Independence Day

This week we golfed on the same day as our American neighbours celebrated July 4th.  If you think about it, golf is all about independence. One person decides what club to hit, one person hits the ball, and one person tracks their own score. Most of what happens on the golf course is up to you...and the pleasure or pain that golf induces is generally a personal experience. 

In a way, Mens’ Night is kind of like our version of Independence Day. We will start with the most basic analogy…of how Mens’ Night is sort of a weekly independence for the golfers from work and home. We had our own version of fire works, when two groups on adjacent holes fought over the beer cart girl. Like July 4^th celebrations, we had barbecues, with people overindulging in food and drink.

Like our jingoistic cousins, our finest red, white, and blue colours were on display on Wednesday. There were guys who were red with embarrassment from some of their wayward shots.  One of those guys was Robin, who after hitting two or three balls into the bush on #1, sculled another shot and threw his wedge into the trees. There were others who felt blue after their round, such as myself when I saw that my partner and I had no combined pars on our scorecards. And there was a bunch of aging white guys….which made me realize we need some more diversity in our group.

There was ceremony. In fact, like the American Independence Day, our founding fathers figured prominently, with two of our senior members doing very well. Hubey and Clayton Hunter tag teamed to capture the elusive skin on #5 which was worth an incredible $161. Hubey also got closest to the pin and a deuce on #5…a feat matched by Wes Arnfinson on #9. The boys shared the $105 deuce pot for their efforts.

Our American friends look at the melting pot of cultures as a symbol of their independence. Mens’ Night is no different. Two immigrants (out-of-towners) worked together for the only other skin of the night, getting $21 for their efforts on #6. Congratulations to Phil Ostash and John McMillan. It is worth noting that like the American experience, golfing immigrants get paid less than people that were born and bread there.