Weather Delays, Not Excuses

Wednesday was a weird one. The day after a storm that hit Shoal Lake hard, not many showed up for golf. 

During the day, volunteers removed large trees that fell across the golf course. The late-afternoon, early evening weather likely scared some people away, with worries that round two of the storm might hit.

By the 6:30 pm tee time, there were only 12 golfers who made it. That’s not the best turnout but is good enough to have an official Men’s Night.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included

Closest to the holes were Stephen David on #5 and Ryden Lanouette on #9. Stephen also had the low round of the evening with a 36. The high round was a 54.

As of Wednesday, the Ringer board is starting to have some movement. Stephen is now ahead at -4 followed by Ryden at -3.

On Wednesday, some of those who didn’t play likely did not want to risk getting caught in the rain. I did hear that some guys attended a community meeting regarding lake levels.

This got me thinking about acceptable reasons to miss a Men’s Night. This is my list. Your personal perspective might differ.

It’s okay to miss Men’s Night if your child is being born, graduating, or getting married. It’s also reasonable to be away if you are hospitalized, but not if your wife is. Hospitals have afternoon visiting hours that don’t conflict with the 6:30 pm tee off.

You can miss Men’s Night if you are incarcerated, kidnapped, or involved in a kidnapping as the assailant.

Other acceptable excuses include being struck by lightning, elected Prime Minister that afternoon, or finding yourself floating down the lake on a dock that broke loose during a storm.

You may also be excused if your house is actively on fire. However, if the fire department arrives before 6:00 pm, expectations remain high that you play.

A surprise visit from your high school girlfriend or a winning lottery ticket that must be claimed immediately would also be considered valid reasons.

Reasons that are not acceptable include the following…”Tt looked cloudy,” “I couldn’t find my tees,” “I couldn't find my heart medication,” or “I shot a 54 last week and needed time to recover emotionally.”

In the end, the storm passed, the course survived, and 12 brave souls made it out. The rest of you will have an opportunity to submit their excuse forms to the official Men’s Night attendance committee. Jason Gorrell is their contact.