October Golf!

This week will be doing something that is not very common. We are going to have a Men's Night in October. Wednesday is the first day of the new month. 

Prior to discussing this topic, I will provide a quick rundown of last week when we had 19 golfers.The closest to the holes were Charles McKay on #5 and Phil Ostash on #9. No one recordded a deuce. There were three skins won, all by the same pairing. Chad Tanner and Ron Sopko won $22.51 on #1, $22.51 on #2, and $33.76 on #7.

The forecast for Wednesday, October 1 is 25 Celsius. That is way better than last year. When we teed off at 5:30 pm on October 2, 2024, it was about 10 Celsius with wind gust up to 50 km/hr. By the end of the round, it was around 7 Celsius air temperature with a pretty good windchill. 

This week isn’t just bonus golf, this is t-shirt weather in Fall. In Manitoba. It’s like Mother Nature heard us grumbling in April and is trying to apologize with a hot flash.

Sunset will be at 7:20 PM, so we’re aiming for a 5:30 PM start. Yes, that’s early. Yes, it’s technically still work hours for some. But we’re prioritizing golf over employment. If you are a little late, no problem. This early tee time is consistent with what we have done in the past for October golf. And by the past, I mean last year, when we played on both October 2 and 7.

Playing in the tenth month is rare. How rare you might wonder? Well, we did it twice last year. And we have not done it in any year previously, at least back to 2013 when I started doing this blog.

But this year we will do it again. That’s right, two years in a row of October golf. We’re on the verge of creating a tradition, or at least a weird seasonal weather anomaly.

So don’t put your clubs away yet. Put on your favourite golf shirt, apply some deodorant, and join us for what may be the most beautiful, unlikely round of Men’s Night we’ve had in October in Shoal Lake. Because nothing says fall magic like duffing a shot into a pile of crunchy leaves while pretending it is still summer.

Men’s Night Welcomes All

Several people have asked when does Men’s Night end. It is totally weather-dependent. Last year we played twice in October. This week’s forecast looks excellent. It is supposed to be 22 Celsius and sunny with 0% chance for precipitation. That is great for both golfers and farmers.

Our little nine-hole golf course is an important Wednesday evening gathering place for men in our community. But it’s not just the locals that make Men’s Night a success. No, we’ve also had the privilege of welcoming players from all across the province, and sometimes even a few from further away.

Over this summer, our Men’s Night has seen some familiar faces from nearby communities like Hamiota, Oakburn, Kenton, Birtle, and Keeseekoowenin. These are the guys who don’t mind the short drive for a few hours of golf and good company, and we sure appreciate them. And we also get individual community reps, such as Jim Geekie from Strathclair, Ron Huberdeau from Isabella, Scott Martin from Minnedosa, Ryan Merasty from Morden, and Darcy Kowalchuk from Langenburg.

Charles and his crew from Waywayseecappo have helped boost our numbers over the past few years. They come out often, and when they do, they add a lot to our weekly gathering. And during those weeks in the summer when they are busy with slo-pitch and fastball, we really notice their absence.

Several of the out-of-towners have won skins this year, which might make them more interested in returning next week. This past week, for example, of our 18 golfers, several were not from Shoal Lake. Two from Birtle did well. Bill McArthur had closest to the pin on #5 and Al Bray won a $21.88 skin on #8 with Jason Gorrell.

The only other skin went to Scott Maynes ($20.00 on #5). That was a good hole for him. He had closest to the hole plus he converted the putt for the only deuce of the evening. That won him an additional $31.89.

Thanks to the campground right next to the golf course, our membership has soared past 200 this year, bringing in golfers from all corners of Manitoba and beyond. There are regulars on Wednesdays, like Vern Snyder from Brandon, that we see almost every week because they have seasonal campsites.

We also see increased traffic during special events and holidays. When the July long weekend rolls around or the Horse Race tournament kicks off, we get Men’s Night players from all over, including Saskatchewan and Alberta.

It is standard practice for our members to invite people to join us. Whenever we meet someone new on the course or in the community, we quickly let them know that Men’s Night is on Wednesday.

Sure, it’s great to have a nine-hole course for the local crowd, but it’s the influx of out-of-town (and out-of-province) players that turns our small-town golf experience into something better. On any given week, our visitors make our course feel a little bigger. So, whether you’re coming from nearby or further away, we’re just happy you’re here.

If you ever have guests who might be interested in taking a crack at a golf course surrounded by good company, make sure to invite them to our Men’s Night. We’ve got room for them.

A Late Summary

Okay, I am doing this the day before Men's Night. What can I say. I have been busy. I enjoy writing extended blogs when I have time. And sometimes when I have other things on the go, the blog gets delayed.

So here is the quick rundown from last week. After not getting the required 10 players the previous week, we had 18 golfers on Wednesday.

Some highlights included Ryden Lanouette's low score of 37, Charles McKay and Phil Ostash getting cloest to the holes on #5 and #9 respectively, and Colby Moore cashing in for a $160.02 deuce pot on the last hole.

With fewer golfers, we had several skins won, six to be exact. Winners included Pete Ostash/Jason Neufeld ($63.76 on #1), Jason Gorrell/Blake Hunter ($23.75 on #2 and $20.00 on #3), Trevor Wilson/Vern Synder ($23.75 on #4), Charles McKay/Joe Shwaluk ($20.00 on #5), and Phil Ostash/Brett Griffin ($20.00 on #9).

Don't forget it is 6:00 pm tee off until the end of the season.

Who’s Winning, Who’s Losing, and What ChatGPT Thinks

I’ll start with an important reminder: Men’s Night continues on Wednesday. Tee-off is now 6:00 p.m. The Weather Network forecast is calling for 24°C and sunny skies.

There was no Men’s Night this past week. We didn’t get enough players. We require 10, but only 9 showed up. We tried some last-minute recruiting but were unsuccessful. It was a little cool outside, which likely kept some people away. Also, many of the guys who work in farming were busy getting crops off the fields.

The nine who did show up played a three-team, three-person scramble. It was fun. Afterward, we went to the clubhouse. Some ordered food, and everyone had a couple of drinks.

While visiting, we ended up talking about sports. I pulled up ChatGPT to check some information, and in the process, we noticed something interesting.

I asked the AI tool: “What can you tell me about Blake Hunter from Shoal Lake, Manitoba?”. It replied that Blake Hunter has been mentioned several times in Shoal Lake Men’s Night. On July 29, 2018, he teamed up with Keith Martin to win a $20 skin on hole #8.

Next, I asked about Scott Maynes. I learned that on July 27, 2023, during a Men’s Night golf event, Scott Maynes was the standout winner. He claimed the deuce pot, taking home $178.13. This prize brought him into second place on the season’s money list, just behind Jason Neufeld ($244.39), while Charles McKay held third with $160.97.

Then I inquired about myself. It reported that Stephen David runs a local blog titled “Shoal Lake Men’s Night,” where he chronicles happenings from a weekly golf event in Shoal Lake. He posts updates about game highlights, weather conditions, and tournament details, noting winners of closest-to-the-pin, skins, and the hole-in-one pot.

It was similar for everyone we asked about. In each case, the AI pulled up details from the Men’s Night blog. Sometimes it added extra touches, like my job, Scott’s coaching background, or Ryden Lanouette’s high school sports experience.

Interestingly, when I tried again this morning on ChatGPT, it didn’t give the same kind of results. But when I logged into my free account, it worked right away.

I experimented further and asked it to examine the Men’s Night blog to figure out who has won the most money over the years. It produced a list called “Estimated Career Money Leaders (2018–2024)”. It provided the following list: Robin Kimpinski $1,474.85, Jason Gorrell $1,156.19, Jason Neufeld $1,102.02, Scott Maynes $954.82, and Reegan Kominko $829.46.

AI tools can be fun but there is a caution when using them. They can sometimes provide mistaken or misleading information. For example, I asked it to review the weekly blog entries and season money lists to identify four of the worst golfers.

It mentioned Keith Martin, noting that his name appears across several years but usually with little or no prize money. It suggested that he often played with strong partners but rarely appeared in the winner’s column. It also flagged Logan Tanner, saying he showed up frequently but with modest totals. Neither of these guys are poor golfers. The AI was just making assumptions based on incomplete information.

It also brought up Barry Nemetchek, saying he appears in multiple seasons but near the bottom of the prize standings with small totals. The truth is, I don’t really know Barry, and I don’t think he’s played often. He probably popped up once or twice with a small payout, and the AI took that as a sign he wasn’t a good golfer. Clearly, that kind of conclusion isn’t reliable.

Finally, I asked: “Why is Stephen David among the best golfers at Shoal Lake Men’s Night?”. Now I don't believe this to be true, but I also know that AI will often give you exactly what you ask it or what it thinks that you want. It responded that, based on the blog, I consistently finish near the top of the money lists year after year. It credited my steady participation, consistent winnings, and frequent high finishes on the leaderboard.

But it also added an important disclaimer: Men’s Night prizes depend on both luck and skill. You can play great and still walk away empty-handed if someone else posts the same score on a money hole. So “best” or “worst” here really just means “most or least financially rewarded” within the Men’s Night format.