Seven Alone

When I was a little kid, I remember going to the local movie theatre and watching a movie called “Seven Alone”. It was a fictionalized account of the real-life adventure of the Sagers, a frontier family that crossed the U.S. by wagon train, hoping for a better life in the Oregon Territory. Last night, I experienced my own version of the movie.

You see, we didn’t have Mens’ Night. Normally that would be fairly upsetting for me, especially given that it was our second last week. It actually turned out better than I would have expected.

Due to the rain / mist / dampness, I didn’t head to the course until 5:30 pm. Wes was there waiting and there were three guys playing some practice holes…but that was it. Only two others showed up by six giving us a total of seven golfers. This was below the requisite 10 golfers to run Mens’ Night.

Instead of going home, we decided to golf. The seven of teed off together on one and played skins. As a participant and observer, I would say that the golf was really good, with scores of 34, 35, 38, 38, 39, 42, and 42 spread throughout the group.

It was completely dry until the sixth hole, and even then what came in was more than a mist and fog combination. That was no problem for a few holes, although it was remarkably hard to see your ball once it got into the air. By the ninth hole, a couple of glow balls were in play but you could still sort of see a regular ball in flight. When we had carry-overs and had to play #1 and #2 again, it was nearly black outside. Those of us without glowing night balls were able to play on, finding our balls by instinct and luck. In the end, it came down to the two illuminated balls on the second green. When they both parred, we said enough was enough, and shook hands and called it a night.

Thanks to Robin, Brad, Jason Hunter, Wes, Dan, and Milt for a fun evening.

One important thing to note…next week is our final Mens’ Night of the season. Remember, it is technically called Mens’ Night and not Mens’ Golf Night. The distinction is subtle but noteworthy.  Even if the weather is less than ideal, who cares? Come out for one last chance to hit some golf balls and hang out with the Wednesday night crew one final time before next May.

Until next week…stay dry and good luck with the harvest.

What the heck is a 10 iron?

On Wednesday, Darcy Kowalchuk had a ten iron. The brand name was “Ken Woods”, which must be old, because I could find no reference to it on the Internet. For those of you not familiar with these clubs, 10 irons were used first in the 1930’s and 40’s as putters.
 
Looking at this vintage club made me think about history a bit; the history of Mens’ Night specifically. Now I know the history of Shoal Lake Mens’ Night is much richer than my experience. I am sure there are great stories from the likes of Armor Girling or Bob Kimpinski. Heck, I bet Clayton Hunter could tell us some good ones.
 
That being said, I have only been around for the last 12 years…and only doing the Mens’ Night blog for four…so this is the best I can offer.

Prior to strolling down memory lane, I would revisit recent history and mention what happened this past Wednesday. 

For starters, nineteen golfers struggled with scoring. There was only one score under 40. The middle score was 48, which has to be the highest ever. And seven guys were 50 plus.

Larry Korsocil was closest on #5 and Joe Shwaluk hit it tight on #9. Neither they, nor any other golfers, recorded a deuce.

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Darcy Kowalchuk / Greg Arnfinson ($20 on #1, $38 on #2), Stephen David / Dale Watson ($23.50 on #5), Dennis Green / Brad Benton ($38 on #7), and Robin Kimpinski / Dummy ($20 on #9).

So now for our short-term history lesson. I thought it might be neat to highlight some of the noteworthy occurrences from the past four years.

• May 26, 2010 - First blog noted opening night. I assume it was a cool spring.
• June 9, 2010 – With the middle score, Luke Funk won three holes (2, 3, and 8) for $124.00. It was this occurrence that made us decide to implement the dummy card.
• July 10, 2010 – There was a twenty minute rain delay in the middle of the round
• July 23, 2010 - First Mens’ Night in a month that didn’t have rain.
• August 6, 2010- Jason Gorrell missed a hole-in-one on five, hitting a 3 wood on his old slicing ball path to six inches. The same night we decided to cap the prize for an ace and start building a second pot.
• August 13, 2010 - Decision to cap the scoring on any Mens' Night hole at 3 over par to speed up play  This also came on the heels of Blake Hunter’s 12 on #3.
• August 29, 2010 - Cody Cornwall had five sevens during his round.
• June 5, 2011 - Mens’ Night cancelled because of rain. Only time this has happened in the last 5 years.
• June 3, 2011 - I noted the wettest conditions on Mens’ Night that I had ever seen while golfing. There were new water hazards all over the course, with creeks on #1 and # 2 and an ever-growing lake on #3. The fourth hole was a swamp from tee to pin, and both par 3 holes had island-like greens.
• June 30, 2011- The course was so wet, we had to use a modified tee box on #3.
• August 12, 2011 - The combined score of 5 by Keith Booth and Charlie McNabb was good enough to capture our largest skin in recent history…$210.50.
• September 3, 2011 - The blog title referenced the first annual Mens’ Night club toss. After mounting frustration from earlier drives, Hubey's tee shot resulted in a short pop up into the bushes beside the eight tee box. While the drive only went about 40 feet, the driver went about 60, as Hubey fired it into the bog to the left.
• October 6, 2011 - Last night of the year had 29 golfers.
• April 29, 2012 - When we started golfing it was 1 C with a wind chill of -4 C.  When we finished at 8:30 pm it was -1 C with a wind chill of -7 C. 
• May 18, 2012 - A rare occurrence…no skins won despite 33 golfers.
• July 12, 2012 - It was mentioned that Tom Gibson recorded his third closest to the pin of the year on #5. He has had six closest this year.
• July 27, 2012 - Dale Watson won $1616 for his hole-in-one on five.
• September 12, 2012 - Robin paired with the dummy card to win $212 in total,
• September 17, 2012 – It was noted that we played in steady wind and gusts of up to 65 km/hr. Despite the conditions, Robin shot a 35 with a yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants ball.
• May 25, 2013 - I mentioned in the blog that my group golfed behind four Ostash’s. I was impressed with the care and time that each of those four took in lining up every putt, no matter how short. I stated how I mistakenly thought slow, deliberate golfing was a Milt thing. Now I understood that it was a family trait.
• August 10, 2013 - Sixteen year old Brayden Stewart shot a 36 for the low round of the evening.

We will have two more Mens’ Nights this year…September 18 and 25. The Club House closes for the season on Sunday, September 29^th.

September Golf

While it is sad to see the summer drawing to a close, there is still something to be said about golfing in September. The days start fresh and cool but still warm quickly in the late summer sun. You get to enjoy hitting balls down firm and fast autumn fairways and watching them roll and roll. You get to swing clubs with a backdrop of multi-coloured leaves framing the hole. All in all, despite the shortening of the days and the chillier evenings, it isn't so bad.

 

Then you get a day like today...a Saturday in September when the temperature still gets well into the 20's. Unfortunately, everyone is farming  or working in their jobs in the agricultural industry...so there is no one to golf with...yet.

 

There are other benefits to September golf. For example, lots of courses have end of the season specials on green fees. If you haven't tried Madge Lake in September, I would recommend it highly. And there are always some great sales at Golf Town for those thinking of getting some new equipment and clothing. For me, it is the challenge of trying to squeeze as many rounds in as possible before the snow that makes it even more enjoyable.

 

There were 28 golfers this past Wednesday...the first Mens' Night in September and the 17th of the season.

 

Closest to the pins were Kyler Demond on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Maynes and Butch Derhak had the only deuces of the night, splitting $42 for their efforts.

 

Butch's two on nine was paired with Ron Susinski's par on the same hole. This combination was good enough to win the accumulated skin of $175.50, the highest single hole payout of the past two years.

 

The other skins included Dan Stokes / Greg Arnfinson ($47 on #4) and a Scott Maynes / Blake Hunter double-team ($20 on #1, $20 on #8).

 

As was the case last week, it will be a 6:00 pm tee off time this coming Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Golf Hurts!

6:00 pm tee off next week

Sometimes golf hurts. Occasionally, bad shots and high scores cause us emotional pain. Other times golf results in actual physical discomfort. With apologies to Nazareth, it could be said that golf hurts, golf scars, golf wounds, and mars. Any heart not tough or strong enough to take a lot of pain...should probably find something else to do on Wednesday evenings.

With the Fall farming season underway, we dipped below thirty golfers for the first time in a while...with only 29 playing on Wednesday. It is possible that not everyone who missed was working on a field somewhere. Given that the majority of Mens' Night participants (including myself) are middle aged or older, we tend to lose a few due to injury as the season progresses. Heck, even Tiger Woods is having trouble. That's him in the picture above, kneeling on the fairway in a tournament last weekend...allegedly from a sore back.

At the start of the season, we are all reasonably healthy. Usually, the worst golf-related conditions that we have to deal with then are the sore heads and mild gastrointestinal distress the morning after Mens' Night. But as the summer progresses, golf takes a toll on our bodies. Knees and backs start to stiffen and mild tendonitis inflames our elbows. As a group, we generally soldier on, playing in spite of the mild maladies. In fact, the only time we even mention our ailments is after a bad shot...stating how our lower back spasm was the real reason we hooked the ball into the trees. Sure there are more serious injuries and illnesses. We occasionally have those who sever ligaments and require walking casts...or fall out of golf carts unexpectedly. For the most part, it is a combination of our aging bodies and the repetitive stress from swinging golf clubs for several months.

Even though some of those out on Wednesday were mildly hobbled, skins still went on four holes. Winners included Scott Maynes / Jason Hunter ($53.50 on #1), Stephen David / Ron Huberdeau ($33 on #3), Robin Kimpinski / Bob Moffatt ($20 on #5), and Dave Gill / Jamie McCutchin ($20 on #8). The ever elusive #9 skin remains in tact and will likely be at approximately $180 this Wednesday. While the high / low pairings are random, it would appear that a team is going to combine for a net birdie.

Closest to the pins this week were Jamie McCutchin on #5 and Kyler Demond on #9. Neither converted their birdie, leaving the $43.50 deuce pot to be split by Scott Maynes and Darcy Kowalchuk. It is worth noting that Scott's two was a chip in eagle on the par 4 1st hole. It nice that Maynes finally gets some luck on the golf course...given how bad he has been reporting his play of late. I actually was there one week recently when he scored a 38. I am assuming that has some injury causing him to score so high. On a positive note, Scott moved to the top of the season money list (which may be viewed by clicking the link on the left side of this page). Hopefully, the additional $48.00 he won this week helps to soothe his pain.

I will leave you with this classic story of a golf related injury...

A couple of women were playing golf on a Sunday morning. The first of the twosome teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. Indeed, the ball hit one of the men, and he immediately clasped his hands together at his crotch, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in evident agony.

The woman rushed down to the man and immediately began to apologize. "Please allow me to help. I'm a physical therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you'd allow me!", she told him earnestly.

"Ummph, oooh, nnooo, I'll be alright...I'll be fine in a few minutes", he replied breathlessly as he remained in the fetal position still clasping his hands together at his crotch.

But she persisted, and he finally allowed her to help him. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, she loosened his pants, and she put her hands inside. She began to massage him. She then asked him: "How does that feel"

To which he replied: "It feels great, but my thumb still hurts like hell."

The Ringers Have Been Identified

Last night was the final evening for the 2013 Ringer Board. When the final scores were locked in, the first and second flight winners were determined. Congratulations to Robin Kimpinski, whose -7 score edged out Brad Benton(-6) and Scott Maynes (-5). Scott finished ahead of Jason Neufeld, who also posted a -5, on a count back. Interestingly enough, poor performance on two holes yesterday put Mike Susinski and I into the money for the second flight. Both of us started the evening at -3 but went four over on our final two ringer holes to finish at +1. Like Scott Maynes, I benefited from the count back to finish ahead of Mike.

Thirty seven golfers came to Mens' Night with only six cashing in for skins. After a couple of weeks of lots of holes being won, only three went on Wednesday. Winners included Scott Maynes / John McMullan ($20 on #2), Rob Anderson / John "Butch" Derhak ($20 on #5), and Brent Allen / Jason Gorrell ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Brad Benton on #5 and Gord Turner on #9. There were four deuces, two by Mr. Benton and one each by Chris Kimpinski and Butch.

Mens' Night will continue as long as the weather holds up. If you want to believe those pessimistic meteorologists, that may only be until the end of September. If you want to be optimistic, imagine playing in November with above average temperatures and firm but fair greens. Sure we will have to adjust to an earlier start time...and maybe some of you will have to miss a night because of a child's hockey game or Christmas shopping...but who cares...it will be November. For the more pragmatic among us, let's hope we at least get a week into October, just to say we did it.

In any case, we are good to go next week, Wednesday, August 28th. Tee-off is at 6:30 pm. In honour of Robin's win on the Ringer Board, wear something pink.

Too Hot For Golf?

I don't get it. All year we complain about how un-summerlike the weather is. Then today it is beautiful outside and no one wants to golf. I can't believe people think it is to hot to play.

The warm weather on Mens' Night on Wednesday didn't keep many away. Forty-one golfers enjoyed a nice evening with some excellent scoring conditions. I was in Clear Lake so I have little to report other than prizes.

Seven skins went, on seven holes, with only #1 and 9 remaining intact. Winners included the following:
- Dale Martin / Keith Martin, $20.50 on #2
- Jamie McCutchin / Ron Susinski, $42.50 on #3
- Jamie McCutchin / Ron Susinski, $20.50 on #4
- Chris Kimpinski / Troy Chwaluk, $20.50 on #5
- Devin Allen / Brad Swereda, $20.50 on #6
- Pete Ostash / Luke Funk, $20.50 on #7
- Theoren Hunter / Robin Kimpinski, $42.50 on #8

Closest to the pins were Brad Swereda on #5 and Jim Geekie on #9. The deuce pot of $61.50 was split by Robin and Troy Chwaluk.

Don't forget that this week is the last night for the ringer board.

Golf Really is Just a Game

Playing golf can make you feel like a little kid. When it goes well, it’s like having a bubble bath, building a snow fort, and jumping into a puddle all rolled into one.  When you have trouble, you feel like throwing a tantrum, and maybe some clubs, and just leaving. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five.

When golf is good, it’s like childhood…playing with friends outside until dark with no worries. You live in the present and almost forget about the world outside the golf course.  This is never more apparent then when you return home after golfing with a few guys. When your wife asks the inevitable “What did you talk about?” question, you struggle to respond. The best you can offer is stating that you talked about golf…and maybe the weather.

Like children, golfers get to be curious, use their imaginations, and occasionally show off to impress their friends. Even better, playing golf as an adult, you need not worry about getting called in at 9:00 pm by your mother for a bath or for bedtime. That being said, there have been a few guys at Mens’ Night that occasionally get called home by their spouse…but that’s a different matter.

For a few of us, Wednesday mornings are like Christmas mornings when you were eight years old….full of excitement and promise. Christmas and golf scores are similar in that for both, you can’t wait to see what you get. In both cases, you are usually mildly disappointed.

If you think of it, golf is sort of like one big collection of children’s games. For example, several of us played hide and seek with our shots last night. Very often this occurred on hole #4, after wayward tee shots or overly aggressive second shots.  A few played dodge ball as sculled shots and balls hot of hozzles whizzed by them. Finally, we all played chase, but not of us could catch Brayden Stewart who had a low score of the evening. This was very appropriate for our child theme given that Brayden is 15 years old. That is 78 years younger than last night’s oldest golfer, Clayton Hunter.

A season high 44 golfers competed this past Wednesday, with skins going on six holes. Winners included Cubby / Devin Stewart ($40 on #1), Devin Allen / Bob Moffatt ($22 on #2), Brad Swereda / Dennis Green ($40 on #4), Jamie McCutchin / Theoren Hunter ($77.50 on #5), Hubey / Keith Martin ($22 on #6), and Clayton Hunter / Brad Benton ($22 on #9). Brad’s skin came on his 53^rd birthday, with him and Mr. Hunter combining for 146 years of experience.

The deuce pot of $66 was split four ways among Jeremy Hogg, Mike Pryzner, Brayden Stewart, and Theoren Hunter. Closest to the holes were Theoren on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. That of course is Tom’s sixth time in which he has done that on #9.

Remember, we are now doing 6:30 pm starts.

One final thought connecting playing golf to being a kid…childhood is like drinking at Mens’ Night…because everyone can remember what you did except for you.

Long weekends are for golfing...not Tinker Bell!

I am finally doing this week's blog entry...but I would rather be golfing right now. My brother-in-law is visiting for the weekend. We played 27 holes yesterday and had hoped to double that today. Unfortunately, the darn rain keeps coming. So I am doing this...and my brother-in-law is watching "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" with the kids. If you see us out on the golf course later today or tomorrow, ask him about it. He seems really into it. I think I will hold out until the weather improves...maybe play some Tiger Woods on the Wii or watch the real Mr. Woods wrap up the Bridgestone.

But I digress. Back to Mens' Night. Tom Gibson was the story of the evening as he again was closest to the hole on #9...the fifth time this year he accomplished that feat. We are thinking on naming the hole after him.  He could join other local legends whose names have been immortalized around the golf course. Firstly, there is the Funk Fence across the road behind the second green...in the area where Luke's booming tee shots often come to rest. The Kowalchuk Condominium's are located in the water hazard on the right side of the third fairway. Next, there is the outhouse on #4 which is named after Milt for some reason. There's Gorrell Pasture, adjacent to the par three fifth hole. This was the area of out bounds to the right over which his slicing tee shots travelled in the past before coming back into play. Finally, there is the Best Friends of Brandon Forever Bench near the seventh tee...where Robin and Brad first met and fell for each other.

Speaking of Robin Kimpinski...he lit it up on Wednesday shooting a 32, with four consecutive birdies at one point. Pete Ostash also had a fine round, carding a 34. None of the rest of us could crack 40!

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Milt / Ronnie ($75.50 on #2), Brett Griffin / Devin Allen ($20 on #3), Brad Swereda / Troy Chwaluk ($20 on #6), Keith Martin / Robin Kimpinski ($20 on #7), and Jason Hunter / Chris Kimpinski ($70.50 on #8).

The other closest to the pin was Bob Moffatt on #5 who won a Benny's Gift Certificate as his prize. Bob split the deuce pot with Pete "Walking Cast" Ostash.

The final night for the ringer board is August 21st...so you have three weeks to get scores in, including this coming Wednesday. Any holes for which you have not posted a score will receive a triple bogey.

Next week, we will go to a 6:30 pm start time. Please remember to turn in your cards after completing your round. Not everyone likes sitting around the club house waiting for those of you who play for an extra hour.

Horse Race July 27th

Our Horse Race tournament is Saturday, July 27th.  Information is found in the links section to the left.

This event is part of the Desjardins Financial Westman Golf Tour.

We are accepting 60 golfers. Here is who has registered to date:

1- Stephen David
2- Scott Maynes
3 - Darcy Kowalchuk
4- Jamie McCutchin
5- Bob Moffatt
6- Dale Watson
7- Jason Neufeld
8- Jason Gorrell
9- Brant Hilton
10- Mike Susinksi
11- Pete Ostash

12- Derek Ostash
13- Dan Deonarine
14- Jason Hunter
15- Robin Kimpinski
16- Brad Benton
17- Kyler Demond
18- Wes Gregory
19- Cam Gregory
20- Chris Kimpinski
21- Brad Swereda
22- Doug Koroscil
23- Ken Wowryk
24- Clay Wyborn
25- Ron Huberdeau
26- Gab Hubderdeau
27- Dale Martin
28- Dave Gill
29- Wes Arnfinson
30- Barry Chief
31- Jim Geekie
32- Dean Oakden #1
33- Dean Oakden #2
34- Dean Oakden #3
35- Dean Oakden #4
36- Austin Hunter
37- Devin Allen
38- Blake Cramer
39- Matthew Short
40- Ron Susinski
41- John Derhak
42- Dennis McCutchin
43- Rick Haynes
44- Doug Scutchings
45- Carey Findlay
46- Pete LePage #1
47- Ken Fast
48- Paul Johnstone #1
49- Paul Johnstone #2
50- Paul Johnstone #3
51- Paul Johnstone #4

Contact Stephen David to enter, by email sdavid@mts.net or text 847-0161.

That's a Big Hole!

Actual fake picture of hole #7 on Wednesday

I know this blog is supposed to be about Mens’ Night…but I am excited about Saturday so I want to talk about the Horse Race first.

Horse racing is an equestrian sport has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC. In the Roman Empire, chariot and mounted horse racing were major industries. Thoroughbred racing was, and is, popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, earning it the title "Sport of Kings”.

In Shoal Lake, the Horse Race is a new phenomenon. Our version of this ancient tradition pits man against man in the noblest of battlefields...the nine hole, small town golf course. This Saturday is our third annual Horse Race and I am excited about it.  Sure we are on the Desjardins Financial Westman Golf Tour which is cool I guess. Plus we got a mention in the Brandon Sun….which is kind of neat. For me…it is the whole experience. The planning and promoting…followed by the mild anxiety as people sign up, then withdraw, then get replaced by others. I look forward not to just the golf on Saturday, but the Calcutta and the placement of the chipping stakes in between rounds. Heck…I am even excited about going out with Scotty Maynes tomorrow night and repositioning the red stakes on the third hole. The Horse Race is fun!

Mens’ Night is also fun…and this week was no different. We finally hit 40 golfers for the first time in an unusual year in which we have had pretty good turnout every week but not a single instance of great turnout. The conditions initially seemed quite favourable, but the rain around 5:00 pm made the greens really slow and soft. Multiple golfers complained that they hit the front of holes and stopped almost instantly. By the end of the night, the course was littered with countless deep pitch marks.The scoring was actually much worse than anyone would have predicted, with over a quarter of the golfers passing the half century mark.

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Jamie McCutchin / Dick Edgeworth ($20 on #1), Stephen David / Carey Findlay ($103 on #3), Chris Kimpinski / Cubby Bartram ($20 on #4), Ron Huberdeau / Austin Hunter ($20 on #6), and Mike Susinski / Scott Maynes ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were recorded by Dwayne Blackbird on #5 and Jim Geekie on #9. Sport is one a Tom Gibson kind of roll, being tightest two weeks in a row. Only Dwayne converted the deuce, which was good for $60.

By the way, while some people complained about how deep the seventh hole was cut, I really enjoyed it. There is something reassuring about putting towards an opening which is twice as large as usual.

One final thing…if you have not heard about the proposed development of an upscale RV park adjacent to the golf course ask a Board member about it.

Just the Facts

 

Some big shot local insurance agent recently suggested that the Mens' Night blog is more my personal journal than anything else. I don't want to mention the guy's name. Let's just call him Bobbin Bobinski.

To be fair, a lot of what is written is from my perspective...because it is written from my perspective. If no one tells me about anything that happens in their own groups, I am a bit limited in what I can reference.

This week, I will limit my personal reflections and focus on the facts of Mens' Night.

There were 35 golfers.

Three skins were won, including Bob Moffatt / Kyler Demond ($20 on #4), John Gill / Bobbin Bobinski ($32.50 on #6), Les Grills / Scotty Maynes ($64 on #7)

Closest to the pins were Jim Geekie on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. This is the fourth time this year Tom has had closest to the pin on nine...and three of them were witnessed by Jason Hunter.

Dale Watson and Brad Benton shared the $52.50 deuce pot.

Read Between the Lines

 

Since I have gone on vacation, the blog posts are getting shorter. I am not sure if I am busier or lazier.

Thirty golfers showed up on Wednesday. During the Mens’ Night round…some golfed well, some didn’t. Almost everyone golfed extra holes. On one of those nights that the conditions were just right, many of us turned in our score cards and kept going. It just seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances.

Three skins went, including a big $120.50 one on #5 to Devin Allen and Gab Huberdeau. Devin birdied with a chip in from 60 yards or so. The other two skins went to Scott Maynes / Stephen David ($65.50 on #5) and Terry Susinski / Brad Benton ($20.50 on #9).

Brad and Terry were part of a group of four golfers who recorded deuces. The other two were Scottie Maynes and Gab Huberdeau.  They split $45 for their twos.

The closest to the pins were Maynes on #5 and Benton on #9. Scott claimed a great prize for his efforts…two passes to Shilo Golf Club donated by Tom Gibson. If anyone else is interested in donating anything for closest to the pin, please let me know.

As of next week we will have two hole in one pots. We made a motion to cap any hole-in-one prize at $1500 and then start building a  second pot. That way, if someone wins it one week there could be a reasonable prize if someone else scores an ace in a subsequent week.  If multiple people get lucky the first week, they will split the $1500.

Another good Wednesday

 

 

This will be a quick one. The in-laws are coming for a visit and I have to finish getting things ready.

Thirty one golfers competed, with skins going on four holes including Dick Edgeworth / Scott Maynes ($20 on #2), Chris Kimpinski / Ron Huberdeau ($50.50 on #6), and Stephen David / Jeff Kuntz ($64.00 on #8).

Closest to the pins were Stephen David on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. That’s two weeks in a row for Tom…and likely a half dozen or so in the last two years. The deuce pot of $46.50 was split by Mr. Gibson and Sport. Sport jumped to the top of the season money list, now leading the way with $112.25.

Our next big tournament is the Horse Race on July 27^th. If you would like to enter or want some additional information, you may reach me at 847-0161 or sdavid@mts.net.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the club at Friday’s fundraiser tournament. Great job to all who organized, worked, and volunteered.

Pass the word and let’s crack 40 for the first time this coming Wednesday. Some of the holes are building up, including #4 which will be worth over $120.

Let There Be Golf!

 

Maybe ten years ago, I was part of a foursome that did a Heart and Stroke fundraiser called the Longest Day of Golf. Darcy Kowalchuk, Scott Maynes, Darren Rozdeba, and I teed off around 5:45 am and played until 10:13 pm. We enjoyed sun, light rain, high winds, perfect calm, and then more of each in different sequences over 101 holes. It was a good day.

Why am I referencing this? Well...I missed Mens' Night this week because of the Shoal Lake grad. I plan on making up for it tomorrow. It was my second miss in three weeks. The forecast for tomorrow calls for sunny skies and highs around 26 Celsius. I hope to be at the dump at 9:00 am when it opens...and at the first tee by 10:00 am.

For the 33 gentlemen fortunate to make it to Mens' Night, it was an evening of nice weather...good temperatures but a bit windy...the standard for this part of the province. I was asked by someone from out of town if it was always windy here. I joked that it was calm once, back in May of 2007. The irony is I am now looking at boats gliding across the almost dead calm lake. Really, when you think of it...who cares if it is windy. Last Sunday it was pretty calm as the buckets of rain spilled down upon us and into basements across town. If it is sunny and 26 tomorrow, it can blow as much as it wants.

Back to the recent Mens' Night. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Dick Edgeworth / Dale Martin ($35 on #1), Robin Kimpinski / Troy Chwaluk ($48.50 on #2), and Mike Susinksi / Dale Nicholson ($20 on #9). Mr. Nicholson also was the lone winner of the deuce pot, earning $49.50 for his two. Closest to the pins were Dale Martin on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. Robin posted two birdies on the ringer board, moving into a tie for second at -5.

Next Wednesday appears promising for a couple of reasons. The forecast looks awesome. There are some big skins including #4 which will likely be around $110. And I will be on vacation…which means no work on Thursday. Friday should be fun as well with the annual Lakeside Golf Course Fundraiser.

Remember, if you are drinking, driving is ill advised. In fact, I would even urge caution when putting.

Wes X 2

In case you are wondering, the thing to the right is the Chinese symbol for twins.

On multiple occasions I have golfed with two Jasons or two Rons. Frequently, I play with two fifty-something men who put highlights in their hair. But on Wednesday, I had an experience that not many people likely have had. I golfed with two guys named Wes. You all know the venerable Mr. Arnfinson. The other gentleman was Wes Walstrom, from Morinville, Alberta, in town on a work crew.

It was an enjoyable evening as we hit our season high with 37 golfers. As is often the case, increased competition means fewer skins get won. Only two holes went, with Troy Chwaluk and Dan Stokes winning $20 on #7 and Rob Anderson and Neuf cashing in for $73.50 on #9. Robin Kimpinski had the lone deuce and earned $55.50 for his efforts. Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and the ageless Clayton Hunter on #9.

The forecast for this Wednesday looks pretty good, with predicted temperatures in the mid-20’s with a humidex around 30. Enjoy your round. I will be at the Shoal Lake grad with Mr. Maynes.

One additional thing worth noting, we are hearing loud and clear that you want steak on Mens’ Night. We will be working on your behalf to make sure that this is the case going forward.

Moving Day

Saturday is traditionally moving day in PGA tournaments. In today's action at the US Open, Hunter Mahan moved into second place with his second consecutive 69, while Rory and Tiger played their way out of contention with their afternoon struggles.

Saturday was also moving day for me. After breakfast at the hotel and some yard sale visits, I spent the day packing and moving things to my new house. The big item portion of the move is tomorrow...which is Father's Day and the final day of a golf major. I know some of you Dads will be golfing. I will wave to you from my house. I know others will be watching the US Open. My satellite and internet isn't hooked up yet. I will be checking golf updates on my phone. On a positive note, while packing I found two important golf related items. Firstly, there was a dozen new Titleists that I must have received for Christmas and forgot about along the way. Secondly, I found my Drink Caddy, which I will bring to Mens' Night this week.

I missed this past week but Scottie Maynes and Jason Gorrell made sure everything ran smoothly in my absence. Twenty-eight golfers battled it out with several cashing in for skins. The winners included Pete Ostash / Devin Allen ($29.00 on #1), Jim Geekie and Barry Kurtz ($29.00 on #5), and Dan Stokes / Austin Hunter ($29.00 on #7).  Luke Funk and Jason Hunter were double winners, getting $55.00 on #3 and $20.00 on #6.  

Closest to the pins for the evening were Mike Susinski on #5 and Brad Benton on #9. Brad converted his putt for the only deuce on the night, earning $40.50 for his efforts.

The ringer board sheet was not in the box. I assume it is still on the board. You will therefore have to wait until next week for the update.

Normally I would write more...but it is getting late and I am a bit played out. Enjoy your Sunday, whatever your plans might be. See you in four more sleeps.

Karma, Karma, Karma Chamelon

It was a fine birthday celebration for Scott Maynes, who brought in his special day with a the low round of the week, a fine 35.

Thirty one golfers enjoyed very good conditions, although there seemed to be some disparity in how those conditions translated into performance. For example, there were groups like Scott’s that lit it up, with foursome scores of 35, 37, 37, and 37. And then there were the slew of high 40 and low 50 scores.

I have had the good fortune to have the low round a few times at Mens’ Night. Not as often as some…but on occasion I get going and card a 36 on days when others can’t get below 37 or 38. I also have had the occasional problem round where I flirt with 50.

Until Wednesday, I never have had the experience of scoring the highest round of the evening. With 30 other guys playing, my 52 gave me the title of “most honest golfer” for the night. I did get excited a bit when I saw another 52 come in…but that feeling dissipated quickly. You see Charlie McNabb did not triple bogey eight as I did, so my score held up on a countback.

After being in the low pot the first three weeks, and on two of the weeks being paired with the highest score of the night, the situation was reversed.  After golfing with and then being matched up with a guy who shot a 61 the first night, the situation was reversed. My only hope was that I would get paired with one of those kind-hearted older gentlemen who come out for fun and who wouldn’t think of pointing out the fact that my scores weren’t going to help their scores win any skins. Thankfully, I was paired with Robin Kimpinski, a man who would not dream of drawing attention to another or making a big deal of who scored what. Thanks to his parents for helping him become the caring and supportive man he is today. I often said if he was not in the insurance business, Robin could be either a therapist or maybe a priest.

I would say that it was ironic to score the way I did, two weeks after suggesting in a previous blog that Jason Hunter would shoot a 51.  Karma sucks.

Of the thirty-one golfers, only a few cashed in on any holes. Three skins were won, by Luke Funk and Jason Gorrell ($41.50 on #2), Neuf and Cubby ($50.50 on #8), and Sport on his own ($64.50 on #6). Brad Swereda was closest on #5 while Keith Booth was closest on #9. Keith Martin had the lone deuce of the evening, collecting $46.50 for his efforts.

Brad Benton continued his assault on the record books by recording another birdie for the ringer board, bringing his cumulative score to -7. He now only needs to lock in scores for holes #4, 8, and 9. I should mention that the record books are only a couple of years old...but they are still the records.

Well that’s it for this morning. I have to go and get some gas for my cart for today’s Lions’ Club tournament. Hopefully I will see a few of you guys there. I will not see you at our next Mens’ Night, because our divisional recognition event is the same evening. I will likely be sitting there, watching as the long-serving and retiring members of my school division are acknowledged, wishing I was golfing. What does it say about me, after the torture of that 52 last week, that I still want to be out there again? Like most golfers, I have those two key qualities necessary to enjoy the game…a really short memory…and the belief, however delusional, that next week will be when I light it up.

 

One additional thing to note...when searching for a picture for this week's blog, I typed in the phrase "karma sucks" into the Google search bar. I didn't exactly find what I was looking for...forgetting the Karma is also a girl's name.

Rain, rain, go away!

I am writing this blog on an evening in which I am contemplating building an ark. I am home because my daughter’s ball practice is cancelled tonight…two days after a game was postponed because of rain. I am looking at the online weather reports and hoping we don’t get the weather that is being forecasted. I am not overly optimistic.

I should quickly apologize. Lately, this blog seems to be more about weather than golf. I know that the crappy conditions outside aren't life or death for me. I recognize also that there are people whose livelihood depends on good weather.  But for many of us, golf is an important part of that work / life balance. During the summer, I look forward to Wednesdays more than Fridays.  Many of us are happiest when Mens’ Night is warm and sunny, sad when it is rainy, and grateful on nights like last night when at least you could at least dress warmly and play.

I mistakenly said during March break that I would try to stop complaining about the weather. Unfortunately, that was nine weeks ago. This prolonged poor weather is getting old fast. I can’t even remember the last time I golfed on a really nice day. I think that it may have been early September of last year…which was eight months ago.

Despite the les than stellar conditions, 29 guys showed up for Mens’ Night this week. The best thing about the increased numbers is that it results in more carry-overs for skins, leading to bigger prizes down the road. With a higher number of players, only three skins were won – Rob Anderson / Jason Gorrel ($20 on #1), Neuf / Sport ($20 on #5), and Dan Stokes / Terry McTavish ($20 on #7).  Neuf split the deuce pot with Darcy Kowalchuk and Brad Benton. Neuf and Jamie McCutchin were closest on #5 and #9 respectively.

I have to sign off now. My dog needs to go for a walk. Fortunately, it will be quick. She hates the rain too.

Don’t forget that the Lions’ tournament is next weekend. It should be a fun day. I checked the long range forecast and it isn’t supposed to snow.

Windy Wednesday

It was a windy Wednesday for those that attended Mens' Night. I will get to that shortly...but first a few thoughts about today's weather.

 

Writing on this golf blog is sort of like golfing itself. Sometimes I am eager to do it and I put other things aside to make it a priority. On other occasions, it is something to do just to pass the time while I am waiting for something else. I hope today is the latter…although I need the weather to cooperate a bit.

This morning I woke up enthusiastically, albeit earlier than expected because my dog likes to mess with me. My enthusiasm was borne from the prospect of golfing all day. Then I just looked at the forecast for today, for tomorrow, and the next week. If you are prone to profanity, I would recommend not looking at the Environment Canada site for Shoal Lake while in the presence of children. I am now uncertain whether I should dig out my rain suit for some golf or perhaps get some lumber and start building an ark.

I guess my enthusiasm can shift to our next Mens’ Night, when potentially our friends and neighbours in the farming and agricultural business might be able to join us.

Or, I can enthusiastically look back to this past Wednesday, when we had 23 golfers out for Mens’ Night.  On an extremely windy evening when the low round was just 41, only three skins were won.  Phil Ostash and I claimed $20 on #1 while Scottie Maynes and Milt teamed up for two winners ($21 on 5, $20 on 7).  Mr. Maynes had good fortune all around, hitting it closest to the pin on #5 and splitting the $34.50 deuce pot with Jamie McCutchin. The other closest to the pin was recorded by Brad Benton on #9, putting it to inside of three feet before missing the birdie.

This week, I had the pleasure of golfing with Jamie, Brad, and Garry Williamson, who apparently had to come out to deter Benton from heckling him. We golfed behind four Ostash’s. I was impressed with the care and time that each of those four took in lining up every putt, no matter how short. I mistakenly thought slow, deliberate golfing was a Milt thing. Now I understand that it is a family trait.

The future looks bright

I have some predictions about this year’s Mens’ Night…but before I get to that, I need to briefly mention what happened on the golf course.

During our first round of the season, nineteen golfers showed up after a long winter of hibernation. Skins went on five holes, including those won by Neuf and Gorrell ($20 on #1), Dale Watson and Blake Cramer ($23.50 on #3), and Jamie McCutchins and Dan Stokes ($20 on #4). Benton and Butch teamed up for two winners ($20 on #2 and $20 on $7). Brad was closest on #5 while Dwayne Blackbird hit it tight on #9. Brad and Dwayne split a $60 deuce pot with me. The only news that anyone offered were a few stories about how Robin and Brad argued about gimmies.

So back to my foretelling of the future of Mens’ Night. I have gazed into my crystal ball to make some predictions about the 2013 season. They are as follows:

• There will be two hole-in-ones recorded...including one on a par 4.
  Sadly, neither ace will be recorded by Dale Watson or Robin Kimpinski.
• Someone will make a cash bet with a playing partner and show poor
  sportsmanship later when they collect their winnings.
• Five people will throw clubs from the eight tee box into the swampy
  wasteland adjacent to it. One of them will go in to find their lost club,
  only to find one tossed their by Chris Hrysak during a previous season.
• Milt will talk to himself at length after hitting a shot which causes
  him displeasure.
• Many of you will buy Weber barbecues from John Deere after seeing how well your steaks cook on our new grill.
• Someone will shoot a max score of 63 on nine holes. Two golfers have been close at 61, including a poor guy this past Wednesday.
• Ron Huberdeau and Ron Susinski will get into a fist fight in the middle
  of a round while arguing about who is more handsome.
• On a windy day in late July, Luke Funk will hit the lake with his tee
  shot from #2.
• Jason Gorrell's scoring will improve by 3-4 strokes per nine hole round
  based upon the elimination of his super slice.
• On one mens' night early in the season, Clayton Hunter will register a score which is less than half his age.
• Brad Swereda will win the ringer board with a score of -8.
• Scott Maynes will tell someone his round wasn't that great after shooting a 38.
• On the same evening, Wes will tell someone he lit it up after shooting a
  38.
• Every night someone other than Benton wins the deuce pot, he will yell "Throw it back" as they try to claim their prize.
• Jason Hunter will follow a score of 51 one week with a 36 the next week.
• We will play on a night in which the lightning will be dangerously
  close. While no one will be struck, we will tell stories to our
  grandchildren about how brave we were playing in those conditions.
• John Gill will smile and be friendly after every round, regardless of
  his score or the weather conditions.
• Neuf will say the "F-word".
• I will hit someone 150 yards away with a low flying golf ball hit from a
  pitch mark by a 3 wood...similar to what I did last year.

Mens' Night 2013 starts Wednesday

 

 

After a winter that requires no description or further attention, Mens' Night begins this Wednesday. All of the same elements continue as last year, including weekly skins and the ringer board.

 

The blog will be updated on a weekly basis...some times right away...and occasionally not until Sunday. The speed of the update depends on how busy I am with other things and what the weather is like.

 

The links on the left side of the page have been updated...including the skins for this week.

Seven holes were won during our last round of 2012, so only two holes are carried over. There is a nice hole-in-one prize of $1241.50 if anyone gets lucky.

 

During the course of the season, feel free to update me on unique things that happen within your group. Great shots, thrown clubs, and feats of strength are always worth noting.

 

Hopefully, we will see you all on Wednesday...when the forecast is 20 C and sunny. I golfed a bit this evening and the course is in really good shape. We are aiming for a 6:30 pm tee off time for the first few weeks.