But now here we are. The signs of winter are mostly gone, the geese have returned take over the ninth green, Francis will soon have the Club House running, and golf season is almost back.
There’s something about the first Men’s Night of the year that feels different from every other Wednesday. Nobody has officially ruined their swing yet. Everyone still believes the new driver was a good purchase. Those who went to a simulator three times feel like they have a headstart on others in their group. Guys who shot 51 in the final Men’s Night round of 2025 are suddenly convinced they figured something out over the winter. Hope and delusion are both at peak levels in early May.
Some traditions will immediately return. Jason Gorrell will likely find himself near the top of the money list whether he shoots high or low on the first night. Scott Maynes will chip in from somewhere completely unreasonable and act like it was planned. Darcy Kowalchuk will stripe some drives down the middle while casually mentioning how much older he is than others in the group.
Milt will spend at least three holes explaining how he used to hit that club about 20 yards farther. Someone in his group will politely nod while secretly wondering if he’s talking about 2007. Blake Hunter will likely deliver a round that includes both a tap-in birdie and a golf shot that briefly threatens people on an adjacent hole.
Wes Arnfinson will line up a putt from every possible angle before somehow leaving it exactly two inches short. Somewhere along the way, I will loudly declare that I am just happy to be out here before becoming visibly upset over my third lip-out of the round.
There will also be several golfers dressed for completely different weather conditions. Paul Lucas will be in shorts. Neuf will be wearing a toque. And someone else will be fully prepared for rain that never comes.
Players will start off their first hole with a birdie and wonder if this will be their lowest round ever. Others will double bogey the first three holes and start hoping for a score or two to add to the ringer board. The boys from Wayway will likely play $20 skins until after dark.
Inevitably, the first few holes will also double as a catch-up session on how everyone survived the winter. Vern Snyder will recount his trip to New Zealand and talk about how much better the weather was there. We’ll check in on Phil Ostash on how he’s recovering after his knee surgery, likely getting a very optimistic “it’s coming along” response regardless of reality. And we’ll ask Reegan Kominko how his hockey season went out in BC.
The beauty of Men’s Night is that it never really changes, and that’s exactly why we like it. Soon the campground will be full again. The smell of fires will reach the course, coolers and cans will be rattling in carts, and groups will gather at the Club House afterward to debate missed putts, replay great shots, watch some hockey, and maybe head to a campsite for an extended visit involving some playing cards.
We’ll welcome back the regulars and those mysterious golfers who only appear three times a year but somehow always leave with half the skins money. We’ll see golfers from Shoal Lake and surrounding communities, all showing up for the same reason…to enjoy a Wednesday evening with friends, good weather, competition, and just enough aiming fluid to improve confidence on the last few holes.
There are lots of things to look forward to this season. The return of the deuce pot. The ongoing chase for the ringer board. The Horse Race tournament later this summer. The inevitable debates about whether conditions were windy or merely character building. The annual accumulation of lost golf balls scattered throughout the water hazards, bush, long grass, and occasionally the lake adjacent to holes #8 and 9. The complaints and the optimism about the green conditions.
And of course, we will resume pursuit of the elusive hole-in-one pot, which has now grown large enough that several players are probably already planning imaginary purchases with money they absolutely will not win. A quick reminder to those in my group, if someone wins we don’t tell our wives.
So, charge your Bluetooth speaker, dust off your clubs, stretch whatever muscles survived winter, and prepare yourself for another summer of golf, laughs, questionable shot decisions, and stories that improve slightly every time they are retold.
Winter took its sweet time leaving, but Men’s Night will finally resume after another offseason. That alone feels worth celebrating. See everyone on a Wednesday some time in the near future.
