Friday, May 24, 2024

Fore the Record: Fancy Fairway Edition

 

The pic shown is of Ethan Hunter. I included it (with his permission) because he had a good Men’s Night. Information regarding his experience is found further on in this blog entry.

When I got home on Wednesday evening, I texted a quick summary of the evening to someone who was away. The person responded with a suggestion that I add some descriptive words, with more adverbs and adjectives, to really paint a picture. So I took my short overview and dropped it into ChatGPT, an online AI tool. What follows is what it produced.

In a single, magnificent round of a game drenched in unbridled anticipation, only one splendidly adorned skin journeyed forth, with the illustrious Landon Tanner, in a most fortuitous pairing with the unfeeling dummy on the formidable fourth, triumphing in the grand sum of $92.06.

In a grand contest on the majestic fifth, it was none other than the venerable Cubby Bartram who emerged closest, while the sagacious Ethan Hunter made his presence known on the ninth. In a stroke of unparalleled genius, Ethan deftly executed a deuce, thus securing the solitary claim on the grandiose $43.13 pot.

In the annals of our shared history, I am compelled to recall a fateful day that myself and another braved the unforgiving terrain of Shilo, where the cold was of such an intensity that it etched itself into our very bones. On that day, the heavens unleashed a relentless sleet, reducing visibility to mere inches, and the final two holes were played in a surreal landscape of blinding white, rendering our vision obsolete, and causing my words to falter into a slurry of speech.

This week, by contrast, began with an almost preternatural calmness until the infamous Men's Night commenced. It was at this juncture that the wind began to howl with a ferocity that defied the elements, and the temperature plummeted to a biting chill. I have previously engaged in rounds with snow stubbornly clinging to the trees and on one memorable evening when the thermometer read 7 Celsius, though the biting wind made it feel a bone-chilling 3. In another particularly audacious endeavor at Pinawa, early one April, I found myself striking a pond and, in a feat of remarkable daring, ventured onto the icy surface to take my next shot.

This past Wednesday, however, ascends into the lofty echelon of the top five coldest experiences of my golfing existence, a frigid testament to the relentless caprices of nature.

Well, that was interesting. A little too fancy for my taste but it was worth trying once.

 


Sunday, May 19, 2024

Local Man Wins Big

There was 27 for Men's Night this past Wednesday. That's a reasonable number for this time of year. 

The story of the night was Wes Arnfinson. He won the solo deuce dot with a two on hole 9. That was worth $153.75. He was also closest to the hole for another $20 and paired to win the $38.87 skin there with Reegan Kominko.

The only other skin to go was #8 where Ethan Hunter and Zach Bartram combined for a $51.25 win. The other closest to the hole was Fred Hyrcak on #5.

The forecast for this week looks good enough. See you then if you can make it.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Let the Fun Begin!

As the grip of another long Manitoba winter finally loosens, we got back to the important stuff with our first Men’s Night of the year. The thawing of the snow and the budding of the trees signal not just the arrival of spring but also the promise of another great summer of golf. 

Each new season is like a reunion with our clubs and our friends and acquaintances. It is interesting that in a small town or area such as this, we get a bit disconnected during the colder months. I heard several people ask others how their winters were.

As we start this 2024 season, be optimistic about this fresh start. Best wishes for a year in which every shot is straighter, every putt drops, and every round includes clear skies with a gentle breeze. May the groups in front of you never play to slow and may those groups behind you never be too fast. For those of you who spent money on the latest and greatest golf equipment, may those shiny new drivers add 50 yards to their tee shots. I encourage you to imagine positive outcomes to manifest positive results. For example, you should all fantasize about getting a hole-in-one by practicing their victory dance in front of the bathroom mirror, and mentally spending the imaginary prize money. Above all else, anticipating the endless laughter, camaraderie, and memories shared with friends on the course, and perhaps at the campground afterwards, even if those memories involve more lost balls than birdies.

Now to the golf results from Wednesday.

Brent Allen and Reegan Kominko hit it closest to the pins on #5 and #9 respectively. There were no deuces recorded.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Phil Ostash/Joe Shwaluk ($20 on #1), Darcy Kowalchuk/Wes Arnfinson ($24.38 on #5) and Ethan Hunter/Braden Allen ($48.76 on #7).

We would really like to see more participants in the Ringer Board this year. From May 8 to August 21, participants will strive to record their best scores on every hole, aiming to secure the lowest 9-hole score by season’s end. And the cost is only $10 for the season. On any given night, each golfer can enter as many scores as they wish, with each entry representing their best effort on a particular hole. Once a score is recorded, it's locked in. If you don’t have all scores entered after the final night, you will be assigned the Men’s Night max for that hole.