John and Virginia Hubbard are gone, but their legacy of helping others and supporting the Oxford community lives on through a golf outing named in their honor.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Oxford Hills Golf & Country Club will host John & Virginia Hubbard’s Fall One Club Scramble.
Sponsored by Oxford Hills and the Rotary Club of Oxford, the golf outing is designed to raise money for the latter’s scholarship fund.
This is the third year for the golf outing, which used to be known as the Frost Bite Open.
Rotarian Mickey Hiatt, who’s organizing the event, decided to change the name this year to memorialize the Hubbards. He plans to make it an annual event held on the second Saturday in October.
‘John and Virginia did so much for Oxford,? Hiatt said. ‘They were just lovely people.?
The Hubbards founded Oxford Hills (300 E. Drahner Rd.) in 1965.
In the ensuing decades, Oxford Hills became the community’s hometown golf course with its popular leagues, hosting of weekly Rotary Club meetings and constant support of Oxford High School sports.
It was the OHS golf teams that particularly benefited as Oxford Hills never charged them a single penny to use the course for practice.
The Hubbards, who were married for 68 years, were partners in both life and business as they built Oxford Hills with their own four hands.
John, who was a Rotarian for many years and died in 2006, drove the bulldozer that molded 200 acres of raw earth into the golf course everyone knows today.
During the early years, Virginia, who died in 2011, single-handedly ran the pro shop out of their garage. She continued to work at the course for many years, doing daily bookwork right up until her death.
John and Virginia Hubbard’s Fall One Club Scramble will begin at 12 noon as each participant must choose one club to use for nine holes of play.
‘And you can’t share,? Hiatt said.
Hiatt explained the one-club rule is meant to make the event more enjoyable and lighthearted because sometimes players treat golf like a job instead of a hobby.
‘It’s just about fun and everybody forgets about fun,? he said. ‘You don’t have to be serious all the time and bring out a whole bag of clubs.?
‘Actually, it shows people that they really don’t need all these clubs in their bags,? Hiatt added. ‘You can putt very well with a driver. Most people use 5-irons and 6-irons for the whole round.?
Hiatt said a former OHS golf coach used to make his students play 18 holes with nothing but a 5-iron and a putter in order ‘to show them how well they could do.?
In the past, Hiatt said he’s seen golfers shoot even-par and one or two under par with just one club.
Cost for the outing is $40 per person and includes nine holes, a cart, a delicious lunch and live music provided by Cross Walk, a five-piece band that plays music from the 1960s through 1980s.
‘It’s just a nice afternoon,? Hiatt said. ‘We’re hoping to get like 60 to 70 golfers. We hope to raise about $2,000 to $3,000.?
So far, about 20 golfers have registered. The deadline is Thursday, Oct. 10.
‘Rain or shine, we’re playing,? Hiatt said.
All proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club of Oxford’s scholarship fund. Hiatt said each year, the club awards $1,000 scholarships to three or four graduating OHS seniors.
For more information about the golf outing or to sign up, please call Hiatt at (248) 628-0892 or Lorna Lester (Oxford Hills) at (248) 628-2518.