Another good season of golf

Well...it's October 1st.  The start of a new month and the official end to our Men's Night season.  There will be those people who are sad that summer has ended.  Others will mention how quickly it passed and start talking about how the cold weather is soon to arrive.  I prefer to join the ranks of those that were grateful for five good months of golf.

Living in Manitoba, we generally have beautiful summers with long days that allow golf past 10:00 pm at the end of June and early July.  Other than the wind that seems to fill most of the days in May and September, conditions are quite favourable for driving golf carts and hitting golf balls.  This of course is balanced with winters that can get fairly cold with the occasional blizzard.  It seems to be a reasonable trade-off.

Also, there are advantages in living in a landlocked province in the middle of this country.  We are fairly immune to those natural disasters which seem to be increasing in their frequency.  Sure Manitoba gets the occasional mild tornado but they are extremely infrequent. Our biggest challenges seem to be periods of too much rain which alternate with times of too little precipitation.  Our most noteworthy weather event of the year was the short hail storm that hit early in July.

If you are sad to see summer end, plan to do something fun or productive to fill your Wednesday evenings.  You could take up curling or start walking or exercising if that's your thing.  If that doesn't appeal to you, enjoy having an evening off once per week to catch up on things at home, or to relax and hang out with family and friends.

Our final Men's Night was held on Wednesday. Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Dale Watson / Robin Kimpinski ($20 on #2, $20 on #4), Jason Gorrell / Brad Benton ($20 on #2), and Scott Maynes / Stephen David ($20 on #6).

Scott Maynes was dialed in on the par 3's.  He was closest on both 5 and 9 and converted one of the putts for the only deuce of the night.  This won him an additional $19.50.

Robin Kimpinski capped of a strong season atop the money list with $469.25 in total winnings.  This is the single year record since we started recording.  There were 21 Men's Nights this year.  Robin won cash in 15 of the 19 weeks in which he played.  This is remarkably consistent and not as easy as one might assume.  Even good golfers need to get paired with partners to win holes.

I should mention that we held our second annual NHL Hat Auction last night. Thanks to everyone involved in the planning and all of those that came out to make this a successful event.  And as much as it pains me to say this as a Maple Leaf fan....let's go Canadians!  Also, Vancouver Canucks...bet of luck in your quest to be the worst team in the league in 2017-2018.

Each year I like to predict our start up for the following season.  I am going to say that special day will be Wednesday, April 25.  Until then...enjoy your fall and winter.  And don't give up golf just yet.  Last year, the course was busy on a warm Saturday on November 12.

September golf

September golf is fun...except for the leaves. I have played yellow golf balls for most of this year, trying to be cool like Scott Martin.  Those balls have been harder to find as of late.  I have had a few just off of fairways or greens that required small search parties to locate.  I probably should play white balls for the remainder of the year.

Last week, we had 16 golfers which was pretty good for this time of the year.  Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Jason Gorrell / Brad Benton ($20 on #1), Robin Kimpinski / Barry Twerdun ( $53.00 on #5), and Charlie McNabb / Theoren Hunter ($20 on #9).

Charlie had a good evening, scoring the only deuce for $24.  His tee shot on #9 landed about 15 inches in front of the pin and stopped about 7 inches behind it.

Charlie was closest on #9 and Jason Gorrell was closest on #5.  Both won a bottle of Jim Beam for their efforts, courtesy of Iam Rambally, a friend of Mr. Benton.

This coming Wednesday is our final official Men's Night of the year. The Club House is closed for the season as of Thursday.

There's still time

Mens'  Night is still planned for this week.  Our general rule of thumb is it ends when people stop showing up.  That usually corresponds to when the weather turns significantly enough so that even the diehards don't come out. That isn't the case yet...so hopefully we will see you at 6:00 pm on Wednesday. The forecast looks promising.  For reference, our final round of the year in 2016 was September 28th.

Last week we only had 10 golfers but it was a good evening. It was our 20th Men's Night of the season.  Only one skin was won by Robin Kimpinski and Ian Paterson who received $20 for their efforts.  Closest to the pins were Brad Benton on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Only Maynes birdied to claim the $36 deuce pot.

Usually near the end of the summer, I note some highlights of the year that was.  So here are some of the interesting happenings of 2017:
- Our season started on May 3rd and so far it has spanned 21 weeks.
- We had one lost evening due to rain, wind, and cold.
- Jamie McCutchin edged out Scott Maynes on the last night of the ringer board.
- There were multiple nights when no one recorded closest to on a par 3.
- We had a great feature about the golf course in the Brandon Sun.
- Our campground has a new playground.
- Robin Kimpinski has run away with the season money total.
- There have been 50 people who won money during the season.
- We didn't have a single night with more than 40 golfers. That was the second year in the row in which this has been the case.  Our single best turnout in 2017 was 35 golfers.
- Chris Kimpinski was the Horse Race champion.
- High score for the year was a 59 and low score was 33.
- There were no holes-in-ones with the last one recorded in 2012.

There are some interesting developments with respect to the golf course.  For example, our bathroom facility on the golf course is being completed as we speak.   It will have male and female washrooms with showers as well as a central utility room with a washer and dryer.

Also, on September 30 we have our second annual NHL Hat Auction fundraiser.  There will be a roast beef supper prior to the auction.

Lost balls don't define a round

I don't like to look for golf balls.  I lose my fair share but I can't really be bothered looking for them.  I usually take the perspective that if I hit one in the bush or water the penalty is fair.  I either hit a provisional or take a drop if it is appropriate to do so.

Some people seem to love looking for a missing ball.  Often they have a good round going and feel that if they just find that one ball the universe will align and their perfect play will be sustained.  Frequently, these aren't always the best golfers.  Instead, they are people who play expensive golf balls.

I hit new golf balls, but moderately priced new golf balls.  I can understand why it is hard for someone to stop looking for a $6 Pro V1.  I also know it is much easier to give up on the $1 balls that fill my bag.

The impact of the loss of a golf ball seems to be compounded for those that hate to lose a single ball.  They look a little longer than they should and it frustrates them.  Usually they haven't even hit a provisional so they end up making that long trek back to the tee box to hit another.  Frequently, the next one isn't much better.

The lost ball stays with some people longer than it should.  They are tight on the next tee box, still thinking about that shot that went astray.  They lament how those one or two unlucky shots ruined their score.

The loss of a beloved ball is hard on others in the group.  They have to wait until their playing partner finally gives up the desperate search.  They stand by their own ball while that guy goes back to rehit.  And they often get to hang out with someone who talks about that bad hit for longer than they should.

Giving up on a lost ball doesn't mean that you also give up on your round.  In fact, moving on quickly seems to free you up to play more loosely and with more joy. On Wednesday I lost three balls. All were completely my fault.  Two were dead from the club face so no search was required.  One seemed good off the tee but I hit a provisional just in case.  I drove up and my first shot wasn't where I though it should be.  I scanned the edge of the bush quickly before jumping into my cart and heading over to my provisional.

I had three bad holes on a pretty good round.  More than usual but not life ending. Even better, I finished just in the high pot and ended up winning three skins when I paired with the low score of the night.

Those three skins were on #4, 6, and #7.  Thanks to Robin Kimpinski for the help in winning a shared $77.50.  I also had a couple of other holes that went okay and we pushed those so no one got the skins.  On one of those holes I should have lost a ball but it hit a tree and came back into play.  You take the good bounces with the bad and simply hit the next shot.  The only other win of the night was Ian Paterson and Wes Arnfinson who made $20. from #8.

Closest to the pins on #5 and 9 were Scott Martin and Blake Hunter.  There were no deuces.

Numbers were still down due to the farmer still being busy.  Hopefully some get finished soon so we get even more people enjoying the great weather forecasted for this week.

Spectacular shots often follow bad ones

If you think of the times that you have hit spectacular shots, it usually required a great recovery from some bad position after the previous hit.  For example, there have been a few spectacular 4's on the first hole after a lost ball.  You yank one in the bush then get up thinking if you hit it perfect you have a chance.  Then just as you hoped the ball sails right up the middle, gets a good bounce, and ends up on the green.  Then you drop the putt for a par.

Another spectacular shot opportunity is now possible on #7.  You hit it into the bush straight away from the tee.  You walk up and see that the middle area is hard and dry rather than the small pond that existed early in the season.  You figure you are only about 200 yards from the middle of the green and you have a good lie...albeit on dirt.  You grab your club and hit the spectacular shot onto the green from the middle of a hazard.

Sometimes the spectacular shots are simpler saves for par after initial trouble.  You hit the reeds on #3 and take a drop and leave it short of the green on your next shot.  Now lying three, you chip a ball a bit hot which travels 50 feet before hammering the pin and dropping in for four.

Spectacular shots are fun and you get fired up when you make them.  However, they often require trouble before them. It is better to have a boring round where you hit it up the middle, then get to the green in regulation, and two putt for par.

Speaking of spectacular...it is pretty sweet how well the farming season seems to be going in the area.  Farmers and related businesses are in the middle of harvest, so Mens' Night numbers were lower than usual for this time of year.  Fourteen golfers played and skins went on five holes.  Winners included Dayce Roulette / Joe Shwaluk ($20. on #1), Brad Benton / Stephen David ($20. on #2), Scott Martin / Darcy Kowalchuk ($73. on #3), Sonny Blackbird / Jason Gorrell ($40. on #5), and Wayne Griffin / Terry Brandon ($20. on #9).

Closest to the holes were Sonny on #5 and Dayce on #9.  Only Dayce converted the birdie and he shared the deuce pot with Darcy Kowalchuk and Terry Brandon.

The weather still looks good for September...so you still have some time for spectacular shots.  There are those pessimists out there that are talking about how soon it will be cold.  Some are even talking about how the Farmers Almanac is predicting frost by the end of September.  I say who cares.  It is only the start of the month and there remains several weeks of spectacular shot opportunities.

Jamie McCutchin - Ringer board winner

Jamie McCutchin had his best round of the year at the right time.  He shot a sizzling 34 which included birdies on holes 3 and 5.  This allowed Jamie to move from -5 to -7 and claim the ringer board title for 2017.  Scott Maynes had been at -7 coming into this week but bogeyed his final hole to drop back to -6.

The final standing for the ringer board are:
First flight:
1. -7  Jamie McCutchin
2. -6  Scott Maynes
3. -3  Robin Kimpinski (countback)
Second flight:
1. -1  Jason Gorrell
2.  1  Austin Hunter

Twenty golfers came out for Men's Night this week. Closest to the pins were Scott Martin on #5 and Jason Gorrell on #9.  Only Scott made the birdie which gave him a share of the $30 deuce pot with Jamie.

Skins went on five holes.  Winners included Joe Shwaluk / Stephen David ($20. on #1, $41.50 on #7), Scott Martin / Blake Hunter ($20 on #2), Dayce Roulette / Jason Gorrell ($20. on #6, $33. on #9), and Sonny Blackbird / Brad Benton ($41.50 on #8).

Good shots...just a little late

I have had a couple of hole in ones recently. Not official ones where I hit the actual hole in the ground.  I have hit the previous hole twice in August....which exemplifies the above image.

Hitting the perfect shot a day late is something that happens to everyone on occasion.  The day after missing a birdie on #7 for the ringer board, you eagle it playing for fun on a Thursday.  The day after three-putting on #9 for a snake you drain a 50 footer on the same hole for birdie.

Recently, there have been lots of seemingly good shots that have not worked out as planned. August was a dry month and the greens are as hard as they have been.  It is now difficult to stick a ball close to a pin as a result.  Even close chips seem to run and release much more than expected.  On a positive note, it is speeding up play.  You don't have to fix any ball marks...even from shots outside of 150.

Thinking of perfect shots, how many of us have imagined that round where all of our perfect shots come at the same time.  Most of us likely have a lifetime ringer board in which we have eagled a few holes on the course and birdied the rest.  In the middle of winter when I dream of this perfect round, I envision eagles on #1, 2, and 7 with birdies on the rest for a score of -12 or 24 in total.  And I have done that...just not in the same round.

Recently our course had an awesome feature in the Brandon Sun. The scoring record that was noted in the article was 31 or -5.  Interestingly, I played with both players when they hit this number.  Scott Maynes did it a few years back on a Mens' Night after an untimely green aeration. The countless little holes and bumps in the greens didn't affect him because he likely was not outside five feet on any approach.  The other 31 was turned in by Jason Wowryk...also on Mens' Night but 12 or 13 years ago. This round included a bogey on #8 as well as a remarkable shot to 5 feet from waist deep bullrushes 150 yards out on #3.

Since I mentioned the Brandon Sun article, it may be found at https://www.brandonsun.com/sports/local/outofboundsdemanding-test-awaits-at-lakeside-440853543.html

Last Wednesday, there were some good shots and some bad shots judging by the cards. I was away for the second week in a row so these score sheets are all that I have to go on.

There were 27 golfers.  Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Ian Paterson / Scott Maynes ($25.50 on #1), Derek Ostash ($23.00 on #2), and Ron Susinski / Blake Cramer ($36.50 on #6).

Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and Brad Benton on #9.  Neither converted the birdies allowing Robin Kimpinski to take home the $40.50 deuce pot.

This week is the final opportunity to enter scores for the ringer board.  Any holes that aren't locked in will be set as triple bogies by default.

Finally, good luck to all our local golfer who are competing in the Tamarack this week in Clear Lake.

Here's What Happened in a Nutshell

This will be a short one. I was away last week and all I have to report is the sheet with skins.

There were 19 golfers last Wednesday. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Scott Maynes / Charlie McNabb ($20 on #4) and Darcy Kowalchuk ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Blake Hunter on #5 and Jamie McCutchin on #9. Blake, Wes Arnfinson, and Jason Gorrell split the $28.50 deuce pot.

There are two weeks remaining on the ringer board...this Wednesday and next week (August 23rd). Scott Maynes added a birdie and a par to go to -7 with one hole remaining. Jason Gorrell's two birdies jumped him to second place at -6.  Five players are at -5.

Almost...so close

Brad Benton almost dropped a hole-in-one on #9 on Wednesday. Almost.

It's been several years since we have had an ace. Dale Watson had the last one on July 25, 2012.  That is 5 years and 11 days ago.

We now have three hole-in-one pots. Two are capped at $1500. and the third is currently at $615.  If the third gets to $1500. before a winner, we will propose combining the first two for pots of $3000. and $1500.  It will likely take the third pot around 30-35 weeks to get to $1500...so that will not happen until early 2019. My suggestion is for someone to hurry up and get a hole-in-one this year.

Brad's tight pin shot won him closest to the pin and a share of the $67.50 deuce pot with Robin Kimpinski. Closest on #5 was Darcy Kowalchuk.

There were 17 golfers this week.  Skins went on three holes.  Robin combined with Jamie McCutchins for two wins...$33.00 on #2 and $22.50 on #9.  Brad and Jason Gorrell wo $58.00 on #5.

The final night for the ringer board is August 25th. You have three weeks to enter your scores and complete your card.  Scott Maynes still leads at -6 with five golfers one stroke back at -5.

Have a good couple of weeks. I will miss the next two Mens' Nights.

In Search of Missing Golfers

The weather was almost perfect this week. It was sunny and hot and the lake was a sheet of glass. It was a beautiful day at the end of July. However, we only had 28 golfers. That was an improvement over last week's 21 and the 16 from two weeks prior.

It used to be 50 was the magical number to illustrate a great Mens Night turnout. That may have been a bit high because we only have crossed that threshold twice. I think now 40 might be the number.

This year we have had 12 Mens' Night. We have been nowhere near 40 on any evening. Our high for 2017 is 35.  We also had 32 one night and 31 three times.

The 28 that we had this week tied the number that they had last night in Russell...for Ladies Night. I know because my wife attended.

Looking on the positive side, it was an excellent Wednesday this week. Austin Hunter certainly enjoyed himself firing off a sizzling 36 to lead all scorers.  Austin also combined with Hubey for a $24.50 skin on #7.  Other skins went to Brad Benton / Charlie McNabb ($24.50 on #4), Luke Funk / Phil Ostash ($24.50 on #6), and Jason Hunter / Jason Gorrell ($24.50 on #8).

Closest to the pins were Stephen David on #5 and Scott Martin on #9. There were no deuces recorded.

Don't forget the Horse Race is tomorrow...starting at 9:00 am. There are 33 golfers registered to date.

Stay Safe...Stand in the Middle of a Fairway

The picture above is there for three reasons.  Firstly, we have some deer hanging around the golf course that seem pretty comfortable with carts and players.  Secondly, it was posted by Rock Bottom Golf which is really good follow on Twitter or Facebook.  It's an American golf supply store that posts lots of funny and random thoughts and images.  Finally, it epitomizes the typical golf game of many people. Often the safest place to stand if you are in front of most golfers is right up the middle of the fairway.

One person that has little trouble splitting the fairway is Robin Kimpinski.  He paired with the dummy card on Wednesday and won the only two skins.  He cashed in for $20 each on both holes 1 and 9.  This raised his season money leading total to $272.  This is $100 ahead of Scott Maynes in second and $180 in front of Charlie McNabb in third.

Robin is on pace to set the new single season prize money record.  For perspective, the season money winners since we started tracking them have included Stephen David ($262 in 2016), Jason Gorrell ($351 in 2015), and Scott Maynes ($283 in 2014, $234 in 2013).

There were only 21 golfers this past week. This has been an odd year with lower turnouts than usual, especially so far in July. 

Blake Hunter has a good evening. He was closest to the hole on #9 and converted the birdie to share the $38.50 deuce pot with Brad Benton and Brett Griffin.  Blake also birdied 1 and 2 to add three more negative numbers to his ringer board.

Closest to the hole on #5 was nobody. ..which doesn't happen very often.

The Horse Race is next Saturday. The list of entrants to date is on the left side of this blog. If you are viewing it on your phone, scroll to the bottom and select "view full site".

A Great Wednesday Evening

Usually when I miss Men's Night I am a little disappointed. This past week I was fine not being there. Instead I was sitting at the Shoal Lake Airport watching the 25th anniversary air show featuring the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, commonly known as the Snowbirds.

Some people wondered if we would cancel last week because of the air show.  We decided to run Mens' night as scheduled and allow people to choose how to spend their evening.  I chose to watch the planes while 16 others decided to golf.  I assume that everyone was happy with their choices.

Those people that did play said they had a great vantage with the Snowbirds regrouping after most maneuvers above the seventh hole.  Wes Arnfinson even reported needing to back away from his tee shot on nine because of the noise and spectacle above him.

Skins went on six holes this past week. Winners included Wes Arnfinson / Les Blackbird ($20 on #1), Austin Hunter / Jason Neufeld ($20 on #8, $40.50 on #9), Sonny Blackbird / Blake Hunter ($20 on #4), Wayne Griffin / Terry Brandon ($20 on #6), and Barry Bone / Brad Benton ($40.50 on #7).

In addition to their double skin win, Austin and Neuf were closest to the holes, on #5 and #9 respectively.  Also, they converted their birdies for the only deuces of the evening to split the $24 pot.

There are lots of things happening at the golf course in the next few weeks. There is a Nine and Dine on Friday plus the Yellowhead 150 Tournament on Sunday.  Also, our annual Horse Race tournament is July 29th. The list of registrants to date is shown on the left hand links.  To register for any tournaments contact myself or Scott Maynes.

What the hail?

The weather is finally getting better...except for the hail storm that started just after Mens' Night ended last week. The image above shows the size of what hit Shoal Lake. We were more fortunate than our Birtle neighbours who had twoonie-sized frozen balls of fun.  The car dealer in their town reported 65 vehicles damaged in the storm.

There were 32 golfers last week with skins going on four holes.  Winners included Robin Kimpinski / Jim Geekie ($55.00 on #2), Shane Kimpinski / Chris Kimpinski ($32.50 on #4), Jason Neufeld / Scott Maynes ($20.00 on #6), and Darcy Kowalchuk / Jason Hunter ($20.00 on #8).

Closest to the pins were Wayne Griffin on #5 and Pete Ostash on #9. Pete converted his birdie to share the $48.00 deuce pot with Ron Huberdeau and Mike Susinski.

Don't forget that the Horse Race is scheduled for June 29th. Let me know the names of entrants asap.

Hello July

The picture above doesn't really relate to anything that I am writing about today.  I thought it was funny and appropriate given the experience of many golfers. Hopefully this week you hit a lot of fairways.

I am once again late to update the blog. Since Friday, I have been visiting the in-laws in Winnipegosis. Their internet is Xplorenet which is incredibly slow. With the whole family there, it was difficult enough to get texts and check emails.  I was also away last week. It seems that I am less attentive to the blog when I am away.

There were 31 golfers on Wednesday. Scott Maynes had a sizzling 34 which included one bogey.  He added three more birdies to the ringer board to take the lead with a -6.  He also split a $54.50 skin with Ken Ostash on #6.

Other skin winners included Robin Kimpinski / Kevin Bartram ($20 on #1), Colin Heier and Ron Anderson ($20 on #5), and Jason Gorrell / Bob Moffatt ($39.00 on #8).

Colin Heier had the only deuce and won $49.50 for his efforts.

Closest to the pins were Robby Eastcott on #5 and Dale Martin on #9.

This is a great week for golf. Tomorrow night is a Jack and Jill, Wednesday is Men's Night, and Friday is our Fundraiser Tournament. Have fun and play as well as you can.

Night of the Robin

Wednesday was a pretty good day at Mens' Night.  Most of the 31 golfers had fun and several made some cash.

It was the night of Robin Kimpinski. Not only did he add another $57 to his season leading money total, he won the Chase the Ace and $1200. This was the second time in two years that Robin has won the big prize. Last year he took home around $2200 for finding the ace of spades.

Robin reconnected with Charlie McNabb to win skins on two holes. They got $20 for #1 and $95.50 for #7.  Other skins winners included Chris Kimpinski / Ron Susinki ($38 on #4), Blake Hunter / Luke Funk ($50 on #5), and Scott Maynes / Ken Ostash ($74.50 on #9).

The $48 deuce pot was split by Scott Maynes, Darcy Kowalchuk, and Blake Hunter. Scott was closest on the #5 while Darcy did the same on #9.

It was also summer solstice on Wednesday. Several groups took advantage of it being the longest day of the year by playing some extra holes.

This week looks very promising in terms of weather with a forecast of 22 Celsius and sun.

Rain

We have had some funny weather this year. April was too cold for us to get started. May came with high winds about five days out of every seven including almost every weekend. And here we have June with temperatures far below normal and lots of rain.

It rained last week at Men's Night.  It started early and continued steadily all evening. It wasn't necessarily an intense rain but it was constant.  Plus the wind starting whipping about midway through the round.  It may have been the wettest that I ever was on a golf course.  At one point I was standing in a puddle that went over the top of my shoe and didn't realize it.  There were small lakes forming in new places and tee shots were plugging without bouncing.  People were using ball retrievers to recover balls from the fairway.  Clubs were slipping out the hands of anyone who wasn't wearing rain gloves.

In spite of the conditions, there were 13 golfers who made it out for Mens' Night.  Dan Stokes had a nice return from Shamattawa getting closest to the hole on #5 and pairing with the dummy card for the only skins of the night on #1 and 3.  The two skins were worth $39 and $20 respectively.  The other closest to the pin was Steven Shackel on #9. There were no deuces.

Sorry about the delay with the blog.  I went on a golf trip with Dan and Gorrell and didn't get home until late Sunday.  It was lots of fun but it also rained for a bit each of the four days at Hecla.

Let's hope the forecast changes for this Wednesday.

Men's Night is Awesome

There’s a neat website called “1000 Awesome Things”.  They have a list which enables you to click on any one for further explanation. If covers a wide range of things from the smells and sounds around a campfire to the joy of finding two-ply toilet paper in a public washroom.

The #269 thing on the list is the sound of a golf ball falling into a cup.  The person who made the entry described it as the" bounce-a-round sound of hole-finishing satisfaction".  He continued by stating that “Whether you just finished smacking dented balls off tree trunks, chipping through the rough, or twelve-putting your way to the finish line, it really doesn’t matter. Because that final shot always sounds the same. It’s the sound of satisfaction going down the drain”.

This made me think about all the little things that are awesome about Mens’ Night. They include, but are not limited to the following:
- Being able to get to the course early on Wednesday for a practice round or two.
- Following a triple bogey with a birdie…especially if it is a chip-in from a bad lie.
- Getting the 10th guy to show up just before starting time on a cold day at the start or the end of the season just to make the night official.
- The beverage cart that keeps us hydrated on hot days.
- Having to raise my voice during the awarding of prizes, because there are so many people present.
- Finding your ball or any ball when going into the woods.
- Getting closest to the pin.
- Missing the green but still getting a deuce.
- That area between the 7th green and 8th tee box which may be the warmest place in Shoal Lake.
- When there is an occasional card game following the golf.

This past Wednesday we had 31 golfers. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Terry Brandon / Shane Kimpinski ($59.50 on #2), Robin Kimpinski / Keith Martin ($64.50 on #3), and Pete Ostash / Dave Gill ($33.00 on #9).

Closest to the pins were Terry Brandon on #5 and Shane Kimpinski on #9. Of the two, only Terry concerted the birdie.  He shared the $46.50 deuce pot with Scott Maynes and John Boles.

If you are interested in the list I mentioned earlier, you may find it at http://1000awesomethings.com/the-top-1000/

Now that's better

It was a nice Band Concert on Wednesday. All the groups played well and the Grade 8 Band of which my daughter was part sounded really good. It was kind of bittersweet because it might be her last concert. It seems like Band isn't a cool option for kids as they head to Grade 9.

It was also a really good Mens' Night.  I know because I went to the Club House upon returning home from the Bend Theatre. Over the first four weeks our turnout was 15, 14, 0, and 12. This Wednesday we had 35 golfers. There was so much excitement that 10 of them forgot to sign up.

It was also a very nice evening with higher temperatures, sun, and even some reduced wind. It seems that the good weather is here to stay if the last few days are any indication.

There was lots of guys making their first appearance of the year. John and Dave Gill came as a pair. Neuf showed up having received doctor permission to golf earlier in the day. Pete Ostash made the trek from Brandon.  You could tell the spring farming season was wrapping up when Mike and Ron Susinski visited as did Wes Arnfinson and Jason Hunter.  Ronnie Anderson came and even brought a friend.

The performance of the night belonged to Robin Kimpinski who shot a 33 despite a double on #3.  Robin also had deuces on two holes to grab 2/3 of the $88.50 pot for the week. The other deuce went to Scott Maynes.

Robin's start to June this year was much more promising than last year. The June 6, 2016 blog title was "Jason is better than Robin". Then Gorrell shot the low round of the night and Robin had a 51. He was two strokes a hole better this year.  That simply shows that golf is a fickle game and even the good players get to experience some humility on occasion.

The great thing about having better numbers is the skins don't go as easily. Only two holes were won. The Ostash twins Milt and Joel made $29.50 on #4 while Robin teamed with Wes for $20 on #6. There wasn't a combined par on #2 despite the fact that Robin had a 2 there. His partner Wes had a 7 and was fine with it. The odd triple bogey is easier to take when you are happy just to be golfing with the boys.

Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and Ron Anderson on #9.

There's already some buzz for next week with talk of a possible game of cards to follow. Come on out and boost our numbers, enjoy some company, and take a crack at the growing Chase the Ace prize.

Wind Sucks

Golf in the wind can be fun....on occasion. However, we have been in the midst of what seems like a month of wind. Even better, the windiest days seem to be Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday which doesn't help weekend golf or Men's Night. This past Wednesday it was blowing pretty hard.

I will golf in pretty much any conditions other than chain lightning. However, lots of people like the weather to be a bit better. Not surprisingly we only had 12 golfers this week. It was less windy on Tuesday evening and sunny. They actually had more women at Ladies Night than we did the next night.

Even if you are willing to golf on windy days it wears on you when it happens for almost a month.  Blustery days can be frustrating with good shots turning bad and bad shots ending up even worse.  You struggle controlling distance and you start to lose confidence and concentration.  Even when playing your regular course your game strategy basically gets thrown out the window.

There are lots of tips to improve your golf experience in windy conditions. Some people try hitting it lower off the tee.  Others try to punch longer clubs from short distances rather than risk high shots from wedges. Even though windy days are challenging, the majority of golfers would prefer that to rainy days.

Which brings me to today.  I am writing the blog while watching the trees bend outside my window this Sunday morning. It's windy again. Also, the forecast is for rain this afternoon. I have sides for my carts that I can put on if I need to do so.  The problem is I might be scrambling for playing partners if the rain comes.

Back to this past week. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Charlie McNabb / Brad Benton ($31.50 on #1), Milt / Stephen David ($20 on #6), and Blake Hunter / Robin Kimpinski ($31.50 on 8). Closest to the holes were Robin on #5 and Jason Gorrell on #9. There were no deuces.

Have fun this coming Wednesday. I will be at the Strathclair Bend Theatre enjoying the Band Concert. The wind never seems to effect that event. Maybe there is something to be said for occasionally staying indoors.

No Men's Night this week

There was no Men's Night this week. It was cancelled due to poor weather conditions and an expected low turnout of golfers.  I wasn't too upset when I heard because I was heading to Winnipeg the same evening.  However, it sucks when we have to cancel for any reason.

Wednesday was cool. At 6:00 pm when I left for the city it was 7 Celsius with close to a 40 km/hr wind. I guess it makes sense to shut the golf down for an evening. However, cancelling Men's Night is like cancelling your birthday or saying that there will be no Christmas this year. 

On a given year we get 20-22 Wednesdays to play. Most of our wives and significant others would argue that is plenty.  It would feel better to me if we had around another 10 or so.  We have long winters in this province...and spring always seems to take a little more time than it should to arrive.

Cancelling Men's Night is not an easy decision...or so they tell me. Not only are you giving up an important revenue night for the golf course, you also get yourself on the wrong side of Brad Benton. Brad's a diehard who feels that there is no circumstance which justifies a cancellation.  I am not sure of whether this is true, but I heard a story that 55 years ago Brad was scheduled to be born on a Wednesday. His mom's water broke a day early and he came to the world on a Tuesday.  Even then, he didn't want to miss Men's Night.

Like a few others, I plan my job and my personal life around Men's Night. I try to avoid meetings or commitments Wednesday afternoon or evening.  I plan camping trips often with Thursday departures and Wednesday returns.  If I am gone from a weekend to weekend, I usually come back on Wednesday to check on the house and cut the grass.  Invariably these tasks take a long time so I end up staying home for the night.  This works out great given that the golf course is around 550 yards from my house.

I have had quite a few years with perfect Men's Night attendance for the season.  Last year I missed two, the previous year one, and I didn't make three in 2014.  Even when I am not there I find myself texting someone around 9:30 or so to see who won skins and who was closest to the hole and to ask how many guys showed up.

This year I will miss three...not counting the recent one which was cancelled.  May 31st is my daughter's Band concert.  I am attending a high school graduation on June 28th.  I will be watching the Jays play the Yankees in Toronto one day in August.  I expect that I will be messaging Scott Maynes that last evening to see if anyone got the deuce pot while missing something cool on the ball diamond.

The planning isn't just for the current year.  For example, I know that 2020 is a Leap Year.  That is significant because in 2019 my wife's birthday is a Tuesday but with the Leap Year her special day jumps to Thursday in 2020, thereby avoiding Men's Night.  If not for that extra day on the calendar, I would have been forced to miss that night...and my wife would not like me missing her birthday.

I remember a few years back we had an evening where we had close to 50 golfers.  After the prizes, lots of people hung around and visited. Then around 11:30 pm we decided to leave to go and play cards at another location.  One gentlemen declined, saying that he needed to get home because it was his anniversary.  Now that's dedication to Men's Night.  Plus he still allowed himself at least 25 minutes to celebrate his special day with his spouse.

Right now next Wednesday is projected for 21 Celsius and sunny. I may have to head to the course earlier to make up for this week.

Enjoy your long weekend.

It's Up To You

Okay. I am going to write about something that I have written about two times previously…the importance of being optimistic on the golf course.

This is a longer blog than usual. If you aren’t interested in my ramblings skip to the end to see how Mens’ Night went this week.

I started writing this early Saturday morning, eager to golf at noon with the boys, but listening to the wind howl a bit outside.  I checked two weather sites…one said “partly cloudy” and the other stated “partly sunny”. I think that they mean the same thing but  I made a choice to go with the more positive option.

The thing about being an optimistic person is on rare occasions you don’t feel automatically optimistic. I would like to think it is a dominant trait but sometimes maintaining a positive outlook isn’t easy. When I first awoke, I thought...”Cool, it’s a golf day”. Then I heard the wind and thought “What the heck”. Before getting out of bed I started thinking about how it was windy both days last weekend and here it is was windy again today.  I started thinking how I bought new golf balls yesterday and would need to leave them at home because of the gusts.  I wondered if some people who said that they might play would bail because it was too breezy.

I went to the course for noon. One of the four guys replied quickly to a text and said he wasn’t coming. A second responded in a similar fashion a little while later, The fourth slept in and texted around 2:00 pm as I was on my way back home.

But it wasn’t a wasted trip. I putted and chipped and hit some balls from about 100 yards. It was really windy but not that bad. I even tried to look for some balls…checking the regular spots on holes 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. I found ten balls in about an hour. Three went into the pond. One had a cut in it. Another had a checkerboard pattern that I threw in the cart for my kid. Of the remaining five three were good balls. The best was the TaylorMade with the green putting line that was likely hit by Scott Maynes. It was deep in the middle of the bush on #3.

I wasn’t bummed about finding so few balls. It was warm in the bush with the sun and no wind. Plus I got outside for a couple of hours. A pessimist might suggest that the lack of found balls indicates a slow start to the season. I would like to think everyone is playing well enough to keep their balls in play.

I guess my point is that sometimes being optimistic takes a little work.  For example, the first mens night I had a less than awesome first hole and for the rest of the round I felt like I was waiting for something else bad to happen.  I chose to not have as much fun as I should have.  This past week, I started with a birdie on 6 and was excited about when the next one was coming.  I didn’t score significantly better than week one but I enjoyed the evening way more.  It’s a pretty simple concept I guess…sad face or happy face…you decide.

Think about your own game. You face a long putt…roll it 40 feet across the green and it stops inches away.  Do you get upset that you left another one short or do you think that it is great that you get a gimmie for putting so well?  Do you complain every time your approach shot is short or do you think that it was a nice straight shot but just needed a little more power or one more club?  Do you get bummed when only 14 men show up or are you happy that there is still enough to play?

Speaking of 14 golfers, that is how many that we had this past Wednesday.

Skins went on three consecutive holes and all won $20 skins. Winners included Robin Kimpinski / Blake Hunter on 5, Darcy Kowalchuk / Charlie McNabb on 6, and Stephen David / Sonny Blackbird on 7.

Darcy Kowalchuk was closest to the hole on #5 and Brad Benton was a repeat winner on #9. Both converted their birdies to share the $21 deuce pot.

Brad and Robin both added another birdie to the ringer board to get to -2.

One more point about today. As I came out of the bush close to 2:00 pm, I saw a cart approaching. I talked to the gentlemen for a minute before heading home. I felt comfortable leaving the course in the hands of another optimist…Mr. Clayton Hunter. I asked him if was too windy and he said “Hell no. I need to get some exercise”.

See you all on Wednesday.  I bet there will be 30 golfers!

Let the Games Begin

So last year I predicted that we would have our first Mens’ Night on April 19th. Due to a prolonged winter / spring transition it took us two weeks later to get started. Nevertheless, the year has begun and we have a whole season of possibilities ahead of us.

Since it is the start of the year, I thought it would be appropriate to start out with some early season swing tips. Please use them as appropriate:

- It has been a long winter. You likely have not touched your clubs since September. It is also very possible that you have not exercised in months. For the first couple of times golfing, disregard your lack of readiness by swinging as hard as possible. This also is an effective reliever of 6 months of pent-up stress.

- Usually you hit someone else’s driver better than your own. Therefore, ask Robin or Milt if you can use their driver for the first couple of weeks.

- Don’t buy a new driver unless you have had a chance to throw it first.

- Try to minimize negative thoughts during your swing. I try to clear my mind prior to teeing off. I would suggest imagining a shirtless Gorrell riding a white horse. When I think of this I totally forget about trees, water, and other hazards.

- There are lots of people who want to give you advice on your swing. They all have suggestions about your tempo, your backswing, or what you are doing with your wrists. When they provide this advice, smile at them as if you are listening…then imagine their face on your ball. Swing hard.

- If you're afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options…you can immediately shank a lay-up, or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.

- Sometimes hitting a second drive even worse helps you appreciate the first one.

- Often we make a great practice swing but then mess up with the real swing. So it is recommended to walk up to the ball, state aloud that “this is a practice swing”, start your swing, yell “this is now my real shot”, then hit it.

- After “laying up” in front of the trees on seven, you can either go with one more club for the next shot or one more ball for the third shot.

- Finally, if you really want to have a better golf swing, go back in time and start it at a much earlier age.

Fifteen golfers were on hand to open the Mens Night season on a mild but pleasant first Wednesday in May.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Scott Maynes $36 on #4, Robin Kimpinski / Charlie McNabb $20 on #6, and Jamie McCutchin / Carson McLennan $21 on #9.

Closest to the holes were Jamie McCutchin on #5 and Brad Benton on #9. Brad converted his birdie for the only deuce of the evening and a $37.50 prize.

Jamie’s shot on #5 was quite appropriate given that his business Sandy Lake Locker Plant) sponsors the hole. The ninth hole is jointly sponsored by Kimp Services and Susinski Farms.

We will continue with the Ringer Board this year. Information about it is found on the links to the left. Robin and Brad have jumped out to an early lead at -1.

Welcome back to Hannah Street in the Club House. She was joined on Wednesday by Skylar Arnfinson and Jenna Rupa.

This Wednesday is showing 16 Celsius and sunny on the Weather Network, which is slightly better than Environment Canada. I tend to choose the best forecast.