Turn that frown upside down

Robin cries a little every time Milt reminds him that he put him out of the Horse Race. Milt gets sad when the fish aren't biting. Neuf gets teary eyed whenever he and his mom watch "The Notebook".  Gorrell gets welled-up when he has to leave people unattended in his garage on a Saturday night.

For me, the thing that gets me the most is the end of summer, epitomized by the final Mens' Night of the year. Wednesday night certainly had an end-of-season feel. Only 16 golfers showed up and it was a extremely cool and windy fall evening.

I have lived in Manitoba over half my life and I am still not used to the winters here. We generally have good summers with enough long, warm days to make it worthwhile. It just seems like it passes so darn quickly. The weather the last two years has not been ideal. It seems as if we are in a pattern of six months of winter, three months of  rain, and three months of summer.

I know that we will still have a few days to hit around golf balls. The next week looks especially promising, except for the rain that is falling right now. However, if recent trends hold true it will be eight months before Mens' Night resumes Eight months is a pretty long time.

I could continue to bemoan the loss of summer or end of Mens' Night...but complaining takes too much effort. Instead, I think it appropriate to celebrate the season that we had. Here are some highlights:
- We had 19 Mens' Nights...and a good majority of them were sunny and warm.
- Scott Maynes topped the season money list with a big night early in
September.
- On our first evening in May, only 7 of 15 golfers scored under 50. Maybe not a highlight, but still noteworthy.
- The machine shed was a welcome refuge and place to hang out during a couple of mid-round thunder storms.
- We had 51 golfers on August 3rd.
- Although no one claimed the hole-in-one prize, the accumulated pots built to over $2300.
- Neuf's blistering -8 score claimed the ringer board.
- Many nights we could see the volunteer crew working away on the new campground development.
- We were nearly lifted away one night in mid-July by a plague of mosquitoes and black flies.
- As recently mentioned, we paid out over $3000 in prize money to over 50 golfers.

The last highlights of the year will be the acknowledgment of those golfers who did well on the final night of Mens' Night.

- Ryan Merasty had his round of the summer, combining eight pars with a birdie for a 35.

- Brad Benton was closest on #5 and Neuf closest on #9. Only Neuf finished with a two so he claimed the $24 deuce pot on his own.

- Skins went on three holes. Winners included Stephen David / Wes Arfinson ($20 on #2), Ryan Merasty / Blake Hunter ($23 on #2), and Neuf / Jason Hunter ($20 on #9).

Thanks to all of the golfers for another great season. Thanks also to the Club House staff, Jenn and Natasha, for their excellent work this year...and thanks to Tracy K. for helping us out the last few weeks.

Remember the final day at the Club House is Sunday. However, our greenskeeper works until the end of the month and the weather for the next little while looks excellent.

See you for the next Mens' Night...on April 22, 2015. If I can't be optimistic, what's the point.

Only my body was cold

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these golfers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. By only changing a single word from the US Postal Service creed, I aptly described this past Wednesday.

On a rather cool fall evening, we needed to make a few last minute phone calls to get us to past the ten players required to have Mens' Night. When all was said and done we had eleven golfers. Good job Jason, Scott, Robin, Wes, Brett, Neuf, Brad, Ron A., Denny, Hubey, and Stephen.

Once we started playing it actually felt a little warmer out. I am not saying it was getting hot or anything, but many of us stopped wearing gloves in between shots and I am pretty sure at least one person removed their toque. Once we added a bit of antifreeze to our blood, we played almost enthusiastically, although extra holes were not an option for anyone.

Jason Gorrell and Brad Benton teamed up on three holes, winning $20 skins on #1 and #2 and another $28.50 for #6. Other skins went to Brett Griffin / Robin Kimpinski ($20 on #7), Dennis Green / Jason Neufeld ($49.50 on #8), and Stephen David ($20 on #9).

Hubey had closest on #5 and Stephen was closest on #9. Neither they nor any other golfer scored a deuce.

The forecast looks promising for this week so come out if you can. Two more Mens' Nights and we hit 20 for the season which is as good a measure of success as we have.

Who's the Dummy Now?

Robin Kimpinski is a dummy. Perhaps I should have said he was the dummy on Wednesday, but I think the message was clear. Robin's score on Mens' Night was the middle one of 19 cards so he went to the low pot and a replicate of his card went to the high pot as the dummy card.

Scott Maynes is one lucky dummy...because he paired with Robin's dummy card. The benefit of pairing up in this fashion means you need not split your winnings with anyone. As the result of his good fortune, Scott won a $20 skin on #1, a $133.50 skin on #5, and a $23 skin on #7. Ever the gracious winner, Scott purchased a round for the Club House before leaving for the evening.

With his big week, Scott has jumped ahead of Neuf in the season money list. In case anyone is interested, this year we have already paid out more than $3300 in prize money to over 50 golfers.

Two other skins were won. Brad Benton and Ron Anderson picked up $117.50 for #4 while John Gill and Hubey got $20 for #9. Ron suggested the par that he contributed on the par 5 fourth hole was his first in many years.

Closest to the pin on #5 was Jason Gorrell. On #9, we had our first ever tie...or at least the first since I have been involved with Mens' Night. After a reported four different measurements, it was deemed that Brad Benton and John Gill were equidistant from the hole.

I will resist the urge to comment too much about the weather conditions this past week because of a previous commitment to deemphasize the meteorological influences on Mens' Night. Let me simply suggest that the phrase "Wet Wes Whiffs Woefully" helps paint a picture.

This forecast for this weekend looks great for golf. Unfortunately, the change of season appears to have our wives and significant others in job assignment mode. Already there are a few of us trying to coordinate one day of golf against one day of work around the house. We have the classic chores versus scores dilemma. For the most part, it seems that the plan is work today and play tomorrow.

Don't put away the clubs yet

Some people get sad when September rolls around. They lament the passing of the holiday months and start forecasting how soon the weather will turn cold. I like to take the other perspective. Firstly, summer isn't over until the weather gets really cool. Secondly, just because I return to work full-time doesn't mean the golf season is over. We will get a few more Mens' Nights, maybe three or four if we are lucky, and there is always evening and weekend golf.

Take this weekend for example. Great daytime temperatures and conditions...plus Monday is a holiday.

Even when it gets cooler it's fun because the fairways get harder. Hit a ball up the middle and you'll likely get some of your longest drives of the season.

Twenty-seven golfers played on Wednesday with some new faces among them. None of the newbies had a better evening than Brandin Wilkinson. His great tee shot on #9 gave him closest to the pin, a share of the deuce pot, and the $20 skin with Brad Benton.

Other skins went to Neuf / Denny ($34.50 on #1), Dale Watson / Jason Hunter ($20 on #2), and Sport / Keith Martin ($20 on #3).

The other closest to the hole was Sport on #5. Unfortunately he did not convert the two. Dick Edgeworth ended up splitting the pot with the previously mentioned Mr. Wilkinson. Both got birdies on #9.

Don't forget that we will continue with the early start time this week with a 6:00 pm tee off. If you have no one on the hole in front of you and your group doesn't spend too much time looking for balls, there is always the chance for extra holes after you turn in your cards. This past week my group finished our Mens' Night round, dropped off our cards, played seven more holes, and we were still among the first back in the Club House.

If you need incentive to play, we have two great hole in one pots. One is capped at $1500 and the back-up pot is now at $792.

Well...that's it for now. My brother-in-law will be arriving soon for the weekend....which means lots of golf for the next few days.

That was alot of Jasons

It was like a Friday the 13th marathon. We had five Jason's last night out of the 42 golfers who came to play. Thanks to Gorrell, Hunter, Neufeld, Colon, and Galbraith for making this blog entry possible.

 

The similarities between the movies and our Mens' Night don't end just in the numbers of Jasons. For example, Jason Voorhees first appeared at Camp Crystal Lake. We played last night at Shoal Lake. The film franchise tells the story of a scary loner who chases unsuspecting coeds to claim revenge for a previous wrongdoing. Last night, Neuf won $80 to claim the ringer pot. The movies were bashed by critics but beloved by film goers. Our Mens' Night is often criticized by spouses and significant others yet is cherished by the hard working men of our community who seek only three hours per week of quiet reflection on the golf course while accompanied by their peers. Finally, the body count in the first Friday the 13th film was eleven...the same number of people who scored over 50 last night.

 

The round wasn't scary for everyone with several golfers bringing home cash. Skins went on five holes. Winners included Dave Lysyk / Robin Kimpinski ($21 on #2), Scott Maynes / Dale Butland ($55.50 on #3), Mikey / Hubey ($40 on #6), Charlie McNabb / Brady Waddell ($21 on #7), and Butch / Blake ($81 on #9). 

 

Closest to the pins were Ryan Merasty on #5 and John Derhak on #9. John was the only one of two to convert the birdie and joined three others golfers (Sport, Gorrell, and Blake Hunter) to split the $63 deuce pot.

 

Someone asked last night how many more Mens' Nights we will have this year. The simple answer is that we will keep going as long as weather permits and as long as people keep coming out. It's sort of like Jason Voorhees and the Friday the 13th film franchise itself. Every instalment of the series ends with Jason seemingly being killed yet he is resurrected in the next movie.  And the movie series itself keeps going. Since it started in 1980, there have been twelve movies with the most recent update being released in 2009.

Last year we made it to September 18th. The previous year we got to September 25th. Assuming a similar finish this year, it is fair to say that we should have at least another four Mens' Nights remaining.

Not much to say...so little time...

These are the hardest blog entries to write. I wasn't there on Wednesday plus I have stuff to do this morning. So I have a lack of knowledge about what happened combined with the need to finish up quickly. What's worse is with no general theme I don't real have an appropriate image to use at the top of the blog entry...hence the photo above.

 

On Wednesday, 38 golfers came for Mens' Night and 9 walked away with cash. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Wes Arnfinson / Brent Zenchyshyn ($20 on #1), Keith Martin / Jason Gorrell ($34.50 on #2), Sport / Cody M. ($34.50 on #7), and Milt / Joel Ostash ($125 on #8).

 

Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and Brady Waddell on #9. Neither scored a two which allowed Chris Kimpinski to cash in for $57.00 on the deuce pot.

 

Wednesday was the last night for the Ringer Board. Congratulations to Neuf for taking the first flight with a score of -8, followed by Brad at -6 and Jason Hunter at -4 on a count back. The second flight standing required two count backs. Chris Kimpinski, Ron Susinski and Scott Maynes were all at +3 but the count back pushed Chris into the first flight allowing Ron to claim the 2nd flight title, followed by Scott. I will state that results are preliminary at this point given I already made a few changes...based upon the keen eye of avid blog reader Chris K. Please feel free to check out the scores between now and Wednesday to let me know if there are any other changes required. Prizes will be available next week.
 

Thanks to Jason Gorrell and Scott Maynes for taking care of Mens' Night in my absence.

 

Best of luck to Wes and Bob Moffatt who are competing in the Tamarack Golf Tournament over the next week.

Birdies, birdies everywhere

This one has to be a quick one. I have a few things to do before some 10:00 am Sunday morning golf with the boys followed by some late final round viewing of the PGA Championship.

Last Mens' Night was as good a night for scoring as a social evening at a womens' prison. For starters, we had thirty one golfers and the middle score was 42. Robin Kimpinski shot a 32 with a new driver, new putter, and bogey on #8. There were birdies everywhere by multiple golfers.

With so many scoring well, it was not surprising that only two skins were won. Mike Susinski teamed up with Wayne Chegwin for $20 on #1 while Darcy Kowalchuk and Rob Anderson cashed in for $54.50 on #6.

Scott Maynes accomplished the rare double closest to fter hitting it tight on both #5 and #9. Unfortunately for Scott, it took him two putts on each hole to finish. This set the stage for Jason Hunter to roll in for the only deuce of the evening while winning $46.50 for his efforts.

To be fair, not everyone was ripping it up on every hole. There were four people who scored fives in the short par 3 ninth hole. There was also an unfortunate guy who scored 39 during the practice round only to follow it with a 53 during Mens' Night. Out of respect for he and his family, I will only refer to him by the pseudonym Hlake Bunter.

A reminder that this coming Wednesday is the final night to lock in your scores for the ringer board. Right now we have Neuf in the lead at -8. Good luck to everyone in this final shot at ringer board glory. Remember any unfilled scores will be recorded as triple bogeys.

 

51 golfers...and most of them on time!

What a great week for the golf course! The warm, dry conditions have resulted in considerable traffic and lots of usage. The high point was Wednesday and Thursday when we had 55 senior golfers Wednesday afternoon, 51 for Mens’ Night in the evening, and then 68 for the Credit Union tournament on Thursday.

 

Thanks to Jenn and Natasha for their excellent work in the Club House during this busy week. Thanks also to Scott Maynes who came out and drove the beer cart during Thursday’s tournament. Despite my suggestion, he refused to go topless for tips.

 

The 51 for Mens’ Night represents our highest total in a couple of years. It did not look promising around 6:15 pm when the surprise rain storm blew in over the golf course. Fortunately, the nice weather returned quickly and with it, cart after cart of golfers.

 

There were lots of good rounds with 10 golfers posting under 40. Among those low scores were five twos, collected on holes 1, 5, and 9. Congratulations to Ryan Merasty, Neuf, Joel Ostash, Murray Salaway, and Stephen David who got to split the $216 deuce pot.

 

Skins went on four holes. Winners included Charlie McNabb and Stephen David ($25.50 on #1), Sport and Carey Findlay ($72.00 on #2 and $25.50 on #7), and Neuf who paired with the dummy card for $25.50 on #3.

 

I just realized that the sheet for the ringer board is on the bulletin board in storage room at the Club House. I will pick it up later and update by the end of the day. There are only two weeks remaining to post scores (August 6 and 13) so start filling your sheet if you have yet to do so. Remember that any gaps in your card will be filled in with triple bogeys.

 

One final reminder…if you want to golf additional holes please turn in your score card before doing so. This has become an increasing issue this year and really needs to stop. To be fair to the late group this past week, there have been multiple groups and golfers guilty of this in 2014. We appreciate your desire to take advantage of the nice conditions but you need to appreciate that others are waiting for you for sometimes close to an hour. If you feel you are too far from the Club House to drive the score card in then you can call me and tell me the scores hole by hole.

That's it for now. Enjoy the last few days of the long weekend.

The Week of Milt

What a week for the young man from 4th Avenue. After a Cinderella-like run to the finals of the championship flight of the Horse Race, he won an almost $100 skin on Mens' Night.

There were 27 golfers on Wednesday, including the previously mentioned Mr. Ostash. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Neuf / Sport ($20 on #1), Stephen David / Sheldon Bone ($20 on #3), Dan Stokes / Charlie McNabb($20 on #7), and Milt / Jason Gorrell ($94.50).

Closest to the pins were Ron Anderson on #9 and Brad Benton or Brad Swereda on #5. I probably should starting writing full names on my recording sheet on Wednesdays. No one claimed the $139.00 deuce pot which will continue to grow next week.

Speaking of accumulating pots, we have our first hole-in-one pot capped at $1500 and the back-up pot is already at $603.00.

Back to the Horse Race, it was a great event with 55 golfers spending the day at the course. We ended up with four flights which was awesome. The Calcutta was a huge success bringing in close to $3000. In fact, while the winners of each flight made $210, the winners of each Calcutta Flight won $356.

Congratulations to Scott Maynes for being the only player who could outlast Milt, thereby becoming the overall Horse Race champion. Thanks also to Scott as well for the incredible job that he did organizing the event.

Since I am a bit off topic already, I should mention the campground development. We now have the roads taking shape and quite a few lots cleared. If you get a chance, it is really worth the short walk in to check things out.

Well, that's it for this week.  I have stuff to do and my wife knows I have to do it.

The Plagues of Mens' Night

I need to reread the Book of Exodus. I think Mens’ Night is in the midst of those plagues that the Bible references.

A few weeks ago we had that intense storm that brought us darkness. We haven’t had water turn to blood yet…but routinely the men on Wednesday have their blood get very watery. I have also seen frogs around the pond on #7 and I am pretty sure Neuf has a boil on his neck. Earlier in the week I saw Dan Stokes scratch his head a lot while putting in Shilo. This could easily be the beginning of the plague of lice.

Last night we had what seemed to be a plague of insects. It would be no exaggeration to state that the bugs were as bad as we have ever seen them. There were the regular mosquitos combined with swarms of repellant resistant gnats or black flies. I saw people mishit shots because of the onslaught of insects. You could not putt without have bugs fill your ears and nose or bounce between your eyes and glasses. You know the bugs are bad when there are three discussion groups on the main page of eBrandon dedicated to them.

Given their steadfast resilience, the Mens’ Night participants soldiered on and completed their rounds before hurrying back to the Club House. It was interesting to listen to the conversations and hear many more references to bugs than to golf shots.

Thirty two golfers battled the elements with skins going on five holes. Winners included Ron Susinski / Jamie McCutchin ($20 on #1), Neuf / Jason Hunter ($20 on #3), Rob Anderson / Stephen David ($33 on #4), Ken Ostash / Robin Kimpinski ($33 on #6), and Joel Ostash / Luke Funk ($51.50 on #7). With a couple of first time winners we now have 37 golfers who have taken home cash this year.

Closest to the pins were Cubby on #5 and Ryan Merasty on #9. Neither they nor anyone else scored a two. As a consequence, we will likely see a deuce pot next week of around $150.

A reminder that the Ringer Board runs until August 20^th so you have five more nights to lock in your scores.

That’s it for this week. Hopefully we will see most of you at the Horse Race on Saturday.

Practice is overrated

I played with Neuf and Newf on Wednesday. Neuf of course is our own Jason Neufeld, while Newf is my friend Jamie Park from Newfoundland who was in for a visit.

Jamie had a pretty good round. He shot a 40, won a couple of skins, and probably should have been lower given that he had five birdie putts. More impressive was the fact that he played in sneakers, with his brother's clubs, and it was his third round of the year.

This is why I think practice is slightly overrated. Don't get me wrong. The more you play the better you should play. Certainly, your feel for chipping and putting improves the more rounds you get under your belt. But sometimes the best days ball striking are your first rounds of the year when you are not weighed down by poor habits and bad swing thoughts.

Speaking of first rounds, congratulations to Zach Bartram who joined us for his first Mens' Night ever. Mens' Night is one of the classic rites of passage for males in Shoal Lake, right up there with getting your license, working at Central S, graduating from high school, getting married, and buying your first combine.

Zach joined 33 others golfers on a night where only two people scored under 40. Three skins went. The previously mentioned Jamie Park teamed with Ken Ostash for $20 on both #1 and #3. Bird and Keith Martin won the other skin by going low on #5.

Closest to the holes were Brad Benton on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Neither they nor anyone else made a deuce.

Don't forget that the horse race is this coming Saturday, July 19th. This is a great tournament and it is filling up quickly. You might want to check the list on the top left of the page to see if your name is there. If not, text Stephen at 847-0161 to let him know that you are interested.

It's not quite 8:00 am but it looks like it will be a great weekend for golf. Hopefully we will see many of you out there over the next few days. When travelling the course you might catch a glimpse of the initial stages of development of our future campground adjacent to hole #4, 5, and 6. The picture below shows one of the two future campground roads which were cut out the last two days.

I'm So Excited

This will be my quickest turn around on the blog post this year. Usually I don’t complete my weekly entry until Saturday or Sunday morning. But I am up early. It is the day of the fundraiser tournament. I am excited. I already cleaned my golf cart and I have a few hours before I need to go to the course to help with the final set-up.

I think I have some form of medical condition related to golf excitability. I didn’t go to bed until 1:30 am last night…most likely because of the tournament today.  It is fair to say I get a bit wound up every Wednesday morning because Mens’ Night is later the same day.

I know that this past Wednesday excited me because we had a season high of 37 golfers. I also was very happy that we got to play given the wet conditions and the fact that the course had been closed two days previously. I have to be careful not to slip back into a discussion about the weather. Let me simply say that there was a lot of water on the course and water in places where we have not seen water in the past.

Despite the general sogginess it appeared to be a really good evening of golf. There were some low scores and good play by many people, particularly a few visitors who were making their first appearances of the year.

Six first timers left with cash in their pocket. On his first night, Phil Ostash won $84 on his own for a skin on #6 because he was paired with the dummy card. Derek Ketcheson’s first visit saw him split a skin on #1 for $31.50 with Carey Findlay and then win the deuce pot of $137. Derek’s two was noteworthy in that it occurred on the par 4 first hole. Finally, on his first trip to Mens’ Night for the season, Jason Wowryk carded a solid 37. I actually had the please of playing with Mr. Wowryk about 12 years ago when he scorched the course for a 31 and did not win a single skin.

Skins were dropping all over the place with six holes paying. In addition to the two mentioned above, four more holes were won. Brad Swereda and Joel Ostash won $31.50 on #2, Wes and Gorrell got $73.00 on #3, Neuf and Luke paired for $20 on #4, and Jaime McCutchin and Darcy Kowalchuk got $20 for #9.

Closest to the pins were Dan Stokes on #5 and Brad Swereda on #9.

Well….that’s it for this week. If I don’t see you at the course today, have a good day and enjoy the weekend.

Up yours Mother Nature!

Today is the first day of summer vacation for students and teachers. We really have not had a summer-like day yet for Mens' Night.  On Wednesday, 26 golfers came out for another overcast, cool, and misty evening.  I write this after just checking the online weather forecast which shows a two-day rainfall warning. I suppose we can be optimistic for next week because it is always nice weather in July...isn't it?

While the intent of this blog is to write about Mens' Night, it increasingly seems like a weekly weather report...frequently bemoaning the less than ideal conditions for our Wednesdays. I guess the relevance is obvious because golf and the weather are obviously connected. It doesn't necessarily mean that good weather makes for good golf and bad weather for poor golf. However, better conditions definitely allow for more enjoyable evenings.  So far this year we have had seven Mens' Nights. We maybe had one in which you didn't need gloves or a touque or rain gear or a storm shelter.

I generally try to be fairly accepting of things. Typically, I am as optimistic as most people. But this has got to stop soon because it is starting to wear on me. I think my goal going forward is to stop acknowledging the weather in the blog for the rest of the year. To challenge myself to do this, I will say that there will be a prize for the first person to notice me slipping back into weather reports in future columns. If you catch me doing it again, Jason Gorrell will buy you a drink of your choosing. Thanks of course to Jay for sponsoring this important community service initiative.

This week, skins went on four holes. The big winners of the night were Hubey and Neuf who combined for $120 winning #7 and 8. Ryan Merasty and Stephen David won $65.50 for #4 while Dave Gill and Cubby cashed in for $20 on #5.

Ryan Merasty got his third closest to the pin of the year on #9 while Neuf was closest on the par 3 fifth hole. As was the case last week, neither they nor anyone else made a deuce. So if anyone gets a two on a hole next week it should be worth around $125.

There are two new links on the left of this page. One provides an overview of our Horse Race tournament which is scheduled for July 19th. The other has the list of people who have registered for the event to date. If you would like to get involved, call or text me at 847-0161 or send me an email at sdavid@mts.net

Stay dry and best of luck for a break in the weather at some point in the weekend. Remember bad weather always looks worse through a window.

Let's hear it for summer!

I can't believe it. Summer is finally here...both literally and figuratively. It is June 21st, which makes it official, and it is beautiful outside.

 

I heard it said that the perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. I might add a phrase about golf balls being hit.

 

Golf and summer are like peanut butter and jam, locks and keys, salt and pepper, nuts and bolts, and Milt and Robin. They are meant to be together.

 

While golf and summer can both bring joy, they both have the ability to make us suffer and like it. We spend too much time in the sun and we get red and burnt. We get too excited about golf and triple bogeys seem to follow.

 

Wednesday was summer-like, in that we wore shorts and their was some sun while we golfed. It also was one of the windiest Mens' Nights of the year. Thirty-three golfers battled the gale force winds with only one score recorded below 40. One unfortunate soul who shot a 38 last week didn't crack 50 this week.

 

When increased player numbers come, limited skins seem to follow.  This week only three holes went. Hubey and Tim Rogasky won $20 on #1, Dale Martin and Brett Griffin got $41.40 for #2, and Robin and Charlie cashed in for $87.50 on #5. That last one was the largest skin of the year to date.

 

Closest to the pin on #5 was Ryan Merasty while Joel Ostash put it tight on #9. Neither they, nor anyone else, made a two. As a result, next week's deuce pot will be close to $100.

 

Speaking of Ryan Merasty, it was reported that he cleared the bush on #7 despite a very strong headwind. He then took six more strokes to finish the hole. This suggests that the wind was more challenging for the last 180 yards than the first 270.

 

Well...I must get going. My lawnmower is not broken and I must have at it.

 

Remember...always swing hard...in case you hit your golf ball.

Golf Is Not Fair

I was listening to coverage of the US Open while driving on Friday. The commentator said something that will ring true for most of us. A golfer made what initially seemed to be a great shot but ended up in trouble. The announcer said “Golf isn’t fair…but it is not supposed to be”. The great Jack Nicklaus agreed. He said “Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game”.

Who hasn’t been like that unfortunate golfer and hit it straight and long off a tee only to roll into thick rough. Almost everyone has hit that almost perfect long putt for birdie that lips out and leaves you a tough four footer for par. Or you could be like me and drive the green on one and make the two on the last practice hole and followed it with a seven on the same hole ten minutes later.  Many of us have shot a solid 38 or 39 in the practice round before Mens’ Night then follow it up with a 46 when it counts.

What we need to remember is that it goes both ways. Think of the shots on nine that go long and right before hitting a tree and bouncing back onto the green. Who has not hit a putt and said “That’s long”  before watching the ball hit the cup on the fly, pop in the air, and then drop back in the hole.  Many of us have struggled to break fifty on Wednesday afternoon then came back with a sub 40 round for Mens’ Night.

Like life, golf is neither fair nor unfair. It just happens. There are good rounds and bad rounds, lucky shots and unlucky ones. In most cases, you get a little bit of both on the same round. Take this past Wednesday for example. Scott Maynes had three birdies and three sevens. Or consider this morning. It’s Father’s Day and most of us would have the green light to golf yet it’s rainy, wet, and cool.

Golf isn’t supposed to be fair. You can play well and win no skins. You can play poorly and win money. You can shoot a 36 and pair with a 55. Or you can struggle to break 50 but get randomly matched with the guy that birdied the only two holes that you parred.

Speaking of skins…only two were won this past Wednesday. Keith Martin and Wes Arnfinson won $25 on #1 and Jason Hunter and Neuf combined for $25 on #9. Closest to the pins were Keith on #5 and Ron Anderson on #9. Mr. Martin also had the good fortune to score a deuce and split the $108 pot with Scott Maynes.

Jason Gorrell and Maynes moved into a tie for first on the ringer board, matching the -3 already posted by Rob Kimpinski and Brad Benton.

I just realized I have yet to post a ringer board score and I have yet to win a skin. Man, that just doesn’t seem fair.

That was a storm!

Last night was an interesting Mens’ Night. Not so much for the golf, but the weather conditions. A few people asked me this morning if it rained in Shoal Lake while we were playing. I explained that we had an hour long Biblical rain delay.

The amateur meteorologists among us were amazingly accurate with their forecasts. Several suggested that the storm would roll in around 7 pm, which it did. Many predicted it would last 45-60 minutes, which was correct. Others said it would be sunny after 8 pm, which again was correct.

 

Less than an hour into our round, a low bank of ominous black clouds rolled in from the west. I started to get a bit worried when I saw some different clouds moving in different directions at the same time. Then it was as if the light went out. Within seconds, the sky changed from an early evening one into something that you might see at 10:30 pm on a cloudy summer day. I grew even more concerned when I saw poor Neuf begin to lift from the ground because of the wind.

 

Like most of the guys on the course, my foursome hit tee shots and were driving up to play our second. As we approached the second green, light drops of water started falling around us. That warm-up shower lasted about twenty seconds before the sky opened up and unleashed a torrent of rain. Quickly, golfers jumped on carts, abandoning balls on greens and fairways, and high tailed it for safety.

During the rain delay, golfers either waited it out in the Club House or in the maintenance shed. I was one of ten in the maintenance shed with six golf carts parked bumper to bumper. We did the best we could to wait it out but began to panic as our inventory dwindled. Fortunately, a few brave souls among us volunteered to risk personal injury on supply missions to the Club House.

 

Then the rain stopped almost as quickly as it started. Most groups that stayed at the course headed back to their holes to continue their rounds. It was still somewhat surreal in terms of weather. It was sunny out and sort of warm on the face…yet simultaneously cool enough that one could see their breath.

At the end of round, a decision was made to carry over all of the entry fees from this week to next week so as not to penalize anyone who chose to leave. If anyone cannot play next week we would be willing to return your $8 entry fee from last night.

 

On a positive note, the forecast for next week looks promising. The forecasted high of 17 C is close to where it was last night. It looks as if it will only be an 80% chance of rain compared to yesterday’s 90% probability. Even better, the 20-25 mm of rain for which they are calling would be like a mild shower compared to what we were hit with yesterday evening.

 

Have a good week…and maybe see some of you at the Lions Club tournament this Saturday. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in this four-person scramble should contact Trevor Haygard at 365-0371.

Is your golf cup half empty of half full?

I wasn't sure what to right about when I first sat down. No one is really giving me any Mens' Night news yet. Then I listened to the wind pounding the side of my house and became inspired.

This morning is the perfect day to write this blog entry. We have had a stretch of great weather from Monday through Mens' Night on Wednesday and up to yesterday. Today it is slightly cooler and windy and it is somewhat overcast.

There are those among us who will complain about how crappy it is outside. I am not referencing our farmer friends here because bad weather can seriously affect their livelihood. I am talking about those eternal pessimists who cannot enjoy a 30 degree day today without saying how it is going to change and be rainy in eleven days. These are the people who have already decided that next Saturday's Lions Club tournament will not be enjoyable because of a long range forecast.

Those same people tend to take their mindset and worldview to the golf course. They bemoan bad shots and higher scores and talk about how well they played a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago. They react to compliments for a birdie by saying "Wait until next hole...I'll probably screw it up again". Whether lamenting the weather or golf, there are people who make you wonder why they even step outside their houses in the morning.

I personally prefer to be more on the optimistic side...perhaps leaning toward being moderately delusional. On early Wednesday afternoons when it is rainy, I watch the weather maps online until I convince myself I see a sunny break somewhere over south eastern Saskatchewan that will hit Shoal Lake between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. I golf thinking that I am going to birdie every hole, that my next shot will be my best, and that I can beat Robin, Brad, and Scotty Maynes every time I play them. Of course I don't do these things as often as I would like, but it happens enough to keep encouraging me to stay calm and enjoy it. Also, while I might be prone to the occasional fleeting frustration on the golf course, I am fortunate that I move on quickly. I try to react to a bad shot by reminding myself that the only important shot is the next one. This is moderately challenging when I have to say it three times in a row on #4 but I quickly remind myself there is a par 3 next.

Life and golf are meant to be enjoyed, not endured. There are countless studies that show that a positive outlook on life reduces stress and anxiety and actually helps you to live longer.  Case in point would be Clayton Hunter. He usually seems to enjoy himself out there and I have yet to hear him curse or throw a club after a bad shot.

So to extend the phrase in the picture above...keep calm, and enjoy the weather and enjoy the golf. Take today for example. It is not hot outside, but it still going to be around 20 degrees. Remember the first of March when the windchill here was -53? That was three months ago. Today is tropical by comparison.

My soapbox sermon completed, I probably should make some reference to what actually happened on Mens' Night. Given my wordiness already, I will be brief.

There were 22 golfers with skins going on five holes. Winners included Bob Moffatt / Scott Maynes ($26 on #1), Ryan Merasty / Daryl McCharles ($20 on #2), Jason Hunter / Butch ($64 on #3), Brad Swereda / Greg Arnfinson ($20 on #7), and Jason Gorell / Neuf ($26 on #9). Ryan was closest to the pin on #5 and Greg hit it tightest on #9. Robin Kimpinski jumped into the ringer board lead with three posted birdies.

I can't wait until Mens' Night this week. The weather will be perfect, we will have fifty guys out, and I will win 5 or 6 skins. It is going to be great. However, if it is a bit rainy and there is only 25 players and I get shut out again...it will still be awesome.

12 putt = 4 X 3 putt

A cool thing happened on Mens' Night on the seventh hole. It have been a function of green conditions or early season lack of touch. It might have been alcohol influenced or group intimidation. On Wednesday, four people three putted the same green.

This may not seem that odd an occurrence. However, if you think about it, it does not happen very often. A typical golfer on a bad night might have 1-2 three putts. To have four do it all at the same time was really quite odd. The fact that I was one of the offending foursome takes nothing away from it.

Four of us had birdie putts on seven. Two others from outside of 20 feet. Two of us from maybe 15 feet. And all of us three putted. Of course we all snaked each other which meant nothing once all of us walked away with six snips. Thanks to Ryan, Dan, and Gorrell for being part of my dubious putting foursome.

Other than some poor putting, it was a really good Mens' Night. We had thirty golfers with the two of the lowest scores going to guys who were playing their first rounds of the year. Chris Kimpinski had a 38 and Keith Martin shot a 39. There were lots of new golf shirts, bags, and clubs and quite a few happy faces.

Mike Susinksi had closest to the pin on #5 while Bob Moffatt hit it tight on #9. Bob also cashed in for $67.50 for making a deuce on the same hole.

Skins were won on five of nine holes. Winners included Dan Stokes / Carey Findlay ($20 on #2), Keith Martin / Wes Arnfinson ($20 on #4), Chris Kimpinski / Brett Griffin ($86 on #6), and Brad Benton / Theoren Hunter ($39 on 7 and $20 on 8).

As I write this the outlook for golf today doesn't look ideal. It is wet outside, the sky looks a little foreboding, and the prediction is for rain and thunder showers. Forever the optimist, I need to get going. First stop is Central S for some gas for the cart...and then maybe clean it up a bit so it shines nicely if the sun ever comes out.

Acknowledging that there are way more important things than golf, I wish the best of luck to all of our friends and neighbours involved in the farming industry. May hot and dry weather be in all of your long term futures.

Rusty golf

After almost eight months we got back on track with our first Mens' Night of 2014. Fifteen golfers braved the cooler temperatures and tried their best to shake off a winter's worth of rust. The above picture is symbolic of the evening. If someone could explain it to everyone under 30 that would awesome.

Surprisingly, Robin Kimpinski was not one of the 15 who made it to our first Mens' Night. He said that he had to babysit someone else's kid and therefore could not make it. Brad Benton suggested that he was simply too afraid of cold weather golf...and of getting beat by a pizza man.

Some of the golfers who showed up were successful in terms of scoring, while the majority were not.  On a positive note, there didn't seem to be many unhappy people. Most were simply glad to get out and didn't care how they scored.

Brad Benton was low man with a 40. The scores increased quickly from there. An unfortunate 8 out of 15 golfers did not crack 50. The last time more than 50% of the golfers were over 50 was a ladies night in 1978. There was even one foursome that shot a combined 209 which was 63 over.

There were some interesting early season happenings, including Scott Maynes scoring sevens on consecutive holes. That had not occurred since 1996. Dan Stokes hit what appeared to be a wonderful three iron on the short par 3 ninth hole. It flew past the green, struck a tree about eight feet up, and bounced back to maybe nine feet. That gave him closest to the hole. Then he three putted for bogey. No one had three putted nine in this fashion since 2013....which suggests it isn't that odd.

The other closest to the hole was Denis Green who put it close to a tough pin location on #5.

Blake Hunter got distracted from his game a bit on the fourth hole. Instead of following up the fairway as suggested, he veered off to the adjacent bush to check out possible seasonal lots in the campground development. Apparently he is interested in 50 Amp service.

Since it is the start of the year, it is a good time to explain a few things. We have a money list which shows the accumulated winnings over the season. Only money won in skins or in the deuce pot gets entered there. If someone wins a cash prize for closest to the hole, or if they get a hole-in-one prize, it doesn't count toward the money list.

One of the links on the left of this page shows the skins from every week. You may notice that this past Wednesday, Ryan Merasty won the 7th hole on his own. When we have an odd number of golfers we include a dummy card which matches the hole-by-hole tally of the golfer whose score is exactly in the middle. Ryan paired with the dummy so he did not have to share his winnings with anyone.

We also have a ringer board which allows golfers to lock in there best score on a hole. The object is to have the lowest net score over the 20 weeks during which the ringer board is active. Prizes are paid out in two flights.

Well, I need to wrap this up. It's Saturday morning of the long weekend, and the forecast for the next two days looks great. I need to charge my Skycaddie and clean my cart and wait for my brother-in-law to wake up.

See you all on Wednesday. Initially it was supposed to rain then but now it looks good!

Mens' Night is coming

It's Sunday morning. The first day of May is this coming Thursday. The forecast tomorrow is calling for anywhere from 5 - 15 cms of snow. In spite of all of this, I am thinking about golf.

 

There are a couple of reasons for these thoughts. Firstly, like many of you who have endured the historically long and cold winter, I am ready for to get outside and enjoy some nice weather for a change. Even with the crap that is forecasted early this week, it is supposed to get better soon.

 

The second reason that I am excited about golf is the fact that I am going for a walk on the course this morning. Not the whole course mind you, but part of it at least. Specifically, I will be leaving my car on Highway 42 by the fourth tee box and walking up the fairway and into the bush on the west side. Four of us from the golf club executive are heading in to get the lay of the land for a possible camp ground development that we are planning in conjunction with the municipality. The basic plan is to have full-service seasonal campsites adjacent to the golf course for 2015. While there is lots of work to be done we are excited by the possibility of developing both the golf course and our town.

 

If you want to hear more about the campground plans, the golf club is hosting our annual general meeting this Thursday evening at 7:00 pm at the club house. In addition to our regular business, we will also be recognizing Cecil Smith for his long term service to Lakeside Golf Club Inc.

 

In terms of golf plans for this year, we already have three tournaments booked. The Lions Club will kick it off on June 7th followed by the annual fundraiser on July 5th and the Horse Race tournament on July 26th.

 

For anyone thinking about paying their fees, the Golf Club has held them at 2013 levels. So whatever you paid last year for golf and shed rental is what you will pay this year. Fees are payable by June 1st. This year wee will be introducing an instalment payment option. More information regarding this will be available following our AGM.

 

Well that's it for now. In the next week or so I will update the information for this year's Mens' Night. You will know what our format will be, when we plan on starting, and what the skins' are for the first evening. I need to get going. I have to take my winter clothes and boots back out of storage for my previously mentioned morning walk on the golf course.