Small Golf Club Wins Division 3, Climbs to Historic High

Old Lennox Golf & Ski's men's team just pulled off something no one saw coming: beating clubs with 800-plus members while fielding players barely out of their teens.

The Lennoxville squad clinched the Division 3 Interclub title on July 12, edging out Venise by a single point in a nail-biting finish. The win earned them promotion to Division 2, the highest level this small nine-hole course has ever reached in its history.

Since joining the Eastern Townships Interclub circuit in 2022, Old Lennox has won their division every single year. This season was supposed to be different. Team captain Jakob Laplante, 28, thought they'd finally hit their ceiling competing against much larger clubs.

Then Michael Brazel stepped up. The team's number one seed won all three of his matches on the final day, clinching the title on the last hole. "We need you to get some points," Laplante told him. Brazel delivered all three while Venise came up empty.

Laplante also won all three of his matches. He credits the team's tournament experience for giving them an edge over nervous opponents. "A lot of players from other clubs are nervous over their first couple holes, and I have no nerves because I've played so many tournaments during the year," he said.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this story even better is who's doing the winning. While rival clubs field teams averaging 40 or 45 years old, Lennoxville's roster averages just 23. The team includes two 19-year-olds and a 20-year-old. Laplante, at 28, is only the third-oldest player.

Unlike bigger clubs where top players handpick their teammates, Old Lennox holds open qualifying. The top eight finishers earn their spot, creating a merit-based system that's clearly working. Every single player brought home at least one point this season.

The team loved playing together so much they're skipping qualifying next year. All eight players agreed to return for Division 2, where they'll face clubs like Vieux Village, Milby, and Cowansville.

Facebook posts already call them heavy underdogs, a nine-hole course taking on established 18-hole giants. Laplante remains unfazed: "Up and down the board, we're pretty solid."