[Flagstick Golf Magazine]

I had what has become an annual yet cherished opportunity last night - a chance to sit among legends while their equally storied peers were honored.

Golf, if anything, carries with it a lot of tradition and as much as we anticipate the very next shot we make, it is those taken in the past that carry a very special meaning.

Those who made those shots and gave us so many great moments were praised last night at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge, Ontario. As George Clifton (posthumously) and Bill Morland (79 and still with a sparkle in his eyes, photo at left) became part of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, they were feted before a crowd of family, friends, media, and their fellow Hall members.

It is always a joy to spend time with these people, ranging from Dick Grimm, the man who did so much to bring the Canadian Open to prominence to Marlene Stewart Streit, a World Golf Hall of Fame member for her many on-course accomplishments. Throw in a Gary Cowan (2-time US Amateur Champion) and a plethora of other outstanding talents and you have quite the room to mingle in.

In years past the assembly has included the likes of Moe Norman and Nick Weslock, and while they have passed on now, the room is still filled with their spirit, mostly due to the many stories still being told about their exploits.

These are just a part of the many special moments I have spent at Wooden Sticks. The course is not only home to the Golf Association of Ontario and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, but it is also the annual host of the Junior Spring Classic (formerly the Tournament of Champions). As I was driving there yesterday I thought of two young men, the Revell brothers (Craig and Brad) and the times they spent there, as competitors, as winners, as brothers. That included a poignant moment just months before Craig, the eldest who a student/golfer at Michigan State University, lost his life to cancer at the age of 20.

In a time where most of us are more concerned about the next hi-tech club we buy or what great golf course we play, there are other parts of golf that we should be faithful in considering. Those great moments really make the game what it is.

I could have cared less if I had played golf yesterday; there was much more meaning to events that went on away from the course. Just being with the people who shaped the game and at a place where memorable times have happened was enough to make my lengthy drive to and from there more than worthwhile.

You see, as much as we cherish that next shot, there is no shame in taking a little time to recall the past. It is tradition in golf I will always appreciate.

You should too.

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