It’s often jokingly nicknamed the “Divorce Cup,” but there’s no evidence of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club’s annual Matrimonial Tournament actually leading to marital strife.
However, the male-female alternate shot format certainly features some interesting golf predicaments.
And they are usually the product of wild-shooting gentlemen knocking the ball into areas of the course that their straight-shooting partners have never traversed, where they have to make shots they might never have previously contemplated.
That was the case again this year — but the friendly competition also featured some great golf.
Smooth-swinging lefty Jim McMacken credited his wife Janice’s shotmaking for helping them to claim the Matrimonial trophy.
It’s a net format, meaning that after handicaps are calculated, a couple’s gross score minus their handicap is their final total.
The McMackens ended up at net 5-under 67 to take the title, edging out John Reynolds and Linda Williams (69) and Kevin MacLean and May Chang (70), the only other duos with a net score below par.
The best gross scores were recorded by two of the club’s top shooters, Stephen Warboys and Louise Robitaille, the reigning women’s club champion.
They shot an enviable gross total of 4-over 76 (net 72). Robitaille said a double bogey and a bogey on the same par-3 hole on both front and back nines hurt their score.
The McMackens had second low gross at 86, followed by MacLean and Chang at 88.
In other play last week, 2024 club champion Ricky Watson was the top shooter in Thursday’s men’s league play, firing an even-par 36. Dave Jackson had the best Stableford score, with 24 points.
Jeff Jacques was closest to the 150 marker on #1, Max Horning sank the longest putt on #2, Quinton Spagnol outdrove everyone else on #3, while closest to the hole shooters were Jeff Brookhouser (#4) and McMacken (#9).
Gross skins, all for birdies, went to Mark Derbyshire (#1), McMacken (#2), Jared Mines (#5), Brodie Townley (#6),
and Warboys (#7).
Net skins were won by Rob Chubey (#3), Townley (#6), Noel Morris (#7) and Horning (#8).
The two Teds were the top dogs in Tuesday’s WOOFs league play. Ted Carmichael and Ted Wiens both shot 3-over 39 to take first place honours.
Rick Shultz was low net while Jeff Jacques won the hidden hole with a birdie on #7. Bruce Murdoch was closest to the pin on #4.
