothest swing you ever did see, and it didn’t hurt to grow up watching that swing. Among his numerous amusing quips on the course, this one related to me: “I taught him everything he knows” he would say to our playing partners, “… but not everything I know!” One thing I do know is the richness of quality time I enjoyed with him o the course, when he asked for my assistance in the preparation of the Club’s 75th anniversary history book, authored by him and published in 1997. Aer reviewing 75 years of Board Meeting Minutes and historical records, and interviewing members and sta, he wrote out the history of Cherry Hill in longhand on big yellow legal pads. His secretary would type up the text and put it in 3-ring notebooks for our review. We would meet in the conference room of his law oces in downtown Bualo, chain smoking like newspaper editors as we reviewed the manuscript for typos, context and content, the subject matter of which was near and dear to our hearts – – Cherry Hill. Besides providing me with a wealth of meaningful personal memories, the result of his eorts is a wonderful account of the ﬁrst 75 years of our Club, which in his own words is “both informative and entertaining.” It is a tough act to follow, and indeed, I am honored and humbled to be tasked with rounding out the balance of our Club’s ﬁrst 100 years.That book “The Cherry Hill Club, Ltd. 1922-1997” is reproduced in its entirety for this publication and follows the content relating to our most recent quarter century, 1997 to the present. If you have not already done so, you may wish to read the earlier history ﬁrst. Unlike the 75th anniversary book, which is presented chronologically, these last 25 years of Cherry Hill history are organized by topic. Twenty-ﬁve years ﬂew by in the blink of an eye, and yet so much has transpired at the dear old Travis course we love so well. Let’s tee it up and take a look.Ridgeway, Ontario Michael W. Reynolds April 2022 e AUTHOR’S NOTE

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3The 75th Anniversary CelebrationA committee headed by Don Campbell had been working since 1995 on the Club’s diamond anniversary which culminated on August 9, 1997, in a daylong event capped o by a dinner and ﬁreworks the likes of which the club had never seen. Members who had complained about the $100 per member anniversary assessment that year must have been won over aer attending the aair which was open to the full membership. A review of the promotional ﬂier for the event indicates that entertainment catered to every age group, including a midway by the tennis courts with games, karaoke and a magic show that featured an 1100-pound Bengal Tiger! Teenagers were treated to video games and a DJ, while the adults enjoyed an ample cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres with a full-size canoe ﬁlled with raw bar items. A charity casino with real monetary wagers beneﬁtted a local charity. A Las Vegas style revue and ﬁreworks were also on the agenda. While it may seem inconceivable by today’s standards, not a single photograph of the event could be unearthed to chronicle the celebration, so it must be le to the imagination. To date, the Bengal is the only known Tiger of note to have graced the fairways of Cherry Hill.The Club did receive some local publicity about our 75th Anniversary in Bualo and Ontario print media, but nothing like the extensive coverage of Club events in earlier times. Back when both Bualo daily newspapers had dedicated reporters for the How ﬁtting that we begin our look at the past 25 years of Cherry Hill history on the ﬁrst tee, but not in the normal fashion. The ﬁnal entry in the 75th anniversary history book from the April 1997 Board Minutes indicates, “Plans for the 75th Anniversary Celebration are well underway.” Those plans called for a major gala event that was too big to be held in the Clubhouse and was therefore staged in an expansive 800-person capacity tent erected on the ﬁrst tee and fairway. And what an event it was!eCLUB SELECTION

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4social page, it was common for events at Cherry Hill to be covered with detailed descriptions of the décor, the names of the event chairpersons, and of course a description of the chairlady’s attire. All this, whether it was the President’s Ball or the Ladies Bridge luncheon. One local golf publication, entitled “Fore Golfers Only” had always been accommodating in its coverage of Cherry Hill, despite the fact that its advertising and readership were geared more toward the public golf course community. Veteran local sportswriter, Wayne Redshaw, was tireless in his role as publisher, photographer, and writer, covering all things golf in the Niagara Peninsula. In 1997 he featured the Club’s 75th anniversary as well as a front-page article commemorating the 25th Anniversary of our hosting of the 1972 Canadian Open. In addition to parties and celebrations the Board’s plate was fuller than the raw bar canoe. As a result of Bill McGennis’ generous donation in 1997 of 42 acres west of Cherry Hill Boulevard, coupled with a waiting list that at times exceeded 60 applicants, there was much discussion of the possibility of building a new 9 holes and the consequences of accommodating the growing membership.Take A Seat At The BarOf lesser signiﬁcance, yet of great interest to certain members were a myriad of issues ranging from barstools to cell phones that occupied the endeavors of the Board. The barstool controversy had been brewing for quite some time, with many an hour spent at the bar discussing the topic, without the beneﬁt of a place to rest one’s weary bones aer a round of golf. Pro-barstoolers felt that it was an inalienable right to be seated while imbibing at the bar, while the antis felt that barstools were unbecoming for a Club of our stature, as well as an obstacle to the ﬂow of trac within the Grill Room. Eventually the pro-barstool faction prevailed, and a collective sigh of relief permeated the Club, when the purchase of the barstools was approved… but not so fast. In the late 1990’s the term supply chain management was not at the fore of public concern, however, the Club learned a ﬁrst-hand lesson in its signiﬁcance. A common query, “What’s taking so long with the barstools?” was regularly answered by assurances that they were on the way. Conspiracy theories developed in hushed tones that the manager was secretly against the barstools and was stymieing their acquisition. This theory gained full support when it was reported that the container carrying the barstools had gone overboard from the cargo ship in mid-ocean and Bualo News article from 1997.

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5that replacements were on back order! The barstools eventually did arrive, and ever since, there has been no disruption in the steady supply of apocryphal tales of golf triumphs told at the bar.Give Me That Old So ShoeSpeaking of apocryphal tales, there is a story about a former Club President from the distant past who went to inspect the recently reﬁnished wood ﬂoor in the Club’s Dining Room. He did so aer having ﬁrst played 18 holes followed by a sociable time at the 19th hole. He exclaimed what a beautiful job they had done as he proceeded to walk out onto the shining wood ﬂoor in metal spikes. Apparently Presidential pardons can occur at any time during oce. So, by the late 1990’s the Board was well-advised to implement the adoption of a so spike policy, which was optional at ﬁrst until it became the norm and therefore mandatory. The pro shop sta replaced members’ metal spikes with the newfangled so spikes at a cost of $5.00 per pair in 1997.Cell phones too, were on the agenda. July of 1997, in its wisdom and foresight, the Board prohibited all use of cell phones in the Clubhouse and on the course, “except for physicians.” Another matter handled “dely” by the Board in 1997 was a steady stream of reports of thes from members’ lockers. As a result, a sign was posted in the locker room which read, “Not responsible for personal items, lost or stolen.”To Build Or Not To BuildMinor issues were not the sole occupation of the Board and Club members. Options for major undertakings, both on and o the course, that would have potentially great impact on the nature of the Club were in the works. The makeup of the membership, as it had been since its beginning, remained mostly American, primarily those who owned property on the Canadian lakeshore. But Cherry Hill had proven to be a very attractive option for those without cottages as well. Crossing the Peace Bridge was still relatively easy. The exchange rate was extremely favorable to Americans with $1.00 (U.S.) valued consistently above $1.30 (CDN) and at times more than $1.50 (CDN). Rather than any of the local Canadian clubs, the private clubs among the Bualo District Golf Association were considered our main “competition.” We continued to be an attractive option with a quality course, a relaxed atmosphere, active and engaged members, and a lower overall cost of membership. In fact, the Board made a number of changes to membership categories to skirt the cap of 400 full golf members mandated by our bylaws. One such class was the Senior Social membership category, which allowed senior members who played less golf to enjoy a lower dues structure, and thereby open up general full-golf membership slots to more individuals from our ever-present waiting list. In summary, how to accommodate a growing demand while maintaining the desirable character of the Club was the focus of much consideration.Two sub-committees reporting to the Board of Directors worked in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s to address some of these major issues. (We will discuss matters relating to the golf course in the subsequent chapter, “Of Course!”) Both of these committees played an important role in the modern history of our Club. As with many initiatives at Cherry Hill, there are numerous members who devote their time and talent on a volunteer basis for the betterment of the Cherry Hill member experience. Club Presidents and Board Directors spend a particularly great deal of time in this regard, but there are always many more individuals who participate in a formal capacity or unocially and who contribute to sustain the operation of the Club and enhance the culture of Cherry Hill. Therefore, when one individual is singled out for recognition, it should be noted that countless others deserve appreciation as well. When the times call for action, Cherry Hill has been blessed with eective and capable leadership. Warren CLUB SELECTION

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6Gelman headed up the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) which was active in the 1990’s. The PAC worked in conjunction with a committee called the Capital Planning Committee (CPC). Ted Mitchinson and John Downing led the Facilities Assessment Committee (FAC) in the early 2000’s. They and their committee members devoted countless hours on major Club projects, the results of which vary from the unseen to the highly visible.The PAC/CPC committees addressed several projects that were intertwined in numerous ways. The pro shop had for many years doubled as the bag storage facility, and it was in ill repair and inadequate for the needs of a growing membership. The halfway house had long been located between the 1st tee and the 18th green. It was a small hut-like building with limited food service capabilities, seating for barely two foursomes and a closet sized restroom for women that would be considered inadequate by contemporary standards. There was a service counter facing the ﬁrst tee, and the entry door faced the 18th hole. Veteran members will recall that the Halfway House door was generally a good visual reference for the approach shot from the 18th fairway. While many members were in favor of the status quo, the demise of the old Halfway House was inevitable. The Starter’s Shack was similar in design to the current one and stood a few paces from the service counter of the Halfway House. As such, there was considerably more activity in and around the ﬁrst tee area than we see today. The cart storage building was also a candidate for expansion or upgrade. Finally, the parking area was targeted for surface re-paving. All of these issues were considered along with the possibility (and some might have said probability) that the Club would be building a third nine on the land that Bill McGennis had donated to the Club which was contiguous to land that the Club had owned for many years. Needless to say, the question of whether or not to build a third nine was the topic of much discussion on the aforementioned barstools, and in the locker room, and in the Board Room and whenever two or more members gathered in the name of Cherry Hill.The idea of building a third nine was not new to the Club. Prior to the 42-acre donation, the Club had done a very rough clearing of the wooded area west of the parking and range area, for what would have been a cramped 9 holes, inferior to the caliber of the existing course. With the additional 42 acres there was ample space for 9 holes on terrain that is actually more undulating than the original course. Robert E. Rich Sr., a longtime member of Cherry Hill, enlisted the services of golf course architect Joseph Lee to map out a design for the new nine. Lee was a well-respected Joe Lee design of proposed new 9 holes.

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7architect who designed or worked on over 200 courses. Lee knew Mr. Rich from Palm Beach National Golf and Country Club, which was owned by Mr. Rich. The design is intriguing and sparks the imagination as to what it would be like to play the envisioned holes. Surveyors staked out the holes. Soil samples were bored. A committee headed by Don Campbell was tasked with quantifying the material and labor requirements for building the holes as designed. For example, the committee evaluated how much labor would go into clearing, earthmoving, harrowing, as well as quantifying the necessary materials such as soil, sand, irrigation lines etc. The concept was that at whatever time in the future, the Club could calculate the project budget by plugging in the established quantities to pricing levels at any future time. By this method it was estimated that the construction cost would be $1.6 - $1.9 million in 1999 Canadian dollars. While all this planning was taking place, the PAC/CPC committees were working on the many other pieces of the puzzle, and initially the plans seemed to indicate a strong likelihood that the new nine would be built. In September of 1998 a special meeting of the membership was held at the Club to present plans for the capital projects recommended by the Board and the PAC/CPC.• Demolition of the old Pro Shop, Halfway House, and Starter Shack• Construction of a new Pro Shop/ Halfway House Complex• Interior furnishings for the Halfway House kitchen, and the Pro Shop• Expansion of the practice putting green and associated landscaping • Expansion and renovation of the cart/bag storage facility• Paving and striping of the parking areaThe total estimated cost of all projects was $532,894. The ﬁnal costs did exceed estimates, but to a reasonable extent. The Club’s Controller, Brenda Washburn, who served the Club faithfully and professionally for many years, presented options for ﬁnancing the capital improvements. Financing instruments with Royal Bank and other ﬁnancing options had been researched, but ultimately the cost would have to be underwritten by the membership as is the case with all Club ﬁnances. A multi-year assessment of $400 per year for most membership classes was the solution to pay down the bank loan. With a steady inﬂow of initiation fees from new members (which was increased from $20,000 to $25,000 in 1998) and ever ﬂuctuating revenues from various sources, the balance on the Club debt see-sawed dramatically at times. The Club would pay down a large sum when revenue allowed, and the debt would balloon during winter months or lean periods. Through it all, however, the Club always maintained accounts in good standing for the cost of these improvements and other capital projects undertaken Old Pro Shop which doubled as the club storage facility.CLUB SELECTION

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8for the betterment of the Club. Before we break ground on these new buildings, let’s take a look at a sampling of some other aspects of Cherry Hill Life.Home Town FavoritesPrior to the NFL making changes to the rules that would occasionally cause home game television broadcasts to be blacked out, there was always drama leading up to the upcoming Bualo Bills home game on Sunday. If a certain number of tickets weren’t sold by the deadline, then the game would not be televised in the local market. This practice spawned a cottage industry among tavern owners, VFW posts and other establishments that had the ability to pirate the satellite signal and thereby draw crowds to view the game. To combat this practice, the team sent out enforcers to shut down and prosecute non-sanctioned viewing of the games. The fact that the signal could be just as easily accessed in Canada, made the enforcer’s job the more dicult. Despite some vacillation it was determined at the November 1998 Board Meeting that the Club could show Bills games without fear of prosecution so long as it was limited to members only (and their guests!) The airing of Bills games at the Club extended the social season for a brief period in time and was a source of much camaraderie and autumn activity at the Club.The Distinguished Member AwardThe notion of creating a Distinguished Member Award had been percolating for some time but it was made ocial on June 24, 1998, with a ceremony in the Dining Room inducting the nine founding members posthumously and four current members: Donald G. Campbell; William J. McGennis; William S. Reynolds; and George J. Weimert. Unlike honorary or complimentary memberships, which are occasionally extended to longtime members with the waving of dues, the Distinguished Member Award has no monetary aspect to it, but rather recognizes individuals who have made signiﬁcant contributions to the Club in any of three areas:1. Meaningful contribution of time, energy and service to the Club;2. Major accomplishments on the golf course or contributions to the game of golf;3. Social comportment over a signiﬁcant period which enhances the enjoyment of the membership and contributes to the good fellowship of the membership.When the ﬁrst recipients were recognized, Bill Reynolds addressed those gathered in the Dining Room in a very serious tone with the following words -” There may be some who would say that my fellow recipients and I are on the back nine of life…” (pregnant pause) “… which is why we keep letting groups play through!” A board listing Distinguished Members is located in the Grill Room, and a list of Distinguished Members appears at the end of this book.Old Halfway House and Starter Shack with old Pro Shop in background.

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9 The Walter J. Travis SocietyCherry Hill joined the Walter J. Travis Society in 1999 as a Club and invited its members to join as individuals. The most visible aspect of membership is the participation in the annual Travis Cup, which is conducted on a rotating basis with other golf clubs whose course was also designed by Walter Travis. On the home page of the Society’s website, travissociety.com it states: “The Walter J. Travis Society was founded in 1994 to promote the legacy of Walter J. Travis, America’s foremost amateur golfer of the early 1900s, golf journalist and publisher, turfgrass expert, golf course architect, and one of the great pioneers of golf in North America. The Travis Society is dedicated to documenting the remarkable career of Walter J. Travis in order to fully understand and honor his varied accomplishments and contributions.” A photo portrait of Travis, aka “The Old Man” is currently displayed proudly in the foyer of Cherry Hill.Game, Set, MatchUnless you have been a member for quite some time, you would not be aware that there used to be a “hazard” of sorts on the le side of the 1st hole past the Clubhouse, namely two tennis courts surrounded by high chain link fences. While from time to time there would be an active tennis program for Juniors, complete with a pro, lessons, and tournaments, in the long run there were more errant tee shots hit on the courts than service aces. Back when adult beverages were common before, during and aer Board Meetings, a longtime member recounts, “The chairman of the tennis committee gave a succinct and substantive Tennis Committee Report. Fieen minutes later… he gave the same report again!” In August of 1998 a request for quote for the resurfacing of the tennis courts was put out to bid, with the estimated cost coming in at $50,000. The Board’s appetite for capital expenditures had been fully sated and the item was tabled for future consideration. Later a survey of the membership indicated that 79% of members never used the tennis courts. Resurfacing was deferred indeﬁnitely, although the courts were occasionally used for large dinner dances under tents for invitational golf tournaments. Eventually the easiest and most cost-eective solution was carried out, and the tennis courts were buried without fanfare. In what could be viewed as a quid pro quo move, John Brady made a donation to the Cherry Hill Tree Program, and the Board saw to it that the tennis court nets made it into the trunk of Mr. Brady’s car.Managing The HouseThe year 1999 marked the end of David Greaves’ decade-long service as Club Manager. Much was accomplished during David’s tenure, including installation of ﬂagstone on the Clubhouse patio. Many long-standing traditions such as Thursday Bingo nights, the Friday night Fish Fry, and bi-national ﬁreworks celebrations continued to be mainstays of the social life at Cherry Hill. And of course, Bills games and the unforgettable 75th Anniversary celebration took place with David at the helm.Emil S. Rinderlin succeeded David Greaves in May of 1999. Emil had had a long and successful career as a gourmet chef, as proprietor of an eponymous ﬁne dining restaurant in Welland, and as manager of the extensive food service operations at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. A native of Germany, Emil introduced an annual Oktoberfest Night to Cherry Hill. Prior to this new authentic German celebration, the Club had traditionally held a “Last Blast” party in the fall, which oered the membership one last opportunity to socialize with Cherry Hill friends and gave the kitchen and bar sta the opportunity to clear out inventory before shutting down for the winter. The Last Blast was merged into Oktoberfest Night which became a Club favorite with CLUB SELECTION

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10authentic German food, yodeling contests and other themed activities. The highlight of these events, most certainly was the live band led by George Kash, “Canada’s King of Oktoberfest.” Besides being a great drummer and singer, and looking good in lederhosen, George has a world-class talent that is unsurpassed and is particularly well-suited to Oktoberfest celebrations. He is without exception the world’s best at chugging beer while standing on his head. In fact, he can chug a beer faster upside down than most can do right-side up. The high point of the night was when George assumed the position on his head, (with his bandmates steadying him by his feet) chugged the ﬁrst beer, did two shots of Jägermeister, then chugged a second beer this time without using his hands, all in rapid succession! It’s worth a visit to YouTube to see for yourself. If Emil had contributed nothing else to the Club, he would have been a successful hire, however, he brought so much more with his commitment and professionalism over his ten years of service to the Club. Another signature Rinderlin event was a black-tie aair, with limited seating, that featured a multi-course gourmet meal prepared personally by Emil and paired with ﬁne wines and spirits.CommunicationsIn 1998 a new masthead and template for the Club newsletter, which was entitled “From The Hill,” was unveiled and used for many years. “From The Hill” was the Club’s primary communication vehicle and was issued monthly, usually from April through October, with reports from the President and committee chairmen as well as a calendar of golf and social events. The newsletter was published from 1988 until 2007, when electronic tools started to emerge as a more ecient and cost-eective means of communication to the membership. The Club had launched two versions of its website prior to the current website which was launched in 2017. In 2020 the Club introduced the Cherry Hill App, which has a full range of capabilities, including checking one’s account status. Members also enjoy the smartphone app provided by Golf Canada which keeps track of a member’s handicap and history of rounds. The Club communicates regularly with the membership through email as well.Taxing IssuesConcerns over the tax status of Cherry Hill were raised in 1999, a recurring theme in the Club’s history. Member and legal advisor to the Club, Gerald Ruch, was tasked with looking into the situation. This matter and property tax issues were addressed over the years, and on occasion when matters became more complex, they were referred to a “Toronto lawyer.” In the end, we maintained our favorable not-for-proﬁt tax status. There was also drama in the property tax assessment status of the Club which took a few years to sort out. In the end, aer we had successfully argued our case, the Club received a credit of nearly $100,000 in 2011 for prior excessive property tax payments. Clearly, the Toronto lawyer earned his fee on that case. ONCA, or the Ontario Not-for-Proﬁt Corporations Act, received Royal assent in 2010, and some feared if and when ONCA went into eect that it would negatively impact the structure and governance of Cherry Hill, its shareholders, and its members. The Legal and Insurance Committee members kept tabs on ONCA as it slowly worked its way through the bureaucracy. When ONCA ﬁnally went into eect in 2021, the Club determined that the aspects of its impact which were most feared had not been written into the act aer all, and no drastic measures were taken by the Club at the time. Home page of previous Club website.

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11Any Way You Slice ItOver the years the Board had many cunning ways to disguise the fact that the cost of membership was ever increasing, although any member with an eye toward the bottom line (in other words every member) was not fooled. Nevertheless, for many years one might ﬁnd the following monthly, or limited timeframe line items on a statement from the Club: • Monthly Dues • Facilities Maintenance Fund • Club Service Assessment • Capital Fund • Renovation Assessment • Association Dues Fee • Club Storage • Men’s Locker Rental • Fireworks Fund • Hole In One Insurance Fund • SweepsAnd then of course the government had to get in on the act with a veritable alphabet soup throughout the years – PST, GST, HST, and if Revenue Canada doesn’t get you there is always the OPP, NRP and the RCMP. Eventually the statements were simpliﬁed, with many of these line items combined. Throughout the Club’s history, however, our resourceful Boards have always held true to the power of assessment and dues increases with a remarkable consistency.Keeping ScoreA new score card design was adopted in 1999 to replace the design that had been in eect for many years, (except for the 75th Anniversary score card in 1997). While changes have been made to tees, handicap rankings and yardage, the visual look of the card remains in use today (except for the 100th Anniversary score card in 2022).Building On Our PastIn 1999, the impetus behind what would be the formation of the Facilities Assessment Committee (FAC) was germinating. The committee ultimately made an in-depth assessment of the physical condition of the Clubhouse, with associated recommendations. But in 1999, it was the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) that took center stage, overseeing the most signiﬁcant changes to the campus since the Club was ﬁrst built. The old Halfway House and starter shack were demolished. The practice putting green was expanded, with new landscaping. Giant trees which had grown up with the Club remained around the ﬁrst tee, but the change in the whole vista was dramatic. Board member Bob Rodgers supervised the work.The Pro Shop also was demolished. The permit for the project stipulated that at least one wall remain in place, a common regulation for this type of construction project. Equally common apparently is the “unexpected gust of wind in the dark of night” that toppled the remaining wall, such that the project became a complete tear down. Architects for the new building which houses the Pro Shop and Halfway House were Macdonald & Zuberec Architects, Inc. of St. Catharines. Construction was handled by the ﬁrm operated by James Brown who was a member of Cherry Hill at the time. Ernest Montgomery and Bob Rodgers oversaw the construction. Mike Reynolds and Je Roy supervised the interior layout of the Pro Shop, the custom ﬁxtures for which were built by The Advantage Woodshop from Bualo. Sally Gioia provided interior design services. The building features the same style of grey shingle siding as the Clubhouse, and when the ribbon was cut on May 29th, 1999, it looked as though it had been part of the landscape since inception. One initial concept for the building which was “new nine oriented” was to put the Starter in the area which is currently the service door to the kitchen in the Halfway House. The thinking was that the Starter would have a view of the ﬁrst tee and be able to monitor the new nine activity Score card cover from the past.CLUB SELECTION

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13across Cherry Hill Boulevard as well. Direct access to the kitchen by the sta proved to be a more compelling use of the space. The indoor dining area features a picture window that allows players to monitor when the group ahead tees o on the 10th tee. Restroom facilities for men and women were a welcome amenity. The Halfway House has undergone some upgrades to the dining space as well as the food preparation equipment and continues to be a functional space that is well-used by the membership. The new Pro Shop space was a major upgrade from its predecessor. The knotty pine woodwork is in keeping with the ambiance of the Clubhouse and features a custom main counter, slatwall and cabinet display areas. There is a balcony and lo area for oces on the second ﬂoor. The cart and bag storage building was rebuilt with a new cart washing station, and upgrades for charging stations and club storage. The parking lot was paved, but the painting of lines was deferred in order to formulate a plan for a safe trac pattern for automobiles, golf carts and pedestrians. A new Starter’s Shack eventually was built in its current location adjacent to the practice putting green. The overall consensus was that the major capital improvements were of high quality, enhancing functionality and service to the membership. Nevertheless, at the Annual Shareholders Meeting that fall, a motion was made from the ﬂoor that in the future, projects in excess of $500,000 be subject to approval by a majority of the full membership. When the motion was ultimately voted on at a subsequent Board meeting the vote was 0 in favor and 14 against. Had there not been the one Director excused for the meeting, one can safely assume that it would have been 15 against.We Have A QuorumIn 2000, a suggestion was ﬁrst proered to reduce the number of Board Directors from 15 to 12, or even as low as 9. Having 15 Directors and 1 President made for a crowded Board Room and seeking enough nominees every year to elect 5 new directors was oen a challenge. The concept was rejected and pondered again for many years before ﬁnally being ratiﬁed and going into eect in an incremental manner, such that the ﬁrst Board totaling just nine members was seated in October of 2020. That ﬁgure will remain the number for Board Directors until such time that some well-meaning member will make a case that 9 Directors is too few, or then again… too many?This Old HouseWhile old structures were being demolished and new ones built, the Facilities Assessment Committee (FAC) had been very busy focusing almost exclusively on the aging Clubhouse, and how to address a myriad of issues ranging from structural to mechanical to aesthetic as well as compliance with changing regulations. Dr. Ted Mitchinson led the early phases of the FAC activity with the help of many members whose careers related to construction and building maintenance. Consultants hired to assist were 2M Architects with Merit Construction functioning as construction manager. Other Board members whose expertise was more in the ﬁnancial ﬁeld served on the Financial Committee as a sub-committee of FAC to determine how to pay for whatever course of action was decided upon by the Board. When work eventually commenced John Downing played a lead role in supervising the activities of FAC.In the early months of 2001, FAC had three overall approaches to dealing with the Clubhouse physical plant, addressing every conceivable aspect of the makeup of the building, and costs for the associated work. The FAC team made presentations to the Board and general meetings were held in 2001 to inform the membership of what was being contemplated. The three basic options were:• Restoration and Stabilization – called for installation of a new mechanical system with air conditioning and a minimal winter heating mode. A new wet sprinkler system would replace the existing CLUB SELECTION

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14system which was a combination of wet and dry operation. Walls and ceilings would be insulated. The result would be a winterized restored Clubhouse, extending its life expectancy by 25-50 years. Rooms and spatial relationships would remain intact. Estimated cost: $1,778,060.70 plus GST.• Restoration and Renovation – would include all of the aforementioned work described in the Restoration and Stabilization option but would include the following additional aspects. The kitchen wing would be demolished and rebuilt. The Dining Room capacity would be enlarged by extending the enclosed porch out into the covered patio area, with a new patio to be built northward. A service kitchen would be installed in the Grill Room. Administrative oces would be built on the ﬁrst ﬂoor, and an elevator to the second ﬂoor would be installed. Estimated cost: $2,837,684.48 plus GST.• New Construction – this option called for the demolition of the existing Clubhouse and a complete new-build Clubhouse to take its place. The proposed new structure was envisioned as a larger, single-story building with a full basement. The advantages of this option were numerous with potential for enhanced amenities. Disadvantages included the loss of our noble Clubhouse and down time during construction which would require improvised temporary Clubhouse facilities. The primary disadvantage was, of course, the price tag. Estimated cost: $4,489,616.09 plus GST.At the September 15, 2001, Board of Directors meeting, a resolution was approved aer much discussion to adopt the Restoration and Stabilization approach with a general budget of $1.8 million. The resolution provided great leeway in the timing of the work and allowed discretion on the part of FAC to determine exact details of work to be carried out. Notes in the minutes indicate a cautious approach to balancing the budget as well as the needs of the membership, given the large capital projects that had occurred in 1999 and the newly approved expenditures. Financing and assessments were surely required, and it was felt that a long-term ﬁnancial instrument would spread expenses across existing and new members. Another sentiment evident in the minutes, although no ocial motion was made by the Board, was the notion that with all things considered the likelihood of a new nine being built was an ever-diminishing prospect. Of interest, however, is the fact that the September 15, 2001, Board Meeting minutes make no mention of events that had taken place in the U.S. just a few days prior.Work did not begin until the spring of 2003, and as one might expect with unearthing the secrets of a building that had been built some eight decades prior, many surprises and twists and turns were encountered in the process. The work continued in various phases for three years, concluding in 2006 with the completion of a new HVAC system. Andy McGennis played a key role in supervising this phase of the project, with George Bergantz batting cleanup. In 2006, the automatic sliding doors to the Clubhouse patio were installed as a ﬁnal touch on the work of the Facilities Assessment Committee. The result was as envisioned, with the restoration and stabilization of key components of the Clubhouse. Hazardous materials had been removed. Mechanical and electrical systems were upgraded. Insulation was installed. Air conditioning ﬁnally was introduced to the Clubhouse, which improved the marketing of the facility for weddings and other events. Also, a new roof was installed, capping o years of hard work from a dedicated team of members who volunteered much time and talent toward the rescue and longevity of our venerable Clubhouse. Special RelationshipsThroughout the years, Cherry Hill has been fortunate to employ many capable individuals in key positions at the Club. Oen the relationship between members and long-time employees is genuine, more like a family bond than an employee-employer relationship. In many instances, the membership acknowledges these special employees upon retirement. In 2006 an appreciation luncheon was given for Brenda Washburn who served the Club for 28 years as ﬁnance director, and the Club paid for a special trip to Western Employee birthday celebration (l. to r.) Edgar Iriarte, Je Roy, Sue Doan, Aaron Pye, and Rick Smit.

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16Canada. When Emil Rinderlin retired aer 10 years of service, the Club provided funds for a trip to his native Germany. Similarly, a retirement party was given to Cecil Hoekstra, Golf Course Superintendent from 1977-2008.Today, there are a number of longtime employees, with decades of service, who continue to play an integral role in the Cherry Hill experience. Imagine you are playing golf on a Saturday morning, and you pull into the parking lot. Jim Burrison greets you with a warm welcome and has your clubs on the cart next to your car before you cross Cherry Hill Boulevard. As the keeper of “The Pot of Gold” Jim has collected more ten-dollar bills from golfers than a parking lot owner. You park the cart by the Pro Shop and stop in for a quick check of your handicap. Another warm welcome from Assistant Golf Professional, Steve Barkley. Steve has been caddying, giving lessons, running tournaments, and assisting with the retail operation in the Pro Shop since before Tiger Woods was famous. As you head down to check in with the starter you exchange a friendly hello and nod from Nelson Pacheco. Nelson, from house maintenance, keeps things clean around the Club and carries out a variety of tasks including painting and other chores. You check in with our senior starter, Reg Julie, who gets you on the sheet and tells you that your other playing partners are already on the range. Reg has seen it all and rules the ﬁrst tee amiably whether on Junior Day, Ladies Day, or a busy weekend morning. As you head into the Locker Room you hear that familiar and enthusiastic greeting. Edgar Iriarte makes every day shine with the warmest of welcome to all who enter. As Locker Room attendant, Edgar is well-known by golfers throughout Bualo and Southern Ontario who visit our Club as guests. On the course, you enjoy the fruits of the labor of several veteran grounds crew employees with 10-15 years or more experience – Brendon, David, Matt, Kathy, Dave, Rodney, and Marty. Although we may not be able to put the name to the face, we appreciate them every time we tee it up on our beautifully maintained golf course. No matter how poorly you are playing on the front nine, you know that the bright spot of the day awaits you at the turn. Sue Doan, (and her awesome crew) in the Halfway House will put a smile on your face with good food and hospitality. Sue is loved by one and all including Juniors, Ladies and the regular Saturday morning foursomes who keep coming back for the “Susie Special.” No day would be complete without a stop at the 19th hole. Rick Smit has been behind the bar at Cherry Hill longer than most members have belonged, and his perennial good nature raises everyone’s spirits. One more name belongs on this list – Kim Warwick who, as pastry chef has sweetened everyone’s day. Kim retired in 2021 aer 25 years of service, but one of her early masterpieces was creating the cake that was prepared for the 75th anniversary celebration at Cherry Hill.These are a few of the people that make the Cherry Hill experience special. Many long-lasting friendships have formed between members and the sta. In appreciation for their eorts, members contribute voluntarily to the “End of Season Gratuity Fund” which is distributed annually among employees before the holiday season. [ Editor’s Note: Reg Julie passed away in April of 2022. He will be dearly missed by the Cherry Hill community.]Under New ManagementBefore the golf season started in 2009, the Club departed from standard procedure and hired a general manager under contract through a consulting ﬁrm called National Private Club Practice. Marinus Gerritsen had considerable experience in golf club management in the Toronto area. Cherry Hill had endured some challenges in a few aspects of its operation, and Marinus was brought on to address these issues. The days of 60+ person waiting lists were over, and every year the Membership Committee was faced with overcoming the loss of members due to resignation, leave of absence, and death. The exchange rate, which had once been a top selling point had slowly evolved into a liability. The reliable stream of legacy members fell victim to the trend of young college graduates leaving the Bualo area for rosier career opportunities. In addition, there was the omnipresent challenge faced by virtually all private clubs, namely, how to oer quality food and beverage service levels without losing too much money.One of Marinus’ ﬁrst moves was literally to move the administrative oce operations into the current location on the second ﬂoor of the Clubhouse. Prior to this move, the Club Oce had been located in the red brick building on Highway #3 which is east of the 3rd tee and next to the Club’s maintenance buildings. The old Laur farmhouse was part of the Club’s original land acquisition, the other being the Cherry Hill

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19Opposite: Fireworks illuminate the 8th fairway and reﬂect in the pond.War of 1812 reenactors.Fireworks night is an annual aair that is normally held on July 2nd, between Canada Day and the Fourth of July. A family-oriented event, ﬁreworks night is perhaps the busiest night of the year. Bounce houses, petting zoos, pony rides and the like are set up for children, with casual barbecue fare available at the Halfway House, and a buet dinner in the Clubhouse. Fireworks are staged across the pond between the 8th and 9th holes. For those viewing from the Clubhouse and seated in the 1st fairway, the musical ﬁreworks reﬂect in the pond for a most enjoyable display. This bi-national celebration is summertime at its best and quintessential Cherry Hill.Celebrating 90 YearsIn the fall of 2011, a committee headed by Rick Halinda was formed to celebrate the upcoming 90th anniversary of the founding of Cherry Hill in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of our hosting the 1972 Canadian Open. The season started o with a bang on Men’s Opening Day on May 19, 2012. A whole contingent of War of 1812 reenactors came in full costume and with full size cannons which were ﬁred o down the 18th fairway. Edgar, the Locker Room attendant is the Club’s designated cannoneer. As such, whenever there is a shotgun start for a tournament Edgar ﬁres o a miniature, yet very loud cannon, much to every player’s delight. On this occasion Edgar was treated to the opportunity to light the fuse on a full-size authentic cannon and to do so in full uniform. There was a ﬂag raising ceremony on the newly installed ﬂag poles around the practice putting green. Veteran members and descendants of the Club’s founders took part in the raising of the ﬂags which in addition to the Cherry Hill ﬂag included ﬂags to commemorate the major tournaments hosted by Cherry Hill over the years. In June, a special “Canadian Open Day” golf event was held with replica 1972 Canadian Open tickets and players were announced on the ﬁrst tee just like on tour. That evening, Dick Grimm, who was tournament coordinator for the RCGA in 1972 and various Cherry Hill members shared reminiscences of their Canadian Open experiences from 1972. The ocial Canadian Open trophy (on loan from the Canadian Golf Hall CLUB SELECTION

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20of Fame Museum) was on display. The memorabilia case that greets one upon entering the Club foyer was dedicated. The display case is custom craed by Bualo area artist, Dave Miller. It features inlaid wood letters and hand-carved cherries on the wooden frame. Relics, souvenirs, and other historical items are displayed inside the glass case. The Membership PipelineWhile membership has its privileges, being Chairman of the Membership Committee certainly has its challenges. In the days of multi-year waiting lists the Membership Committee must deal with impatient applicants on the waiting list, while at the same time try to attract new members to keep the pipeline full. Conversely when membership is declining, the need for new members is ever greater and pressing. Member dues are the lifeblood of any private club, and accordingly, the annual budget is based primarily on the anticipated number of members for the upcoming year. As the heyday of deep waiting lists passed, the Club carried out a number of measures to maintain membership levels. Applicants were given more than one year to pay the initiation fee. Initiation fees were slowly and incrementally lowered. Within the last quarter century there was a growing perception that a migration of auence was heading our way from the Greater Toronto Area. “We need to attract more Canadian members,” or “We need more young members,” became the mantra of Membership Committees. At every Board meeting, a key ﬁgure is the monthly membership count, a number that eroded over many years. For example, the membership count ﬂuctuated “Edgar the Cannoneer!”

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21from month to month in 2008: 366;352;359;346;334. At the end of 2017 the budget for 2018 was to be based on 275 members. Many marketing tactics were employed to attract new members. Local realtors were approached, and some were oered certain club privileges to entertain home buyers. Prospective member days were held, inviting prospects to play the course and meet members. Individuals who belonged to another club were given ﬁnancial incentives to join Cherry Hill as a “Second Club Member.” Special incentives, with names like Preferred Member Program (PMP), and Exclusive Membership Oer (EMO) were created. The incentives of the PMP and EMO programs, along with the hard work and dedication of many members proved to be very successful, despite considerable annual attrition from resignations, leaves and deaths. Membership was hovering around 300 near the end of the 2010’s. Even so, that level was considered good in as much as the incentive programs had attracted many new members in the face of continual erosion. In 2021, the Board changed the maximum number allowed for the full golf membership category from 400 to 350, and by the end of the year we were back in the waiting list mode.The Membership Coordinator is a sta position charged with overseeing the details of receiving applications and keeping communications open between applicants and the Membership Committee. Cheryl Werneiwski and Gail Rohe are two such individuals who functioned in this role, which oers the ﬁrst impression to the Club. Today we are fortunate to have the dedicated and capable Charlotte Burbidge as our Membership and Communications Coordinator.The Management TeamAs the new decade dawned, and 2020 was ushered in, the Cherry Hill community had every reason to be optimistic. The Clubhouse had been restored and stabilized. The golf course had undergone a major renovation in 2009. The Club was in good ﬁnancial shape with no debt and money in the bank. The overall outlook was positive for 2020.Even more reassuring was the fact that in January of 2020 every key management position at the Club was ﬁlled, which wasn’t always the case when a new year had begun. The course, the Pro Shop, the kitchen, and the administration oce were all in good hands. A new Golf Course Superintendent, Jeremy Krueger was slated to start in February. Head Professional, Walker Arnott, had the Pro Shop sta and the golf calendar ready to roll. David Course, who as a young man had completed his chef apprenticeship at Cherry Hill under Chef Mark Graham, had returned to Cherry Hill as Executive Chef. Rich Merlino, Food and Beverage Manager was poised to begin his second year. Finally, we had a most capable and involved individual in the position of General Manager and Director of Finance, Caroline Molen. In her relatively short tenure since 2016, Caroline had delved into every aspect of Club operations and guided our ﬁnancial path with expertise, serving as an invaluable resource to Presidents, Directors, and committee chairs. This talented management group had the full endorsement of the Board, and there was a palpable optimism among the membership. Indeed, the whole world was excited to begin the new decade in 2020. e Such was the atmosphere when the Board of Directors gathered at The Bualo Club in downtown Bualo in January and February of 2020, where winter Board Meetings were oen held. The budget had been approved. The golf and social calendars were set. The Board set its sights on ﬁne-tuning and enhancing services and amenities to make a great member experience even better. The House Committee noted that the younger members enjoyed cra and microbrewery beer products. “We should deﬁnitely provide a quality IPA oering for the young guys,” was the sentiment. Another issue, albeit somewhat vexing, was whether or not to allow dress denim attire in the Clubhouse. Ironically, the day that the Cherry Hill Board met at the traditionally more formal Bualo Club, was the very day that the latter had just adopted a new policy allowing dress denim in certain areas of its club. For Cherry Hill, the problem was that younger members would change out of their golf attire aer a round of golf and head back to Bualo to go out on the town… in denims. If we allowed dress denims CLUB SELECTION

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25Whatever his view of “real golf” may have been, we are the fortunate heirs of a “really great golf course,” thanks to Mr. Travis. What was literally farmland in 1922, with a terrain that was not particularly exciting, was transformed into a golf course that would go on to host a national championship with some of the greatest golfers of all time in the ﬁeld – Palmer, Player, Trevino, Snead, and Watson to name a few. In 2021, “Golfweek’s Best 2021: Top 25 Classic Courses in Canada,” ranked Cherry Hill at #12. Over the span of 100 years, trees have grown to maturity, been lost to disease, or fallen victim to the axe of Grounds Committees and agronomists. New tees have lengthened holes, ponds have been dug, and bunkers have been placed strategically to challenge the player. Through these many years, however, the classic Travis golf greens have remained virtually untouched and true to the original design, a feature that is the deﬁning quality of Cherry Hill.Certainly, nature has inﬂuenced the development of the course. Well-meaning Grounds Committee members have been judicious in course-related decisions, while dedicated grounds crew members have worked tirelessly from season to season. And over the course of a century, just six individuals have held the position of Golf Course Superintendent. Collectively, the Cherry Hill community has been an excellent steward of our most valuable asset, the course.Course Architect – Walter J. Travise It is high time we awoke to a proper and appreciative realization of what real golf is – and constructed our courses accordingly.” – Walter J. TravisOF COURSE!

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26The Cherry Hill Greens In 1997, Cecil T. “Cec” Hoekstra was Golf Course Superintendent, a position he had held already for 20 years. The course that Cec took charge of in 1977 was basically the result of all the work that had been carried out in preparation for the 1972 Canadian Open. He went right to work and was instrumental in the creation of our reservoir which initially had a capacity of 5 million gallons of water. Over a period of several years, Cec and his crew dug the system of French drains on the course to address areas where drainage was poor. He would play a key role in other major golf course projects before his retirement, but the one thing for which Cec was most well-known was the fast speed at which he maintained the Cherry Hill greens. This point cannot be overstated. When the 1972 Canadian Open was held at Cherry Hill, the small size, and the undulations of the greens as well as the six-inch high grass surrounding them, were the focus of the sports media, but not so much the speed. By the time Cecil retired in 2008, the Cherry Hill greens were infamous for their speed and drastic breaks. Guests in the invitational tournaments raved (and sometimes ranted) about how fast they were. Golfers at every other club in the Bualo District Golf Association were envious of the “Cherry Hill greens.” Similarly, whenever players made the trek from Toronto to Ridgeway the speed of the greens was the outstanding trait that characterized the experience. Veteran members will recall times when a putt hit from the top of the 15th green could be stopped only by the hole or the pond, no matter how soly it was hit. As the years go by, the speed of those “Cecil greens” gets faster and faster in the memories of players who had the pleasure of putting on them.As with most courses of its era, Cherry Hill’s greens are of the “push up” design, or as some call them “mud greens.” Before the USGA started to promote speciﬁcations for layered greens in the 1960’s, most greens were of push up design. Modern USGA green construction calls for special drainage measures and multiple layers of soil, sand, and organic material to allow the greenskeeper maximum control of conditions for maintaining healthy greens. For push up greens, soil is simply piled up which elevates the green compared to the surrounding soil. As they age, push up greens can present challenges to golf course superintendents, but Cherry Hill has met such challenges successfully over the years. During Cecil’s tenure, the predominant grass on the greens was poa annua, or poa, which is a type of bluegrass. For many of his years at Cherry Hill, Cecil managed the poa greens quite dely without the beneﬁt of sub-surface drainage or modern rolling equipment. By minimizing nitrogen and certain nutrients, and avoiding over watering, he was able to keep the greens “on the edge.” The result was very fast greens, but the risk was that extreme weather might damage them. Minor outbreaks of mold or winter rot occurred, however, throughout Cecil’s tenure, there were no catastrophic events of note, in the making of the legend of “Cherry Hill greens.”The USGA Green SectionFor many years, Cherry Hill has made use of the services of the USGA Green Section Course Consulting Services, whereby a specialist visits the course annually and prepares a written report on all aspects of the course. For thirty years we beneﬁtted from the counsel of David A. Oatis who became very familiar with our course, and whose advice we would seek on all course-related issues. His report in 1997 recommended that we consider upgrading our irrigation system which was originally installed in 1971 for the Canadian

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27Open. Thus, a new irrigation system was envisioned for the 1999 season.New Groundwater PumpIn May of 1997 a new pump for drawing water from our well was installed at a cost of $15,000. The Board discussed the possibility of installing a phone on the 9th tee for placing orders with the Halfway House. The tree committee, a group of volunteer members who trimmed and pruned at the direction of the Superintendent, continued to provide a valuable service to the Club. It was announced that hand mowing of the greens would return in 1998.Sub-surface Drainage on GreensIn 1997, a new approach to dealing with our 75-year-old push up greens was started, with the 14th green being the ﬁrst test case of the installation of sub-surface drainage. Cherry Hill was among the ﬁrst courses to adopt this new method of improving drainage on the greens. The alternative option was to “rebuild” the greens, which was a much more drastic, expensive, and disruptive process. Essentially, the alternative approach involved digging up the greens, installing the USGA speciﬁed elements and layers, and attempting to rebuild the green surface on the new infrastructure. Such an approach was oen met with disappointment, because although the new greens had improved water management characteristics, they oen bore little resemblance to the old greens. Therefore, Cherry Hill chose to be an innovator, with the hopes that we would maintain the original qualities of our Travis-designed greens.Installation of sub-surface drainage involves digging a grid of deep trenches, less than 6 inches wide that run parallel to the fall line of the greens. To draw water away from the green area, 2” perforated pipes are installed and backﬁlled with a special sand engineered for push up greens. The small surface area removed for the trenches can be easily replaced with sod, causing minimal disruption, and leaving the green essentially intact. Even today, aer a heavy rain, one can sometimes see the faint outline of the trench grid on the green as a contrasting lighter shade of green. The objective is to remove excessive rainwater from the greens, and to allow the Superintendent precise control of water on the greens. The sub-surface drainage experiment on the 14th green went very well, and eight more greens were slated for the procedure at the end of the 1998 season. Disruption of play was comparatively minimal, and the rewards were well worth the temporary inconvenience. The cost for sub-surface drainage was in the $6,000-$8,000 range per green. Eventually, by the end of 1999, all eighteen greens were completed, and a single line treatment on the practice putting green was also done. OF COURSE!

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28Today, there are ﬁrms that specialize in the process that was in its infancy when Cherry Hill adopted it. The investment has been well-justiﬁed. We successfully addressed the drainage issues, but more important, the most precious elements of our most valuable asset, the “Cherry Hill greens,” were preserved in the process.Plumbing IssuesIn the mid-1960’s, a line bringing municipal water from the Town of Fort Erie was installed behind the 13th tee. It traversed the course bringing water into the Clubhouse for a new sprinkler system. Minutes from the March 1997 Board Meeting indicate that “the water main on 13 has ruptured again.” Aer another repair, the Club diligently entered into negotiations with the Town to re-route the water line away from the 13th fairway, an outcome that was eventually achieved without undue cost to the Club.In 2000, another perennial problem, not relating to inﬂow but rather outﬂow from the Clubhouse, was solved by running a new line to the septic system located between the 1st fairway and the 9th hole, which was deemed more practical than replacing the entire system. The membership was full of appreciation for the remedy.Land BridgesIn 2000, bridges were constructed on the 14th and 16th holes with a budget of $20,000. The bridge on 16 has since been removed, while the two on 14 remain in use. Used primarily for electric carts, the bridges were constructed to span dry gullies.Markers and FlagsFor decades, the tee markers and fairway yardage markers at Cherry Hill were made of colored plastic material. The plastic tee markers were shiny bright colored blue, white, red, and yellow orbs the size of a croquet ball. These were replaced by the more subtle markers in use today, that simulate the look of a natural tree branch. The palette has expanded to include black, blue, white, red, green, and silver tee options for all levels of players. The yardage markers were convex curved plastic circles, roughly 10” in diameter, with dimples that made them appear to be giant buried golf balls. Today, engraved granite yardage markers grace the fairways at Cherry Hill. Well before sophisticated range ﬁnders, GPS, and smart phone apps were in use, many holes had one or two small evergreen shrubs o to the side of the fairway to designate 150 yards to the center of the green. Other natural landmarks such as trees and ponds were also utilized for distance calculation. An old timer once remarked, “I’ve been playing at Cherry Hill for so long that all my yardage markers have died!” For many years, wooden placards were hung from posts at every tee with carved hole numbers, yardages, and handicap rankings displayed. These were auctioned o for charity when, aer the 2009 course renovation project, the information was rendered obsolete.Old style plastic tee markers.Wooden placards were posted at every tee.One of many ﬂag styles from our “checkered past.”

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29The ﬂags on the pins have undergone changes over the years as well. For the purists, a white ﬂag on every green has been used at various times. Alternatively, there have been times when a red ﬂag indicated the hole was up front; white in the middle; and blue for a back pin. A variation on this practice saw the same color scheme, but with a checkered ﬂag design to aid in visibility. There was also one year when a rotation of three pre-set pin location schemes was employed with a sheet displayed in carts or handed out to those on foot to determine whether the pin was front middle or back on each hole for that day’s rotation. Today, the white only option is in use, with a special centennial logo version displayed for the 2022 season. Also, one can ﬁnd framed ﬂags from the major tournaments held at Cherry Hill on display in the Halfway House.Covering the GreensIn the 1990’s and early 2000’s the Club would cover a limited number of greens with tarps over the winter months. The purpose was to protect the greens from extreme weather. Repeated cycles of freeze-thaw can cause damage to greens, requiring remedial work in the spring. The large tarps would be placed in late fall and usually removed by April. As the trend toward milder winters took hold, we found that the tarps would have a greenhouse eect and grass would begin to grow. Although the rodents did enjoy taking shelter under them, eventually the procedure was stopped.New Irrigation System - 1999At the same time that architects and contractors were working on the highly visible projects such as the new Pro Shop and Halfway House, big things were happening underground out on the golf course in the form of a new irrigation system. Most major projects that are undertaken at a member-run private golf course tend to follow a common life cycle, and the irrigation project was no exception. First there are rumblings about the need for a new, “ﬁll-in-the-blank.” Then there is debate that we cannot aord to do it or that we cannot aord not to do it. Then a committee is formed to work in conjunction with the department head on sta, in this case the Golf Course Superintendent. Then consultants are hired to make a recommendation for the Board to review and approve. Upon approval of the consultant’s plan by the Board, the project is sent out for competitive bid, while at the same time a sub-committee on the Board is working to determine how to pay for the work. Not surprisingly, the members always end up paying for the project no matter what form of ﬁnancing plan is adopted, but new members who pay initiation fees are always appreciated in this regard. The contract is awarded, and the work begins. Unexpected challenges arise which are solved with more money, and the completion date is extended. The project is completed, and those involved pat themselves on the back, and if they are lucky, they accept the accolades of a grateful membership.The Capital Planning Committee had discussed the need for a new irrigation system beginning in 1997, and recommended pursuing options for such. In August of 1997, the Board approved an expenditure of $2,500 for an evaluation by Jack Austin of the current irrigation system, (which was a single-line system installed in 1971 with water lines going down the middle of each fairway) and recommendations for future irrigation needs. In March of 1998 the Board reviewed the layout of a proposed new two-line irrigation system. Two water lines running parallel down the fairway allow for greater control of where water is directed, as well as extending coverage to portions of the rough. In the early years, the rough at Cherry Hill was extremely hard and dry, and given that trees were not as mature, hitting the ball strategically in certain areas of the rough could yield considerable additional yardage o the tee. Cherry Hill opted for the Rain Bird brand of sprinkler heads and associated control equipment versus Toro, which was the other leading brand of systems at the time.In May of 1998, the bid from Atkinson Irrigation, Ltd. was approved for installing the system at a cost of $975,817.98. At one point in 1999 a summary of Professional tournament and Club ﬂags from the past.OF COURSE!

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30various ongoing capital projects (for both House and Grounds) totaled just under $1.7 million. Part of the irrigation system budget anticipated costs for rock removal. There are portions of the property where bedrock is close to the surface and rocks in general need to be removed whenever excavation takes place. Work on the course had begun. Rock was found east of the 3rd tee extending to the reservoir. By late fall it was reported that the entire water main system was in place. Cast metal water lines were replaced with PVC plastic. The reservoir had been “cleaned out” and the bank was reenforced, yielding a greater water capacity. The consensus was that the project was well ahead of schedule. The membership was reassured that there would be no hole closures on weekends the following year due to irrigation work.As 1999 dawned, the new pump house budgeted at $45,000, was ready. The target completion date for the irrigation system was the end of June. One unanticipated snag had emerged that posed a potentially grave problem, and the Club was working with Niagara Power to assure that adequate and consistent power would be available to meet the needs of the new system. The concern was that “dirty electricity” and power surges could damage the new equipment. The June deadline passed. The power issue continued to be worked on, and the new target date for completion was August 1st. The power issues were eventually worked out to the satisfaction of all, and the project was completed by the end of 1999. The Club had invested its resources wisely in its state-of-the-art irrigation system and golfers agreed. The following year, Fred Silver who was one of the ﬁnest ever local amateurs, competed in a Bualo District golf tournament at Cherry Hill. Aer the event he had one word for Cherry Hill – “paradise.” Many members worked on this project, with John Plyley and Bob Borneman among the most involved.Water IssuesWhat good is a brand-new irrigation system if you don’t have any water? During the whole process of planning and installing the new system, the area endured the most severe drought of the century in 1998 and 1999. Government research for this period addresses how El Niño/La Niña climate patterns in the Paciﬁc Ocean aect weather in our continent, and 1998-1999 were La Niña years. While La Niña was subjecting the western United States to severe coastal storms, she was lengthening our tee shots and draining our water table. Ever since a skeptical Charles A. Behm, hired a dowser in 1950 to locate the prime spot for drilling our well, Cherry Hill had been freely drawing water from the underground aquifer, without restrictions from the

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31government. When Cecil Hoekstra arrived in 1977, he prompted us to dig the reservoir. First, water would be pumped from out of the ground into the reservoir for storage, and then pumped from the reservoir onto the golf course as needed. The brand-new pump house that was built for the new irrigation system took care of the latter process, but the eectiveness of the groundwater pumping station was diminished during the drought.In the fall of 1999, hydraulic consultants were hired. The $50,000 estimated cost of a new well could be oset in part by proceeds derived from the sale of the old irrigation sprinkler heads ($10,000) and “savings” ($27,000) realized from the rock removal line item coming in under budget. In the long run, the monetary costs were of less signiﬁcance than the hassles encountered by the Club in the process of bringing a new well into operation.The analysis found that the current well reached a depth of 60 feet below the surface. The drought conditions caused the water in our well to fall to dangerously low levels, resulting in damage to our pumping machinery. A new well dug to a depth of 100 feet was recommended. At that time concerns were raised about issues that would have to be addressed in order for the proposed plan to be executed. Would the governmental ministry that issues permits allow us to drill a new well? If so, would the limit on our pumping volume be sucient to meet our needs? Would we also be allowed to continue to use the original well which was grandfathered with no pumping capacity limits? As it turned out, these were not the only concerns that would ultimately vex the Club.The Club engaged the services of R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited, an engineering and environmental consulting ﬁrm, to advise us on the project and to represent Cherry Hill in our application for required permits. We soon learned that the ramiﬁcations of drawing water from the ground underneath our property, extended far beyond our own property and impacted local individuals and businesses (namely farmers) of whom we had been heretofore totally unaware. The process of obtaining the permit was cumbersome, expensive, and slow. The severe drought had caused hardship for our neighbors as well as the course. NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard!) became vocal in their opposition to our request to draw water from the aquifer. The situation was dire. If we did not have sucient water to meet our irrigation needs, we would not survive. If, as our critics opined, we took an undue amount of water, then their needs would be unmet. The cost to Cherry Hill of purchasing municipal water exclusively was unfathomable. We were required, at our own expense, to dig test wells and conduct monitored pumping tests. Public hearings were held in the Holiday Inn in Fort Erie (most recently operating as the Clarion Hotel) at which area residents vociferously opposed our permit application. Cecil Hoekstra and President Dave D’Arata were at the front lines of this battle, with assistance from the hired consultants at Burnside.Neighborly RelationsUntil this public uproar erupted, Cherry Hill had existed in prolonged harmony with its neighbors, with little interaction whatsoever. There were the rare occasions when minor damage was caused by an errant minibike, or juveniles inﬂicted annoying vandalism on a green here and there. Then of course, there was the troublesome case of periodic defecation in the cup on the 13th hole. That mystery was ultimately solved by assigning the well-seasoned caddie, Russell, for nighttime duty in the comfort station adjacent to the 13th green. It only took one such night of vigil for Russell to encounter the perpetrator and apprehend him before he was to oend ever again the dignity of the 13th green. Russell’s previous training with the Canadian armed services came in handy, as the perpetrator was ﬂushed out, never to return again to the scene of the grime.Groundwater ControversyMonitoring wells were dug near the reservoir and between the 11th green and 12th tee on our property, and a third well was dug o of Ott Road north of Highway #3. The reason for such far ﬂung locations was to monitor the aquifer in the broader local area, and guard against Cherry Hill depleting the resource. In March of 2000 we conducted a 72-hour pumping test at a volume of 600 gallons per minute, which totals 864,000 gallons per day. During this test, the well levels of our neighbors were checked as were levels at the three designated monitoring wells. The test was successful. The water levels were acceptable, and the process of seeking a permit continued. Despite OF COURSE!

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32ongoing objections from the NIMBYs, we ﬁnally received word from the Ministry of the Environment that we would be issued a temporary permit to pump at a rate of 200 gallons per minute, or 288,000 gallons per day. This was 110,000 gallons less than what we had applied for, but it was welcome news, nevertheless. The lower pumping volume created a new set of challenges, and of course, challenges never come without costs. Depending on a number of variables, the daily water requirement of the property can exceed 300,000 gallons. Thus, the possibility existed that we might be faced with an insucient supply of water under certain extreme conditions. One remedy would be to purchase municipal water, a remedy that would be sought only when absolutely necessary due to the high cost. The cost to bring a 4” municipal water line from Cauthard Road to our reservoir was estimated at $29,000 and slated for hook-up by the end of July 2001. In 2002, the Club spent $26,700 for municipal water. Superintendent Hoekstra made the prediction that going forward we would always need to rely on a combination of well water and municipal water. At the Board Meeting in June of 2003, Grounds Chairman Jonathan Reynolds announced that the Ministry of the Environment had granted Cherry Hill a 10-year permit to take water from the new well. Soon thereaer, Superintendent Hoekstra made the recommendation that we expand the capacity of our reservoir to as much as 20 million gallons. Droughts, Drainage and ReservoirsOdd though it may seem, during this intensive period of ensuring that an adequate amount of water ﬁnd its way onto the course, the committees and the consultants were doing a comprehensive study of drainage for the course. Aer spending so many unbudgeted dollars to purchase water in 2002, we were plagued with wet conditions in 2003 and 2004, when the number of days that no carts were allowed on the course was 15 and 22 respectively. No carts means neither cart rental revenue nor associated expenditures by golfers. Therefore, in 2004 we were paying R.J. Burnside to show us how we could get more water onto the course, at the same time that we were paying TDI International to show us how we could get rid of it most eciently. TDI’s recommendation called for water mains that would handle a drainage system for the entire course, as well as infrastructure to drain 9 holes that were of primary concern. Each fairway would have eight 4” lateral drainage pipes installed approximately two feet below the surface. It was a very comprehensive plan, estimated at $312,000 for the ﬁrst nine holes. The proposal from Burnside included a comprehensive analysis of our water needs in dry, wet, and normal seasons, with a recommendation for expanding our reservoir to meet those needs without having to pay for municipal water. Thus, with a price tag of $226,000, the Club was contemplating additional capital improvements totaling $538,000. The Club had seen a peak in initiation fees in 2000 with revenue of over $650,000, but in 2004 that ﬁgure was less than $175,000. A one-time $200 capital assessment in 2004 helped merely to balance the books.Dry weather again in 2005 had required the Club to spend $23,147 on municipal water before the end of August. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Board deferred the drainage project and authorized $132,000 to expand the reservoir with a target completion date of October 2005. Grounds Chairman, Mike Alpern, exhibited great political skills in securing enough votes from a Board that was punch drunk from too many recent ﬁnancial blows. By February of 2006 it was announced that the newly expanded reservoir, which was completed within budget, was halfway to its full capacity of approximately 20 million gallons. The reservoir was full for the ﬁrst time in January of 2007, and with only a few exceptions since then, it has unburdened the Club from the yoke of the municipal water bill.Some Things Never ChangeWhile annual rainfall totals may ﬂuctuate drastically, one matter on the golf course has been consistent throughout our 100 years, and it is perhaps the only matter about which the entire membership is in complete agreement - - to wit - - “What’s good for the goose is not good for the golfer.” The adult Canada goose can produce up to two pounds of waste matter per bird, per day. The grounds crew and the members have employed every conceivable method of discouraging geese from making Cherry Hill home. Charlie Behm oered to shoot them (and probably did) so long as he could serve them for dinner. Some methods may not have been sanctioned by the governing ministry nor were they necessarily safe. Try shaking a goose egg to scramble it without being

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33confronted by an angry mother goose (1980’s). The same goes for trying to apply mineral oil on the egg to repel the parent (2000). We have used a reﬂective scare tape designed to deter them from landing in the ponds (1998). A number of well-meaning dogs have been enlisted in the eort. Barney was under the care of General Manager, David Greaves. A handsome and friendly springer spaniel, Barney had limited success in ridding our course of the geese. On one occasion, Barney was the victim of a real life “wild goose chase,” and those who witnessed it immediately understood the origin of the phrase. A particularly large gaggle of geese was congregated in and around the ponds on the 8th hole. It being late in the golf day, Barney was dispatched, and he entered the fray with great enthusiasm and conﬁdence. The geese scattered out of his way, but one goose in particular drew the dog away from the group with a most ingenious ploy. The goose feigned a broken wing and ﬂew a few feet o the ground in front of Barney while honking madly. Barney in hot pursuit stayed within inches of the decoy, who led the gullible dog back toward the 8th tee and continued south on the 5th hole taking him away from the ﬂock nearly to Nigh Road. The rest of the geese settled back in the pond, unperturbed by the meddlesome mutt. Head Pro, Je Roy, also got into the dog act for a time, but the most beloved of all Cherry Hill dogs was the chocolate lab, Jazz. She came as a package deal when John Gall was hired as Superintendent in 2008. Jazz would faithfully accompany her master throughout the day as he tended to the course. She must have had an innate respect for the greens, for never did she leave a mark. She was more eective than Barney at discouraging geese. In 2019, on his last ocial day at Cherry Hill, John Gall had the unpleasant task of putting down his beloved assistant – rest in peace, Jazz.In 2004, the club purchased two life-size plastic coyotes which were positioned by ponds on the course, with the hope that geese would steer clear of the area when they saw the ﬁgure of their natural predators looming nearby. Today, those coyotes are collecting dust in the Club’s maintenance building, but one of them did have its 15 minutes of fame. During the annual Men’s Three-Day Invitational one year, a team competing in the event devised a masterful bit of gamesmanship against In storage for now, coyote decoys await their next call of duty.Jazz relaxes on a sunny day at Cherry Hill.OF COURSE!

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34their opponents, by mounting a coyote on the front of their golf cart like a fearsome ﬁgurehead mounted to the prow of a Viking ship. One could argue that the coyote on the cart was a greater intimidation factor to golfers than it ever was to geese. A 12” wire fence was put up around the ponds when the coyotes were sent back to the barn, but that too was taken out of service.One year saw the installation of an elaborate grid of ropes strung across the ponds to prevent the geese from their signature airborne entry into the pond. When the geese ﬁgured out that they could simply walk into the pond, the human beings ﬁgured they would simply remove the unsightly yellow ropes. Over the years many members have oered to take the goose problem into their own hands, or arms as the case may be. The Club chose the legal route by hiring a certiﬁed professional, with the proper permits to shoot the geese. One such man was aptly named Bob Courage. Another mercenary was hired at a rate of $300 per week and $75 per bird, with a limit imposed by government regulations. In recent years the geese have not been as prevalent as in years past. The current grounds crew blows o ﬁrecrackers if the birds are spotted on property in the early morning before the course opens. Unlike 3-putts and lip-outs one must be resigned to the fact that geese are just par for the course.Extreme WeatherExtraordinary weather can be welcomed, for example when it is warm enough to get a few rounds in during March. One member jokingly told the unsuspecting Customs agent upon returning to the U.S. that the purpose of the trip was “to play my annual St. Patrick’s Day round of golf.” There have been times when the course was open for play on American Thanksgiving Day. As in years past, when members gathered at the Club on December 18, 2015, for their annual Christmas luncheon, it was not unusual for the topic of golf to arise in conversation. What was unusual this particular year was the fact that they were talking about the rounds of golf they had played that week! The pins were in and players were getting roll in the fairways. Casual water was not even a factor as members enjoyed mid-December golf in shorts and short sleeve shirts. Snow levels were at record lows and December was among the warmest in the area in recorded history. From The Bualo News: “The calendar might say Dec. 14, but Mother Nature’s continued dose of unseasonably warm weather for Western New York has broken a record for the date. At around 11 a.m., the ocial temperature soared to 70 degrees, eclipsing the old record high of 64 degrees set in 1901.” One could say that the Cherry Hill membership adapts well to the vagaries of global climate change. And on December 10, 2021, players Rope grid, strung across ponds, proved ineective in deterring geese.

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35were seen on the course, which could have been the last round played before the Club turned 100. But there have been other instances when Mother Nature inﬂicted her wrath in sudden and unwelcome ways. There was a devastating storm on November 20, 2000, which dumped over 24” of snow in Bualo. That event was followed by a rain-freeze cycle in December. Over 25 trees were lost. The October Surprise Storm of 2006 caused major damage to golf courses in the area due to the ﬂuke nature of the event. It was fueled by a lake eect system of ice and snow which began to encrust trees and power lines with ice on Friday the 13th. With all the leaves still on the trees the combined weight of the leaves and ice caused major tree damage and widespread power outages. We were able to shore up the signature tree on the le of the 1st fairway, but 636 other trees were damaged, and another 100 trees were slated for removal. An assessment of $60,000 was approved by the Board before a true assessment of the clean-up costs could be calculated. The total cost was considerably less than the assessed amount of $60,000, and we considered ourselves fortunate compared to other courses in southern Ontario and Bualo. We were apparently in a sweet spot where the impact was not nearly as devastating. Rumors circulated that other Clubs spent upwards of $300,000 for clean-up of the October Surprise Storm of 2006. In January of 2008 a high wind event caused damage to nearly 100 trees. There was speculation that it might have been a tornado type event cutting a swath across the course and severely damaging the Norway spruce trees behind the 8th, 9th, and 10th greens. Curiously, many individuals including David Oatis of the USGA, Cecil Hoekstra and certain members of the Grounds Committee had been lobbying for years for the removal of the picturesque pines that formed a pleasing visual backdrop behind many of our greens. A review of aerial photos of our course over the years shows the development of these stands of pines. The rationale for their removal was to increase air circulation around the greens to promote better growth. Particularly during winter months, when the angle of the sun is dierent, these pines would block precious sunlight as well as air. At one point, there was a large industrial size oscillating fan positioned behind the 10th green to compensate for the lack of air circulation caused by the Ice devastated foliated trees in October 2006.OF COURSE!

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36pines. Those who were against their removal thought that the windstorm was a ruse and that the trees looked more like they had been downed by a chain saw than by Mother Nature. Tornado or not, the damage was done, and the pine tree removal process was accelerated. In 2022, few vestiges of the once prominent pine tree backdrops remain at Cherry Hill.Another ice storm occurred in Southern Ontario on December 19-23, 2013, with additional ice activity the following February. Greens were hardest hit by this storm, and in May of 2014, ﬁve greens were still out of play. Apparently, we were lucky again, compared to our counterparts in Ontario, for we extended limited privileges to play Cherry Hill to members of other clubs whose courses had suered more severe damage. Here we go, again. By August of 2016 they were saying it was the ﬁh worst drought in history, with no relief in sight. Despite our best eorts to pump as much water into our reservoir from the aquifer as allowed by permit, we were once again compelled to purchase water from the Town of Fort Erie. At approximately $1,500 per day, we spent $15,000 of unbudgeted funds on water. Annoying yes, but not nearly as costly as the 2016 Fort McMurray, Alberta wildﬁre, which in its own way would have an impact on Cherry Hill.PestilenceThe emerald ash borer, a beetle that originated in Asia, was ﬁrst discovered in North America in southeastern Michigan and Windsor, Ontario in 2002. Since then, it has persistently infested nearly every type of ash species in Ontario including numerous trees at Cherry Hill. Despite the nuisance, cost and safety issues, the loss of trees caused by the ash borer at Cherry Hill has not had any major impact on strategic trees that would change the nature of a hole. The devastation to the landscape inﬂicted by the emerald ash borer is far more visible as one drives along Highway #3 encountering stand aer stand of dead ash trees.Practice Makes PerfectThere’s a saying at Cherry Hill, that it’s impossible to take your nice, smooth swing from the practice range across Cherry Hill Boulevard and onto the course. The practice facilities at Cherry Hill were upgraded considerably in the early 2000’s. Rene Muylaert was hired to design a new short game practice facility. He also helped with the design of a new back tee on the 13th hole. About the same time, the range was reconﬁgured by extending a secondary practice area at the southern end of the range, where a chipping green had once been located. A net was installed along the back of the range to keep the long hitters from sending balls into the woods. The short game facility is Pine tree backdrops can be seen in varying stages of development behind greens.View from the 7th fairway before removal of pine tree backdrop.Short game practice facility.

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37located behind the parking lot. A buer of 60 Colorado spruce trees from our “nursery” was planted to protect cars from errant shots. The facility has a sprawling green with several ﬂags and is designed for practicing chipping, pitching and sand shots. The short game facility opened for use in late 2002 and was ocially inaugurated on Men’s Opening Day on May 10, 2003. Bob Borneman, Ralph Del Bello, Dave D’Arata, and Je Roy all played lead roles in the development of the facility.Planning A Master PlanAs early as 2000, rumblings began about a “long range plan for the course.” It took nearly a decade for these rumblings to evolve into intentions and ultimately into action. In hindsight it was the perfect timeframe. The famous quote attributed to Yogi Berra, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else,” applies perfectly to the journey that started with locker room chatter and ended in a comprehensive golf course renovation project, completed in 2009. At the December Board Meeting in 2002, Grounds Chairman, Jon Reynolds reported that on November 26, 2002, he had met with Cecil Hoekstra, Je Roy and golf course architect, Ian Andrew of Carrick Design to stake out the placement of new trees in the rough right of the 17th fairway. The new trees were to replace a number of poplars. Poplars are not particularly desirable trees for golf courses, and the Grounds Committee ordered the “immediate and complete demise” of all poplars on the hole. The replacements came from our “nursery,” which was located in the area between the 14th green and the 15th tee. Ian and Cecil selected ten ash trees which were small enough to be transplanted and which were in place for the start of the golf season in 2003. Ian Andrew graduated from the landscape architecture program at Guelph University and began his golf course architecture career at Carrick Design. No doubt that Mr. Andrew, Mr. Roy, and Mr. Hoekstra, had more to talk about that fall day in 2002 than just the location of trees. The dialog about upgrading the course that began that day, continued among this threesome throughout the several years that led up to the major renovation.In March of 2003, Carrick Design was hired for a fee of $5,000 plus expenses to develop a comprehensive plan for renovations to the golf course. It should be noted that the condition of the bunkers at Cherry Hill was in decline. Many of the bunkers on the course added prior to the Canadian Open were sand faced bunkers. Aer heavy rainfalls, the grounds crew would have to devote excessive time to replace sand that had been washed out of the bunkers. Golfers complained that the ball would get buried when it was hit into the sand piled up on the face of the bunker. Much of the chatter heard at the time addressed the need for new bunkers. In May, an additional $1,000 was allocated for the architect to prepare the report. The large course map provided had indications for slit drainage on nine holes and various notations regarding tees and cart paths. Virtually every bunker on the course was addressed for removal, or remodeling and in some instances brand new bunkers, with a net result of 85 bunkers instead of the previous count of 126. The oversized course layout submitted in June of 2003 was labeled “Cherry Hill Club Renovation Plan.”The architect’s full master plan, devised by Ian Andrew, was put on display in the Halfway House. Informational meetings were held with the membership. The Grounds Committee report to the Board at the August 20, 2003, meeting noted: “Initial response to the architect’s golf course improvement plan has been mostly negative.” Optimism was not in the air at Cherry Hill, and members felt that although it might be a good plan on paper, “Now is not the time!” Another aspect of the plan called for a drastic change to the look and playability of the 15th hole, by dramatically expanding the pond back toward the tee. Not only would it make the hole more challenging, but the excavated material could be used to form new bunkers and tees for the rest of the renovation. The Board chose only a few items from the extensive master plan to be completed in 2004 at a cost of $47,500. Among the items were the creation of new back tees on the 6th and 17th holes, a move strongly endorsed by Leon Smith III. The le fairway bunker on the 3rd hole was removed. The attitude of the Board was that it was a good plan and that it could be bitten o in pieces if full implementation all at once was not possible. The best laid plans were laid aside.OF COURSE!

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38Chip ShotsIn 2004, a new aeration machine with smaller tines was purchased, so that greens would recover more quickly from the process. A drinking fountain was installed on the 8th hole. The Board put consideration of the comprehensive drainage plan on hold until 2005. In 2005, walking paths were cut connecting the tees to the fairways, with an admonition that electric carts should avoid them. The reservoir expansion was completed. A lease was executed for a new ﬂeet of 50 EZ-Go carts to replace 55 carts. A new red tee on #11 and a new white tee on #18 were approved at a cost of $1,500 each. A “lean budget” based on 365 members for 2006 was adopted. And a meeting with Ian Andrew was scheduled for September 29th, 2005, to discuss recommendations on expanding green surfaces and chipping areas around the greens by widening the closely mown areas. Drainage Ditch DesignWith the expensive drainage plan on hold, our resourceful Superintendent, Cec, devised an ingenious plan that would be highly eective at draining water from the course at a much lower cost. A series of trenches, or ditches as some have described them, were dug in strategic areas away from play, and drains were installed to feed into the trenches. Unless you have served on the Grounds Committee or have searched for a widely errant shot, you may not ever have noticed this system of drainage trenches. They are located, for example, between #6 and #7; between #12 and # 17; between #18 and #11 and so on. The system is quite ecient. Aer heavy rains one can see water streaming steadily from the pipe to the right of the 17th tee back to the small pond to the le of the rear tee. They may not be a comprehensive plan from an engineer, but until such time as a course-wide system is installed, we can be thankful to Cecil for his diligence and his “dry” countenance. e In 2006, Cherry Hill was ranked #89 in the SCOREGolf “Top 100 Best Golf Courses In Canada.” By 2008, we did not even make the list. In the fall of 2007, Ian Andrew visited the course again and made suggestions on how to proceed with some smaller aspects of the master plan. Also, that fall Mr. Spencer of Flight Line Golf reviewed the condition of the existing bunkers and advised that 45 of our 126 bunkers were in need of repair. Consideration of Flight Line’s $69,900 quote for the repairs was tabled. [Editor’s note - According to Wikipedia: In parliamentary procedure, the verb to “table” has the opposite meaning in the United States compared to the rest of the world: In the United States, to “table” usually means to postpone or suspend consideration of a pending motion. In the rest of the English-speaking world, including Canada, to “table” means to begin consideration (or reconsideration) of a proposal.] If Mr. Spencer had had a crystal ball, he would have seen that his tabled estimate (in the U.S. sense) would be used only as fodder to convince naysayers that the new renovation project was necessary.Pitching A Master PlanDespite knowing it would face an uphill battle, the Board hit the ground running in 2008. Three sub-committees were formed, with each group addressing a speciﬁc aspect of the master plan: • Tees and cart paths • Fairway bunkers • Greens and greenside bunkersThe sub-committees met in January, methodically addressing each item in the master plan. For example, the fairway sub-committee reviewed every proposed fairway bunker for location and conﬁguration and Pre-renovation aerial shows plethora of bunkers. Drainage ditches are also visible.

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39registered a yes, no, or yes with modiﬁcations vote for each bunker. The dialog between the professional architect, Ian Andrew, and the “amateur architects” was productive and worthwhile. Aerall, the members’ feedback was informed by years of experience playing the course, and the input was beneﬁcial to the expert golf architect. In the case of the fairway bunker sub-committee, some signiﬁcant proposed changes were adopted based on feedback to Ian. The next time you hit your tee shot into the second fairway bunker on hole #1, you can thank Rick Halinda for the experience. Each sub-committee followed a similar approach, combing through the intricate details of the plan, and the recommendations were reviewed and reﬁned by the architect, until all parties were satisﬁed.In March of 2008, a search committee was formed to hire a new Golf Course Superintendent. Cecil Hoekstra had extended his contract the last few years of his tenure at Cherry Hill, but his retirement was now deﬁnite. The search committee projected a decision by August 1st. In April, each sub-committee approved its portion of the master plan. In May, ﬁve contractors had toured the course with the master plan in hand. Bids for the associated construction work were due on May 26th at 3:00 p.m. Aer the walk-throughs we expected four of the ﬁve contractors would submit bids.At the June Board Meeting, a motion to approve a $1.25 million expenditure on the golf course renovation was tabled without a vote. On Tuesday July 15, 2008, an informational meeting was held in the Clubhouse Dining Room, with the large plan on display complete with budget ﬁgures. The presentation was informative, but the Q & A portion of the meeting was remarkably short. An informal yet lengthier meeting was held aerwards at the bar. Once again, vociferous opponents of the plan exhorted, “Now is not the time to be spending this kind of money. Later, maybe, but not now!” At the Board Meeting the following week a motion to accept the $850,000 bid from NMP Golf was approved, but not unanimously. A motion to accept the recommendation of the search committee to hire John Gall as our new Golf Course Superintendent did pass unanimously. Cecil Hoekstra was present for the dinner following the Board Meeting to receive special recognition and thanks from the Board. The Club also hosted a retirement party for him in December of 2008. Grounds Chairman John Dobmeier II, President-Elect Kingman Bassett Jr., and President Bob Borneman had devoted much time and energy to getting the project to the starting line. Jon Reynolds, Mike Alpern, Jim O’Connor, Brian Duett, Leon Smith III, Rick Halinda, previous Grounds Chairmen, and a host of other member volunteers contributed as well.The 2009 Master Plan Course RenovationThe timing of approval of the golf course renovation project in July of 2008 could not have been better. If the Club had deferred even a few months, it might never have happened, and we would be forever absent from the SCOREGolf top 100 list. On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers announced its bankruptcy, a bombshell in the most serious worldwide ﬁnancial crisis since the Great Depression. The eects in Canada were not quite as severe, but the collapse of oil prices and other commodities sparked the recession of 2008-2009 in Canada. The membership certainly would not have tolerated the ﬁnancial commitment had the economic turmoil been foreseen, and more important, banks would not have been eager to loan millions of dollars to private golf clubs in southern Ontario. In contrast to the perfect storm in the ﬁnancial world, the stars were in perfect alignment for the successful execution of our most signiﬁcant golf course renovation in nearly 50 years.• Ian Andrew had branched out on his own in 2006 and was emerging as a preeminent historical golf course architect with expertise in courses designed by Walter Travis.• John Gall started as Golf Course Superintendent on August 10, 2008, one day before the contractor was scheduled to arrive on site.• NMP Golf Construction Inc. had a crew already in Ontario and was poised to begin work on the course on August 11, 2008.• Cherry Hill had a commitment from its lenders to ﬁnance the project.Even more advantageous was the fact that the three main parties, Ian Andrew, John Gall and NMP had all worked together on a construction project the previous year at The Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto. NMP was eager to keep their crew busy and their bid reﬂected the ease with which they were able to deploy at Cherry Hill. Therefore, when work began on August 11, we had a proven, professional team that had already forged a great working relationship. With Yogi Berra’s wise words in mind, that “someplace else” OF COURSE!

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41Point in Fonthill, Ontario and Staord Country Club in Leroy, NY. In essence it was an historically based renovation designed to “bring Travis back” to Cherry Hill. This approach required the removal of many non-original bunkers. We went from 126 bunkers before the renovation to just 85 aer. Certain bunker locations remained, but all of the new bunkers were either modiﬁed and rebuilt or were completely new locations. The old sand faced bunkers were replaced with authentic Travis style grass faced bunkers. In many cases the new bunkers were oset on either side of the fairway, in contrast to the old book end approach where opposing bunkers were equidistant from the tee. NMP built the new tees and cart paths eciently and with precision. But the process of forming the greenside and fairway bunkers was a combination of artistry and technical prowess that was amazing to witness. The team was remarkably ecient, and members watched enthralled, as the new face of Cherry Hill emerged. At every successive visit to the course (which was essentially open for play at all times), one would ﬁnd enticing new features to an old, familiar friend. It really was an exciting time to be a member of Cherry Hill Club.To those who were interested, the bunker construction process was fascinating. Sand from the old bunker was removed, much of which was placed in the uncultivated areas of rough. This was not only a convenient and ecient way to remove the old sand from the course, but it also served as a top dressing to promote healthier long grass. The area for the new bunker was then prepared for the new ﬁll. Much of the ﬁll came from the area around the reservoir. It was hauled to the site of the bunker and dumped in piles approximately where the bunker surrounds would be. The mounds actually determined the shape of the bunker, not vice versa. To facilitate this process, the ﬁll would be dumped in tall conical piles. From that state the soil would be formed and shaped into smooth-curved, top-heavy mounds. Ian Andrew Ian Andrew describes his concept for a bunker to the construction crew.The course remained mostly open for play during the renovation.OF COURSE!

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43worked closely in this process with NMP on every bunker, modifying the shapes and curves and heights such that each bunker had a variety of penal lies and options for recovery shots. Only aer the mounds had been placed and shaped, would the architect plot out how the sand bunker would best ﬁt the area suggested by the mounds. Drainage was installed in all the bunkers, running water to nearby ponds, peripheral gullies, or out-of-play areas. (The proposed fairway drainage system was never installed.) The mounds and surrounds were sodded with Kentucky bluegrass and sand was placed in the bunker. The darker color of the bunkers’ grass faces contrasted with the grass on fairways and greens. In addition, the undulating mounds created a new topography compared to the relatively ﬂat proﬁle of the old bunkers. The eect was a dramatically more interesting view from the tees, fairways and particularly from within the bunkers themselves. From the tee, the sand in the bunkers was not always visible as had been the case before. Now, the bunkers were identiﬁed by the prominence of the mounds. Where previously a 4-iron could oen save par from a fairway bunker, now a 7- or 8-iron or even a wedge was required just to clear the height of the mound. The variety of shot options from the Travis-style bunkers was far greater than ever before. And due to the grass face design, greenside bunkers were cut closer to the green, yielding a visually interesting perspective and a challenging shot.President Bassett led a committee of members, including Jim O’Connor, Brian Duett, Bob Borneman, and Mike Alpern, who regularly reviewed new bunkers under construction and in essence voted to approve or modify each one. Ann Marie Luhr oered input from the perspective of women golfers. On one occasion, the group was reviewing the bunker complex in the landing area on the right of the 6th fairway. Designed to make the par 5 more dicult, the mounds that had been formed were more severe than on other holes. One mound was particularly steep and intimidating. Committee member Bob Borneman voiced objections, but ultimately voted in favor of the design, thinking that the architect would use his veto to defy the committee. President Bassett had granted Ian one, and only one, veto he could use to overturn a decision of the committee. The veto was neither needed nor contemplated by Ian, and the imposing mound stood. Despite his initial objections, Mr. Borneman found immortality as few other Cherry Hill members have now that the mound is aectionately referred to as “Borney’s Bump.”The 13th, 16th and 17th holes were the ﬁrst to undergo renovation in August of 2008. Expansion of the pond Grass face bunkers “hug” the greenside on #7, a drastic new look for golfers.OF COURSE!

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44on the 15th hole was held in abeyance as were the funds budgeted for its excavation. This precluded the planned use of the excavated material for ﬁll, but it allowed the contractors to focus on the bunkers and tees. By November 12, 2008, due to the highly ecient operation, all the bunkers had been dug and formed, and all the tees had been built. Minutes from the November Board Meeting noted that ﬁve trailer loads of sod delivered the week prior had been completely depleted, with more on order. The excavation of the pond on the 15th hole would be done aer the ground froze, and by December it was nearly complete.In January of 2009, the Treasurer reported that “we may not need to borrow as much money as anticipated.” As a result of the pond expansion, the tees on the 15th hole were raised, to provide a better view of the water hazard and surrounding area. NMP was scheduled to return for 4 weeks to tie up loose ends. Cherry Hill now had 5 sets of tees, with the new black tees totaling just over 7000 yards. On Men’s Opening Day, May 9th, 2009, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the newly renovated course. The event was promoted as “A Tribute to Travis” complete with the distribution of whiskey and cigars in honor of Walter Travis. Club leaders, representatives from the Travis Society, and Ian Andrew congregated and delivered speeches on the ﬁrst tee. Before the ribbon was cut, Travis himself (aka Mike Reynolds) dried in from the 1st fairway for a surprise appearance. He admonished Superintendent Gall to “Take damn good care of these Cherry Hill greens!” Aer the ribbon was cut, Travis hit a ceremonial tee shot and disappeared into the ether. One member reported that his invited guest that day proclaimed, “I’ve never seen such a fantastic course renovation for under a million dollars!” We had plenty to be proud of, for we had accomplished a very successful and substantial renovation, that enhanced play while maintaining the integrity of our precious greens. “Borney’s Bump” on the 6th hole.Kentucky Bluegrass sod covered the mounds and bunker surrounds.

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45Later that day, Ian Andrew addressed those gathered in the Clubhouse and boldly proclaimed that, “The Cherry Hill greens are among the ﬁnest set of 18 greens in all of Canada, if not the ﬁnest.” Later he explained that in his opinion, Travis is one of the top three greatest golf green designers in history. Ian has the experience and respect in the industry to make such a sweeping statement. Thanks to Travis, our greens have a great diversity of internal contours which allows for a variety of challenging pin positions and devilish breaks that other courses cannot rival. The 3rd, 11th and 18th greens are particularly good examples of greens that “could only have been built by Travis,” says Andrew. The fact that we have retained their original design, and continue to maintain them in such good shape, bolsters the “best set of greens in all of Canada” claim, which Ian Andrew stands by even today.Architect, Ian Andrew, and the 11th green which “could only have been built by Travis.”Walter Travis (AKA Mike Reynolds) cuts the ribbon on the new renovation with the assistance of (l. to r.) Bob Borneman, Kingman Bassett Jr. , Ian Andrew, Ed Homsey (WJT Society), and John Gall.OF COURSE!

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46Cherry Hill In The SpotlightA Media Day was held in June of 2009, and members of the press from both sides of the border were invited. Whereas previously, the greens were the sole defense the course presented, we now had a second line of defense in the form of the beautiful and punishing authentic Travis-style bunkers. From the time of the 1972 Canadian Open, when Cherry Hill was at the center of the Canadian golf universe, we had slowly slipped back into anonymity. Granted, we hosted another national tournament in 1982, but eventually we resumed our position as the best kept secret around. We were better known in the Bualo District Golf Association, than among the southern Ontario or greater Toronto golf circles. The Media Day generated some decent publicity and marked the beginning of the reemergence of Cherry Hill on the Canadian golf scene.Fortifying Fairways And GreensJohn Gall’s ﬁrst season was certainly an active one. He came to us with tremendous experience, having worked on golf courses since his teens. Aer graduating from the University of Guelph’s Turfgrass Institute he worked at courses in Sault Ste. Marie and Oshawa, Ontario. From 1990 to 2007 he was Head Golf Course Superintendent at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto. During his tenure the course ranked consistently as #1, #2, or #3 in the SCOREGolf “Top 100 Best Golf Courses In Canada” list. In 2010 the newly renovated course was nurtured as sodded areas took root and the sand settled in the bunkers. The steep bunker faces and mounds were maintenance challenges that Cherry Hill had not seen before, but John and the experienced grounds crew handled the task skillfully. Members had registered concerns about safely entering and exiting the bunkers. Education on using the least steep side of the bunker helped somewhat. A set of wooden stairs was installed to lead players down the steep slope into the right greenside bunker on the 9th hole.Commencing in 2009, John began the implementation of a multi-year program to fortify our greens and introduce more bentgrass in the fairways. The Board was in agreement with the plan’s objectives but indicated that fast greens were our trademark and that the members enjoyed playing on fast greens. This desire for fast green speeds may not have been satisﬁed as quickly as hoped for, but in the long run, despite the impatience of some Grounds Chairmen, the objective was achieved. The course and particularly the greens are more resilient and healthier than ever. At his ﬁnal course visit to Cherry Hill before retiring in 2019, David Oatis of the USGA Greens Section stated most sincerely that “conditions at Cherry Hill The NMP Golf Construction crew sods a bunker on hole #13.

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47are better than I can remember in 30 years.” That was an expert opinion from one of the most respected agronomists in the golf course industry.Gall employed a number of processes on the greens to promote bentgrass and to discourage poa. In his ﬁrst few years he seeded the greens with bentgrass. Changing the method of aeration was another technique employed. The old way of aerating was to pull big cylindrical cores or plugs from the green and ﬁll the voided holes with sand. This was usually done once in the fall, and the resulting bumpy greens took much longer to return to playability. Another downside of the large cores, was the fact that pulling up the soil cores actually promoted the growth of poa. The new procedure used smaller, deeper tines that poked holes 10” to 12” deep. More frequent deep tine aeration and more aggressive top dressing with sand several times a year were part of the plan. In addition, moisture control and nutrients were used to discourage poa. A chemical growth regulator was used to slow the speed of grass growth and make it thicker. One beneﬁt of the growth regulator is that late in the day, the speed of the greens will be faster than untreated grass, due to the slowed growth process. This maintenance program was conducted for several years with increasingly positive results. Why this all-out assault on poa and promotion of bentgrass? Poa is considered a weak annual grass that requires higher costs to maintain and is more susceptible to the stresses of extreme summer conditions. In comparison, creeping bentgrass is more tolerant of summer stress and easier to manage. Both grass types can provide excellent putting surfaces if maintained properly, but bentgrass is more reliable.By the time of John’s retirement in 2019, the grass on the greens was healthier, the roots were deeper (as deep as 12”), and the density per square inch was greater than conditions in 2008. The program continues today in a maintenance mode. The frequent top dressing has in essence slowly raised the surface of the green. With the health of the turf assured, the speed can be increased on a consistent basis keeping the members happy without keeping the Superintendent up at night.The fairways were also fortiﬁed with a higher ratio of creeping bent grass to poa, such that the fairways are now mostly bentgrass. Superintendent Gall introduced the increased use of a wetting agent which is sprayed on tees, fairways, and greens. Wetting agents, which are a type of surfactant have multiple beneﬁts. Grass treated with a wetting agent will retain moisture better. The surfactant action essentially “thins out” the water so that less water is required for irrigation. Also, the ground will absorb the water more eciently OF COURSE!

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48instead of repelling it as sometimes happens with dry ground.Other projects undertaken during John Gall’s tenure at Cherry Hill include the addition of split rail fencing along the practice range and on Cherry Hill Boulevard, near Highway #3. With input from Je Roy, forward tees were cut from the fairways in 2012 on a trial basis, but it wasn’t until 2018 that permanent silver tees were installed aer the trial proved successful. Under Gall’s care, the area of puttable surfaces was increased on and around the greens. Over the years the demarcation between the green and the fringe had slowly crept inward. By simply expanding the closely mown area, the size of the greens could be enlarged. This reintroduced some of the wonderful Travis mounds and undulations to the green and created additional options for interesting new pin positions. Many areas immediately surrounding the greens were also closely mown. Whereas before this procedure was instituted, the thick grass surrounding the greens dictated the use of a wedge, the new greenside conditions allowed multiple options including a wedge, chipping iron or putter. New Look At The First TeeIn 2015, the area leading from the Pro Shop down to the ﬁrst tee received a major face li. The whole area around the 1st tee and practice putting green was resurfaced with interlocking pavers. Trees were removed, and the new treatment provided wide open views of the course from the patio. Rick Halinda, Jim O’Connor, and John Richmond played a lead role in the project, which was installed by Plantation Irrigation & Landscaping of Ridgeway. While the contrast was stunning at ﬁrst, it now seems so natural that one would think it was ever thus.Fine-tuning The Renovation Work In 2012, Gall recalls that dry, warm weather had allowed for the course to open on March 16th. (Just in time for the “annual St. Patrick’s Day round.”) Regardless of whether March comes in like a lion or goes out like a lamb, John Gall’s ﬁrst days and last days at Cherry Hill were full of excitement on the course. Ian Andrew was at it again with a golf course project that was started in August of 2019. In essence the new project was a delayed punch list for the 2009 renovation. The Board had a few items on its wish list, and Ian was able to accomplish some enhancements that he always wished had been done before. The most dramatic change was the lowering of the raised tee on the 8th hole, and the addition of a new tee back and to the le of the main tee. The 8th tee was unique in that it had featured a high raised teeing area, ﬂanked by a bank of stone with the words “Cherry Hill Club” spelled Closely mown area around the greens presents a variety of shot options.

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49out in sculpted evergreen shrubs. Despite sentimental regrets for the loss of the signature tee, the new set up is attractive and functional. The material removed from the main tee was used in the construction of the new back tee, and a dicult hole was rendered more so for the scratch players. The cart path was rerouted on the 11th hole making for a cleaner more natural appearance of the area behind the green and around the 12th tee. New front tees, installed on the 9th and 11th holes, were welcomed especially by average golfers of every variety. A surprise new fairway bunker on the right side of the 14th hole awaits the tee shots of the long hitters.The two enhancements of greatest interest to Ian Andrew included the removal of the ridge behind the middle of the 13th green which gives the hole a more Travis-like look and playability. Also, the area behind the 6th green was modiﬁed to collect approach shots hit too far. The right greenside bunker was tweaked to require just a little more precision on the approach shot as well. The enhancements completed in 2019 took a course, already in great condition, up another notch. The end result, and the fact that the $270,000 project was paid for in cash without an assessment, pleased the membership entirely. The golf course that John Gall le his successor was in the nicest condition it had ever been. We can be proud of our wonderful course, and grateful for the talented Superintendents who chose to cap o their successful careers at Cherry Hill.Golf Course Maintenance Is EssentialImagine for a moment that you are an Associate Golf Course Superintendent in Kitchener, Ontario, and you are oered the head Superintendent position at a premier golf course in the Niagara Region. You and your spouse, along with your school-age children, move your family to Port Colborne, Ontario. You purchase a home and enroll the kids in new schools. You are ready to begin an exciting new chapter in your career. And then imagine that a global pandemic erupts, ultimately causing schools, businesses and Aerial view shows results of 2015 renovation project.The 8th tee as it appeared prior to the 2019 course renovations.OF COURSE!

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50even golf courses to shut down. You are not imagining if you are Jeremy Krueger, who became Cherry Hill’s sixth Golf Course Superintendent on February 3, 2020.Aer receiving applications from 28 qualiﬁed candidates, and whittling the list down to 6, the selection committee recommended Jeremy for the position. Although he had earned a B.S. degree from the University of Waterloo, he realized that the work he had been performing, starting as an intern, on golf courses was what interested him most. He went on to graduate from the Golf Course Management School of Horticulture at the University of Guelph in 2001. At the time of his hiring, Jeremy was Associate Golf Course Superintendent at the prestigious Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ontario which was ranked #13 on the 2020 SCOREGolf “Top 100 Best Golf Courses In Canada” list. Let the record show that Cherry Hill ranked #43 on that same list, when Mr. Krueger took the reins at Cherry Hill.Despite the uncertainty and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeremy was able to get right to work. Perhaps the only decision made by the Ontario government in its handling of the pandemic on which we can all agree is that golf course maintenance is an essential service. As noted earlier, Jeremy inherited a course in top-notch condition. While continuing with the proven maintenance protocol in place, Jeremy focused on ﬁne-tuning the conditioning of the course. “Well-manicured” would be an appropriate term to describe the desired objective for Cherry Hill.Jeremy ably directed the grounds crew and established a detailed regimen for maintaining the course, and the greens in particular. Hand mowing of the greens had long since given way to triplex mowers and lightweight rollers that zoom back and forth across the green to achieve the desired fast green speeds. A new multi-purpose tractor authorized by the Board, allows enhanced upkeep of cart paths, native areas, and more with the use of dierent attachments. The same process employed to groom inﬁelds at major league baseball diamonds is now keeping our cart paths smooth and clean, thanks to Jeremy’s attention to detail.Jeremy’s responsibilities range from micro-manicuring to master planning. In 2021, consultants were hired to address comprehensive long-range plans for both irrigation and drainage - - sound familiar? Jeremy worked closely with the consultants who visited the course in the fall of 2021, to prepare master plans for each of these areas vital to the future health of our course. Mr. Krueger will have plenty to do as we look ahead and contemplate long-range master plans for irrigation, drainage, and trees on the course. e In commemoration of our 100th anniversary in 2022, Jeremy and his crew are planting cherry trees to beautify our property. We look forward to watching them grow. And we look forward to teeing it up in century number two at Cherry Hill, of course!Mark Talarico, Jeremy Krueger, John Gall and Caroline Molen at the 2019 Christmas luncheon.

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53There can be no denying that the love of the game is the singular, most unifying factor in the existence of our Club. Some of us are quite happy that we can play a private round with family or friends, while others take a more competitive approach that is worthy of broader recognition. No matter where you are on this spectrum, if you call Cherry Hill home, you are fortunate to play golf in a most wonderful setting.Golf Committees The Golf Chairman, a member of the Board of Directors, heads the Golf Committee which oversees the Head Professional and all associated responsibilities. The Ladies 18 Hole Group Golf Board, the Ladies 9 Hole Golf Committee, and the Junior Golf Program operate under the umbrella of the Golf Committee. The Golf Committee determines the course schedule and prepares the annual golf calendar which is always chock full of events. Historically, “Men’s Golf,” “Ladies Golf,” and “Junior Golf” are the customary terms used at Cherry Hill regardless of whether they oend the grammarians or the politically correct.The Head Professional has responsibility for all golf operations at Cherry Hill including the practice range, the Cart Shop, the Pro Shop, the Starter’s Shack, the golf course, and the tournament scoreboard. In the wider golf industry, the Head Pro also represents the Club in the various associations with which Cherry Hill is aliated. Generically, you could say that the Head Pro is a boss, a teacher, a cheerleader, a referee, a retailer, an ambassador, and an event planner. In his spare time, he might also work on his own golf game.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAMESome golfers fare better than others on the golf course, but Cherry Hill is a course that is challenging and fun for players of all skill levels. At the end of the book that chronicles the ﬁrst 75 years of Cherry Hill history, William S. Reynolds summed it up quite eloquently: Although we are all individuals, the common thread of the game inuences us all. Who has not experienced the sense of anticipation as the days grow warmer in the spring, and the depression of spirit which accompanies the cleaning out of the locker in the late fall? Regardless of the level of skill, we are all golfers - the regular Saturday morning foursome with the bets ying in all directions; the low handicapper choking his way up 18 with a chance to break par; the high handicapper doing the same with a chance to break 100; the Ladies Day groups meticulously putting everything out; the Junior Golfer with a look of determination that can only make you smile; and the elderly couple nishing nine holes as the sun sets.”e

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54Men’s GolfMen’s Golf at Cherry Hill is quite simple. Men like to eat, drink, smoke, gamble, and swear while playing golf. Recently, some have added “listen to the Rolling Stones” to the list but, given that the R & A has yet to rule on the issue, we shall leave that in abeyance for the time being. Historically, there are key events which are milestones of the annual Men’s Golf calendar, and over the years other events have come and gone. To start the golf season, Men’s Opening Day on a Saturday in May is a great way to get re-acquainted with golf buddies, and to test your ability to recall people’s names aer a long o-season.Men’s InvitationalsFor most of Cherry Hill history, the Men’s Invitational has been held in mid-June, concluding the day before Father’s Day Sunday. Father, aer a long and arduous weekend of golf and festivities, does relish the fact that the following day is the day designated for Mother and the children to honor him as he naps on the couch while watching the U.S. Open. In its earliest form the tournament took place over three days, or four if one chose to play a practice round. The medal tournament format was Chapman, which is a modiﬁed version of alternate shot. Three days of playing Chapman together was more a test of friendship between member and guest, than a test of one’s golf skills. Thursday’s opening round would be followed by the stag dinner, with a full complement of cigars and cards and dice. Friday night was a quieter one, perhaps spent with your guest and spouses at a beachside barbecue for couples. A formal dinner dance on Saturday with live music was the perfect way to celebrate the tournament and ﬂight winners, and to show appreciation to spouses for the extended boys’ night out. Other rituals include tournament favors for participants, and a variety of wagering options including a “Calcutta pool” whereby teams are purchased much like a cattle auction. For many years, special cards were printed for each team to record side bets made head-to-head with other teams. Collecting the bets (or avoiding payment) required special talent during the Saturday night party. Over the years the tournament might be referred to as either “The Chapman” or the “Three-Day.” For several years, the format was changed to match play, with 9-hole Chapman matches in each ﬂight, and a shoot-out among ﬂight winners to determine the overall winning team. In more recent years, the tournament has been scaled back to just two days of competition. The format of play has seen experimentation but always with some element of Chapman. Regardless of the name or the format, winning has meant that you and your invited partner would have your names permanently Every player’s hopes are high before the shotgun start.

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55inscribed on the board in the Grill Room designated for the Men’s Invitational.The Three-Day designation dierentiates it from a second invitational that was introduced in 1974 to meet demand among the membership. The “Two-Day” was held on a Friday and Saturday, usually in July. The compressed format featured a stag night on Friday and a Dinner Dance on Saturday, oen with so many teams entered that a double shotgun start had to be held on Fridays. Aer a period of waning participation, the Two-Day was suspended in 2014 in an eort to bolster the primary Cherry Hill Men’s Invitational. Two-Day tournament winners are recognized on the boards that adorn the walls of the Men’s Locker Room, with room for new names should the event ever be revived.Cherry Hill has also had single day invitationals on the calendar throughout the years. In the early 2000’s we held the William J. McGennis Memorial Invitational, a single day member-guest event with coat and tie attire required for the stag dinner. In its place today is “The Walter” which was started in 2017 as a nod to Cherry Hill golf architect, Walter Travis.The invitational tournaments do more for creating camaraderie within the Club, and for promoting the Club to the wider golﬁng public than any other event on the golf calendar at Cherry Hill. New friendships and good-natured rivalries are forged. Lifelong golf memories are established, whether by choking to lose by a shot, or by sinking the long and unlikely winning putt. Some member-guest partnerships have endured for decades with brothers Bob and Craig Borneman and the team of Mike Alpern and Bill Moyer being two of the longest. For the new young player, participation in an invitational can be a “coming-of-age” experience as a Cherry Hill member. Many guests have chosen to join the Club themselves because of the fun atmosphere of a Cherry Hill Invitational.While ultimately, the Head Pro and his sta run the events, the tournament chairmen also are involved, adding special features to the format, the prizes or the food and beverage oerings. No one was more adept at creating an extraordinary and fun tournament experience than Gary Stott. P. T. Barnum himself could have learned from Gary, who would challenge the professional sta, the chef, the manager, and the bartenders to create the most fun and memorable events. In 1999, due in large part to Gary’s campaigning, a special “tournament subsidy” of $100 per member was assessed on an unsuspecting membership for a 2-year trial basis. The intent was to raise the bar on Club events, which were perceived to have fallen o in quality. Ladies Golf and Junior Golf received some funding, but the bulk of the $40,000 pot was assigned to the Three-Day, the Two-Day, and the Member-Member. For a two-year span, these events were rocketed into a new dimension. One event featured a complimentary martini bar set up on the patio in front of the Halfway House, with the likes of red velvet martinis, French martinis, cosmopolitans, and Tournament players gather round the scoreboard.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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56of course classic martinis. The formal dinner that followed surely must have been ﬁne, but no one could remember what was on the menu. One year during the tournament subsidy era, favors were given to spouses, not just the players. Waterford Crystal ring holders for spouses of members and guests were part of the table setting for the formal dinner dance. During the 1999 Invitational, the Bualo Sabres were competing in the Stanley Cup Finals. To keep people from leaving the Club aer dinner to watch the hockey game, several large, rented TV sets were installed throughout the Clubhouse thanks to a resourceful Mr. Stott, and a healthy tournament subsidy fund. Understandably, the trial was not extended beyond the two-year timeframe, but what a time it was!!The Member – MemberTo many, the Member-Member is the most fun tournament of the year, for a variety of reasons. Your partner is also a member, so you don’t have to pay for him, nor do you have to go out of your way to entertain him or his spouse. Everyone knows one another or will become acquainted by tournament’s end. When wagering, you at least know the caliber of all the players, even if you don’t agree with their handicaps. For many years the tournament was held in September, aer the Club Championship, which added a special character of fall weather and ﬁnality to the event. A large cast iron pot of soup heated over a wooden ﬁre on the course looked like the witches’ brew in those days. In part to accommodate snowbirds’ schedules, but mostly to play in more temperate conditions, the event was moved in 2011 to August and eventually to July. Some choose to tee it up year aer year with the same partner in the hopes that someday their time will come, while others look for more variety in their Member-Member partners. Additionally, the names of more than a few father-son teams grace the Member-Member tournament board in the Grill Room.Caddie ProgramCherry Hill has had a caddie program in an on-and-o basis over the years. Today, there are no longer caddies at Cherry Hill. The “caddie shack” was at the front of the cart storage facility, and caddies would hang out there in hopes of getting a bag for the day. The boys were recruited mostly from the immediate area, and generally were novices when arriving at Cherry Hill. The extended school calendar in Ontario which had students in school well into June, was one of the The prize table sparkles with excitement.

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57challenges of maintaining a robust caddie program. However, many relationships were formed throughout the years, and some players had their favorite, regular caddies. Bert Mewha, a longtime Cherry Hill Member and President in 1973 was a caddie as a young boy, and two of our caddies would go on to become the Head Professional at Cherry Hill. Cherry Pickers“Cherry Pickers” is the name given to guest days, which for many years happened periodically throughout the golf season. A great way to entertain three clients or three friends, or even a son-in-law, Cherry Pickers included a shot gun start with on-course gimmicks and a “tournament” format that was well-suited to client golf. The dinner that followed featured prizes, a rae, and occasionally an entertaining emcee. George Fairgrieve was a particularly talented host at these events who would evoke laughter by ridiculing the “quality” of the prizes, and humiliating participants by questioning the legitimacy of the scores they had posted. “You’re a 26 handicap and you shot what?” One year NHL veteran, Dennis Hull, was invited to play and to emcee the dinner. He started o with a harmless quip, “I wanted to come here in the worst way… which is why I ﬂew in on Air Canada!” Aer a few more o-color jokes, he had the entire Dining Room roaring, but nobody was able to order a drink, because all the waitresses were cowering in the kitchen. Nothing lasts forever, and Cherry Pickers was unceremoniously removed from the golf calendar for 2022, aer a long and fun-ﬁlled run.Club Team Matches An opportunity to tee it up competitively was the long-running Club Team Matches, a ladder event in which players chose a partner for the season. Aer initial, bracketed pairings were drawn, the teams would schedule 18-hole better ball matches on their own and advance throughout the year until the ﬁnal two teams squared o for the title. The Club Team Matches were last contested in 2010. The ScratchThe Peter M. Collard Cup or “The Scratch” tournament has had some variations in format and scheduling, but it always brings some of the area’s ﬁnest players to team up with a Cherry Hill member in a scratch better-ball format. When he started the event, Peter and his committee would personally select the guests and pair them with members. In recent years a senior division was added, but the title goes to the teams that play from the back tees. No one was a greater supporter of Cherry Hill than Peter Collard who served the Club as a Director, as President, and as unocial “curator” of the names on the Champions boards in the Grill Room. Despite his diligence, neither Peter, nor anyone since has been able to solve the mystery of just exactly who won the Men’s Invitational in 1954.Men’s Day Wednesday has always been thought of as Men’s Day at Cherry Hill, although it has never ocially appeared as such on the calendar. Long before seat belts were mandatory in either Ontario or New York State, golfers would break up the monotony of the work week by heading to the Club on Wednesday aernoon and not heading home until the early a.m. hours on Thursday. Ash trays, dice boxes and playing cards were given a good workout as were the bartenders in those days. In the late 1990’s a group of young members began the informal “Wednesday Night Club,” which entailed a 9-hole skins game aer work. The participants’ post-round activities were similar to their predecessors’, except that seat belt use was compulsory on the ride home by then. Eventually, as the participants “matured,” the Wednesday Night Club faded away, taking a back seat to work, marital, and parental obligations.Aer a few initial variations, a more formal permutation of Wednesday Men’s Day golf emerged in 2015 with the assistance of the Pro Shop sta, and League on the “Hill” was inaugurated. This 9-hole weekly event has seen some format changes along the way, but it has always been a convenient way to get a game, meet new members and enjoy friendly competition and camaraderie. An added feature was introduced to League on the “Hill” in 2021, thanks to Guinness brewery, which sponsors a points race for golf leagues at a growing list of private golf courses in Canada. In 2021, the points winners from each of the 25 participating clubs in Ontario were invited to compete at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley golf course, for a chance to travel to the culminating event in Dublin, Ireland. With so much on tap, League on the “Hill” is sure to grow in popularity.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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58Sweeps“Sweeps” are a fun way to be involved without much commitment. On weekends during the summer, pro shop credit is awarded to low net scores posted with the starter for the dierent Men’s handicap classes.The Quota GameWith Bill Kerr as the organizer, a new Thursday tradition, the Quota Game, came into being in 2017. Players contribute to the pot, which is split among skins winners, Pot of Gold winners (within a ﬂagstick’s distance on the 16th green), and those who exceed their quota number. The lower the player’s handicap, the higher the quota number, which is tallied by earning points for pars, birdies, eagles etc. An exciting feature of the Quota Game is that pots carry over when no one exceeds their quota, which has given rise to the growing popularity of this non-sanctioned event.The Can-Am Cup Another non-sanctioned event that began rather quietly in 2012, has steadily gained momentum to the point that it may have an impact, not just at Cherry Hill, but throughout the entire North American continent. The Can-Am Cup is a team competition fashioned aer the Ryder Cup. Team captains select players for the individual and partner matches for teams representing Canada and the United States. Varying opinions exist to explain Team USA’s dominance in the ﬁrst several years of competition. Members of Team USA would ascribe the winning streak to superior abilities, while Team Canada would attribute the lopsided record book to inﬂated handicaps. Still others might question the logic in choosing a man named “Dutch” as the captain of Team Canada. Regardless of the win/loss tally, as the original captain of Team Canada, Dutch Van Bolderen is held in as high regard as the likes of Scotty Bowman and Vince Lombardi. The Men’s Locker Room, the Halfway House, and participants’ golf carts are adorned with ﬂags and streamers from both countries for this two-day event in September. Team uniforms boost apparel sales in the Pro Shop and bolster team spirit out on the course. The dinner following the ﬁrst day matches is a “most solemn event,” worthy of the stature of the two great countries represented. The drama that unfolds as the captains announce the pairings of competitors for the ﬁnal matches is as captivating as the NHL dra. In fact, each year Team Canada, in a true gesture of bi-national friendship chooses one man from Team USA for presentation of the “Silver Hockey Stick” Award, a full-size stick signed by Wayne Gretzky. The “Silver Hockey Stick” recipient is the one player who, in the opinion of Team Canada, by virtue of his playing ability and his handicap, is the biggest sandbagger of them all. The names of the American

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59golfers inscribed on this award are legendary. Team Canada ﬁnally won its ﬁrst Can-Am Cup in 2018. Team USA quickly reclaimed it in 2019, and currently holds stewardship of the coveted trophy as the world awaits the resumption of this grand event which so aptly embodies the bi-national character of our unique Club. Club ChampionshipsPlaying for the honor of one’s country of birth can be nerve-wracking, but no other event is more pressure-ﬁlled than a Club Championship. Aer all, everyday tournaments determine “winners,” but only championships produce “champions.” One is truly alone in Club Championship play. Ask any amateur player who has ever been in the position of “sleeping on a lead” and he or she will tell you of the uncontrollable fear and anxiety that overtakes an otherwise stable countenance. Indeed, there are many accounts of catastrophic Club Championship experiences, etched in the minds of Cherry Hill competitors that all sound something like this: “I was holding on to a two-shot lead and then…” Whether it was four putts or two successive shots out of bounds, the result is always the same – dashed hopes of claiming the title of champion, whether it be for the C-Class Division or overall Club Champion. Conversely, ask any golfer who has ever prevailed in a Club Championship, and he or she will likely tell you that nothing compares to a year spent as “the reigning Club Champion.”At one time, the Men’s Club Championship was a match play event, but for many decades it has been a medal play event. Competitors in the Championship division compete for the title of overall Club Champion, while others compete for A-, B-, C-, and D-Class divisions. There are Senior, Super Senior, and Classic Senior categories as part of the Club-wide championships. Ladies, Senior Ladies and Junior Golf competitions are held as well. The Men’s and Ladies Championship divisions are 54-hole events, and other divisions are 36-hole competitions. For many years the Men’s Championship Division would play its ﬁrst round on the Sunday before Labour Day, and all divisions would play the following Saturday and Sunday on Labour Day weekend. This format took “sleeping on a lead” to the extreme, with an entire week between rounds. The September timeframe had its drawbacks. Foremost was the unpredictability of the weather, which could be cold, windy, and rainy. The fact that the Labour Day holiday was a rain date for the event was not well-received by spouses and families. Another complaint was the possible conﬂict with a Sunday home opener for the Bualo Bills. Still others were obligated to take children to college for the beginning of the fall semester. In 2007, the event was moved to August.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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60The names of a number of men appear more than once on the Men’s Champions board in the Grill Room, but none appear more oen than George, “G.J. Weimert” or Tim, “Timothy W. Hume.” George’s record is remarkable in that he won 17 times spanning four decades from 1947 to 1979. The appearance of Tim’s name 13 times on the board is interrupted for a span which coincides with the time he competed as a professional golfer on “mini-tours” subordinate to the PGA Tour, before resuming his amateur status.Throughout the years, the number of spectators who would follow the leaders on the course has ﬂuctuated widely. Some years, only the most loyal parent, spouse or child would be the sole spectator, while other years saw throngs of well-stocked carts conveying spectators out to witness the drama. In the case of a tie aer 54 holes for the overall Club Championship, it is customary to hold a three-hole medal playo, rather than sudden death. If aer three holes the competitors remain tied, then another three-hole playo commences. Two Club Championships saw the competitors still tied aer ﬁnishing the ninth hole, at which point the playo switched to sudden death. On each occasion the crowds had steadily grown as word got around the Club, such that many spectators were there to witness the high drama as Champions were crowned once on the 10th green and once on the 11th green. Another Club Championship occurrence, that would ultimately determine the ﬁnal outcome, was witnessed by only one person. Kristopher “Kris” Boyes held a comfortable margin as he addressed his ball just beside the green on the ﬁnal hole of the 2017 Club Championship. Brian Duett was unable to pull o an 18th hole miracle, and Boyes accepted the congratulations of all who were there. While driving home Kris pondered the ﬁnal minutes of the tournament, and how, on the last hole, his ball had moved imperceptibly as he addressed it. Sleeping on a lead may be unsettling, but one can only imagine the turmoil Mr. Boyes experienced “sleeping on a win” under these circumstances. Kris called Head Pro, Jeremy Broom, the following day to explain what had happened, and how he wasn’t sure that the movement of the ball was enough to constitute a penalty. He stated that upon reﬂection, he felt that in his own estimation, the ball did move enough to constitute a penalty. Had Kris declared it at the moment it occurred, he would have still won even with the penalty assessed. But alas, the card he had

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61signed did not constitute a legitimate card and he was therefore disqualiﬁed, giving Brian Duett the victory. The email to the membership sent out by Jeremy that Monday was both shocking and inspirational. We were shocked at the news but inspired by Mr. Boyes, whose actions embodied the spirit of honesty and integrity in which the game of golf is played. Bobby Jones, when complimented for similarly calling a penalty on himself said famously, “You might as well praise a man for not robbing a bank as to praise him for playing by the rules.” Karma was on Kris’ side as he went on to win the Cherry Hill Club Championship the following year in 2018. Representing Cherry Hill If you think “Duett” might be an unlikely name for an excellent golfer, how about “Bunker?” Dave Bunker joined Cherry Hill in 2019. Having just retired from a teaching career, Dave had already established himself as an accomplished amateur golfer with many notable tournament victories by the time he entered his ﬁrst tournament as a Cherry Hill member. He was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2018. He held the course record at six dierent clubs. He had won 15 provincial titles. Since joining Cherry Hill he has won the Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur in 2020 and the Florida Men’s Senior Amateur in 2021. In 2021 Dave reached the ﬁnal two matches in the U.S. Senior Amateur and ﬁnished 3rd overall. Listed as #16 on the Golfweek 2021 Men’s Senior Amateur rankings, Dave is the highest ranked non-American and the only Canadian in the top 100. Not since Kyle Hess, a product of the Cherry Hill Junior Golf Program, won back-to-back New York State Amateur Championships in 2002 and 2003, has Cherry Hill been so proud of one of our own. In 2020, Cherry Hill welcomed another top amateur player, Joe Miszk. Besides making the best cherry pies in the Niagara Peninsula, Joe tied for second in the 2021 Canadian Senior Men’s Golf Championship sporting a Cherry Hill bag tag. With many new members who excel at competitive golf, Cherry Hill is sure to remain in prominence on the men’s golf scene locally and beyond. Ladies Golf Mary, Queen of Scots, ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567. Ever since she picked up a club, women have been smitten with the golf bug, and Ladies Golf has been an integral part of Cherry Hill from the beginning. Use of the word “Ladies” has its roots in Great Britain and Ireland where The Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) was founded in 1893. The LGU merged with the R & A in 2017. The apostrophe has been dropped, but “Ladies Golf” has persevered since the ﬁrst meeting of the Cherry Hill Ladies Golf Committee was held in 1954. Dorothy K. Thompson was the ﬁrst Women’s Club Champion in 1926, and Sue Brautigan claimed the ﬁrst Girls title in 1948. The Bualo District Golf Association was founded in 1921. In 1922, the Women’s Golf Association of Western New York was established, as was a certain golf club “to be situate in the Township of Bertie, in the County of Welland and Province of Ontario.” In 1935 the Women’s Bualo District Golf Association (WBDGA)was established. Ladies Golf at Cherry Hill is an active, well-run, and well-subscribed program that oers participants a wide variety of events throughout the golf season. Under the umbrella of the Golf Committee, The Ladies 18 Hole Group Golf Board and the Ladies 9 Hole Golf Committee operate independently, each with its own committee, by-laws, rules, policies, procedures, and calendar of events. It sounds complicated, but the end result is a vibrant program that oers competition, fun, dining, and socializing. With minor deviations, Thursday morning has been the traditional time for Ladies Golf at Cherry Hill.Between the 18 Hole and 9 Hole groups there are currently over 100 active participants. Players enjoy events such as opening and closing day luncheons and dinners. The “game of the week” adds fun to the Dave Bunker hoists the Florida Senior trophy in 2021.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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62round with the likes of least putts, blind holes, beat the Pro, and a unique game called “The Scrunchie Tournament.” The event gets its name from the scrunchie, a circular band of fabric-covered elastic used for fastening hair. Prior to play, each participant in a foursome is assigned a dierent color which corresponds to colored scrunchies to be used for the event. The Professional Sta heads out on the course armed with a full complement of dierent colored scrunchies and wraps each ﬂagstick with one or more of the colored scrunchies. Upon reaching the green the players inspect the pin to see which scrunchie color or colors are on the pin. If a red scrunchie is on the pin, then the score of the “red” player is recorded on the card. If two colors or three colors are on the pin, then two scores or three scores are recorded, and so on. [Memo to the Golf Chairman: Send out a survey to see if the men would like to play the scrunchie game on Wednesday nights.]Not all Ladies Golf events rely on gimmicks. There are guest days, Invitational tournaments and Ladies Member-Member events that feature all of the same excitement and fanfare as the Men’s events with the possible exception of cigars. In lieu of cigars, golfers enjoy a spread of breakfast items, coee, and tea in the Halfway House prepared specially for Ladies Day. Over the years, participants have been creative in hand-craing prizes, favors and decorations, and oen there is a theme to the day. Lunch and conversation aer golf, round out the day. The social aspect of Ladies Golf can extend beyond the golf season with casual get togethers, Christmas dinners and the like. Up until the late 1990’s, Cherry Hill ﬁelded a women’s bowling team that competed during the o-season against teams from other area golf clubs. And throughout the year, the Ladies Golf group is always quick to respond with cards and ﬂowers and visits whenever someone is in need of support.Instruction, ranging from the basics for very beginners, to etiquette and topics such as golf course management is provided by the Professional Sta. Saturday clinics are popular and evening clinics have been part of the mix over the years as well.The WNY Interclub Team Association operates as part of the WBDGA. Virtually all the private clubs in Western New York participate in the Club Team Matches which include a Championship Division and a Bualo Cup Division. The season consists of three scratch better ball events, held on a rotating basis at dierent clubs throughout the district. There have The ladies enjoy lunch in the shade aer a round of golf.

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63been periods where Cherry Hill dominated in these events, but dynasty or not, Cherry Hill has always been well-represented by our women golfers, of whom the Club has every reason to be proud.Certain individuals deserve recognition for their contributions to Ladies Golf at Cherry Hill, both on and o the course, despite the possibility of unintentional omissions. Lolly Lenahan and Claire Moeschler are two names that are synonymous with Ladies Golf at Cherry Hill. Both Claire and Lolly are recognized as Distinguished Members at Cherry Hill, and each of them contributed in many ways to the success of Ladies Golf, chairing committees, running tournaments and more over the course of many years. Claire was the ﬁrst woman to achieve the “Triple Crown” by winning the Girls, the Ladies, and the Ladies Senior Championships over the course of her golf career. She went on to multiple victories in the latter two events. When Claire wasn’t the winner, there was a very good chance that Lolly was. Lolly was a force in Ladies Golf and was a mentor to many Junior and Ladies golfers at Cherry Hill.Another outstanding golf record is still being worked on by Ann Marie Luhr, whose family has been associated with Cherry Hill for generations. Following in Claire’s footsteps, Ann won the Girls, the Ladies, and the Ladies Senior Championships. To date, she has amassed an unprecedented record of 19 consecutive Club Championship victories from 1996-2014 and 22 overall. We were all very proud of the home course win when Ann was victorious in the Women’s Bualo District Championship held at Cherry Hill in 2002. A new event, “Hill for Hospice,” has become not only a favorite of Ladies Golfers but also a signiﬁcant fund raiser that beneﬁts Palliative Care Services of Greater Fort Erie, Inc. In just a few years’ time, despite a hiatus for the pandemic, “Hill for Hospice” has raised over $50,000 and counting. Judy Campbell and Jackie Deiter have held leadership positions chairing this member-guest event with support from the entire Cherry Hill Ladies program. It features live and silent auctions, hole sponsorships and usually has a waiting list for participants. It’s a great way of giving back to the local community and a fun event for all who participate.If there was a Cherry Hill Ladies Golf Hall of Fame one would expect to see the following entries: Ann Astmann, Honey Atwill, Mary Grace Bauer, Anne Campbell, Joan Crane, Patty Dobmeier, Jeanette Donovan, Ann Donovan Dubuc, Patty Finck, Dottie Henzelman, Maureen Lenahan, Marcia McGrattan, Donna Pottle, and Elizabeth Ruddy to name a few. Much could be said about every one of these women, each of whom has devoted time and talent to making Ladies Golf an important part of Cherry Hill life for so many years. “Tees” For TwoThere is no committee called “Couples Golf” at Cherry Hill. Some members are blessed to have a spouse who plays golf and with whom they can enjoy time together on the course. Other members feel blessed to have a spouse who has no interest in the game. In any case, many members enjoy the pleasures of couples golf whether as twosomes or foursomes and the course schedule accommodates those so inclined. A popular event geared mostly toward mixed foursomes is the 9 & Dine series. On select Tuesday evenings, participants play 9 holes followed by a themed dinner, and on occasion, live entertainment. The 9 & Dine night is also a great way to entertain guests and show o the Club. For the “competitive” couples there is the long-running annual Mr. & Mrs. Cherry Hill tournament. The alternate shot format and the variety of golf skills among husband-and-wife teams assure an interesting event. Winning not only aords Mr. Cherry Hill bragging rights in the Men’s Locker Room, but as a special incentive, the winning couple is obligated to chair the tournament the following year! Junior GolfJunior Golf at Cherry Hill is quite simple. Juniors like to swing as hard as they can, then go for grilled cheese, french fries, and a milk shake aer golf. To those who grew up at Cherry Hill, it seems quite natural that Tuesday mornings are devoted to Junior Golf, because “that’s the way it’s always been.” The lifelong Cherry Hill member might be surprised that “outsiders” view the practice of dedicating a weekday morning to juniors as unique, but it has been that way ever since a group of Moms started the Junior Golf Program in the early 1950’s. While surely there were others, these are some of the names of the original Junior Golf Ladies as recollected by veteran members of today: Jan Tindle, Marcia McGrattan, Jean McGennis, THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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64Dorothy Henzelman and sisters Honey Atwill and Willie Schmitt. Junior Golf Ladies were a dedicated group of women who organized Junior Golf Tuesdays and supervised the Juniors with the assistance of the Professional Sta. Tuesdays followed much the same format for many years. Aer a group lesson from the Pro, Juniors were sent out on the course to play 9 or 18 holes, without supervision. In more recent years parents have been recruited to accompany their Junior Golf children on the course.The beginning of Junior Golf at Cherry Hill coincides with the birth of the baby boomer generation. The vast majority of Cherry Hill families shared many common attributes in those days. They hailed from the Bualo area, and they had a summer home on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie, in any one of the many summer communities that stretch from the Peace Bridge to the Welland Canal. They would move up to “the beach” on Memorial Day and stay until Labour Day. Dad would commute weekdays to Bualo (not every family had two cars), and Mom would stay at the beach with the kids. On Tuesday mornings, boys and girls would head to Cherry Hill for Junior Golf. For the children at least, summer vacation was a pretty nice experience back then.Juniors usually began the program at age 10 and the Head Pro would teach the basics of grip, stance, swing, and of course, etiquette. Upon achieving a certain score for 9 holes one advanced to the 18-hole group, or “18-holers.” Each week there would be an event such as least putts or longest drive, and scores were recorded on score sheets in the Halfway House. The one number that every Junior Golfer knew was Dad’s membership number, which had the magic quality of making hot dogs and candy bars appear.The Junior Championship was the culmination of the golf season, and Junior Golf Ladies would accompany each group functioning as scorers. There were categories for 9-holers and 18-holers for both boys and girls, with the 18-holers vying for a spot on the big boards in the Grill Room. In some years the Junior Boys Champion would be allowed to compete in the Men’s Club Championship, but no Junior has ever gone on to win the overall title.For many years there were two events for teenagers on the Canadian lakeshore social calendar. The Bualo Canoe Club had “The Shipwreck Dance” and Cherry Hill had the “Junior Dance.” One longtime Cherry Hill family can trace its roots to the Shipwreck Dance where Rosemary Smith ﬁrst made the acquaintance of Jack Marlette in 1942. Rosemary Marlette was one Cherry Hill Junior Golfers in the early 1950’s.

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65of the Junior Golf parents as her children advanced through the Junior Golf program. Her children, like many other Junior Golfers, would attend the Junior Dance at the end of the season. Rosemary enjoyed her lifelong association with Cherry Hill well into her 90’s, and today three of her children remain members of the Club. The Cherry Hill Junior Dance was never quite as raucous as The Shipwreck, but it did oer a live band, awards presentations, and a unique feature, whereby the Girls Champion and the Boys Champion danced with each other in the ceremonial ﬁrst dance to kick o the night. For the record, no Cherry Hill family ever was engendered as a consequence of the Boy-Girl Champion dance.As times change, so do social customs. The Junior Dance is a page from the past, but Junior Golf remains an important aspect of Cherry Hill life, supported Club-wide, not just among parents of young golfers. As the program evolved, children began participation at a younger age. Instead of sending the kids out unaccompanied for a 9-hole adventure, a new approach was adopted with the formation of a 3-Hole division and a 6-Hole division in addition to the 9-Hole and 18-Hole groups. When the new short game practice facility was built, the 3-Holers used it as home base. They would tee o at three points around the green and play toward pins spread about the green. Players would advance up through the ranks as their abilities warranted. The trend toward parental supervision also took hold, and parents were required to accompany the younger players on the course. Fathers had emerged on the Junior Golf scene. To some of the chaperoning parents, the out-of-date term “Junior Golf Ladies” evoked fond memories of the Junior Golf Days of their own youth. In the 1990’s grandchildren of members were allowed to participate, and this practice generated much interest. At times, when the number of Juniors exceeded the capacity of the program, grandchildren fell victim to a waiting list. In the 2000’s and 2010’s additional sta were hired on Junior Days to assist the Cherry Hill Professional sta with the instruction portion of the day. Through the many years since the 1950’s countless parents have volunteered in running a successful, quality Junior Golf Program. The rewards for such sacriﬁce are great. Ask any parent who has headed out on the course on a sunny Sunday aernoon to play a few holes with their Junior Golfer. Throughout its history, the most valuable aspect of Junior Golf has always been instilling an aptitude and a love for the game that one can enjoy for a lifetime. Junior Boys hone their skills on a Tuesday morning.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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66The Junior Golf Program at Cherry Hill has produced generations of players who love golf, and who beneﬁt throughout their lives from what they learned on the range and on the course at Cherry Hill. A more select group of players has gone on from Junior Golf to achieve success and notoriety in the world of golf beyond Cherry Hill. Some went on to play on a varsity golf team in college, including Jon Reynolds (Yale), Brad Black (Duke), and Anne Lyons Fedele (SUNY at Albany). Some have achieved impressive amateur victories like Kyle Hess, two-time New York State Men’s Amateur Champion. Aer resuming his amateur status in 1993 Tim Hume went on to win the Bualo District Golf Association Men’s Championship an unprecedented four times in a row from 1996-1999. Having once again turned pro, Hume now is a teaching pro and competes in senior events in Florida. Aaron Alpern, a four-time Junior Boy’s Champion, ended up inside the ropes on the PGA tour, as a caddie rather than a player. Aer a successful stint caddying for PGA Professional, Jason Kokrak, Aaron had the thrill of a lifetime caddying for Smylie Kaufman who played in the ﬁnal group on Sunday at The Masters with playing partner Jordan Spieth. Although his player didn’t win, learning to line up putts at Cherry Hill certainly must have served Aaron well at Augusta.A new program for Junior Golfers began at Cherry Hill in 2019. Nolan Piazza became the ﬁrst participant in the Cherry Hill Sponsored Juniors Program. Having beneﬁtted himself as a young golfer from a similar program at York Downs Golf and Country Club, Bill Kerr initiated the new program at Cherry Hill. The Sponsored Juniors Program is designed to provide opportunities for young golf enthusiasts whose families do not belong to a private golf club. For a nominal fee, the Sponsored Junior is given golf privileges at Cherry Hill, to learn about the game and to hone golf skills. In return, the Sponsored Junior assists the professional sta on Junior Golf Day and strives to be a mentor for other Cherry Hill Juniors. Although being an excellent golfer is not a prerequisite for acceptance in the program, the ﬁrst few Sponsored Juniors at Cherry Hill have been outstanding players. Nolan Piazza won the CJGA World Junior Challenge at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, FL in 2019 and the Ontario Junior (U19) Boys’ Championship in 2018 and 2020. He was recruited for the golf team at Morehead State University in Kentucky. Luke DelGabbo currently plays for Kent State in Ohio and Bradyn Wark is at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Ben Maclean, who matriculates in the class of 2026 at Kent State was chosen in 2021 by Golf Canada for the National Junior Squad of Team Canada. In the future, the Club plans to recruit both boys and girls from the U.S. and Canada to participate in the Sponsored Junior Program.In 2021, the Junior Golf Program saw a big change in its instructional format by utilizing a packaged program called “Discover Golf” which uses innovative teaching games and techniques to spur the interest of young golfers. Regardless of the format, Junior Golf, which represents the future of the Club, shall remain a priority at Cherry Hill for generations.Nolan Piazza displays the 2020 Ontario Junior Boy’s Championship trophy.Cherry Hill friends are the best friends!

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67THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAMESpectators witness the exiting ﬁnish to the Niagara Championship in 2016.Professional Tournaments Starting with the Ontario Open in 1960, which was won by Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, George Knudson, Cherry Hill has hosted its share of professional tournaments. Of course, the 1972 Canadian Open is the most notable with its stellar ﬁeld and winner, Gay Brewer. The 1982 CPGA Championship came down to a playo between Canadian, Dave Barr, and Bualo resident, Jim Thorpe, who prevailed in what was truly a bi-national event. Since then, another national championship, the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada, was hosted by Cherry Hill in 2011. And in 2016, we were the unexpected host club of the Niagara Championship, an event on PGA Canada’s Mackenzie Tour. Whenever a club such as Cherry Hill is the site of a professional event, the membership is understandably concerned whether their beloved course will withstand an all-out assault from the top players in the game. Well, Cherry Hill has stood up quite respectably with 270 being the lowest 72-hole score of any pro player. Given that the pros played the 7th hole as a par 4 instead of a par 5, that translates to 14 under par in relation to par of 71.PGA Assistants’ Championship – 2011 Aer a long hiatus from hosting tournaments, the Club pondered the possibility of hosting another national event, a professional senior event, or an LPGA event. The course had undergone a major renovation in 2009, and the Club was anxious to showcase the new Cherry Hill. At the urging of the Board, Head Pro Je Roy asked his contacts in the golf industry what Cherry Hill needed to do to be considered as a host club. The answer was to host a “minor” national event as a steppingstone toward a bigger event. Thus, in September of 2011, we hosted the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada. Sponsored by Titleist, FootJoy, and Simmlands Insurance Service the event drew assistant club professionals from across Canada with a ﬁrst-place prize of $9,000 and an overall purse of $60,000. Although we did not have a named Tournament Chairman per se, Je Roy functioned in that role for Cherry Hill, working with Je Dykeman who was tournament coordinator for the PGA of Canada. Upwards of 50 members volunteered in various capacities as scorers, standard bearers, caddies, and forecaddies. Some of the contestants were fortunate to be hosted at the beachfront homes of members.

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68The 36-hole cut was 156, or 12 over par and unfortunately Cherry Hill Assistant Pro, Aaron Pye did not make the cut. Mike Belbin, Assistant Pro at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta led the 54-hole tournament wire to wire with scores of 67-67-71-205. The course played as par 72 for the assistants. Concerns that, with back-to-back opening rounds of 5 under par, Belbin might belittle our course were allayed when he ﬁnished 11 under par for the tournament, 4 shots ahead of runner up Bryn Perry of Seymour Creek Golf Centre in North Vancouver, British Columbia. To a man, the players were complimentary of the members, the course, Superintendent John Gall, and Head Pro Je Roy.The Niagara Championship – 2016The Assistants’ Tournament did not produce any immediate results in Cherry Hill’s quest to host another major tournament, but we did ﬁnd ourselves in the spotlight by chance rather than by choice in 2016. The year was a dry one at Cherry Hill, (forcing us to pay $15,000 for municipal water) and it was dry everywhere else too. A wildﬁre broke out in Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 1, 2016, and it wasn’t brought under control until July 5th. Amazingly it was 17 months later when the ﬁre was ocially declared extinguished. Among the major devastation, with all its buildings destroyed, was the Fort McMurray Golf Club, which was slated to host a PGA of Canada event that year as part of the Mackenzie Tour. PGA of Canada began seeking an alternative host site for the event. Cherry Hill President Jim O’Connor and Head Pro Jeremy Broom were contacted to gauge our interest. Aer considering the consequences of taking on the event, the Club agreed to host the tournament and named Bill Kerr as Tournament Chairman. By the time we said yes, we had all of six weeks to plan and prepare for a full-ﬂedged professional tournament, complete with practice rounds, a Pro-Am and a 72-hole format. Professional golf in Canada has gone through many name changes. Here is a quick primer. What used to be the RCGA (1972 Canadian Open at Cherry Hill) is now Golf Canada. What used to be the CPGA (1982 CPGA Championship at Cherry Hill) is now the PGA of Canada. What used to be the OGA (1960 Ontario Open at Cherry Hill) is now Golf Ontario. The United States based PGA Tour took over operation of the Dan McCarthy was the top player on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016.

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69Canadian tour in 2012, at which time it was renamed PGA Tour Canada, also referred to as the Canadian Tour. Like today’s Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Canada is part of a feeder system to the PGA Tour. Today, the PGA of Canada runs PGA Tour Canada events. In 2016 the name for professional golf events in Canada was the Mackenzie Tour. When Cherry Hill was selected to substitute for the Fort McMurray event, the Mackenzie Tour dubbed the relocated event the Niagara Championship. We received some support from a local group, the Niagara Sports Commission (now defunct), but the Mackenzie Tour provided us with a complete handbook on how to form committees, recruit volunteers and run the event. Scott Pritchard was the Mackenzie Tour representative who worked closely with Bill Kerr and Jeremy Broom.With just six weeks, all parties involved decided that we would waive admission fees, because promoting and distributing tickets sales was not possible in that timeframe. Therefore, Tournament Chairman Kerr and his committee members skipped over the section in the handbook on ticket sales, and perhaps the section on transportation too. The section of the handbook regarding course preparation got our attention. The Mackenzie Tour requested a stimpmeter reading of 11.5, and we told them our greens normally run 12-13 for regular member events, and that we would not allow them to be any slower for a professional tournament. Fearing that we might renege on our oer, Mackenzie representatives quickly came for a course visit. One look at our greens and they were on board and the tournament was still on for Thursday, September 8 – Sunday, September 11, 2016. We were to receive $25,000 as compensation for hosting the tournament. Total prize money was $175,000 with the winner receiving $31,500. Committees were formed and Committee Chairs were appointed for scoring (Linda Burroughsford and Ann Marie Luhr), marshals (John Brady), billeting (Anne Michael and Pat Schaus), player relations (Shelley Kerr), parking (Dutch Van Bolderen), and logistics (Paul Hancock). At one point during the planning stage, Mackenzie representatives contacted Jeremy Broom with questions about our transportation committee. When Jeremy told them we had no transportation committee, they said not to worry, that they would handle transportation.Cherry Hill member, Alex Campbell, caddies for Aaron Wise who would later be named the 2018 PGA Rookie of the Year.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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70The Pro Shop Sta was in charge of carts, the practice range, and caddies. Assistant Professionals Steve Barkley and Daryl MacLean took on various duties and Walker Arnott was caddie master. A volunteer recruitment event was held at the Club and the membership responded in force. Over 60% of the players stayed in members’ homes, one of many aspects that endeared Cherry Hill to the players. Life on the Mackenzie Tour was a tough proposition for players with little or no sponsorship dollars and meager prize money, so free room and board at a beautiful beachfront home must have been a highlight of the season. To illustrate this point, many of the players carried their own bag on the ﬁrst two days of play and paid for caddies only on the ﬁnal two days as mandated by the Mackenzie Tour. The Tour instructed us to charge $15 per player for use of the Men’s Locker Room, and only 15 players splurged for the luxury.The Mackenzie crew arrived the weekend before in a big trailer with ﬂags and tee markers and on-course signage, including scoreboards. Our own crews, however, were responsible for getting the signs up on the course. There was a scoring tent on the grounds, but the Ladies Locker Room was used as the command center for scoring, rules, and Mackenzie sta operations.The Niagara Sports Commission prepared the trophy and logoed apparel, and merchandise was sold through the Pro Shop. Without much advance publicity, the crowds were light, but we rented the ﬁeld south of the practice range for volunteer and spectator parking.The event had all the trappings of a big-league event, but without the big names or the big crowds. For Cherry Hill members it was a great opportunity to get a ﬁrst-hand, close-up view of professional golf, whether as a player host, a caddie, a scorer, or a marshal. The players hit the ball as far as on the PGA Tour and played with an intensity that was exciting to witness, especially for those who had the opportunity to play in the Pro-Am that week.At $250 per amateur, and with 80 foursomes, the Pro-Am generated $60,000 in revenue. Chairman Kerr made an executive decision and doubled the normal Mackenzie Pro-Am prize money purse to $5000. Dan McCarthy shot 66 to take ﬁrst place in the Pro-Am. Aer deducting expenses for the party held in the Dining Room aerwards, we donated the proceeds to the Fort McMurray relief fund. The Cherry Hill members who played with Aaron Wise that day will tell you without hesitation, that the Pro-Am was the turning point in his professional golf career that led him to his ﬁrst PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2018, the year he was named Rookie of the Year. In all, twelve of the players who competed at the Niagara Championship have gone on to play on the PGA Tour. In addition to Wise, Talor Gooch has also recorded a tour win. Cherry Hill was a most gracious host that evening, and it was evident that the players appreciated the warm welcome and hospitality.There were two individuals with considerable notoriety present for the Niagara Championship at Cherry Hill. The committee selected Dudley Hart to ﬁll its one exemption spot. Hart, a Bualo resident, has recorded two PGA wins and six wins overall. Unfortunately, back issues forced Hart to withdraw aer the ﬁrst round and our hopes for a home team win were dashed. Cheering on his son Tyler in the event, was Mark McCumber who has a record of ten top 10 ﬁnishes in majors and ten PGA wins overall. Mark was as pleasant and outgoing as could be with everyone he encountered. His desire to follow his son on the course was hampered due to recent surgery, so he spent much of his time near the Clubhouse area. The tournament ocials were adamant that no unauthorized carts were permitted, not even for Mark McCumber. Chairman Kerr did have use of a cart and personally took McCumber out on the course for a few spectating sessions.Aer the practice rounds and aer the Pro-Am it was time for the tournament to begin. Not only did the players appreciate our hospitality, but they especially liked our golf course. In polite terms, not all of the courses on the Mackenzie Tour had the pedigree of Cherry Hill, and Superintendent Gall had the course tuned up for tournament play. Because of the dry weather, the greens were very hard and running true. Upon ﬁrst arriving at Cherry Hill, Dan McCarthy was overheard exclaiming “How good is this place?” Thursday was a windy day and conditions were tough. When an early score of 64 was posted we were a little concerned about the course holding up. A short time later when a 63 was posted we were downright scared. If you didn’t know the name Paul McConnell before, you shall now know that Paul McConnell holds the tournament course record of 63 at Cherry Hill.

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71Crowds were sparse, but the atmosphere was exciting. Flags and a big inﬂatable archway adorned the property. Scoreboards and standard bearers dotted the landscape. President Jim O’Connor and fellow member Chris Henderson shared duties announcing players on the ﬁrst tee. Veteran members donned caddie’s vests and imparted local knowledge to their players. And the players plied their golf skills in hopes of ﬁnishing in the top ﬁve on the Mackenzie Tour for a chance to advance to greater professional golf opportunities on the Web.com Tour in 2017.Excerpts from the PGA Tour Canada Press Release of September 11, 2016, include:“Ridgeway, Ont. – Greenwich, Connecticut’s David Pastore birdied the 72nd hole on Sunday to win the Niagara Championship, shooting a nal round 5-under 66 at Cherry Hill Club to secure his rst career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.The 24-year old University of Virginia grad got up-and-down from just short of the par-5 18th green for birdie, sinking a 5-foot putt to defeat Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, New York – who secured the 2016 Order of Merit title – by a stroke.“I didn’t see this coming. I’ve been working really hard for a long time, and I felt like it was around the corner at some point, but there were really no signs to point to this week. I’m still in shock,” said Pastore, who was making just his third start of the season aer missing most of the 2016 season with a wrist injury.Starting the day tied for the lead with Tahiti’s Vaita Guillaume, the University of Virginia grad found himself trailing McCarthy quickly out of the gate aer the Order of Merit leader birdied his rst three holes to take the lead by two. But while McCarthy looked to take control, Pastore quietly kept pace with birdies on the fourth and h before adding a long birdie putt at the ninth to regain the lead on his own.But even as he pulled away, Pastore couldn’t shake McCarthy, who looked to add an unprecedented h win to his record-smashing 2016 season on Sunday. At the 18th, McCarthy drained a slick 18-footer for birdie to post the clubhouse lead and tie Pastore at 13-under.With a course record score of 63, Paul McConnell led aer the ﬁrst round.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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72“That was a really greasy little putt,” said McCarthy. “If it didn’t go in it was about 12 feet by, and I didn’t hit it that hard. It just barely got over the slope, but it was all or nothing at that point and I had nothing to lose. I was trying to put some pressure on him.”With the scene unfolding right in front of him, Pastore knew where things stood and what was at stake.“I heard he had birdied, and he wasn’t going to make it easy on me,” said Pastore. “I wanted to give myself a putt. I gured if I hit two solid 3-woods up around the green, I could give myself a chance.”Aer executing the rst two parts of his plan to perfection, Pastore did his best to keep the thoughts of what an up-and-down would mean out of his head. A birdie would change his season from a wasted year to a crowning achievement, and he knew it.“You’re thinking of so many scenarios. ‘What if I do this? What if I do that? How can I mess that up?’ You have to take it one shot at a time and put all those thoughts out of your mind, and it was not easy. It was very uncomfortable,” admitted Pastore.The chip was executed well, and the putt was even better. Aer leaving himself a delicate 5-footer, Pastore poured the putt right in the middle of the hole, pumping his st as he secured his rst professional win.“I gave myself that putt that I wanted, and I’m happy it went in,” Pastore said.For McCarthy, the disappointment of nishing second quickly washed away. Though it seemed inevitable throughout the year that he would claim the top spot on the Order of Merit, he was not mathematically guaranteed to do so until today. He’ll be fully exempt on the Web.com Tour next year thanks to a season that has seen him win four times and set numerous records, including a new mark set today: the all-time single season earnings record with $156,783.Four shots behind Pastore in a tie for third were Brock Mackenzie, Jonathan Garrick and Talor Gooch.”The players did not disappoint us, having served up a course record, an exciting ﬁnish, and a Mackenzie Tour record broken as well. Our course did not disappoint us either as it held up admirably aer the early ﬁrst round scare. For the players, Cherry Hill Le: Fist bumps aer Pastore sinks the winning putt.Below: Winner, David Pastore, and tournament chairman, Bill Kerr.

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73was unquestionably the ﬁnest course they played in competition that year. Statistically for that year on the Mackenzie Tour the second most dicult par 3 was the 5th hole at Cherry Hill. The number one most dicult par 3? The 11th at Cherry Hill. And in a year-end survey conducted among Mackenzie Tour players, Cherry Hill was rated as number one or best in literally every category. As people gathered in the Clubhouse Sunday evening the players expressed to members and the sta, sincere and heartfelt appreciation of the course and for the membership. Once again, Cherry Hill had proven itself, as a course and a Club, capable of hosting a ﬁrst-rate professional event. A ﬁnal accounting of the event indicated that we had netted just about $5,000 from the $25,000 hosting fee paid to the Club. Head ProfessionalsHaving an outstanding golf course is a key ingredient for an exceptional member experience at a private golf club such as Cherry Hill. Having a great Head Professional is the icing on the cake. Je Roy is the longest tenured of all our Head Pros, having served in that capacity from 1990-2012. From an early age, Je was enamored with golf. At age 10 he took a junior membership (his parents were neither golfers nor members) at Port Colborne Country Club for $99 for the year. In a chance meeting at Bodner’s Market in 1975, Je was encouraged by Cathy Sherk to work as a caddie at Cherry Hill where she was Assistant Professional under Head Pro, Tony Evershed. The prospect of being able to play Cherry Hill was reason enough for the young golf enthusiast. Later, Je was asked to help out in the back shop (bag storage was located in the back of the Pro Shop then), and he worked his way up through the ranks to the position of Assistant Professional in 1977, having gone through the CPGA apprentice program under Tony’s mentorship. Aer a hiatus from the Club from 1981-1984 Je returned as Assistant Professional. Two days aer his 30th birthday, Je assumed the role of Head professional on February 22, 1990. He achieved his Class A Professional status in 1991. He remained our Head Pro until being named Director of Golf Emeritus, Cherry Hill Club in 2013. In 2022, Je was hired as General Manager, CEO of The Connaught Golf Club in Medicine Hat Alberta. Also founded in 1922, Connaught will be in capable hands as it celebrates its own centennial.As a Head Pro, Je was well liked by every segment of the membership, running Junior Golf, leading the Ladies Golf clinics, and running all of the tournaments. He played a key role in the development and design of the new Pro Shop and Cart Storage building. He was also heavily involved in decisions on the golf course and worked closely with Cecil Hoekstra and John Gall. When the Club hired architects for improvements and renovations, Je was a primary contact and advisor, for Rene Muylaert and Ian Andrew. Je even had a role in the Joe Lee design of the proposed third nine which never was built. Je, Bob Rich, and Joe Lee were ﬂying back from Florida on Mr. Rich’s corporate jet looking over Lee’s plans. Je pointed out that the design had not taken into consideration the signiﬁcant ridge that runs west of the parking lot, which prompted Mr. Lee to revise it altogether. The unexecuted plan for the “new nine” should be referred to as a “Lee/Roy design.”A certain feature of the actual course is due in large part to Je’s eorts. While playing Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Je inquired about the sets of tees that were located well down the fairway. When told that some of the women and senior players like to tee o from there, he realized that some of the players at Cherry Hill might also like a similar advantage. The implementation of temporary forward tees at Je’s suggestion coincided with the growing trend to “play it forward” in the golf world. Today we have permanent forward tees enhancing the playability of Cherry Hill for many.Cathy Sherk and Je Roy.THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAME

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74As Je continued to lead the Professional Sta at Cherry Hill, he also took on leadership roles in professional golf associations in Canada. He served as President of the Ontario Golf Association (now Golf Ontario) from 1997-1999. They liked him so well he stayed on an extra year beyond the normal two-year term. Je was a member of the National Board of Directors of the CPGA (now PGA of Canada) from 1997-2006. In these capacities, Je was instrumental in attracting course raters to Cherry Hill to help maintain our status as a premier club. Je was inducted in the Professional Class of the inaugural Niagara Golf Wall of Recognition in 2021. Cathy Sherk, who is responsible for bringing Je to Cherry Hill, was inducted in the Player Category.If you are confused by all of the variations in the names of Canadian golf associations, you can partially blame Je Roy. Representing the National Board of the CPGA, Je ﬂew once again on the corporate jet of Bob Rich to the PGA of America in 2011, to speak with the PGA lawyers about the possibility of renaming the CPGA as the PGA of Canada. The mission was successful, and the PGA lawyers agreed to the name change, which only helped to enhance the “PGA” brand worldwide. Je’s work was not complete, however, until $300 was sent to the Potato Growers of Alberta for usage rights in Canada for “PGA.”Throughout his many years at Cherry Hill, Je endeared himself to literally generations of members, management, and Pro Shop Sta. The stories, the golf anecdotes, and the conﬁdential information that Je carries with him would likely ﬁll volumes. One anecdote that is safe for publication takes us back to the second most recent renovation in the Men’s Locker Room, which took place in the 1980’s. A worker was preparing to commence demolition of the showers, when Je stopped him saying, “We must ﬁrst have a moment of silence before you destroy that shower.” In response to the worker’s puzzled look Je declared, “Arnold Palmer showered there!” Aer a solemn moment in deference to Arnie, the shower was no more. e Many outstanding Assistant Professionals worked under Je at Cherry Hill. Steve Barkley continues as one of the longest serving employees at the Club today. Bob Culig and Rod Blair both went on to Head Pro positions in southern Ontario and Western New York. Another such individual was Aaron Pye, aectionately referred to as “Pye.” Aaron had the good fortune of having John and Anne Campbell on his paper route as a boy. Those in the HR ﬁeld will tell you that seeing “paper boy” on an applicant’s resume is a good sign of a reliable worker. At the encouragement of the Campbell’s, Aaron came to Cherry Hill in the 1990’s as a caddie. On occasion players would ﬁght over who would get Pye as a caddie. Like Je Roy, Aaron worked his way from the caddie shack to the back shop, to the position of Assistant Professional. With Je as his mentor Aaron served as Head Professional in 2012 and 2013 before taking a position at The Fairmont Ban Springs Golf Course in Alberta.Professional sta (l. to r.) Walker Arnott, Steve Barkley, Jeremy Broom, and Daryl Maclean.

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75 e Jeremy Broom came to Cherry Hill as Head Professional in April of 2014 with a solid track record at premier clubs in the Toronto area. He worked in various roles for a ten-year period at Lambton Golf & Country Club and for two years as Director of Golf Instruction at The Toronto Golf Club. Members immediately saw the results of Jeremy’s eorts to enhance the level of professionalism in the Pro Shop and golf events, starting with sports jackets worn by the Professional Sta during tournaments. With the purchase of some large format printers, the scoreboards took on a new appearance as well for tournaments. Participants were photographed out on the course, and when it came time to post scores, every team’s picture was printed on professionally prepared sheets on the scoreboard. Another feature that Jeremy initiated was a registration tent on the ﬁrst tee for tournaments, which would ﬁnd its way up to the patio and the scoreboard area for the post round activities. Making the extra eort on the part of the sta to elevate the event experience made a big dierence for members and their guests. And this was true for all events, not just the major Club tournaments. That same level of professionalism was on display for the 2016 Niagara Championship as well.The practice range was enhanced with chairs and accessories. In the cart shop Jeremy oversaw the acquisition of a ﬂeet of new lithium battery powered carts. Cherry Hill was among the very ﬁrst courses in Canada to adopt the new technology which is now a standard in the industry. In keeping with the times, Jeremy began to promote Cherry Hill through social media, and to court the golf media in Canada. Any time Lorne Rubenstein or Rick Young wrote about Cherry Hill, Jeremy was quick to re-Tweet it and maximize exposure.Jeremy’s inﬂuence went beyond golf operations when in 2016 he assumed overall management of Cherry Hill as Executive Professional. The extent of his responsibilities including the course, Pro Shop and Clubhouse was monumental, and Jeremy brought the same level of professionalism to all aspects of the Club. While the membership was extremely appreciative of all his eorts, Jeremy’s expertise did not go unnoticed by the golf industry either. One Assistant Pro working under Jeremy, Daryl Maclean, received national recognition earning the PGA of Canada Stan Leonard Class A Associate Professional of the year award in 2015. In 2017, Jeremy was honored by the PGA of Canada Ontario Zone with the Golf Professional of the Year award. Nothing is more gratifying to the membership than to see our own sta recognized by their peers. In 2019 Jeremy took the position of Director of Golf at The Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. At age 26 Sam Snead won the 1938 Canadian Open at Mississaugua, 34 years before he would tee it up at age 60 in the Canadian Open at Cherry Hill. e Another Assistant Professional who beneﬁtted from the tutelage of Jeremy Broom was Walker Arnott, a native of Lindsay, Ontario. Walker worked as a young man for six years at the Lindsay Golf & Country Club and developed a keen interest in golf. He received his diploma in Business Administration, Professional Golf Management from Niagara College, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario in 2015. Before coming to Cherry Hill, Walker enjoyed the mentorship of Warren Crosbie, who was one of Walker’s instructors at Niagara College. Crosbie was Head Professional at Bayview Golf & Country Club in Toronto for over 30 years. He was inducted into the Golf Ontario Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2020, the PGA of Canada created The Warren Crosbie Community Leader of the Year Award. And, for a number of years, Warren was a member of Cherry Hill. THE COMMON THREAD OF THE GAMEThe 1st and 10th tees are set up for tournament play.

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76He was instrumental in bringing Walker to Cherry Hill in 2015 aer graduation. Walker experienced ﬁrsthand the high level of professionalism with which Jeremy Broom led the Pro Shop and conducted golf operations at Cherry Hill. He was caddie master for the Niagara Championship in 2016 and had a front row seat along with the rest of us at that professional tournament. A skillful player in his own right, Walker had some success on the local professional circuit winning his share of the prize money. When in 2019 the position became open at Cherry Hill, the Board of Directors made a wise decision in hiring Walker Arnott, at the age of 25 as Cherry Hill’s twelh Head Professional. Walker credits Crosbie and Broom for the encouragement and mentorship they both oered to him, and those relationships continue to ﬂourish today.Walker received his Class A Professional Status with the PGA of Canada in 2019, and enjoyed an excellent ﬁrst year as Head Pro. In 2020, Walker and his sta had to adapt to the pandemic, with lockdowns, restrictions, and compliance headaches. When the course opened for play in May of 2020, players were required to book a tee time for the ﬁrst time in the history of Cherry Hill. As such, members of the Pro Shop Sta became more phone receptionists than

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79Depending on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist, the ﬁrst rule of golf may come across as a threat rather than an opportunity. Even when a bad break turns a good shot into a challenge, the optimistic player is grateful just for the opportunity to hit the next shot… as it lies. This basic rule of golf is oen used as a metaphor for life, and much has been said of how the game of golf parallels the vicissitudes of life. In the book “The Golfer’s Mind,” sports psychologist and coach, Dr. Bob Rotella, says this of golfers:“They have free will. The choices they make with that free will determine the quality of their golf game and the quality of their lives. If you consistently make the right choices, you’re destined for greatness. “ e During the course of its 100-year history, Cherry Hill has encountered its share of “bad lies.” From the time that our founders engaged Walter Travis to design Cherry Hill, no one knew exactly how “the round” would progress. But due to a very loyal and dedicated membership, that has managed to make the right choices, Cherry Hill has persevered and prospered.The roaring twenties were an era of optimism, and the City of Bualo was booming as the world’s leading grain port. The 1918 worldwide inﬂuenza pandemic and the devastation of the Great War were past. The prospect of a bridge across the Niagara River energized all who summered on the northern shore of Lake Erie. The Cherry Hill Clubhouse had been built, and the golf course had opened for play. One can imagine the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment the founders and early members of Cherry Hill felt as they headed down the ﬁrst fairway. And everyone had a hero to emulate whether it was Glenna Collett, Walter Hagen, or Bobby Jones.Collett and Jones - 1928e Play the course as you nd it and play the ball as it lies.” – Rules of Golf, Rule 1PLAY THE BALL AS IT LIES

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80And then the Stock Market crashed in 1929, and the Great Depression took its toll on everyone and everything, including Cherry Hill. The Club barely held its ﬁnances together, yet it survived. One need only glance at the years 1943 and 1944 on the Champions boards to see the eect World War II had on life at Cherry Hill - “NO CONTEST.” Despite our total inability to inﬂuence the weather, we are more adept at dealing with droughts or storms than facing social upheaval beyond our inﬂuence.September 11, 2001Most people recall hearing the news as events unfolded on September 11, 2001. Some watched the television coverage in horror and disbelief. Little did we know of the wide-ranging impact that 9-11-01 would wreak on every aspect of our lives. To some that impact became evident quite soon. Within days of the terrorist attacks, certain Americans seeking to cross the Peace Bridge into Canada were denied entry because of past indiscretions that prior to 9-11 had been of no concern to the government of Canada. Whereas proof of citizenship was not required previously, today citizens of both the U.S. and Canada undergo far greater scrutiny when crossing the border. What used to be like an encounter with Andy of Mayberry, now seemed more like Checkpoint Charlie, and the feeling was unsettling to all.A ﬂier mailed to the membership read:“The Canadian Members of Cherry Hill Club would like to express the deep sorrow they feel for their American friends and families, during these troubling times, and demonstrate their support in the struggle to keep the freedoms that we have fought side by side to achieve.A ‘Memorial Tree’ will be planted to honour the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. A brief dedication will take place on the day of the Annual Meeting, October 6th.”Members attended the ceremony near the 9th green where an inscribed granite plaque sits at the base of the “The Freedom Tree.” While the rest of the world was in turmoil, Cherry Hill members gathered in solemnity, and in unity we proceeded to play from an undeserved “bad lie.”The eects on Cherry Hill in the aermath of 9-11 have been like unseen termites that have incrementally eroded some of the pleasures and carefree aspect of membership. The negative impact of 9-11 has been felt economically, socially, and culturally, yet the Club perseveres.The Global PandemicWhen last we le our Board Directors in February of 2020, they were heading down the hallway to the Old Bar at the Bualo Club with a spring in their step, like the early members heading down the ﬁrst fairway in the 1920’s. Most of those men wouldn’t even step foot on the ﬁrst tee until August of 2021. By that time, Zoom meetings and face masks were commonplace. The atmosphere at Cherry Hill between those dates was as much like any wartime era the Club had ever seen, as the world faced the onslaught of the COVID-19

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81pandemic. While the spirit of this centennial history book is celebratory, no account would be complete without addressing the signiﬁcant impact of the global pandemic on Cherry Hill. When future historians look back on Cherry Hill history, they will likely characterize the COVID-19 pandemic of the 2020’s as a watershed event for the Club.The U.S.- Canadian land border was closed to non-essential trac by mutual agreement of the two nations on March 21, 2020. Initially, the Board and the members viewed the closure as a temporary inconvenience that would be alleviated in time for the upcoming golf season. That sentiment shaped the actions of the Board and the members during the ﬁrst few months of the pandemic. But as the border closure was extended repeatedly to the 21st of the following month, the hopes for a normal summer or even fall were dashed. As a result of the border closure, the membership was unwittingly divided into two categories of members – those with access to the Club and those without. The membership experience was severely curtailed for each of these two groups, but in vastly dierent ways.Mark Talarico was Club President in 2020. Mark, the Board, and General Manager, Caroline Molen, faced challenges and decisions that were unprecedented in the Club’s history. Contingency budgets were prepared and updated monthly, based on the border re-opening, or staying closed. Like the rest of the world, the Board learned how to meet virtually, with Directors logging on from both sides of the border. Members without access constituted close to two-thirds of the membership at that time. They dutifully continued to pay Club dues, in hopes that if the border were to open in June, or maybe July, the season would be salvageable. Those hopes proved to be futile. Cherry Hill reached out to numerous golf clubs in Western New York seeking “reciprocal” privileges for its non-access members, even though we could oer no reciprocity. Many clubs generously opened their course to Cherry Hill members with a variety of options for free rounds or reduced greens fees, in a spirit of good will that was collectively appreciated by Cherry Hill. Some members got a quick refresher course in the public golf experience, while still others took a hiatus from golf and pursued other recreational activities. Tee times, bicycles, and kayaks were in high demand and short supply as people sought an outlet from lockdowns and shutdowns that constrained everyone’s options. For non-access members who Flags ﬂew over an empty course in May 2020.PLAY THE BALL AS IT LIES

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82owned property in Canada, the frustration and inconvenience were compounded by the border closure. Cottages and summer homes sat dormant. While property taxes continued to become due, the governments on both sides of the border had no sympathy for those with compelling reasons to cross the border. Homeowners relied on the kindness of Canadian neighbors or contracted service providers to maintain properties. No one had ever experienced such calamity, and all the while, not just the Cherry Hill Board, but the whole world struggled to ﬁgure out the next right move. Meanwhile, water continued to ﬂow under the Peace Bridge, and grass continued to grow at Cherry Hill. Golf course maintenance was deemed essential by the Canadian government. Our new Golf Course Superintendent, Jeremy Krueger, operated with a skeleton crew on a ghost course, as the provincial government had closed all golf courses during the ﬁrst months of the pandemic. Members had “access” to the Club in theory but were locked down in their homes. A majority of businesses and activities were shut down. A notice from Golf Canada issued on May 14, 2020, announced the easing of restrictions, but only incrementally:“Premier Doug Ford has announced Ontario’s golf courses can open their tees to golfers starting Saturday, May 16.During a much-anticipated press conference, Ford stated golf courses, among other select retailers and services, would be permitted to open in time for the Victoria Day long weekend, as key public health indicators continue to show progress.Golf courses will be able to open, with clubhouses open only for washrooms and restaurants open only for take-out. Golfers must adhere to social distancing measures, such as staying at least two metres apart.”The rules, regulations and restrictions endured by members with access to the Club were draconian and frustrating. The burden of maintaining compliance with all the restrictions fell on the Club’s management and sta, and the government was not shy about enforcement. One violation or one false step could result in closure of the Club. From the moment that a member arrived in the parking lot of the Club, virtually every aspect of the experience was dictated by governmental regulations. Golf clubs could not be stored at the Club, and players were forced to become “trunk slammers.” Dining facilities were closed except for take-out. Only one player per cart was allowed. Members were asked to take their own trash items with them when they le for home. No locker room, no shoeshine, no touching the ﬂag stick, no shower, no club cleaning, no lingering… no fun! Those with access were grateful for the opportunity to play golf, but the experience was without amenities and lacking Cherry Hill charm. A major capital expenditure had been authorized in early 2020 by the Board to renovate the wet room area of the Men’s Locker Room as well as the restrooms adjacent to the Club foyer. Despite the uncertainty, the project proceeded while the virus continued to spread. As the pandemic landscape took shape, construction trades were allowed to work, but in a highly controlled manner. The number of workers allowed to operate in the space was limited, and other precautions were in place. The progress was slower than normal, but the lockdown of businesses allowed the deadline to be extended beyond the usual “beginning of the golf season.” The urgency of completing the women’s washroom by Mother’s Day fell by the wayside. The new facilities, completed by Sider Brothers Builders of Ridgeway, were a signiﬁcant upgrade, but members were not able to enjoy them fully until government restrictions were eventually lied.Each month, the Golf Committee rescheduled events to later in the year, until it ﬁnally cancelled all of the standard sanctioned golf events. The members were resourceful and improvised unocial member-guest days, member-member tournaments and the like. Because so much of the membership would be unable to participate, it was determined that holding a Club Championship would be inappropriate, and once again, “NO CONTEST” appeared on the boards in the Grill Room. Nevertheless, a championship-like event was held for the enjoyment of those able to participate.Everyone supported the Club to the extent possible. Non-access members continued to pay dues throughout 2020. Members with access were called upon to support the Club, and the response was admirable, with the limited number of members spending on guest fees and pro shop merchandise. Because of curtailed hours and operational restrictions, food and beverage revenues were down.

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83In October of 2020, the Club held its ﬁrst ever virtual Shareholders Meeting, as the border remained closed.The saving grace, that allowed the Club to retain ﬁnancial stability was the government wage subsidy, oered to nearly every type of business in Canada. Those dollars sustained us in 2020 despite the inability of over half our membership to patronize the Club. The wage subsidy also allowed us to navigate the uncertainties of 2021 and to keep the membership intact. Under the leadership of Rob Drake, our second “pandemic President,” the Club initiated a member loyalty program, whereby non-access members paid the equivalent of roughly one monthly dues installment to maintain membership, without further ﬁnancial obligation so long as the border remained closed. The program was unique and very successful in retaining members, but it never would have been ﬁnancially viable without the government wage subsidy, which totaled close to $1 million for the two years that subsidies were oered before ending in 2021.The Silver LiningCOVID-19 continued its grip on the world and its suppression of normal life at Cherry Hill as 2021 unfolded, but an unforeseen consequence of the pandemic had a dramatic impact on the Club. The popularity of golf in North America was skyrocketing. A December 26, 2020, article in “The Toronto Sun” reports:“According to numbers released in December by Canada’s National Golf Course Owners Association, rounds played in 2020 was up 18.9% over the 2019 season. This is especially impressive considering rounds were down 25.9% at the end of May.”The demand for tee times in Ontario far exceeded supply. Private clubs were forced to use a lottery system to assign tee times. Longtime members of clubs were unable to book a round, sometimes for weeks in advance. Prior to the pandemic, Cherry Hill was in a membership building mode. We had incentives in place to attract new members. Aer the pandemic hit, we were the only course on the Niagara Peninsula that wasn’t overcrowded. Aer all, the majority of our membership was unable to play. Thanks to the leadership of Bill Kerr and Garry West and other members of the Membership Committee, we were able to attract an unprecedented number of applicants who were invited to join on a one-year basis with incentives to commit to permanent membership thereaer. Word had gotten out that memberships were available at a championship caliber course, where the ﬁrst tee is accessible without the need to reserve a tee time. Virtually every person who joined under the Exclusive Membership Opportunity program elected to remain as a member. The Club had never seen such a level of activity on the membership front. Every month, applicants were interviewed, sometimes as many as ten at a time, in virtual “Meet and Greet” sessions instead of meeting Directors around the bar in the Grill Room as is customary.The ﬁrst wave of cars seeking entry to Canada at midnight on August 9, 2021.PLAY THE BALL AS IT LIES

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84The two governments continued the monthly ritual of announcing the extension of the border closure. Members with access enjoyed ever expanding amenities and continued to play a superbly conditioned golf course. The frustration of members without access was tempered by the suspension of dues. Then seemingly without warning the Trudeau administration announced that as of August 9, 2021, U.S. citizens would be allowed to cross the land border provided they had proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test. To those who availed themselves of the opportunity to once again play golf at Cherry Hill, the experience was nothing short of heavenly. Upon seeing the recent course renovations, longtime members exclaimed that the course had never been in such spectacular shape. Members and sta delighted in seeing one another aer nearly two years, and friendships were resumed in person. The return to normalcy was nowhere near complete, yet for a few months a process of healing took place at Cherry Hill. By the end of 2021, Cherry Hill once more had a waiting list for prospective members. And for the ﬁrst time in its history, the ratio of American versus Canadian members was “at par.” The Cloud Begins to LiThe o-season between 2021 and 2022 was rife with turmoil, as strains of the pandemic dried in and out unpredictably, causing fear and uncertainty. Although the U.S. – Canadian border was technically open to non-essential travel, COVID-19 testing requirements, and the possibility of government-imposed quarantines raised serious concerns among American members about the prospects of fully enjoying the Cherry Hill membership experience in 2022. Under the leadership of President, John Richmond, the Board again faced challenges unprecedented in the

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85Club’s history, vying to preserve a disconcerted membership. Those concerns evaporated with the Canadian Government’s announcement in March, that as of April 1, 2022, fully vaccinated travelers would be allowed to enter Canada without the requirement to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. e The golf course opened for play on April 14, 2022, and the ﬁrst ocial tee shot of the Club’s second century was struck with presumably better results than the previously chronicled attempts of Judge Coatsworth in 1924. The pins were in, ﬂying ﬂags bearing the Cherry Hill Centennial logo. The Pro Shop was stocked with centennial-branded merchandise. Work proceeded on a newly expanded patio in front of the Halfway House, complete with a new gas ﬁre pit, dubbed “The Cherry Pit” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cherry Hill Club. Plans for the yearlong centennial celebration were well underway. The membership welcomed the renewal of the golf course. We yearned for continuing governmental cooperation. And we prayed that the golf gods would shed grace upon Cherry Hill’s second century, granting us the opportunity to play the game we love so well in such a wonderful setting.

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88According to Wikipedia:“The building of the Peace Bridge was approved by the International Joint Commission on August 6, 1925. Edward Lupfer served as chief engineer. A major obstacle to building the bridge was the swi river current, which averages 7.5 to 12 miles per hour (12.1 to 19.3 km/h). Construction began in 1925 and was completed in the spring of 1927. On March 13, 1927, Lupfer drove the rst car across the bridge. On June 1, 1927, the bridge was opened to the public.The ocial opening ceremony was held two months later, on August 7, 1927, with about 100,000 in attendance. The festivities were transmitted to the public via radio in the rst international coast-to-coast broadcast. Newspapers at the time estimated that as many as 50 million listeners may have heard the broadcast.The dignitaries who took part in the dedication ceremonies included The Prince of Wales (the future Edward VIII), Prince George, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes, Secretary of State Frank Kellogg, New York Governor Al Smith, and Ontario Premier Howard Ferguson.When the bridge opened, Bualo and Fort Erie each became the chief port of entry to their respective countries from the other.” (Source: Wikipedia April 2022) The Prince of Wales (future King Edward VIII) speaks at Peace Bridge dedication, 1927.

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89The name chosen, the “Peace Bridge,” had important symbolic and political signiﬁcance, as evidenced by the high-level dignitaries, the 100,000 who attended in person, and the 50 million international radio listeners. At the time, the name commemorated over 100 years of peace between the two nations since the Treaty of Ghent was ratiﬁed in 1815. Today, the Peace Bridge remains a symbol of more than two centuries of harmony along the longest international border in the world between two countries. In a very real sense, the Peace Bridge is emblematic of the culture at Cherry Hill, which is truly unique due to the bi-national nature of our membership.Our Home Away From HomeWithout the Peace Bridge, neither the Lake Erie waterfront communities nor Cherry Hill would have developed as they did. Cherry Hill has always been characterized by a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The easygoing ambiance at Cherry Hill evolved by virtue of the fact that, from the beginning, Cherry Hill functioned as an extension of the cottage lifestyle enjoyed by so many of its members. Today, that same casual atmosphere continues to permeate the Cherry Hill experience even though the percentage of cottage owners has declined. One can feel the pressure drop just a little as one turns onto Cherry Hill Boulevard. Plans for 2022 envision a year-long centennial celebration on the social and golf calendars. Longtime members and those new to the Cherry Hill family will celebrate the Club’s rich heritage. As we mark 100 years since the founding of Cherry Hill Club, Ltd. the course has never been in ﬁner condition, and the bi-national makeup of our membership has never been more complete - - a ﬁtting embodiment of the symbol that connects us, the Peace Bridge. U.S. plaza at the Peace Bridge, 1936. THE PEACE BRIGDE

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176                                     Board Minutes - June 24, 1976                                              82

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209HISTORICAL LISTSPast Presidents1923-24 Edward E. Coatsworth1925 Howard Bissell1926 Joesph H. Morey1927 George R. Critchlow1928 Alfred H. Sharpe1929 Edmond D. Mccarthy1930 Howard M. Cowan1931 Sheldon Thompson Jr1932 George S. Kellogg1933 Geroge H. Finley1934 C. Deforest Cummings1935 J. Leonard Shaw1936-50 James R. Barnett1951 Reid S. Moule1952 Howard G. Kreiner1953 Robert I. Millonzi1954 Lester W. Miller1955 Donald K. Templeton1956 James R. Sullivan1957 Joseph Davis1958 J. Warren Speaker1959 Roger T. Cook1960 Wm. J. Mcgennis1961 Thomas R. Grieves1962 Charles J. Roesch1963 Richard H. Means1964 Crawford Wettlaufer1965 William S. Reynolds1966 Irving A. Barrett1967 Walter H. Miller1968 John M. Quackenbush1969 Harold C. Lowe1970 John L. Campbell1971 John W. Livingston1972 Edward A. Atwill1973 Robert M. Mewha1974 Peter M. Collard1975 Willard M. Pottle Jr1976 Philip J. O’shea1977 Herman K. Heussler Jr1978 Donald G. Campbell1979 Clifford G. Vogelsang1980 J. Robert Rodgers1981-82 John M. Carter1983 William Mcgarva1984 Dwight F. Hanny1985 Girard A. Gugino1986 William G. Gisel1987 Robert C. Harvey1988 Donald G. Campbell1989 Robert J. Lyle1990 Manley B. Tillou1991 Robert F. Downing1992 R. Brian Miller1993 Robert B. Shanahan1994 Edward F. Walsh Jr1995 Thomas E. Headrick1996 Douglas J. Young1997 H. Ernest Montgomery II1998 Warren B. Gelman1999 Cornelius J. Lang2000 Robert T. Wylie2001 David J. D’arata2002 James M. Wadsworth2003 William E. Mathias II2004 Gary P. Hess2005 John F. Downing2006 Charles B. Wydysh2007 David A. Munschauer2008 Robert P. Borneman2009 Kingman Bassett Jr2010 David J. Hunter Jr2011 Gregory T. Ivancic2012 Thomas J. Vanner2013 Hugh M. Russ Iii2014 Donald V. Brown Jr2015 Christopher G. Runckel2016 James S. O’connor2017 Willard M. Pottle III2018 Brian M. Duffett2019 Peter S. Sullivan2020 Mark J. Talarico2021 Robert C. Drake2022 John E. RichmondHISTORICAL LISTSe

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210Men Club Champions1925 Edward C. May1926 Edward C. May1927 Edward C. May1928 J. V. Wadsworth1929 B.S. McDonnell1930 B.S. McDonnell1931 E. B. Black1932 L.G. Ruth1933 B. Critchlow1934 B. Critchlow1935 R. D. Klinck1936 R. D. Klinck1937 B. Critchlow1938 J. V. Wadsworth1939 B. Critchlow1940 J. R. Sullivan1941 J. R. Sullivan1942 J. R. Sullivan1943 No Contest1944 No Contest1945 E. D. Landt1946 E. D. Landt1947 G. J. Weimert1948 G. J. Weimert1949 G. J. Weimert1950 G. J. Weimert1951 G. J. Weimert1952 G. J. Weimert1953 G. J. Weimert1954 G. J. Weimert1955 G. J. Weimert1956 G. J. Weimert1957 Thomas H. Brown1958 G. J. Weimert1959 G. J. Weimert1960 John B. Finck1961 G. J. Weimert1962 William S. Reynolds1963 Donald Sawyer1964 G. J. Weimert1965 John B. Finck1966 John B. Finck1967 John B. Finck1968 William S. Reynolds1969 William S. Reynolds1970 Robert Borneman1971 John B. Finck1972 G. J. Weimert1973 John B. Finck1974 William S. Reynolds1975 Jon Reynolds1976 G. J. Weimert1977 Charles B. Wydysh1978 Cliord G. Vogelsang1979 G. J. Weimert1980 R. Brian Miller1981 Tim Hume1982 Tim Hume1983 Tim Hume1984 Tim Hume1985 Tim Hume1986 R. Brian Miller1987 Jim O’Connor1988 Charles B. Wydysh1989 R. Brian Miller1990 Warren. B. Gelman1991 Charles B. Wydysh1992 George W. Fairgrieve1993 Michael W. Reynolds1994 R. Brian Miller1995 Timothy W. Hume1996 Timothy W. Hume1997 R. Brian Miller1998 Timothy W. Hume1999 Timothy W. Hume2000 Timothy W. Hume 2001 Timothy W. Hume2002 Timothy W. Hume2003 Timothy W. Hume2004 Charles B. Wydysh2005 Brian M. Duett2006 Brian M. Duett2007 Brian M. Duett2008 Brian M. Duett2009 James S. O’Connor2010 Brian M. Duett2011 Max Davis2012 Michael W. Reynolds2013 Philip C. Barth IV2014 Brett Kerr2015 Michael K. Mottola2016 Michael K. Mottola2017 Brian M. Duett2018 Kristopher Boyes2019 Anthony DeMizio2020 No Contest2021 Jaret Chipman

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211Women Club Champions1926 Dorothy K. Thompson1927 Frances Fairbairn1928 Josephine C. Carroll1929 Frances Fairbairn1930 Frances F. Cass1931 Esther Klinck1932 Frances F. Cass1933 Esther Klinck1934 Esther Klinck1935 Frances F. Cass1936 Frances F. Cass1937 Eleanor G. May1938 Esther Klinck1939 Marcia Bassett1940 Esther Klinck1941 Esther Klinck1942 Marcia Bassett1943 No Contest1944 No Contest1945 No Contest1946 Mary H. Dorntge1947 Mary H. Dorntge1948 Mary H. Dorntge1949 Dorothy Thompson1950 Nancy Wilkes1951 Marcia B. McGrattan1952 Dorothy Thompson1953 Dorothy Thompson1954 Dorothy Thompson1955 Dorothy Thompson1956 Dorothy Henzelman1957 Dorothy Henzelman1958 Dorothy Henzelman1959 Dorothy Henzelman1960 Joan Crane1961 Dorothy Henzelman1962 Dorothy Henzelman1963 Marcia B. McGrattan1964 Edith M. Geiger1965 Marcia B. McGrattan1966 Claire Moeschler1967 Lolly Lenahan1968 Claire Moeschler1969 Claire Moeschler1970 Claire Moeschler1971 Claire Moeschler1972 Lolly Lenahan1973 Claire Moeschler1974 Claire Moeschler1975 Claire Moeschler1976 Claire Moeschler1977 Claire Moeschler1978 Lolly Lenahan1979 Ann K. Donovan1980 Claire Moeschler 1981 Claire Moeschler1982 Lolly Lenahan1983 Claire Moeschler1984 Lolly Lenahan1985 Lolly Lenahan1986 Lolly Lenahan1987 Lolly Lenahan1988 Ann K. Donovan1989 Ann K. Donovan1990 Ann K. Donovan1991 Ann Donovan Dubuc1992 Claire Moeschler1993 Ann Donovan Dubuc1994 Claire Moeschler1995 Claire Moeschler1996 Ann Marie Luhr1997 Ann Marie Luhr1998 Ann Marie Luhr1999 Ann Marie Luhr2000 Ann Marie Luhr2001 Ann Marie Luhr2002 Ann Marie Luhr2003 Ann Marie Luhr2004 Ann Marie Luhr2005 Ann Marie Luhr2006 Ann Marie Luhr2007 Ann Marie Luhr2008 Ann Marie Luhr2009 Ann Marie Luhr2010 Ann Marie Luhr2011 Ann Marie Luhr2012 Ann Marie Luhr2013 Ann Marie Luhr2014 Ann Marie Luhr2015 Linda Burroughsford2016 Ann Marie Luhr2017 Ann Marie Luhr2018 Ann Marie Luhr2019 Pamicka Modrzynski2020 No Contest2021 Mina Alborino WilsonHISTORICAL LISTS

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212Boy Champions1948 R. Templeton1949 F. E. Wattles III1950 J. Kress1951 J. Kress1952 J. Kress1953 D. Stephens1954 R. Borneman1955 D. Stephens1956 D. Hanna1957 D. Hanna1958 D. Hanna1959 P. Fleischauer1960 Paul Grin1961 Ben Johnson1962 David Quackenbush1963 Paul Grin1964 Paul Grin1965 Paul Grin1966 Joseph Rubino1967 Douglas Harty1968 Don Tracy1969 Jon Reynolds1970 Jon Reynolds1971 Warren Schintzius1972 Jon Reynolds1973 Dan Mooney1974 Scott Campbell1975 Mike Reynolds1976 Jon Finck1977 Jon Finck1978 Peter Vogelsang1979 Peter Vogelsang1980 Tim Hume1981 Joe Ring1982 David Downing1983 John Honney1984 Mark McKinnon1985 Pat Downing1986 Pat Downing1987 Mark E. Rung1988 Charles Keller1989 Bradley Black1990 Bradley Black1991 Bradley Black1992 Aaron R. Alpern1993 Aaron R. Alpern1994 Aaron R. Alpern1995 Aaron R. Alpern1996 Kyle Hess1997 Kyle Hess1998 Kyle Hess1999 Ned Wydysh2000 Ned Wydysh2001 Tucker McCarthy2002 Jackson McCarthy2003 Alex Campbell2004 Alex Campbell2005 Theodore P. Reynolds2006 Alex Campbell2007 Campbell W. Smith2008 Patrick J. Waldron2009 Brennan Donovan Dubuc2010 Brennan Dubuc2011 Patrick J. Waldron2012 John A. Bassett2013 John A. Bassett2014 Connor Quarantillo2015 Connor Quarantillo2016 Connor Quarantillo2017 Joseph Tomczak2018 Cavan Derrigan2019 Michael Scinta2020 No Contest2021 No Contest

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213HISTORICAL LISTSGirl Champions1948 Sue Brautigan1949 Sue Brautigan1950 Lenore Kinsman1951 Barbara Borneman1952 Barbara Borneman1953 Barbara Borneman1954 Barbara Borneman1955 Donna Atwill1956 Molly O’Brien1957 Deborah Means1958 Molly O’Brien1959 Claire B. Tindle1960 Sue McGrattan1961 Sue McGrattan1962 Deborah Marlette1963 Lissa Marlette1964 Lisa Sullivan1965 Susan Schintzius1966 Susan Quackenbush1967 Susan Schintzius1968 Sally Lundrigan1969 Eileen Flaherty1970 Eileen Flaherty1971 Barbara Lundrigan1972 Barbara Lundrigan1973 Karen Rung1974 Ann K. Donovan1975 Ann K. Donovan1976 Ann K. Donovan1977 Ann K. Donovan1978 Ann K. Donovan1979 Rosie Lenahan1980 Ann Marie Luhr1981 Ann Marie Luhr1982 Jane Snyder1983 Jane Snyder1984 Jane Snyder1985 Julia Collard1986 Julia Collard1987 Julia Collard1988 Julia Collard1989 Eileen Luhr1990 Nicole Young1991 Emily Miller1992 Emily Miller1993 Emily Miller1994 Emily Miller1995 Elizabeth Ferrick1996 Elizabeth Ferrick1997 Elizabeth Ferrick1998 Anne Lyons1999 Anne Lyons2000 Anne Lyons2003 Claire Cosgri2004 Erin K. Wylie2005 Erin K. Wylie2006 Erin K. Wylie2007 Erin K. Wylie2008 Alyssa H. Murrett2009 Alyssa H. Murrett2010 Marla J. Murrett2011 Meghan K. Fonfara2012 Meghan K. Fonfara2013 Meghan K. Fonfara2014 Sarah Richmond2015 Sarah Richmond2016 Sarah Richmond2017 Haley Runckel2018 Catherine Johnson2019 Catherine Johnson2020 No Contest2021 No Contest

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214Senior Champions1955 Dr. Leon Smith1956 Dr. Leon Smith1957 Nicholas R. Bald1958 Dr. Leon Smith1959 Edward P. Landt1960 Edward P. Landt1961 Edward P. Landt1962 Charles Dunn1963 Edward P. Landt1964 G.J. Weimert1965 Donald M. Sawyer1966 Donald M. Sawyer1967 G. J. Weimert1968 G. J. Weimert1969 Charles Pelow1970 G. J. Weimert1971 G. J. Weimert1972 G. J. Weimert1973 G. J. Weimert1974 G. J. Weimert1975 G. J. Weimert1976 C. Vogelsang1977 G. J. Weimert1978 G. J. Weimert1979 G. J. Weimert1980 G. J. Weimert1981 Don Moon1982 R. Schoepperle1983 G. J. Weimert1984 William S. Reynolds1985 William S. Reynolds1986 William S. Reynolds1987 William S. Reynolds1988 William S. Reynolds1989 William McGarva1990 William S. Reynolds1991 William S. Reynolds1992 Earle A. Blackadder1993 Vincent E. Doyle1994 Cliord G. Vogelsang1995 Earle A. Blackadder1996 Earle A. Blackadder1997 Earle A. Blackadder1998 Charles B. Wydysh1999 Charles B. Wydysh2000 Warren B. Gelman2001 Warren B. Gelman2002 James S. O’Connor2003 Charles B. Wydysh2004 Charles B. Wydysh2005 James S. O’Connor2006 James S. O’Connor2007 Peter L. Patterson2008 Charles B. Wydysh2009 R. Brian Miller2010 Thomas T. O’Brien2011 Peter L. Patterson2012 Bill Kerr2013 Réal Bergevin2014 Michael W. Reynolds2015 Michael W. Reynolds2016 Frederick H. Waddell2017 Michael W. Reynolds2018 Michael W. Reynolds2019 Brian M. Duett2020 No Contest2021 Mark Tomasello

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216Golf ProfessionalsClub Managers*Golf Course Superintendents1924-26 James Swi1927-32 Frank Murchie1933-41 George Murchie1946 Lee Smith1947-49 Tommy Hunt1950-70 Bob Burns1971-74 Ken Steeves1975-89 Tony Evershed1990- 2012 Je Roy2013-14 Aaron Pye2014-19 Jeremy Broom2019- Walker Arnott1924 Charles G. Thorne1925-26 Mr. Hayes1927-29 Jacob Hess1932-33 Otto Handel1934 Mr. McCoy1941-55 Charles A. Behm1956-61 James Mewha1962-65 James C. Babcock1966-72 Robert Meldrum1973 Tom Kays1974-75 James J. Lee1976-79 Reno Martin1980-85 Robert Meldrum1986-88 Reiner Sommer1989 -99 David Greaves2000-08 Emil S. Rinderlin2009-15 Marinus Gerritsen2016-19 Jeremy Broom2019- Caroline Molen1924-26 George Langlands1927-61 Charles A. Behm1962-76 Charles J. Behm1977-2008 Cecil T. Hoekstra2008-2019 John Gall2020- Jeremy Krueger*The records of the identities of the early Managers are incomplete. There are years where no manager is mentioned. It is not known whether the manager is merely not mentioned, or whether there was no manager at all.