Tucked into a forest off Highway 6 is Senjan Golf Club, a unique nine-hole course with a great history.
The course was opened in 1990 by Dr. Abdul Bismillah, who was the former chief of staff at Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus. He practiced medicine at Groves for over 36 years.
He developed Senjan, an acronym from the first letter of his, his children’s and his wife’s names, as a place for people to enjoy nature and be part of a community.
“He started building the holes for patients, people he knew, not for profit or anything like that. And it kind of snowballed into nine holes,” said Troy Humphries, director of golf operations at Senjan.
“Dr. Bismillah’s idea was always to have an affordable golf community. He knew how much it was so it would get very expensive. He wanted a place for people to come and know everybody in the community.”
Members amble through the nine-hole course with bunkers, water features and a mature forest making each hole feel secluded.
When Dr. Bismillah passed away in 2001 his wife Joan started looking after the golf course.
Humphries explained it got to a point where it was too much for her so her daughter Nisha and son-in-law Gary Linford took it over.
In the 14 years since Dr. Bismillah’s passing, the golf course hasn’t changed too much.
There are no tee times, there is no pro shop and they do not have food and beverages.
Humphries said that is what makes the place so great. People have to opportunity to bring guests, bring their own food and drinks, use the barbecue and use the fridge.
“Greed really doesn’t run the place. We don’t push anybody and the expenses all stay down,” he said.
“Our biggest difference is our concept and our concept is the no tee times and no food and beverage … It’s a really quiet, warm place.”
Humphries has been the director for four years and has been involved in golf course management for over 18 years. He said this is the best course he has worked.
“I love it here, it’s such a different concept that I was a little leery at first, when I first came but by the time I was done, it was like ‘this is a pretty cool place’,” he said.
He described the course as a place for healing. Many seniors play there and he explained that golf can sometimes take the back burner to the socializing in the club.
“It’s a very healing place. A lot of people come here and oddly enough golf isn’t the highest priority. They like to come for their exercise … they like to come for the walk and the trees and the atmosphere. It’s very soothing for a lot of the members and they just happen to be golfing,” said Humphries.
Maintaining the grounds has not been easy, especially with the last two winters. In 2013, the course had many damaged trees from the ice storm that passed through that December. Humphries explained workers chipped the branches and trees or used the larger pieces for decoration.
The trees are the best part for a lot of the members, but Humphries joked when their ball ends up in the trees, the members hate them.
“It’s got that Muskoka-cottage country kind of feel and it’s between Guelph and Fergus,” he said.
By next spring, the course will have a new clubhouse, a small building overlooking the pond, to upgrade from the current aging clubhouse.
Linford explained the current clubhouse does not have insulation and he wants to make sure members are comfortable.
“It’s the little Senjan that could. It’s slowly getting better and better,” said Humphries.
Peggy Kenny has been a member of the course for seven years. She said people make the place so special.
“(They are a) terrific group of people. It’s a very calming and relaxing place to be,” she said.
“It’s unique. It has a terrific story behind it with Dr. Bismillah and a lot of people are unaware of it.”
Currently there is no wait list for memberships, but Humphries explained the course would move to one after they fill their remaining 30 spots.
Humphries said there are a number of volunteers that help with the maintenance of the grounds. Andy Dalziel, from Fergus, is one of them. He has volunteered since the course opened looking after the bunkers. At first, he looked after just one bunker, but slowly took over the course.
“That’s why I’ve been doing it for all these years, I’ve enjoyed doing it and it kept me busy,” he said.
“The Senjan community? It’s one big family.”
Nisha and Linford are keeping Dr. Bismillah’s legacy alive with the Senjan Golf Club.
“The philosophy, of course, is just to try and encourage use by the local community and not run it as a profit centre. Everything we make we put back into the course and so that’s the legacy we’re trying to continue,” said Linford.
“(My father) would be very proud and very happy; he always wanted it to be kept in the family and certainly we didn’t think we would (be able to) but it is a privilege to be able to do it,” added Nisha.
