G R A N I T E G O L F C L U B
CELEBRATING 2 5 YEARS
P A G E 4
THE GENERAL MANAGER
P A G E 6
GOLF UPDATE
MEMBERSHIP
P A G E 1 0
P A G E 9 FOOD & BEVERAGE
P A G E 1 1
NEW OFFERINGS
P A G E 1 3
KITCHEN
P A G E 1 5
GOLF CART ETIQUETTE
P A G E 1 9
BOARD BULLETIN
PHIL SCULLY
General Manager
Reflecting upon the remarkable journey of Granite Golf Club’s first 25 years is a profoundly moving experience. Attempting to capture the essence of this place and its vibrant community is a daunting task, leaving me temporarily at a loss for words.
How can a quarter-century, filled with countless memories, significant achievements, and deep-rooted traditions, be adequately summarized within the confines of a single article? The sheer volume of material and the limited space available present a formidable challenge. Nonetheless, let us embark on this endeavor to celebrate the story of Granite Golf Club.
Even with the acknowledged personal bias of being intimately involved with the club for so many years, it is undeniable that Granite Golf Club possesses a unique and special character. While all private golf clubs are founded upon a shared passion for the game, each develops its own distinct culture and sense of community. Granite, however, was envisioned from the outset to be something more than just a typical golf club.
This ambition, which ignited on July 17, 2000 when a double-wide trailer served as the initial clubhouse, continues to drive the club forward today. It was a vision of creating an unparalleled golfing experience, a sanctuary for friends, family and fellowship, and a testament to the pursuit of excellence in every facet.
The driving force behind Granite Golf Club is a spirit of relentless improvement, a dissatisfaction with simply meeting expectations, and an unwavering commitment to achieving the highest standards. The club has consistently chosen the path less traveled, one that demands more effort and dedication, but ultimately leads to a level of distinction that sets it apart.
This often challenging journey towards becoming something truly exceptional is what defines Granite's unique identity. As one looks back at all that has been accomplished, it’s astonishing how quickly those 25 years have flown by. What began as a bold dream in a quiet corner of the world has blossomed into a highly soughtafter club and a thriving, interconnected community.
Now, as Granite Golf Club stands on the threshold of "Project Next 25," the most significant capital investment since the construction of the clubhouse in 2004, the same founding principles remain firmly in place. The leadership and members have consciously chosen to proactively build upon, protect, and further enhance an already extraordinary offering.
The upcoming golf course renovations perfectly exemplify the successful model of continuous reinvestment, achieved without incurring debt or reactive member assessments.
This prudent financial stewardship not only secures the club’s future but also builds upon the solid foundation of past accomplishments, ensuring that Granite will continue to flourish for years to come.
As the Club commemorates its 25th anniversary and reflects upon its remarkable progress, it is essential to acknowledge the immense responsibility that comes with guiding Granite Golf Club into its next 25 years and beyond. The legacy built over the past quartercentury is a precious one, and the task of preserving and extending that legacy is both an honor and a significant undertaking. I have no doubt the future of Granite Golf Club will be just as vibrant, dynamic, and exceptional as its storied past.
Thank you and Happy Anniversary.
I recently read an anonymous quote in a golf article that stated, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing!” Looking back at May, this statement holds true It seems we had more cold days than warm days Despite the cool temperatures, we did see some great golf played early in the season.
Congratulations to Carter Collins and Will Simmonds, who carded aces on the same day, May 13! A week and a half later, on May 26, John Vella aced the 10th hole. As the weather warms up, I’m expecting more great shots and hole-inones will be recorded.
Did you know that we have an area for you to stretch before or after your round? Our newly refreshed stretch studio offers mats, foam rollers, and other fitness equipment. The bulletin board outlines some simple golf stretches that will help loosen tight muscles. The fitness room can be found in the basement of the administration building. If you are heading toward the range, you can park by the basement door to enter the room.
Recently, the professional staff have fielded some questions about hazard stakes with green tops. Even as I sit in my office, I can see a few golfers looking for their golf ball between the first and fifth holes Below is an overview of what the green-topped stakes mean and how you should proceed if your golf ball finds its way into these hazards.
"Green top hazard stakes" on a golf course are marker stakes used to identify environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs), which function as hazards but have additional restrictions.
Green top hazard stakes are red or yellow stakes with a green cap or top.
The base color (red or yellow) tells you whether it is a lateral (red) or regular (yellow) water hazard, according to traditional rules. The green top indicates an environmentally sensitive area (ESA), meaning players cannot enter the area for any reason, even to retrieve a ball.
These areas often protect wildlife, vegetation, or wetlands and are designated by the course or local rules
You must take relief as if from a water hazard (using the appropriate rule for red or yellow stakes).
You may not play the ball from the area or enter it to retrieve the ball.
Take a penalty stroke and drop outside the ESA, according to the usual hazard relief rules.
As our website states, “Granite Golf Club is proud to have been designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in 2004. The boundaries of our Golf Course are buffered by protected wildlife habitat, which renowned Canadian golf architect Thomas McBroom designed to remain faithful to the land's natural beauty” We all must adhere to the rules regarding our environmentally sensitive areas. If you have any questions regarding ESAs, please speak with any member of the professional staff.
Granite Golf Club has partnered with Strackaline to offer green reading and yardage books.
(www.strackaline.com) These books take the guesswork out of reading greens and also provide yardages from tee to green. They are available in the golf shop for $29.99.
Father’s Day is just around the corner, and there will be some amazing promotions in the golf shop. Be sure to stock up on Srixon golf balls. Buy one dozen and receive one dozen at no charge!
June is shaping up to be a busy month. Visit the website calendar to view events and vendor fit days. Cory Jones and Steve Dayman are offering clinics if your swing needs some help. Mike Vance and Andrew Waldie can help too Don’t be afraid to inquire about a private lesson. As always, the golf shop staff is available to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to long sunny days and more great golf. See you at the Club.
We got off to a wet start our first month of season, but it was nice to see so many of you out enjoying the golf course and the practice facility. It is also nice to see a lot of our new members out, some of you braving some wet conditions! The start of the season also means the start of our events. We had great turn out for our opening events as well as our opening social event which has become one of our most popular events! This event is a great opportunity to meet new members and catch up with those you missed all winter. There are lots great events to look forward to this year including or 25th Anniversary Celebration on July 19.
Granite Golf continues to be the home for many competitive golfers whose events take them to many wonderful clubs and prestigious events. We look forward to following them all this season and we will continue to keep you updated on the Clubs Instagram page.
Overall , we’ve had a exciting and fun start to the season and with lots of great weather and events ahead it should make a for a great 25th year. We can see why Granite is such a fantastic place to be a member and if you have that one friend who is interested please don’t hesitate in referring them to us. We continue to offer a $500 credit to members who refer a new member to us.
Jasmine Angelini
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible kindness and understanding you have shown to our staff, particularly as we navigate the beginning of the season here at Granite Golf Club. This early period is a crucial time for our team as they integrate into the GGC environment and familiarize themselves with our established standards and expectations for delivering exceptional service.
It has been truly heartening to observe how many of you have been so appreciative of the work that goes on behind the scenes, to ensure the smooth operation of our Club. It seems that having the opportunity to witness the planning process involved in our events has fostered an even greater appreciation for the dedication and effort our staff puts in. Your acknowledgment of their learning process and your positive feedback are
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Søbrii Gin
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Greig King
Dear Members,
Just over a month into the season, and what a start it’s been! As your Executive Chef, my priority is always to ensure my team and I deliver the best products, consistently, at a fair price, and in a timely manner.
Sometimes, even with the best intentions, we hit a few bumps in the road, and it’s important to address them head-on.
Didn't Quite
to Plan (And How We're Fixing It)
You might recall the buzz about "buy Canadian" that swept through in the leadup to the season, and I admit, I jumped on that bandwagon too, switching our beef supplier.
Unfortunately, this hasn't worked out as successfully as I'd hoped, and I sincerely apologize if the consistency wasn't what you've come to expect. Your dining experience is paramount, and to ensure we're delivering the quality you deserve, I’ve moved all our beef products back to Certified Angus Beef. While this can be a mix of Canadian and U.S. products, I know it’s a brand that consistently helps us deliver the excellence you deserve.
We also tried a change with our take-out containers, moving from plastic to paper bags for sandwiches. The feedback wasn’t great on that one, so we’ve happily reverted to the plastic Safe T Strip containers.
On the subject of take-out, a recent question came up about why we only offer wraps for take-out. I want to clarify that we absolutely offer sandwiches for take-out as well! We make these to order, so if you’d prefer a sandwich over a wrap, please just ask your server, and we’ll prepare it fresh for you “à la minute.”
Despite those early adjustments, there's so much positive news to share from the heart of the house! This year, we welcomed three new members to our kitchen team, and they have all proven to be incredible assets to the club. What’s even more exciting? All three have already expressed interest in returning next year! This is a tremendous testament to the Granite Golf Club family, both members and staff. It speaks volumes about the welcoming and supportive environment we’ve collectively created here, and it makes me incredibly proud.
May’s weather certainly kept us on our toes – I felt like I'd woken up in Scotland some days with all the rain and low temperatures! But we’re looking forward to a busy and vibrant June. The kitchen team is preparing for some fantastic events, including the Gentleman's 2Day Invitational, Father's Day, Generations Cup, and the Mixed 9 & Dine, just to name a few.
As we are a month into the season we will also be tweaking the menu on June 6, as well as we are now into our second iteration of our fortnightly features.
As always, we are here to serve you, the members, at your Club. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to give me a call, or even better, pay a visit to the kitchen! We always love visits.
See you around the club!
Yanik Mayer
ThouShaltKeepFourTiresonthePath
There’snoneedtodriveontheshoulderofcart pathsneargreensandtees.Youmightthink, “I’mjustmakingroomforsomeonetopass,” butrealistically,howoftendoesthathappen duringaround?Sticktothepathtohelp protectthecourse.
ThouShaltBuddyUpandShareaCart
Whilehavingyourowncartmightseem quickerormoreconvenient,doublinguphelps minimizeturfdamageandreducesoverallcart traffic.Lessstressonthegrassmeansbetter playingconditionsforeveryone.
ThouShaltNotPassThroughGreen&White Posts
Thesepostsaretheretolimitcartaccessfrom teestofairways.Eveniftheyseemwide enoughtodrivethrough,pleasedon’t.They markareaswe’retryingtoprotect
uShaltUsetheNewParkingStalls veadded15newstallsnearpracticeareas eepnarrowpathsclearandtrafficflowing oothly.Parkinginthesedesignatedspots psreducewearontheroughnexttocart hs.
Onpar4sand5s,enterafterthefirstcartpost andexitbeforethesecond.Thesepostsare placedtospreadwearevenlyandkeepteeand greenareasingoodshape.Wemovethem regularlytohelpmanageturfstress.
Th ShltKeeptotheCartPathsonAllPar areshorterandmorecompact, nstheturfaroundthemseesalotof dfootandcarttraffic.Stayingon hhelpspreserveturfqualityand sehigh-trafficzonesremainintop ghouttheseason.
NotTakeSharpTurns cartsarepowerful toopowerful ngquickly.Sharpturnscantearup eciallyonfairways.Slowdownand gentleturnstoavoiddamage.
haltKeeptoHighGround dayswhencartsareallowedtoscatter, w,wetareas.Thesespots especiallyin gh areeasilydamagedwhen d.Alittleextracaregoesalongway.
Weknowthetemptation-justlikeonthehighway,youspotapuddleand considergoingthrough.Butunlikeyourcar,yourgolfcartisn’tatriskof hydroplaning.Thatsaid,it’sbesttodriveslowlyandsteadilythroughany puddlestoavoidsoakingyourselfwithsplashback.Bonus:ourequipment managerwillthankyoufortheunexpectedundercarriagerinse!
Ifyouhaveablueflag,you’regrantedadditionalcartaccess butwith greaterfreedomcomesgreaterresponsibility.Mostofthecartrulesstill apply:sticktopaths,whenpossible,avoiddrivingbetweenbunkersand greens,andrespectthegreenandwhiteposts.Areaswithsteepslopesor narrowaccesspointsposesafetyrisksandcan’tabsorbheavytraffic.Please useyourexemptionthoughtfullytoprotectyourselfandthecourse.
These are some of the recent activities that have been considered by the Board.
In 2021, the Ontario provincial government passed the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (Ontario) (“ONCA”). This legislation requires the Club to revise its governing documents by October 19, 2026. The Board has been actively working on the preparation of the necessary documentation, for approval by the members, at a special meeting to be held at the Club on October 4, 2025. Copies of the current working versions of the Articles of Amendment and By-Law, as well as some background material relating to ONCA, will be made available on the Club’s website in mid-June. The revisions to the current Articles and By-Law are designed solely to comply with the requirements of ONCA and no significant changes are being proposed.
Please provide any questions or comments on the draft documentation to board@granitegolfclub.ca on or before July 31, 2025. Please monitor your inbox for updates containing additional information regarding the draft materials. All questions and comments received will be either answered directly or become part of a published FAQ.
The Discipline Policy and the Conflict of Interest Policy have been updated and are available on the Club website. The amendments to the Discipline Policy were to provide enhanced clarity and the Conflict of Interest Policy received minor amendments relating to ONCA.
A reminder that there is now a direct email address for the Board board@granitegolfclub.ca
