The Little Things That Keep Us Coming Back

We had 25 golfers this past Wednesday. The number was somewhat surprising given the weather. Perhaps it was simply too warm and humid for some people. At our 6:30 tee off, it was 31°C with a humidex of 41. It was so warm that even the mosquitoes retreated to the shade. The heavy downpour that arrived around 4:45 p.m. and lasted about 10 minutes may have also scared a few people away.

Closest to the pins were Phil Ostash on #5 and Jayden Nowasad on #9. 

Riley Swereda had the low score of the evening with a 34. That is the second time this season he has posted that score on Men's Night. And he paired with Ron Huberdeau to win a skin on #6 worth $38.13.

Four other skins went on Wednesday. Winners included Dave Mansell ($38.13 on #1), Ryan Mansell/Kevin Bartram ($38.13 on #2 and $38.13 on #3), and Scott Maynes/Jim Geekie ($82.51 on #8).

There were no deuces which will mean a pot of around $200 for next week.

Ryan Mansell had his second 37 in two weeks. Not bad for someone who said he has only golfed a couple of times this season.

Stephen David added a birdie on #6 to the ringer board to move to -6. Ryden Lanouette sits in second spot at -5 followed by three golfers at -4.

With the coming of August, we are reminded to enjoy every Wednesday evening while we can. I often speak of the positive things about Men’s Night. I reference general things such as hanging out with friends and hitting golf balls in nice weather. Today I was thinking about more specific aspects of Wednesday evening golf that make it particularly enjoyable or memorable.

So here in no particular order are 20 fun or funny things about Men's Night:

1.     Hitting into and putting on the regular greens after two months of temporary greens.

2.     That perfect drive on your first hole that somehow convinces you tonight’s the night that you will play really well.

3.     Aggressively cleaning your clubface with a towel after a bad shot, as if a speck of dirt was responsible for a 60-yard slice.

4.     Watching someone in your group celebrate a birdie like he just won The Masters.

5.     Getting the round in without any rain despite a 70% chance of precipitation from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

6.     Seeing a ball strike a tree so hard it fires 40 yards backward, followed by someone saying, “At least it's in the fairway."

7.     Hitting that perfect shot from 160 yards to within five feet of the pin and then finding out that you hit someone else’s ball.

8.     Losing one ball in the trees next to the campground and somehow finishing with three more than you started with.

9.     The sound of a perfectly hit shot from 200 yards out on #7 that you know is good right away.

10.  Someone saying, "I haven't played much this year," before shooting the lights out. That happened last week in my group. Great round Ryan Mansell.

11.  Sitting in the Club House adding up scores and sharing stories about how our scores would have been so much better if not for those 3-4 bad shots.

12.  The weekly reminder that distance isn't everything, unless you're outdriven every hole by everyone else in your group.

13.  Watching someone confidently line up a putt from every angle, then leave it six feet short.

14.  The one miracle shot that keeps you coming back next week.

15.  Delaying your round because Nathan comes along in the Gator and meets you in the middle of the fourth hole.

16.  Getting unsolicited swing advice from someone whose own round isn't exactly going according to plan.

17.  Realizing mid-round that the ball you’ve been playing for three holes says "PRACTICE" on the side.

18.  Having a challenging round but ending up in the high pot and matching with the guy who shot a 37 with three birdies.

19.  Having the lowest score in your group, especially if everyone in your group played well.

20.  Playing a full round without urgent calls from work or home and without any emergency alert notifications on your cell.