The Many Faces of Men’s Night Success

If you’ve been following along this golf season, you already know that the Wednesday skins game has been good for many people. To date, 55 different players have won at least one skin, which either proves the incredible depth of talent in our group, or shows that luck is the single most valuable club in anyone’s bag. Every week, it’s the same story: the regulars grind it out, showing up rain or shine, week after week, chasing that chance for a skin. And then there are the occasional visitors, the folks who stroll in after long absences, and somehow walk away with half the pot.

When you look at the season money list, it really breaks down into two categories. First there are the Grinders, those of us who rarely miss a Wednesday, scrape together a win here and there, and build our totals like we’re collecting Air Miles. I proudly count myself among the first group. I am a Grinder. I only miss one or two Wednesdays a year, and when I do, I feel like I should leave a note in the clubhouse explaining my absence. My approach is simple. I show up, have enough good holes to stay happy, and hope my partner in the high-low pot matches one of my best holes.

And then there are the Gunslingers, the ones who show up infrequently and walk away with some big cash. Colby Moore would be an example. He has only played a handful of times yet is in the top 10, mainly because of a $160 deuce pot.

Then there’s Jason Gorrell, who’s somehow managed to be both. As a regular, he’s always in the mix, quietly scooping up small wins regardless of whether he is in the high or low group. But every now and then, he explodes for a monster night. He did that this past Wednesday, turning the rest of us into spectators. Not surprisingly, he now sits comfortably atop the season money list, and catching him in our final week would require divine intervention.

This past Wednesday, Jason put together a career round at Men’s Night, a sparkling 36. Along the way, he got closest to the pin on #9, shared the deuce pot, and cleaned up with three skins. Teaming up with Phil Ostash, he pocketed $35.64 on #3, another $25.01 on #8, and capped it off with $35.64 on #9.

Three other skins were won. Darcy Kowalchuk and Zach Bartram got $35.64 on #4, Scott Maynes and Blake Hunter combined for $25.01 on #5, and Wes Arnfinson won a solo $20.00 skin on #7.

Closest to the pin on #5 was Mr. Maynes who also shared the $75.01 deuce pot with Gorrell and Blake.

So back to the main focus of the blog…the Grinders and the Gunslingers. What about everyone else? That’s what makes Men’s Night fun. The random high-low pairings which are the Great Equalizer. You don’t need to shoot the lowest score to win a skin, in fact, the lowest score often gets shut out because they catch a high-scoring partner. However, the highest score doesn’t always mean you’re left empty-handed. Just this past week, someone carded a 53 and still won a skin. That is proof that all you need is one good hole…and a partner who can occasionally find a fairway.

One quick thing to note, not that it may matter to some of you. The season money list is just for skins and deuce pots. Prizes for closest to the pin and hole-in-ones do not count. That being said, give me the hole-in-one prize and I could care less how it impacts my standing on the money list.

So, as we head into the final week, we salute the Grinders, the Gunslingers, and everyone who’s ever muttered, “Well, maybe next Wednesday.”

Well, this Wednesday is the last next Wednesday of the year. So come on out one more time and see how you do. With the hole-in-one pot around $4300, all you need is one good swing to win big.

Don’t forget…it will be October 8 so tee off is at 5:30 pm.