Please don't cheat

I am going to flip things and report on Men's Night first and then speak to my topic for the week.  That way if you just want to know what happened or see your name noted for some accomplishment, you will be done quickly.   On Wednesday, there were 33 golfers.  It was a beautiful evening so every group played some extra holes.  However, almost all turned their cards in early which made doing the scores and the prizes relatively easy.

Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Joel Ostash / Jason Gorrell ($20.00 on #1), Blake Hunter / Theoren Hunter ($45.25 on #2), Jamie McCutchin / Phil Ostash ($34.00 on #6), and Pete Ostash / Chris Kimpinski ($34.00 on #9).

Closest to the pins were Jason Neufeld on #5 and Zach Bartram on #9.  Neuf converted his birdie for the only deuce of the evening and the accompanying $49.50 pot.

Okay...there's the recap.  If you are leaving the blog now, have a great Friday.  If not, please read on.

The vast majority of golfers are honest people...which is important because the game is based upon the honour system.  Unfortunately, some golfers take more liberties than they should.  Sometimes this is done with intent while at other times it is done due to lack of understanding of the rules.

Men's Night is pretty casual but there is still an expectation that people play by the rules.  It is not unusual for people to do some things during the practice round that they would not do during the scoring round.  This past Wednesday I moved a few balls early in the afternoon to have a full swing.  During the Men's Night round, I had to punch a few shots around trees because I was playing it where it lied.

I am not calling out any of my golfing partners here because I play with an honest bunch.  And I am not just talking about the more egregious examples of cheating like dropping a ball and pretending it was the one you hit in the bush...or intentionally marking the wrong score on your card.  I am also referencing the subtle things that some golfers do that they should not.  Assuming noble intentions, it is possible that some aren't even aware of their infractions.  The intent of today's blog is to clear up some of the possible misunderstandings.

I will start with some simple ones.  Mulligans during a practice round or a friendly round are okay if agreed to by all parties.  Mulligans during Men's Night are a complete no-no.  And if you ever choose to take one it is only first shot on first hole of the round.

Moving a ball on the fairway slightly is completely acceptable.  On our scorecards it notes that "winter rules" are in play which allows you to improve your lie on fairways only.  Moving or fluffing up a ball in the rough is not allowed.  In fact, if you are off the fairway and sitting on a small spot of dirt you still can't move it.  You may ask a playing partner whether the area of dirt constitutes ground under repair.  If so, you may take a drop without penalty.

One thing that may be challenging for some people is how and where to mark a ball.  The simple rule is to put your marker immediately behind the ball then pick it up.  When replacing the ball to the ground, put it where you picked it up...not 2-3 inches in front of your marker.

When putting, gimmies are okay during Men's Night but they have to be reasonable.  The usual standard is about two feet.  The one thing you should not do is give yourself the gimmie.  On close putts, you may mention how quiet it is but you need to wait for someone to give you the putt.  Also, you should neither give nor take gimmies on birdies or eagles.

Next is the foot wedge which is a little further down the despicability scale.  Don't do this.  It is bad.  If you are beside a tree don't kick your ball to somewhere else.  Take your lumps and try a shot to get yourself in better position.  If you use the foot wedge you are a cheater and should go to confess to whomever it is that works at the church where you got baptized.

Making a bogey and writing down par...or shooting a 45 and adjusting it to a 41 should both be fineable offenses subject to public flogging at noon on a Friday in downtown Shoal Lake.  While we are playing for fun we are also putting cash in and there are prizes available.  If you "win" a skin due to cheating you will likely spend some time in purgatory before they decide to send you up or down.

If you lose a ball please don't drop one out of the hole at the bottom of your pocket and pretend this is the original.  If you do this, please take your clubs and throw them in the lake and take up another sport.

So in summary, please don't be a score-eraser, a ball-dropper, a foot-wedger, or a pretend-to-not-know-the-rules guy.  Also, don't use the line "I would have made that anyway" after missing a putt.  You missed it so putt again and add the extra stroke.

And for those of you trying to keep the game honest, always be wary when someone says "Put me down for a 6".  This should trigger some suspicion and cause you to add up their shots again just to confirm.  If your total is higher than the 6 that they declared, you can remind them that they actually lost two balls and had a triple.  

Keep enjoying golf and keep it honest!

Glad to be golfing

Generally I write about generic golf-related things before noting what happened on Men's Night.  Occasionally I reference my personal experience to a greater extent.  This is one of those times.  Please don't begrudge me.  I am simply happy to be golfing again and want to share the good word.  That being said, if you want to skip the preamble, scroll down to the paragraph starting with "On Wednesday...".

My dog wakes up early...around 5:00 am when it just starts to get bright.  I feed her, she goes out, comes back in, and falls immediately back to sleep.  Not me.  I take my phone and read the whole internet.  Usually, this goes until 6:30 am on weekdays.  Today I made it to 7:00 am because it's Saturday.

This morning I read stories about golf.  I also played a golf game on my phone and checked out some golf products on the Sportchek website.  Obviously, I am thinking about golf a bit.  This relates to me finally being able to swing a club.

I spent the previous month going to Men's Night for a ride along...joining friends to watch them golf.  The first two weeks were fun but the last two less so.  Going to Men's Night to watch people golf but not playing yourself is akin to being a designated driver at a New Years' Eve social.  At the start it is okay but once everyone gets going, not so much.

This past Wednesday was my first Men's Night of the year.  I did play a single round back during spring break but for all intents and purposes, this was my first golf of the 2019 season.  I didn't score very well this week.  I lost a few balls.  I got snaked several times and had to pay once.  I hit six tee shots during the practice round that I could walk to retrieve.  I was low man on the tics at the end.  But despite all of this, it was awesome.

There were a few instances in which I caught myself almost complaining or making excuses but was able to refrain from doing either.  I realized how great it was simply to be out hitting golf balls and visiting with friends on a nice summer evening.  In the end, that's all that really matters.  Sure it's nice to score well, to win a skin, and to hit it closest to the hole.  But the best part is simply being out there.

Having a chance to finally golf, even when golfing relatively poorly, is fantastic.  I once again am looking at weather forecasts with intent.  Tomorrow looks good for my first Sunday golf of the year.  The weather for Wednesday looks very promising or just okay depending on which weather app you use.

On Wednesday, we had 28 golfers.  Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Robin Kimpinski / Blake Hunter ($46.88 on #1), Ron Susinski / Jamie McCutchins ($20.00 on #3), Kevin Bartram / Norm Verboon ($28.75 on #7), and Theoren Hunter / Morgan Geekie ($99.39 on #9.  That's three weeks in a row for Norm getting a skin.  He's a bit of a force.

Low round for the night was Robin's 35.  Closest to the pins were Robin on #5 and Ronnie on #9.  Robin converted the birdie to share the $86.30 deuce pot with Ron Huberdeau and Dale Martin.  Interestingly, all three of these gentlemen paired with someone who scored a 5 on the same hole which paved the way for Theoren and Morgan to win the skin.

I heard that Morgan rated winning the hole as the second greatest thing that ever happened to him.  He placed it just behind getting drafted into the NHL and just ahead of winning the Calder Cup this year as a member of the Charlotte Checkers.  I completely understand his perspective.  I had closest to on #5 back in 2013 and feel that it was one of my life highlights...right up there with both my wedding day and that night at Joe's garage when I caught a straight flush.

Well...people are starting to wake up at my house so that's a good time to wrap it up.  Have a great weekend...and enjoy golf no matter how you play.

The Struggle is Real

Men’s Night is usually a lot of fun.  There is no denying that fact.  However, it usually has it’s less than fun moments.  The time when this is the most frustrating is when you are playing well and then one bad hole gets you.   You are on a roll after six holes and you come to seven and walk off with a triple and follow it with a double on eight and a bogey on 9. 

We regular golfers need not get discouraged because this happens to everyone.  The US Open is this week.  I haven’t watched much of it so far but I have seen several guys lose balls and hit them in places that they should not.  Yesterday, Phil Mickelson missed an 18-inch putt.  No gimmies in the PGA.  Patrick Reed, a former Masters champ cracked his wedge over his knee after chunking a chip.  Ian Poulter was beside a green in two shots and walked off with an 8.  Unfortunately for him, they don’t use the Men’s Night max rule.

No golfer had worse luck than Lucas Bjerregaard who was only 3 over on Thursday as he stepped on the tee at Pebble Beach's par-5 18th hole.  That's when disaster struck.  Bjerregaard hit two drives left into the cove below and then sent a third drive to the right and out of bounds.  He made a sextuple-bogey-11 to plummet down the leaderboard at 9 over.  He also threw his driver over the cliff into the ocean. 

The lesson here is simple.  If professional golfers can struggle occasionally it is only reasonable that we do as well.  In fact, we should accept that it will happen on a regular basis.  If you have three pars in a row and then lose a ball or two on the fourth hole, who cares.  It’s okay to be mad for a moment but let it go as quickly as you can.  You are still golfing on Men’s Night which is better than a lot of things.

And if you run into trouble, don’t break or throw away your clubs...especially your driver.  The professionals who do this can go to the equipment trailer and get a replacement.  If we do it, we have to play the rest of the round with a 3 wood and feel like crap because we just wasted several hundred dollars.

This past Wednesday, we had only 20 golfers which might seem odd for a nice evening in June.  Of course, it was game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals so many Bruins fans stayed at home to watch their team lose to the Blues.  As a dejected Leaf fan, I was not disappointed with the outcome.

Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Norm Verboom / Robin Kimpinski ($81.89 on #3), Dave Gill / Charlie McNabb ($20.00 on #4), and Chris Kimpinski / Jason Neufeld ($20.00 on #6 and $48.13 on #8).  There were no deuces.  Closest to the pins were Jamie McCutchins on #5 and Charlie McNabb on #9.

Low rounds for the evening included Jamie McCutchins (36), Joel Ostash (37), Wes Arnfinson (38), and Chris Kimpinski (39).

There were two holes in ones involving local golfers this past week.  Brad Benton had one on the 9^th hole in Shoal Lake on Sunday and Neuf scored his ace on Friday on a tournament in Killarney.  For Men’s Night, we combined three $1500 hole-in-one pots to create two prizes worth $2250.  If you need the motivation to play on Wednesday, this could be it.

Please fix your divots

The essential conditions for a good golf course are quite simple.  For greens and fairways, water and hear and the keys to promoting positive growth.  The temperatures have been fine as of late but we are just getting the rain that is required. Things should be looking very good within the next two weeks.  Soon those bare patches on the greens should begin to fill in.

Next, we need people who take care of the course.  This includes our grounds crew who look after daily maintenance.  It also includes us golfers who need to fix balls marks on the green, replace fairway divots, and refrain from slamming putters into the soft ground simply because we suck at putting.

The best among us are those golfers who always use the garbage cans, pick up the occasional waylaid beer can on a fairway, and use their divot tool more than once every green.  Also, we golfers need to be patient at the start of the season because it takes a while for the course to get growing.  I am not calling anyone out here...I am simply reminding us all about our collective role in ensuring that our course is in as good as shape as possible.

A lot of what I am talking about falls under the umbrella of the term "golf etiquette".  Much of etiquette governs playing rules but a significant portion provides direction on how to help maintain golf courses.  I prefer to think about it more simply.  We all need to be grateful for having such a nice course in our small town and we all need to do what we can to sustain it.  A good example of this would be those members that take time to clean flower beds or trim tree branches around the course.

But of course, I digress...as I often do at the start of the season.  I need to talk about about what happened on Wednesday given that this is the Men's Night blog.

Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Robin Kimpinski / Jim Geekie ($20.00 on #2) and Joel Ostah / Norm Verboom ($51.88) on #7.  Devin Allen paired with the dummy card for a double win, getting $36.88 for a skin on #4 and $20 for #6.

There were two deuces with Braeden Allen and Pete Ostash splitting the $54.39 pot.  Pete did it by hitting it closest on #9.  Closest to the pin on #5 was Troy Chwaluk.

For the second week in a row, Brad Benton had the low round with a 34.  There were a few other rounds under 40 including Braeden Allen (37), Austin Hunter (38) and Devin Allen (39).

It was Scott Maynes' birthday.  His present was birdies on both #1 and 2 which he promptly put on the ringer board.  Brad Benton birdied the eight hole to go to -7 which is 5 strokes ahead of the four people tied for second.  Brad has holes 3 and 6 remaining to fill his card.

By the end of this coming Men's Night, we will have three hole-in-one pots worth $1500 each.  We have previously capped at this level and started building another.   We might consider combining the existing pots in some way.  Perhaps we have one pot of $3000 and a second at $1500.  A second option would be two pots of $2250.  We will discuss this week and come to a group decision.

See you all again for tee off this Wednesday at 6:30 pm.  Remember to fix those ball marks.

We Now Start at 6:30 pm

6:30 pm tee off next week.  I want to emphasize it because there was some confusion this week.  Typically we start the year at 6:00 pm tee off and bump it to 6:30 the first week of June.  So technically this past week should have been 6:00 pm.  You get an extra half an hour now to hang out with your family or finish up at work before coming to the golf course.

I didn't play on Wednesday but I went for a ride with a group and got to enjoy the beautiful evening.  I watched Brad Benton shoot a 34.  I was in awe of the scrambling ability of Jason Gorrell, who went in the bush on 4, took a long drop, hot his third shot in view of the green, his fourth over the green, before draining a long chip in for par.

The bulk of the scores were in the 40-45 range.  In fact, there were several high-low pairings in which the players scores differed by only 2 or 3 strokes.  The most notable was Dave Gill and Chalie McNabb teaming up with two 44's.  One neat grouping was Cubby and Zach Bartram who were randomly selected to be teammates.

There were still scores on either end of the spectrum.  There were five over 50 and two under 40, including Brad Benton with a 34 and Jamie McCutchins with a 39.  Brad's 2-under score was noteworthy in that it included a bogey, a double bogey, two pars, and five birdies.  He also added three of the birdies to the ringer board to bring his score to -6 which is pretty impressive given that June had yet to arrive when he did it.

Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Brad Benton / Troy Chwaluk ($20.00 on #1), Robin Kimpinski / Blake Hunter ($33.75 on #2), and Keith Martin / Darcy Kowalchuk ($20.00 on #6).

The deuce pot of $56.25 was split by Brad Benton, Darren Ostash, and Ian Paterson.  Ian was closest on the 5th hole while Cubby hit it tightest on #9.

The forecast for the next week is sunny and dry.  If anyone knows how to do a rain dance please do it.  The golf course, the farmers, and our lawns need some moisture.

Tournaments Everywhere

With the weather a little warmer, 24 golfers showed up on Wednesday for Mens' Night.  That's a fairly decent number for this time of year.  I say that but then realize that June 1st is a week from today.  I should be writing about how warm it is outside.  The forecast for this week looks very promising with 20 Celsius and sun predicted for Wednesday.

It was windy but that wind helped on several holes.  For example, a few people found the green on the par 4 first hole.  I heard reports that both Kory Stebelski and Neuf hit it close on #1.  Unfortunately, they both had that high-low experience of one second hoping for a hole-in-one while the next watching their eagle putt miss.  At least they both salvaged their birdies.

Skins went on four holes.  Winners included Ron Huberdeau / Neuf ($24.38 on #1), Brad Benton / Chris Malchuk ($63.15 on #4), Jamie McCutchin / Kevin Nickel ($20.00 on #6), and Austin Hunter / Shane Kimpinski ($33.76 on #8).

The deuce pot of $101.28 was claimed by Brad Benton with a birdie on #5.  In addition to that hole, Brad also birdied #1 and #4 to jump out to an early lead on the ringer board.  Brad's 36 was also the low round for the evening.

Closest to the pins were Robin Kimpinski on #5 and Norm Verboom on #9.  If you are wondering why Joe Shwaluk did not get closest on #9 for the third week in a row, he was in Winnipeg for work.

For those of you that enjoy tournaments, there are several this year.  We have our regular ones such as the Fundraiser, the Seniors, and the Horse Race in July.  And we have a couple of new ones in June.

There's the return of the Eagles tournament on June 15 which will be a two-person Texas Scramble.    The Eagles held a great annual tournament a few years back and I am sure that this one will continue that tradition.  They always seem to get a great turnout and all that come seem to have a good time.

The following weekend the Shoal Lake and Oakburn Lions Club are partnering to host a 4-person Vegas Scramble.  If it is a true Vegas Scramble, that means all team members hit their ball then you roll a die to see whose ball you take.  The intent of this format is to prevent one team member from dominating and making most of the shots.  Not to be critical, but on the tournament fun scale, the Vegas Scramble for me is just above an alternate shot round with my wife.

The reason for my lack of enthusiasm for the Vegas Scramble is as follows.  In a Texas Scramble, the weakest golfer usually only has to make their 3 or 4 tee shots and they are off the hook.  They often are fortunate to add a couple of other nice shots or putts during the round and walk away feeling as if they really contributed.  Then there's the Vegas Scramble.  Imagine someone on the team is having a tough round, topping balls and sailing more than their fair share into the trees.  Imagine further that this same person has the misfortune of getting their number rolled more often than their teammates.  This can end up being a very frustrating round for both them and the people with whom they are playing.

Of course, I am forgetting my frequent mantra which states that there are three things that matter in golf...where you play, how you play, and who you play with...and the first two don't matter.   And tournaments in any format are a great time.  It is likely that everyone that golfs in the Lions' Tournament will have lots of fun because they will golf with friends and family.  I think perhaps my comments are more reflective of my current mindset than problems with the Vegas Scramble format.  I am laid up for a bit, eager to golf but yet to set foot on the course.  Hopefully, I get to a Men's Night before the end of June and have a few swings in prior to the Fundraiser on July 5.

New Greens Crew

Fifteen golfers came out on a windy May 15th. After only having one skin go the first week, there were four skins claimed this week.  Winners included Mike Susinski / Jason Neufeld ($20.00 on #2), John Gill ($26.89 on #5), Dale Martin / Joe Shwaluk (#$26.89 on #6), and Dick Edgeworth / Brad Benton ($20.00 on #7).

Closest to the pin on #5 was Mike Susinski.  Closest on #9 for the second week in a row was Joe Shwaluk.  There were no deuces.


Welcome to our new Heads Groundskeeper Tracey Spearing and his assistant Dawson Hunter,  Thanks to our new Board member Robin Kimpinski and our new grounds crew for getting the course in awesome shape to start the season.  I have not been on the course this year but I hear the greens are fantastic.

I will be out of action for at least 3-4 more weeks.  During that time, feel free to text me with any interesting Men's Night news for possible inclusion in future blogs.

Let the Season Begin

Well...the 2019 Men's Night season started a little later than we would have liked.  But it has started and with it likely 20 plus Wednesday's of fun and golf.

It seems like a familiar refrain every year...but man was that another long winter and spring.  The reality is that the key to an early start for Men's Night is a good spring.  This spring was not something many would classify in a positive sense.

While we have great summers in Manitoba, we go a long time without golfing.  Our last official Men's Night was September 5, 2018.  The time period between then and May 8, 2019 is equal to 245 days, or 35 weeks, or 8 months.  Simply writing that is a bit disheartening.

That's enough complaining about the weather for now.  Let's move on to what happened on the first evening of the year.

There were 15 golfers who came out for a cool and windy opening night.  Only a single skin of $20 was won by Ron Susinski on the 1st hole.  Closest to the pins were Chris Hogg on #5 and Joe Shwaluk on #9.  There were no deuces.  The low round of the evening was a 40 carded by Jamie McCutchin.

This would be an appropriate time to thank our closest to sponsors.  Brad Benton sponsors #5 and Kimp Services / Susinski Farms sponsor #9.

Men's Night Starts Tomorrow

One might argue that it isn't quite golf weather.  However, what is indisputable is that Men's Night begins tomorrow evening.

We start the season with a 6:00 pm tee-off until sundown gets extended a bit.  It is the same format as recent years...nine hole stroke play for $10.  We will also have the ringer board running from tomorrow (May 8) to August 22.

Finally, the Club House is open with Francis Caspillo back and taking care of things.

Have a great 2019 golf season.

Two short

We only had eight golfers last Wednesday.  We require 10 for an official Men's Night.  Thanks to those who made it - Sonny Blackbird, Charles Blackbird, Jason Gorrell, Stephen David, Joe Shwaluk, Jason Neufeld, Blake Hunter, and Brad Benton. Hopefully we get to 10 tomorrow. The forecast looks reasonable for this time of year.

The Club House will be open until October so we will run Men's Night as long as the weather and numbers allow it.

The new lucky number

Lucky 13. In some countries, such as Italy, 13 is considered a lucky number. The expression "fare tredici" ("to do 13") means hit the jackpot.  Thirteen was certainly a lucky number last Wednesday.  With farming in full swing, we were sitting at only eight golfers ten minutes before tee off.  Needing ten for Men's Night, we were lucky when five more showed up to play.  

It was a lucky evening for 6 of the 13 who won prizes.  Barry Bone paired with the dummy to win the $20.00 on #7 and $80.02 on #9.  He also scored a deuce on #9 for $52.53.

Skins went on four other holes.  Stephen David and Sonny Blackbird won holes 1, 2, and 3 valued at $29.39, $20.00, and $49.39 respectively.  The final skin went to Austin Hunter / Jason Gorrell who got $20 for their efforts.

Closest to the holes were Gorrell on #5 and Neuf on #9.

On Friday evening we had a great evening of night golf.  Conditions were ideal and all that turned out seemed to have a fun time.  Thanks to Joe Shwaluk for suggesting this and then coordinating.

A reminder that tee off for Men's Night is 6"00 pm for the remainder of the season.

Hello September...please be nice

Even though it is not completely related to Men's Night, I thought that I would begin by promoting the Night Golf event scheduled for this Friday.   Tee off is at 9:00 pm.  It is a four-person, nine-hole Texas scramble.  Cost is $160 per team / $40 per person.  Registration covers kit to illuminate course as well as six high quality LED balls per team.  The restaurant menu available prior to tee off and beverage cart will be available during round. To register sign up at the Club House or call the golf course at 759-2002.

A few of us attended a similar event in Hamiota a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun.  The forecast for Friday looks ideal.

There were only 15 golfers last week with harvest in full swing.  Skins went on four holes.  Blake Hunter and Robin Kimpinski teamed up twice, winning $71.89 on #6 and $36.26 on #8.  Other winners included Jason Hunter ($21.26 on #1) and Stephen David / Scott Martin ($20 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Brad Benton on #5 and Jason Hunter on #9.  There were no deuces.

Someone asked me yesterday when will we wrap up the Men's Night season.  Usually it is near the end of the month...dependant on the weather.  I bet we have at least 3 or 4 more weeks to go.

Smoke, night golf, and ringer boards

The picture to the left is a smoky Golf.  Smoky golf has been very common as of late.  This past Wednesday was a bit of a reprieve from the hazy conditions that we have been experiencing for quite some time.  That smoke is back again today.  You can see it out the window and smell it as soon as you step outside.  That's too bad because several of us are of to night golf in Hamiota this evening.

Speaking of night golf, we will be hosting our own such event on Friday, September 7.  The sign up sheet is in the Club House.  Since I am mentioning upcoming events, the final Jack and Jill is scheduled for this Tuesday, August 28th.

On Wednesday, we only had 19 golfers.  This isn't surprising given that harvest is now in full swing in the area.  Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Terry Brandon (#43.76 on #2), Robin Kimpinski / Stephen David ($26.88 on #5), and Dave Reagh / Brad Benton ($26.88 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Brad Benton on #5 and Blake Cramer on #9.  Robin Kimpinski had the only deuce of the night for $35.64.

The ringer board ended this week.  Robin Kimpinski won the first flight and $68 on a countback against Brad Benton.  Both finished at -8 with Brad claiming $34 for second.  Third place for $17 was Scott Maynes at -5.   The second flight winner was Jason Neufeld at -1.  He made $34 for his efforts.  Runner-up in the second flight was Darcy Kowalchuk who got $17 for his even par final score.

One final thing to note...we will start teeing off at 6:00 pm for the remainder of the season.

I miss golf

Some say that the sign of a good summer is that you have been busy and travelling a bit.  By that mark I guess it has been a good one.  However, as the result of being busy I have missed five Men's Nights including last week.  I am definitely looking forward to getting back this week.

It isn't just missing golf that gets me...it's missing Men's Night.  I don't think I am exaggerating when I say that Wednesday is my favourite day of the week from May to September.  I know that there are others who share this sentiment.  It is always fun to get out with the boys and hit some balls, have a few drinks, and share some laughs.

Fortunately I have only been missing golf because of other fun summer activities.  There are others who have been prevented from playing because of doctor's orders, or farming, or because they are building cabins.

There were 24 golfers who didn't miss golf last Wednesday. Skins went on two holes.  Winners included Charles Blackbird / Dion Brandon ($84.38 on #1) and Derek Patterson / Scott Maynes ($84.38 on #4).

Closest to the pins were Mike Zenchyshyn on #5 and Derek Patterson on #9.  The $45.00 deuce pot was split between Dion Brandon and Chris Malchuk.

Finally best of luck to our Men's Night brethern who are involved in the Tamarack Golf Tournament in Clear Lake.  They include Darcy Kowalchuk, Jim Geekie, Bob Moffatt, Sonny Blackbird, Wes Arnfinson, Keith Martin, and Dale Watson.

The dog days of summer - part 2

After starting this week's blog entry, I realized that I wrote about the same theme previously.  I checked some old posts and found that on August 15, 2015, I talked about the dog days of summer, that time of year where we typically have our hottest days.

I think it is okay to occasionally write about the same or similar topic.  However, I recognize that I tend to repeat certain themes in my posts.  This was evident earlier this week.  A golfing partner, who shall remain nameless, was talking about how the summer was almost over.  I reminded him that we had lots of time remaining and asked if he read a recent blog about this exact topic.  He stated "Yes...I read you 15th or 16th post of being optimistic".  He is likely the target audience of my motivational entries but doesn't realize it.

We have had some warm stretches this summer and we are definitely in the middle of one right now.  We are experiencing plus thirty temperatures every day with this Saturday projected in the mid-30's.  That will make for a warm Horse Race.

I read today that a Manitoban climate expert says a higher number of 30 C days is expected to be the new normal for the season in coming years — and the average is only going to rise after that.  As of Thursday, southern Manitoba had already experienced 18 days with a recorded temperature of 30 C or higher, compared with the annual average of 13.3 C, according to Environment Canada.  By Saturday, we will have 20 such days.  We are likely faring better than other places.  Ontario and Quebec have had a heat wave for most of the summer.  The Maritimes just ended several weeks under heat advisory.

This warm weather is great for those of us over 40.  The hot days seem to take care of the muscle and joint pain that can be an issue during cooler weather.  A person with whom I golf has probably used the phrase "hard to gold in these conditions" at least 20 times in the past two weeks.  He is joking of course, because we are all enjoying hot, sunny days with little to no wind.

Two of our over 40 golfers definitely liked the conditions yesterday.  Wayne Griffin and Sonny Blackbird combined for two big skins - $110.01 on #3 and $91.26 on #5.  Other skin winners include Ron Huberdeau / Scott Martin ($20.00 on #7) and Jim Geekie / Scott Maynes ($69.38 on #8).

Closest to the pins were Mike Zenchyshyn on #5 and Brad Zimmer on #9.  Mike converted his two to share the $50.64 deuce pot with Ashley Brandon.

Looking at the names above, all are over 40 with the exception of Mr. Maynes.  It definitely seems that the hot weather is better for the old guys.

That's it for this week.  There is a sign up sheet at the Club House for the Nine and Dine tomorrow (Friday).  If anyone has yet to sign up for the Horse Race on Saturday, call or text me (Stephen David) @ 847-0161.

Horse Race this week

Our annual Horse Race tournament is this Saturday.  The 18 hole qualifying round begins at 9:00 am.  This is followed by the calcutta and flighted horse races.  As of right now we are only at 24 entries so we are hoping to pick up a few more at Men's Night this week.

Last week we had 30 golfers.  There were lots of pushes with only two skins going.  Winners included Austin Hunter / Dale Martin ($74.38 on #4) and Blake Hunter / Ashley Brandon ($20 on #7).

Jason Gorrell chipped in for 2 on the par 4 first hole to claim the $56.25 deuce pot.  This vaulted Jay to the lead in the season money list with $251.13.

Closest to the pins were Charlie McNabb on #5 and Austin Hunter on #9.

Lots of summer remaining

It is a common experience for many of us.  We are in the middle of enjoying summer vacation and the great weather when we start to hear from the pessimists.  This usually happens at the end of July or the first of August.  Those with a less rosy outlook on life begin to lament how summer is half over.  Some will even go so far to suggest that summer is almost done.  Let me be the first to state that this is crazy talk.

We have long and cold winters in Manitoba but excellent summers.  There is lots of daylight and our weather is usually extremely good.  To suggest that summer is ending when we are still in July is an extreme over reaction.  Heck, even the kids have 5.5 weeks of break remaining.  That's 37 days until September 6.

I am surprised sometimes that people don't complain that their life is half over when they hit 40.  I hope that doesn't happen because we have lots of us old guys who attend Men's Night.  If everyone realizes that we are nearly half dead we might stop coming.  What's the point of enjoying ourselves on Wednesday evenings when some of us will likely be gone by 2058.

I am reaching a little here but it is an important point.  Today is July 29th...a beautiful Sunday in the middle of summer.  It will be a long time before we can't golf anymore.  There are lots of more nice days and evenings to come.  No one needs to start packing away the patio furniture or getting out the snow shovels just yet.

Golf is a game best enjoyed by optimists and least enjoyed by pessimists.  Often these two groups view the identical experiences in completely different ways.  Optimists say they get pars on the second ball while pessimists note their double bogeys.  Optimists say they had an okay round and are happy with their 42.  Pessimists talk about how the triple bogey on seven screwed up their chance of scoring under 40.  Optimists talk about how they will make a long putt to save par.  Pessimists will mention how they dread getting another three-putt.

Last Wednesday was a cool and windy night from what I heard.  However, that didn't deter 24 optimistic golfers from bundling up and playing.  A first-timer, Wes Gregory from Hamiota, won the $166.89 deuce pot.  Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Austin Hunter / Jason Gorrell ($20 on #6), Blake Hunter / Keith Martin ($20 on #8), and Charlie McNabb ($91.26 on #9).

The best shots on the par 3's were Wes on #5 and Charlie on #9.  Combined they won almost $300  when you add their above winnings as well as the closest to prizes.

As an optimist, I look forward to this Wednesday having missed the last two weeks.  I still have a few open holes on my ringer board.  I can't wait to fill them in with some birdies.  And if I don't get them this week, I will have a few more cracks at it later in August.

Does this look like you?

Like many of you, I have the classic golf tan shown to the left.  You get that tan that stops abruptly at your ankles and upper arms with the cool v-tan shape at the neck.  Some of us even get that added tan line on one wrist from our golf glove.  Rather than wasting out time lounging shirtless by the lake, we devote our time to the golf course baking in the hot sun.

The golf tan doesn't affect everyone.  A few brave souls who are most comfortable with their bodies often whip off their shirts on the hottest days.  Being mild mannered and considerate, they wait until the second tee box before disrobing.  This ensures that the Club House diners don't have to see the middle-aged bodies on full display. 

I didn't get a chance to add to my golf tan last week...but 30 other golfers did.  On a warm evening on the course, skins went on only two holes.  Winners included Terry Brandon / Blake Hunter ($20 on # 6)and Mike Susinski / Mike Zenchyshyn ($59.38 on #7).

Closest to the pins were Darren Ostash on # 5and Chris Kimpinski on #9. There were no deuces.

The Susinki Machine

Ron Susinski has been on fire this year...winning money on a regular basis. Despite missing several Men's Nights at the start of the season, Ron is now on top the season money list with $221.64.  He has cashed in on five separate evenings including the last two.  On Wednesday, he split a $147.64 skin on hole #1 when both he and Terry Brandon birdied for a combined -2.  Ron is also in solid contention in the ringer board having already recorded 5 birdies.

Once in a while, a young golfer comes out of nowhere to raise to the top.  This year it looks like that young phenom might be Ron Susinski.  Our only hope is that we stay close to him until he leaves in August to go harvest.

There were 35 golfers last week.  Other skins went to Brad Benton / Devon Allen ($57.51 on #4,  $57.51 on #6) and Austin Hunter / Stephen David ($21.88 on #8).

Closest to the pins were Robin Kimpinski on #5 and Darcy Kowalchuk on #2.  There were no deuces recorded.

Brad Benton recorded two more birdies to move to -7 on the ringer board with three holes remaining.

The horse race sign up sheet is now on the blog and will be at Men's Night each week.  Sign up in person or by texting Stephen David at 847-0161.

Summer golf is the best

It's hard to beat summer golf....especially in July,  The weather is great and the days are long allowing us to play well into the evening.  Recently, many guys simply turn in their score cards after the Men's Night round and keep going for extra holes.  As long as we have the cards to do the prizes, feel free to hit balls until the sun goes down.  Summer golf bring nice greens and fairways as well as Thursday vacation days which make Wednesday evenings more enjoyable.

This past week we had 30 golfers which seems to be our standard number this year.  Skins went on three holes.  Winners included Terry Susinski / Ron Susinski ($101.26 on #2), Scott Maynes / Joel Ostash ($72.51 on #5), and Austin Hunter / Charlie McNabb ($20 on #8).

There were four deuces recorded by Robin Kimpinski, Mike Susinski, Scott Maynes, and Austin Hunter.   Mike had a very nice evening winning closest to the hole on both par 3's.

Robin's two on nine added another birdie to his ringer board total of -6.  He currently has a one stroke lead over Darcy Kowalchuk and Brad Benton.  Scott Maynes entered his first three scores of the year with birdies on 1, 2, and 5.

This year the Horse Race is on Saturday, August 11.  If you are interested in registering, there will be a sign up sheet at Men's Night.  You can also text Stephen David @ 847-0161.

Thanks for everyone who participated in the Fundraiser tournament on Friday and donated prizes.