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.