Up yours Mother Nature!

Today is the first day of summer vacation for students and teachers. We really have not had a summer-like day yet for Mens' Night.  On Wednesday, 26 golfers came out for another overcast, cool, and misty evening.  I write this after just checking the online weather forecast which shows a two-day rainfall warning. I suppose we can be optimistic for next week because it is always nice weather in July...isn't it?

While the intent of this blog is to write about Mens' Night, it increasingly seems like a weekly weather report...frequently bemoaning the less than ideal conditions for our Wednesdays. I guess the relevance is obvious because golf and the weather are obviously connected. It doesn't necessarily mean that good weather makes for good golf and bad weather for poor golf. However, better conditions definitely allow for more enjoyable evenings.  So far this year we have had seven Mens' Nights. We maybe had one in which you didn't need gloves or a touque or rain gear or a storm shelter.

I generally try to be fairly accepting of things. Typically, I am as optimistic as most people. But this has got to stop soon because it is starting to wear on me. I think my goal going forward is to stop acknowledging the weather in the blog for the rest of the year. To challenge myself to do this, I will say that there will be a prize for the first person to notice me slipping back into weather reports in future columns. If you catch me doing it again, Jason Gorrell will buy you a drink of your choosing. Thanks of course to Jay for sponsoring this important community service initiative.

This week, skins went on four holes. The big winners of the night were Hubey and Neuf who combined for $120 winning #7 and 8. Ryan Merasty and Stephen David won $65.50 for #4 while Dave Gill and Cubby cashed in for $20 on #5.

Ryan Merasty got his third closest to the pin of the year on #9 while Neuf was closest on the par 3 fifth hole. As was the case last week, neither they nor anyone else made a deuce. So if anyone gets a two on a hole next week it should be worth around $125.

There are two new links on the left of this page. One provides an overview of our Horse Race tournament which is scheduled for July 19th. The other has the list of people who have registered for the event to date. If you would like to get involved, call or text me at 847-0161 or send me an email at sdavid@mts.net

Stay dry and best of luck for a break in the weather at some point in the weekend. Remember bad weather always looks worse through a window.

Let's hear it for summer!

I can't believe it. Summer is finally here...both literally and figuratively. It is June 21st, which makes it official, and it is beautiful outside.

 

I heard it said that the perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. I might add a phrase about golf balls being hit.

 

Golf and summer are like peanut butter and jam, locks and keys, salt and pepper, nuts and bolts, and Milt and Robin. They are meant to be together.

 

While golf and summer can both bring joy, they both have the ability to make us suffer and like it. We spend too much time in the sun and we get red and burnt. We get too excited about golf and triple bogeys seem to follow.

 

Wednesday was summer-like, in that we wore shorts and their was some sun while we golfed. It also was one of the windiest Mens' Nights of the year. Thirty-three golfers battled the gale force winds with only one score recorded below 40. One unfortunate soul who shot a 38 last week didn't crack 50 this week.

 

When increased player numbers come, limited skins seem to follow.  This week only three holes went. Hubey and Tim Rogasky won $20 on #1, Dale Martin and Brett Griffin got $41.40 for #2, and Robin and Charlie cashed in for $87.50 on #5. That last one was the largest skin of the year to date.

 

Closest to the pin on #5 was Ryan Merasty while Joel Ostash put it tight on #9. Neither they, nor anyone else, made a two. As a result, next week's deuce pot will be close to $100.

 

Speaking of Ryan Merasty, it was reported that he cleared the bush on #7 despite a very strong headwind. He then took six more strokes to finish the hole. This suggests that the wind was more challenging for the last 180 yards than the first 270.

 

Well...I must get going. My lawnmower is not broken and I must have at it.

 

Remember...always swing hard...in case you hit your golf ball.

Golf Is Not Fair

I was listening to coverage of the US Open while driving on Friday. The commentator said something that will ring true for most of us. A golfer made what initially seemed to be a great shot but ended up in trouble. The announcer said “Golf isn’t fair…but it is not supposed to be”. The great Jack Nicklaus agreed. He said “Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game”.

Who hasn’t been like that unfortunate golfer and hit it straight and long off a tee only to roll into thick rough. Almost everyone has hit that almost perfect long putt for birdie that lips out and leaves you a tough four footer for par. Or you could be like me and drive the green on one and make the two on the last practice hole and followed it with a seven on the same hole ten minutes later.  Many of us have shot a solid 38 or 39 in the practice round before Mens’ Night then follow it up with a 46 when it counts.

What we need to remember is that it goes both ways. Think of the shots on nine that go long and right before hitting a tree and bouncing back onto the green. Who has not hit a putt and said “That’s long”  before watching the ball hit the cup on the fly, pop in the air, and then drop back in the hole.  Many of us have struggled to break fifty on Wednesday afternoon then came back with a sub 40 round for Mens’ Night.

Like life, golf is neither fair nor unfair. It just happens. There are good rounds and bad rounds, lucky shots and unlucky ones. In most cases, you get a little bit of both on the same round. Take this past Wednesday for example. Scott Maynes had three birdies and three sevens. Or consider this morning. It’s Father’s Day and most of us would have the green light to golf yet it’s rainy, wet, and cool.

Golf isn’t supposed to be fair. You can play well and win no skins. You can play poorly and win money. You can shoot a 36 and pair with a 55. Or you can struggle to break 50 but get randomly matched with the guy that birdied the only two holes that you parred.

Speaking of skins…only two were won this past Wednesday. Keith Martin and Wes Arnfinson won $25 on #1 and Jason Hunter and Neuf combined for $25 on #9. Closest to the pins were Keith on #5 and Ron Anderson on #9. Mr. Martin also had the good fortune to score a deuce and split the $108 pot with Scott Maynes.

Jason Gorrell and Maynes moved into a tie for first on the ringer board, matching the -3 already posted by Rob Kimpinski and Brad Benton.

I just realized I have yet to post a ringer board score and I have yet to win a skin. Man, that just doesn’t seem fair.

That was a storm!

Last night was an interesting Mens’ Night. Not so much for the golf, but the weather conditions. A few people asked me this morning if it rained in Shoal Lake while we were playing. I explained that we had an hour long Biblical rain delay.

The amateur meteorologists among us were amazingly accurate with their forecasts. Several suggested that the storm would roll in around 7 pm, which it did. Many predicted it would last 45-60 minutes, which was correct. Others said it would be sunny after 8 pm, which again was correct.

 

Less than an hour into our round, a low bank of ominous black clouds rolled in from the west. I started to get a bit worried when I saw some different clouds moving in different directions at the same time. Then it was as if the light went out. Within seconds, the sky changed from an early evening one into something that you might see at 10:30 pm on a cloudy summer day. I grew even more concerned when I saw poor Neuf begin to lift from the ground because of the wind.

 

Like most of the guys on the course, my foursome hit tee shots and were driving up to play our second. As we approached the second green, light drops of water started falling around us. That warm-up shower lasted about twenty seconds before the sky opened up and unleashed a torrent of rain. Quickly, golfers jumped on carts, abandoning balls on greens and fairways, and high tailed it for safety.

During the rain delay, golfers either waited it out in the Club House or in the maintenance shed. I was one of ten in the maintenance shed with six golf carts parked bumper to bumper. We did the best we could to wait it out but began to panic as our inventory dwindled. Fortunately, a few brave souls among us volunteered to risk personal injury on supply missions to the Club House.

 

Then the rain stopped almost as quickly as it started. Most groups that stayed at the course headed back to their holes to continue their rounds. It was still somewhat surreal in terms of weather. It was sunny out and sort of warm on the face…yet simultaneously cool enough that one could see their breath.

At the end of round, a decision was made to carry over all of the entry fees from this week to next week so as not to penalize anyone who chose to leave. If anyone cannot play next week we would be willing to return your $8 entry fee from last night.

 

On a positive note, the forecast for next week looks promising. The forecasted high of 17 C is close to where it was last night. It looks as if it will only be an 80% chance of rain compared to yesterday’s 90% probability. Even better, the 20-25 mm of rain for which they are calling would be like a mild shower compared to what we were hit with yesterday evening.

 

Have a good week…and maybe see some of you at the Lions Club tournament this Saturday. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in this four-person scramble should contact Trevor Haygard at 365-0371.

Is your golf cup half empty of half full?

I wasn't sure what to right about when I first sat down. No one is really giving me any Mens' Night news yet. Then I listened to the wind pounding the side of my house and became inspired.

This morning is the perfect day to write this blog entry. We have had a stretch of great weather from Monday through Mens' Night on Wednesday and up to yesterday. Today it is slightly cooler and windy and it is somewhat overcast.

There are those among us who will complain about how crappy it is outside. I am not referencing our farmer friends here because bad weather can seriously affect their livelihood. I am talking about those eternal pessimists who cannot enjoy a 30 degree day today without saying how it is going to change and be rainy in eleven days. These are the people who have already decided that next Saturday's Lions Club tournament will not be enjoyable because of a long range forecast.

Those same people tend to take their mindset and worldview to the golf course. They bemoan bad shots and higher scores and talk about how well they played a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago. They react to compliments for a birdie by saying "Wait until next hole...I'll probably screw it up again". Whether lamenting the weather or golf, there are people who make you wonder why they even step outside their houses in the morning.

I personally prefer to be more on the optimistic side...perhaps leaning toward being moderately delusional. On early Wednesday afternoons when it is rainy, I watch the weather maps online until I convince myself I see a sunny break somewhere over south eastern Saskatchewan that will hit Shoal Lake between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. I golf thinking that I am going to birdie every hole, that my next shot will be my best, and that I can beat Robin, Brad, and Scotty Maynes every time I play them. Of course I don't do these things as often as I would like, but it happens enough to keep encouraging me to stay calm and enjoy it. Also, while I might be prone to the occasional fleeting frustration on the golf course, I am fortunate that I move on quickly. I try to react to a bad shot by reminding myself that the only important shot is the next one. This is moderately challenging when I have to say it three times in a row on #4 but I quickly remind myself there is a par 3 next.

Life and golf are meant to be enjoyed, not endured. There are countless studies that show that a positive outlook on life reduces stress and anxiety and actually helps you to live longer.  Case in point would be Clayton Hunter. He usually seems to enjoy himself out there and I have yet to hear him curse or throw a club after a bad shot.

So to extend the phrase in the picture above...keep calm, and enjoy the weather and enjoy the golf. Take today for example. It is not hot outside, but it still going to be around 20 degrees. Remember the first of March when the windchill here was -53? That was three months ago. Today is tropical by comparison.

My soapbox sermon completed, I probably should make some reference to what actually happened on Mens' Night. Given my wordiness already, I will be brief.

There were 22 golfers with skins going on five holes. Winners included Bob Moffatt / Scott Maynes ($26 on #1), Ryan Merasty / Daryl McCharles ($20 on #2), Jason Hunter / Butch ($64 on #3), Brad Swereda / Greg Arnfinson ($20 on #7), and Jason Gorell / Neuf ($26 on #9). Ryan was closest to the pin on #5 and Greg hit it tightest on #9. Robin Kimpinski jumped into the ringer board lead with three posted birdies.

I can't wait until Mens' Night this week. The weather will be perfect, we will have fifty guys out, and I will win 5 or 6 skins. It is going to be great. However, if it is a bit rainy and there is only 25 players and I get shut out again...it will still be awesome.

12 putt = 4 X 3 putt

A cool thing happened on Mens' Night on the seventh hole. It have been a function of green conditions or early season lack of touch. It might have been alcohol influenced or group intimidation. On Wednesday, four people three putted the same green.

This may not seem that odd an occurrence. However, if you think about it, it does not happen very often. A typical golfer on a bad night might have 1-2 three putts. To have four do it all at the same time was really quite odd. The fact that I was one of the offending foursome takes nothing away from it.

Four of us had birdie putts on seven. Two others from outside of 20 feet. Two of us from maybe 15 feet. And all of us three putted. Of course we all snaked each other which meant nothing once all of us walked away with six snips. Thanks to Ryan, Dan, and Gorrell for being part of my dubious putting foursome.

Other than some poor putting, it was a really good Mens' Night. We had thirty golfers with the two of the lowest scores going to guys who were playing their first rounds of the year. Chris Kimpinski had a 38 and Keith Martin shot a 39. There were lots of new golf shirts, bags, and clubs and quite a few happy faces.

Mike Susinksi had closest to the pin on #5 while Bob Moffatt hit it tight on #9. Bob also cashed in for $67.50 for making a deuce on the same hole.

Skins were won on five of nine holes. Winners included Dan Stokes / Carey Findlay ($20 on #2), Keith Martin / Wes Arnfinson ($20 on #4), Chris Kimpinski / Brett Griffin ($86 on #6), and Brad Benton / Theoren Hunter ($39 on 7 and $20 on 8).

As I write this the outlook for golf today doesn't look ideal. It is wet outside, the sky looks a little foreboding, and the prediction is for rain and thunder showers. Forever the optimist, I need to get going. First stop is Central S for some gas for the cart...and then maybe clean it up a bit so it shines nicely if the sun ever comes out.

Acknowledging that there are way more important things than golf, I wish the best of luck to all of our friends and neighbours involved in the farming industry. May hot and dry weather be in all of your long term futures.

Rusty golf

After almost eight months we got back on track with our first Mens' Night of 2014. Fifteen golfers braved the cooler temperatures and tried their best to shake off a winter's worth of rust. The above picture is symbolic of the evening. If someone could explain it to everyone under 30 that would awesome.

Surprisingly, Robin Kimpinski was not one of the 15 who made it to our first Mens' Night. He said that he had to babysit someone else's kid and therefore could not make it. Brad Benton suggested that he was simply too afraid of cold weather golf...and of getting beat by a pizza man.

Some of the golfers who showed up were successful in terms of scoring, while the majority were not.  On a positive note, there didn't seem to be many unhappy people. Most were simply glad to get out and didn't care how they scored.

Brad Benton was low man with a 40. The scores increased quickly from there. An unfortunate 8 out of 15 golfers did not crack 50. The last time more than 50% of the golfers were over 50 was a ladies night in 1978. There was even one foursome that shot a combined 209 which was 63 over.

There were some interesting early season happenings, including Scott Maynes scoring sevens on consecutive holes. That had not occurred since 1996. Dan Stokes hit what appeared to be a wonderful three iron on the short par 3 ninth hole. It flew past the green, struck a tree about eight feet up, and bounced back to maybe nine feet. That gave him closest to the hole. Then he three putted for bogey. No one had three putted nine in this fashion since 2013....which suggests it isn't that odd.

The other closest to the hole was Denis Green who put it close to a tough pin location on #5.

Blake Hunter got distracted from his game a bit on the fourth hole. Instead of following up the fairway as suggested, he veered off to the adjacent bush to check out possible seasonal lots in the campground development. Apparently he is interested in 50 Amp service.

Since it is the start of the year, it is a good time to explain a few things. We have a money list which shows the accumulated winnings over the season. Only money won in skins or in the deuce pot gets entered there. If someone wins a cash prize for closest to the hole, or if they get a hole-in-one prize, it doesn't count toward the money list.

One of the links on the left of this page shows the skins from every week. You may notice that this past Wednesday, Ryan Merasty won the 7th hole on his own. When we have an odd number of golfers we include a dummy card which matches the hole-by-hole tally of the golfer whose score is exactly in the middle. Ryan paired with the dummy so he did not have to share his winnings with anyone.

We also have a ringer board which allows golfers to lock in there best score on a hole. The object is to have the lowest net score over the 20 weeks during which the ringer board is active. Prizes are paid out in two flights.

Well, I need to wrap this up. It's Saturday morning of the long weekend, and the forecast for the next two days looks great. I need to charge my Skycaddie and clean my cart and wait for my brother-in-law to wake up.

See you all on Wednesday. Initially it was supposed to rain then but now it looks good!

Mens' Night is coming

It's Sunday morning. The first day of May is this coming Thursday. The forecast tomorrow is calling for anywhere from 5 - 15 cms of snow. In spite of all of this, I am thinking about golf.

 

There are a couple of reasons for these thoughts. Firstly, like many of you who have endured the historically long and cold winter, I am ready for to get outside and enjoy some nice weather for a change. Even with the crap that is forecasted early this week, it is supposed to get better soon.

 

The second reason that I am excited about golf is the fact that I am going for a walk on the course this morning. Not the whole course mind you, but part of it at least. Specifically, I will be leaving my car on Highway 42 by the fourth tee box and walking up the fairway and into the bush on the west side. Four of us from the golf club executive are heading in to get the lay of the land for a possible camp ground development that we are planning in conjunction with the municipality. The basic plan is to have full-service seasonal campsites adjacent to the golf course for 2015. While there is lots of work to be done we are excited by the possibility of developing both the golf course and our town.

 

If you want to hear more about the campground plans, the golf club is hosting our annual general meeting this Thursday evening at 7:00 pm at the club house. In addition to our regular business, we will also be recognizing Cecil Smith for his long term service to Lakeside Golf Club Inc.

 

In terms of golf plans for this year, we already have three tournaments booked. The Lions Club will kick it off on June 7th followed by the annual fundraiser on July 5th and the Horse Race tournament on July 26th.

 

For anyone thinking about paying their fees, the Golf Club has held them at 2013 levels. So whatever you paid last year for golf and shed rental is what you will pay this year. Fees are payable by June 1st. This year wee will be introducing an instalment payment option. More information regarding this will be available following our AGM.

 

Well that's it for now. In the next week or so I will update the information for this year's Mens' Night. You will know what our format will be, when we plan on starting, and what the skins' are for the first evening. I need to get going. I have to take my winter clothes and boots back out of storage for my previously mentioned morning walk on the golf course.

 

Seven Alone

When I was a little kid, I remember going to the local movie theatre and watching a movie called “Seven Alone”. It was a fictionalized account of the real-life adventure of the Sagers, a frontier family that crossed the U.S. by wagon train, hoping for a better life in the Oregon Territory. Last night, I experienced my own version of the movie.

You see, we didn’t have Mens’ Night. Normally that would be fairly upsetting for me, especially given that it was our second last week. It actually turned out better than I would have expected.

Due to the rain / mist / dampness, I didn’t head to the course until 5:30 pm. Wes was there waiting and there were three guys playing some practice holes…but that was it. Only two others showed up by six giving us a total of seven golfers. This was below the requisite 10 golfers to run Mens’ Night.

Instead of going home, we decided to golf. The seven of teed off together on one and played skins. As a participant and observer, I would say that the golf was really good, with scores of 34, 35, 38, 38, 39, 42, and 42 spread throughout the group.

It was completely dry until the sixth hole, and even then what came in was more than a mist and fog combination. That was no problem for a few holes, although it was remarkably hard to see your ball once it got into the air. By the ninth hole, a couple of glow balls were in play but you could still sort of see a regular ball in flight. When we had carry-overs and had to play #1 and #2 again, it was nearly black outside. Those of us without glowing night balls were able to play on, finding our balls by instinct and luck. In the end, it came down to the two illuminated balls on the second green. When they both parred, we said enough was enough, and shook hands and called it a night.

Thanks to Robin, Brad, Jason Hunter, Wes, Dan, and Milt for a fun evening.

One important thing to note…next week is our final Mens’ Night of the season. Remember, it is technically called Mens’ Night and not Mens’ Golf Night. The distinction is subtle but noteworthy.  Even if the weather is less than ideal, who cares? Come out for one last chance to hit some golf balls and hang out with the Wednesday night crew one final time before next May.

Until next week…stay dry and good luck with the harvest.

What the heck is a 10 iron?

On Wednesday, Darcy Kowalchuk had a ten iron. The brand name was “Ken Woods”, which must be old, because I could find no reference to it on the Internet. For those of you not familiar with these clubs, 10 irons were used first in the 1930’s and 40’s as putters.
 
Looking at this vintage club made me think about history a bit; the history of Mens’ Night specifically. Now I know the history of Shoal Lake Mens’ Night is much richer than my experience. I am sure there are great stories from the likes of Armor Girling or Bob Kimpinski. Heck, I bet Clayton Hunter could tell us some good ones.
 
That being said, I have only been around for the last 12 years…and only doing the Mens’ Night blog for four…so this is the best I can offer.

Prior to strolling down memory lane, I would revisit recent history and mention what happened this past Wednesday. 

For starters, nineteen golfers struggled with scoring. There was only one score under 40. The middle score was 48, which has to be the highest ever. And seven guys were 50 plus.

Larry Korsocil was closest on #5 and Joe Shwaluk hit it tight on #9. Neither they, nor any other golfers, recorded a deuce.

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Darcy Kowalchuk / Greg Arnfinson ($20 on #1, $38 on #2), Stephen David / Dale Watson ($23.50 on #5), Dennis Green / Brad Benton ($38 on #7), and Robin Kimpinski / Dummy ($20 on #9).

So now for our short-term history lesson. I thought it might be neat to highlight some of the noteworthy occurrences from the past four years.

• May 26, 2010 - First blog noted opening night. I assume it was a cool spring.
• June 9, 2010 – With the middle score, Luke Funk won three holes (2, 3, and 8) for $124.00. It was this occurrence that made us decide to implement the dummy card.
• July 10, 2010 – There was a twenty minute rain delay in the middle of the round
• July 23, 2010 - First Mens’ Night in a month that didn’t have rain.
• August 6, 2010- Jason Gorrell missed a hole-in-one on five, hitting a 3 wood on his old slicing ball path to six inches. The same night we decided to cap the prize for an ace and start building a second pot.
• August 13, 2010 - Decision to cap the scoring on any Mens' Night hole at 3 over par to speed up play  This also came on the heels of Blake Hunter’s 12 on #3.
• August 29, 2010 - Cody Cornwall had five sevens during his round.
• June 5, 2011 - Mens’ Night cancelled because of rain. Only time this has happened in the last 5 years.
• June 3, 2011 - I noted the wettest conditions on Mens’ Night that I had ever seen while golfing. There were new water hazards all over the course, with creeks on #1 and # 2 and an ever-growing lake on #3. The fourth hole was a swamp from tee to pin, and both par 3 holes had island-like greens.
• June 30, 2011- The course was so wet, we had to use a modified tee box on #3.
• August 12, 2011 - The combined score of 5 by Keith Booth and Charlie McNabb was good enough to capture our largest skin in recent history…$210.50.
• September 3, 2011 - The blog title referenced the first annual Mens’ Night club toss. After mounting frustration from earlier drives, Hubey's tee shot resulted in a short pop up into the bushes beside the eight tee box. While the drive only went about 40 feet, the driver went about 60, as Hubey fired it into the bog to the left.
• October 6, 2011 - Last night of the year had 29 golfers.
• April 29, 2012 - When we started golfing it was 1 C with a wind chill of -4 C.  When we finished at 8:30 pm it was -1 C with a wind chill of -7 C. 
• May 18, 2012 - A rare occurrence…no skins won despite 33 golfers.
• July 12, 2012 - It was mentioned that Tom Gibson recorded his third closest to the pin of the year on #5. He has had six closest this year.
• July 27, 2012 - Dale Watson won $1616 for his hole-in-one on five.
• September 12, 2012 - Robin paired with the dummy card to win $212 in total,
• September 17, 2012 – It was noted that we played in steady wind and gusts of up to 65 km/hr. Despite the conditions, Robin shot a 35 with a yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants ball.
• May 25, 2013 - I mentioned in the blog that my group golfed behind four Ostash’s. I was impressed with the care and time that each of those four took in lining up every putt, no matter how short. I stated how I mistakenly thought slow, deliberate golfing was a Milt thing. Now I understood that it was a family trait.
• August 10, 2013 - Sixteen year old Brayden Stewart shot a 36 for the low round of the evening.

We will have two more Mens’ Nights this year…September 18 and 25. The Club House closes for the season on Sunday, September 29^th.

September Golf

While it is sad to see the summer drawing to a close, there is still something to be said about golfing in September. The days start fresh and cool but still warm quickly in the late summer sun. You get to enjoy hitting balls down firm and fast autumn fairways and watching them roll and roll. You get to swing clubs with a backdrop of multi-coloured leaves framing the hole. All in all, despite the shortening of the days and the chillier evenings, it isn't so bad.

 

Then you get a day like today...a Saturday in September when the temperature still gets well into the 20's. Unfortunately, everyone is farming  or working in their jobs in the agricultural industry...so there is no one to golf with...yet.

 

There are other benefits to September golf. For example, lots of courses have end of the season specials on green fees. If you haven't tried Madge Lake in September, I would recommend it highly. And there are always some great sales at Golf Town for those thinking of getting some new equipment and clothing. For me, it is the challenge of trying to squeeze as many rounds in as possible before the snow that makes it even more enjoyable.

 

There were 28 golfers this past Wednesday...the first Mens' Night in September and the 17th of the season.

 

Closest to the pins were Kyler Demond on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Maynes and Butch Derhak had the only deuces of the night, splitting $42 for their efforts.

 

Butch's two on nine was paired with Ron Susinski's par on the same hole. This combination was good enough to win the accumulated skin of $175.50, the highest single hole payout of the past two years.

 

The other skins included Dan Stokes / Greg Arnfinson ($47 on #4) and a Scott Maynes / Blake Hunter double-team ($20 on #1, $20 on #8).

 

As was the case last week, it will be a 6:00 pm tee off time this coming Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend.

Golf Hurts!

6:00 pm tee off next week

Sometimes golf hurts. Occasionally, bad shots and high scores cause us emotional pain. Other times golf results in actual physical discomfort. With apologies to Nazareth, it could be said that golf hurts, golf scars, golf wounds, and mars. Any heart not tough or strong enough to take a lot of pain...should probably find something else to do on Wednesday evenings.

With the Fall farming season underway, we dipped below thirty golfers for the first time in a while...with only 29 playing on Wednesday. It is possible that not everyone who missed was working on a field somewhere. Given that the majority of Mens' Night participants (including myself) are middle aged or older, we tend to lose a few due to injury as the season progresses. Heck, even Tiger Woods is having trouble. That's him in the picture above, kneeling on the fairway in a tournament last weekend...allegedly from a sore back.

At the start of the season, we are all reasonably healthy. Usually, the worst golf-related conditions that we have to deal with then are the sore heads and mild gastrointestinal distress the morning after Mens' Night. But as the summer progresses, golf takes a toll on our bodies. Knees and backs start to stiffen and mild tendonitis inflames our elbows. As a group, we generally soldier on, playing in spite of the mild maladies. In fact, the only time we even mention our ailments is after a bad shot...stating how our lower back spasm was the real reason we hooked the ball into the trees. Sure there are more serious injuries and illnesses. We occasionally have those who sever ligaments and require walking casts...or fall out of golf carts unexpectedly. For the most part, it is a combination of our aging bodies and the repetitive stress from swinging golf clubs for several months.

Even though some of those out on Wednesday were mildly hobbled, skins still went on four holes. Winners included Scott Maynes / Jason Hunter ($53.50 on #1), Stephen David / Ron Huberdeau ($33 on #3), Robin Kimpinski / Bob Moffatt ($20 on #5), and Dave Gill / Jamie McCutchin ($20 on #8). The ever elusive #9 skin remains in tact and will likely be at approximately $180 this Wednesday. While the high / low pairings are random, it would appear that a team is going to combine for a net birdie.

Closest to the pins this week were Jamie McCutchin on #5 and Kyler Demond on #9. Neither converted their birdie, leaving the $43.50 deuce pot to be split by Scott Maynes and Darcy Kowalchuk. It is worth noting that Scott's two was a chip in eagle on the par 4 1st hole. It nice that Maynes finally gets some luck on the golf course...given how bad he has been reporting his play of late. I actually was there one week recently when he scored a 38. I am assuming that has some injury causing him to score so high. On a positive note, Scott moved to the top of the season money list (which may be viewed by clicking the link on the left side of this page). Hopefully, the additional $48.00 he won this week helps to soothe his pain.

I will leave you with this classic story of a golf related injury...

A couple of women were playing golf on a Sunday morning. The first of the twosome teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole. Indeed, the ball hit one of the men, and he immediately clasped his hands together at his crotch, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in evident agony.

The woman rushed down to the man and immediately began to apologize. "Please allow me to help. I'm a physical therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you'd allow me!", she told him earnestly.

"Ummph, oooh, nnooo, I'll be alright...I'll be fine in a few minutes", he replied breathlessly as he remained in the fetal position still clasping his hands together at his crotch.

But she persisted, and he finally allowed her to help him. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, she loosened his pants, and she put her hands inside. She began to massage him. She then asked him: "How does that feel"

To which he replied: "It feels great, but my thumb still hurts like hell."

The Ringers Have Been Identified

Last night was the final evening for the 2013 Ringer Board. When the final scores were locked in, the first and second flight winners were determined. Congratulations to Robin Kimpinski, whose -7 score edged out Brad Benton(-6) and Scott Maynes (-5). Scott finished ahead of Jason Neufeld, who also posted a -5, on a count back. Interestingly enough, poor performance on two holes yesterday put Mike Susinski and I into the money for the second flight. Both of us started the evening at -3 but went four over on our final two ringer holes to finish at +1. Like Scott Maynes, I benefited from the count back to finish ahead of Mike.

Thirty seven golfers came to Mens' Night with only six cashing in for skins. After a couple of weeks of lots of holes being won, only three went on Wednesday. Winners included Scott Maynes / John McMullan ($20 on #2), Rob Anderson / John "Butch" Derhak ($20 on #5), and Brent Allen / Jason Gorrell ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Brad Benton on #5 and Gord Turner on #9. There were four deuces, two by Mr. Benton and one each by Chris Kimpinski and Butch.

Mens' Night will continue as long as the weather holds up. If you want to believe those pessimistic meteorologists, that may only be until the end of September. If you want to be optimistic, imagine playing in November with above average temperatures and firm but fair greens. Sure we will have to adjust to an earlier start time...and maybe some of you will have to miss a night because of a child's hockey game or Christmas shopping...but who cares...it will be November. For the more pragmatic among us, let's hope we at least get a week into October, just to say we did it.

In any case, we are good to go next week, Wednesday, August 28th. Tee-off is at 6:30 pm. In honour of Robin's win on the Ringer Board, wear something pink.

Too Hot For Golf?

I don't get it. All year we complain about how un-summerlike the weather is. Then today it is beautiful outside and no one wants to golf. I can't believe people think it is to hot to play.

The warm weather on Mens' Night on Wednesday didn't keep many away. Forty-one golfers enjoyed a nice evening with some excellent scoring conditions. I was in Clear Lake so I have little to report other than prizes.

Seven skins went, on seven holes, with only #1 and 9 remaining intact. Winners included the following:
- Dale Martin / Keith Martin, $20.50 on #2
- Jamie McCutchin / Ron Susinski, $42.50 on #3
- Jamie McCutchin / Ron Susinski, $20.50 on #4
- Chris Kimpinski / Troy Chwaluk, $20.50 on #5
- Devin Allen / Brad Swereda, $20.50 on #6
- Pete Ostash / Luke Funk, $20.50 on #7
- Theoren Hunter / Robin Kimpinski, $42.50 on #8

Closest to the pins were Brad Swereda on #5 and Jim Geekie on #9. The deuce pot of $61.50 was split by Robin and Troy Chwaluk.

Don't forget that this week is the last night for the ringer board.

Golf Really is Just a Game

Playing golf can make you feel like a little kid. When it goes well, it’s like having a bubble bath, building a snow fort, and jumping into a puddle all rolled into one.  When you have trouble, you feel like throwing a tantrum, and maybe some clubs, and just leaving. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five.

When golf is good, it’s like childhood…playing with friends outside until dark with no worries. You live in the present and almost forget about the world outside the golf course.  This is never more apparent then when you return home after golfing with a few guys. When your wife asks the inevitable “What did you talk about?” question, you struggle to respond. The best you can offer is stating that you talked about golf…and maybe the weather.

Like children, golfers get to be curious, use their imaginations, and occasionally show off to impress their friends. Even better, playing golf as an adult, you need not worry about getting called in at 9:00 pm by your mother for a bath or for bedtime. That being said, there have been a few guys at Mens’ Night that occasionally get called home by their spouse…but that’s a different matter.

For a few of us, Wednesday mornings are like Christmas mornings when you were eight years old….full of excitement and promise. Christmas and golf scores are similar in that for both, you can’t wait to see what you get. In both cases, you are usually mildly disappointed.

If you think of it, golf is sort of like one big collection of children’s games. For example, several of us played hide and seek with our shots last night. Very often this occurred on hole #4, after wayward tee shots or overly aggressive second shots.  A few played dodge ball as sculled shots and balls hot of hozzles whizzed by them. Finally, we all played chase, but not of us could catch Brayden Stewart who had a low score of the evening. This was very appropriate for our child theme given that Brayden is 15 years old. That is 78 years younger than last night’s oldest golfer, Clayton Hunter.

A season high 44 golfers competed this past Wednesday, with skins going on six holes. Winners included Cubby / Devin Stewart ($40 on #1), Devin Allen / Bob Moffatt ($22 on #2), Brad Swereda / Dennis Green ($40 on #4), Jamie McCutchin / Theoren Hunter ($77.50 on #5), Hubey / Keith Martin ($22 on #6), and Clayton Hunter / Brad Benton ($22 on #9). Brad’s skin came on his 53^rd birthday, with him and Mr. Hunter combining for 146 years of experience.

The deuce pot of $66 was split four ways among Jeremy Hogg, Mike Pryzner, Brayden Stewart, and Theoren Hunter. Closest to the holes were Theoren on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. That of course is Tom’s sixth time in which he has done that on #9.

Remember, we are now doing 6:30 pm starts.

One final thought connecting playing golf to being a kid…childhood is like drinking at Mens’ Night…because everyone can remember what you did except for you.

Long weekends are for golfing...not Tinker Bell!

I am finally doing this week's blog entry...but I would rather be golfing right now. My brother-in-law is visiting for the weekend. We played 27 holes yesterday and had hoped to double that today. Unfortunately, the darn rain keeps coming. So I am doing this...and my brother-in-law is watching "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" with the kids. If you see us out on the golf course later today or tomorrow, ask him about it. He seems really into it. I think I will hold out until the weather improves...maybe play some Tiger Woods on the Wii or watch the real Mr. Woods wrap up the Bridgestone.

But I digress. Back to Mens' Night. Tom Gibson was the story of the evening as he again was closest to the hole on #9...the fifth time this year he accomplished that feat. We are thinking on naming the hole after him.  He could join other local legends whose names have been immortalized around the golf course. Firstly, there is the Funk Fence across the road behind the second green...in the area where Luke's booming tee shots often come to rest. The Kowalchuk Condominium's are located in the water hazard on the right side of the third fairway. Next, there is the outhouse on #4 which is named after Milt for some reason. There's Gorrell Pasture, adjacent to the par three fifth hole. This was the area of out bounds to the right over which his slicing tee shots travelled in the past before coming back into play. Finally, there is the Best Friends of Brandon Forever Bench near the seventh tee...where Robin and Brad first met and fell for each other.

Speaking of Robin Kimpinski...he lit it up on Wednesday shooting a 32, with four consecutive birdies at one point. Pete Ostash also had a fine round, carding a 34. None of the rest of us could crack 40!

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Milt / Ronnie ($75.50 on #2), Brett Griffin / Devin Allen ($20 on #3), Brad Swereda / Troy Chwaluk ($20 on #6), Keith Martin / Robin Kimpinski ($20 on #7), and Jason Hunter / Chris Kimpinski ($70.50 on #8).

The other closest to the pin was Bob Moffatt on #5 who won a Benny's Gift Certificate as his prize. Bob split the deuce pot with Pete "Walking Cast" Ostash.

The final night for the ringer board is August 21st...so you have three weeks to get scores in, including this coming Wednesday. Any holes for which you have not posted a score will receive a triple bogey.

Next week, we will go to a 6:30 pm start time. Please remember to turn in your cards after completing your round. Not everyone likes sitting around the club house waiting for those of you who play for an extra hour.

Horse Race July 27th

Our Horse Race tournament is Saturday, July 27th.  Information is found in the links section to the left.

This event is part of the Desjardins Financial Westman Golf Tour.

We are accepting 60 golfers. Here is who has registered to date:

1- Stephen David
2- Scott Maynes
3 - Darcy Kowalchuk
4- Jamie McCutchin
5- Bob Moffatt
6- Dale Watson
7- Jason Neufeld
8- Jason Gorrell
9- Brant Hilton
10- Mike Susinksi
11- Pete Ostash

12- Derek Ostash
13- Dan Deonarine
14- Jason Hunter
15- Robin Kimpinski
16- Brad Benton
17- Kyler Demond
18- Wes Gregory
19- Cam Gregory
20- Chris Kimpinski
21- Brad Swereda
22- Doug Koroscil
23- Ken Wowryk
24- Clay Wyborn
25- Ron Huberdeau
26- Gab Hubderdeau
27- Dale Martin
28- Dave Gill
29- Wes Arnfinson
30- Barry Chief
31- Jim Geekie
32- Dean Oakden #1
33- Dean Oakden #2
34- Dean Oakden #3
35- Dean Oakden #4
36- Austin Hunter
37- Devin Allen
38- Blake Cramer
39- Matthew Short
40- Ron Susinski
41- John Derhak
42- Dennis McCutchin
43- Rick Haynes
44- Doug Scutchings
45- Carey Findlay
46- Pete LePage #1
47- Ken Fast
48- Paul Johnstone #1
49- Paul Johnstone #2
50- Paul Johnstone #3
51- Paul Johnstone #4

Contact Stephen David to enter, by email sdavid@mts.net or text 847-0161.

That's a Big Hole!

Actual fake picture of hole #7 on Wednesday

I know this blog is supposed to be about Mens’ Night…but I am excited about Saturday so I want to talk about the Horse Race first.

Horse racing is an equestrian sport has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Greece, Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC. In the Roman Empire, chariot and mounted horse racing were major industries. Thoroughbred racing was, and is, popular with the aristocrats and royalty of British society, earning it the title "Sport of Kings”.

In Shoal Lake, the Horse Race is a new phenomenon. Our version of this ancient tradition pits man against man in the noblest of battlefields...the nine hole, small town golf course. This Saturday is our third annual Horse Race and I am excited about it.  Sure we are on the Desjardins Financial Westman Golf Tour which is cool I guess. Plus we got a mention in the Brandon Sun….which is kind of neat. For me…it is the whole experience. The planning and promoting…followed by the mild anxiety as people sign up, then withdraw, then get replaced by others. I look forward not to just the golf on Saturday, but the Calcutta and the placement of the chipping stakes in between rounds. Heck…I am even excited about going out with Scotty Maynes tomorrow night and repositioning the red stakes on the third hole. The Horse Race is fun!

Mens’ Night is also fun…and this week was no different. We finally hit 40 golfers for the first time in an unusual year in which we have had pretty good turnout every week but not a single instance of great turnout. The conditions initially seemed quite favourable, but the rain around 5:00 pm made the greens really slow and soft. Multiple golfers complained that they hit the front of holes and stopped almost instantly. By the end of the night, the course was littered with countless deep pitch marks.The scoring was actually much worse than anyone would have predicted, with over a quarter of the golfers passing the half century mark.

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Jamie McCutchin / Dick Edgeworth ($20 on #1), Stephen David / Carey Findlay ($103 on #3), Chris Kimpinski / Cubby Bartram ($20 on #4), Ron Huberdeau / Austin Hunter ($20 on #6), and Mike Susinski / Scott Maynes ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were recorded by Dwayne Blackbird on #5 and Jim Geekie on #9. Sport is one a Tom Gibson kind of roll, being tightest two weeks in a row. Only Dwayne converted the deuce, which was good for $60.

By the way, while some people complained about how deep the seventh hole was cut, I really enjoyed it. There is something reassuring about putting towards an opening which is twice as large as usual.

One final thing…if you have not heard about the proposed development of an upscale RV park adjacent to the golf course ask a Board member about it.

Just the Facts

 

Some big shot local insurance agent recently suggested that the Mens' Night blog is more my personal journal than anything else. I don't want to mention the guy's name. Let's just call him Bobbin Bobinski.

To be fair, a lot of what is written is from my perspective...because it is written from my perspective. If no one tells me about anything that happens in their own groups, I am a bit limited in what I can reference.

This week, I will limit my personal reflections and focus on the facts of Mens' Night.

There were 35 golfers.

Three skins were won, including Bob Moffatt / Kyler Demond ($20 on #4), John Gill / Bobbin Bobinski ($32.50 on #6), Les Grills / Scotty Maynes ($64 on #7)

Closest to the pins were Jim Geekie on #5 and Tom Gibson on #9. This is the fourth time this year Tom has had closest to the pin on nine...and three of them were witnessed by Jason Hunter.

Dale Watson and Brad Benton shared the $52.50 deuce pot.

Read Between the Lines

 

Since I have gone on vacation, the blog posts are getting shorter. I am not sure if I am busier or lazier.

Thirty golfers showed up on Wednesday. During the Mens’ Night round…some golfed well, some didn’t. Almost everyone golfed extra holes. On one of those nights that the conditions were just right, many of us turned in our score cards and kept going. It just seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances.

Three skins went, including a big $120.50 one on #5 to Devin Allen and Gab Huberdeau. Devin birdied with a chip in from 60 yards or so. The other two skins went to Scott Maynes / Stephen David ($65.50 on #5) and Terry Susinski / Brad Benton ($20.50 on #9).

Brad and Terry were part of a group of four golfers who recorded deuces. The other two were Scottie Maynes and Gab Huberdeau.  They split $45 for their twos.

The closest to the pins were Maynes on #5 and Benton on #9. Scott claimed a great prize for his efforts…two passes to Shilo Golf Club donated by Tom Gibson. If anyone else is interested in donating anything for closest to the pin, please let me know.

As of next week we will have two hole in one pots. We made a motion to cap any hole-in-one prize at $1500 and then start building a  second pot. That way, if someone wins it one week there could be a reasonable prize if someone else scores an ace in a subsequent week.  If multiple people get lucky the first week, they will split the $1500.