It was windy but that wind helped on several holes. For example, a few people found the green on the par 4 first hole. I heard reports that both Kory Stebelski and Neuf hit it close on #1. Unfortunately, they both had that high-low experience of one second hoping for a hole-in-one while the next watching their eagle putt miss. At least they both salvaged their birdies.
Skins went on four holes. Winners included Ron Huberdeau / Neuf ($24.38 on #1), Brad Benton / Chris Malchuk ($63.15 on #4), Jamie McCutchin / Kevin Nickel ($20.00 on #6), and Austin Hunter / Shane Kimpinski ($33.76 on #8).
The deuce pot of $101.28 was claimed by Brad Benton with a birdie on #5. In addition to that hole, Brad also birdied #1 and #4 to jump out to an early lead on the ringer board. Brad's 36 was also the low round for the evening.
Closest to the pins were Robin Kimpinski on #5 and Norm Verboom on #9. If you are wondering why Joe Shwaluk did not get closest on #9 for the third week in a row, he was in Winnipeg for work.
For those of you that enjoy tournaments, there are several this year. We have our regular ones such as the Fundraiser, the Seniors, and the Horse Race in July. And we have a couple of new ones in June.
There's the return of the Eagles tournament on June 15 which will be a two-person Texas Scramble. The Eagles held a great annual tournament a few years back and I am sure that this one will continue that tradition. They always seem to get a great turnout and all that come seem to have a good time.
The following weekend the Shoal Lake and Oakburn Lions Club are partnering to host a 4-person Vegas Scramble. If it is a true Vegas Scramble, that means all team members hit their ball then you roll a die to see whose ball you take. The intent of this format is to prevent one team member from dominating and making most of the shots. Not to be critical, but on the tournament fun scale, the Vegas Scramble for me is just above an alternate shot round with my wife.
The reason for my lack of enthusiasm for the Vegas Scramble is as follows. In a Texas Scramble, the weakest golfer usually only has to make their 3 or 4 tee shots and they are off the hook. They often are fortunate to add a couple of other nice shots or putts during the round and walk away feeling as if they really contributed. Then there's the Vegas Scramble. Imagine someone on the team is having a tough round, topping balls and sailing more than their fair share into the trees. Imagine further that this same person has the misfortune of getting their number rolled more often than their teammates. This can end up being a very frustrating round for both them and the people with whom they are playing.
Of course, I am forgetting my frequent mantra which states that there are three things that matter in golf...where you play, how you play, and who you play with...and the first two don't matter. And tournaments in any format are a great time. It is likely that everyone that golfs in the Lions' Tournament will have lots of fun because they will golf with friends and family. I think perhaps my comments are more reflective of my current mindset than problems with the Vegas Scramble format. I am laid up for a bit, eager to golf but yet to set foot on the course. Hopefully, I get to a Men's Night before the end of June and have a few swings in prior to the Fundraiser on July 5.
