Tuesday, July 30, 2024

The Night Before Men's Night

Well...it is 9:00 pm on a Tuesday, the day before Men's Night. I am just now doing the blog because of a combination of being busy and being inattentive. In any case, here is what happened six days ago.

There were 41 golfers. Skins went on six holes. Closest to the pins were Braeden Allen on #5 and Nick Roulette on #9. Fred Hrycak and Ryden Lanouette split the deuce pot of $135.02.

Fred had a fantastic evening. He had a 37 with four birdies. He also paired with the dummy for a $25.63 skin on #6.

Other skin winners inclided Mark Williams/Chris Hogg ($25.63 on #2), Braeden Allen/Bill Flynn ($25.63 on #4), Robin Kimpinski/Kevin Bartram ($45.01 on #5), Jayden Nowasad/Jim Geekie ($45.01 on #7), and Scott Maynes/Nathan Nowasad ($45.01 on #9).

That's it for this week. My goal is not to wait until next Tuesday to do the next update.

Friday, July 19, 2024

Wednesday Recap

It is an extremely nice outside on this Friday afternoon...hot, clear skies, and almost little wind. Consequently this will be a quick blog entry.

There were 31 golfers on Wednesday. Skins continued to go at a high rate with 5 holes going. After two previous evenings of multiple deuces, there were none this week.

Hole winners included Robin Kimpinski/Wes Arnfinson ($19.38 on #2), Ryden Lanouette/Joe Shwaluk ($19.38 on #3), Pete Ostash/Jim Geekie ($19.38 on #4), Blake Hunter ($42.51 on #6), and Cyril Patterson/Cubby Bartram ($42.51 on #8). Closest to the holes were Theoren Hunter on #5 and Barry Shama on #9.

Don't forget our next two tournaments...the Horse Race on July 27 and the 55+ on July 30.

Friday, July 12, 2024

Rollercoaster Weather

Boy we have strange weather. On Wednesday, we had the best Men's Night conditions of the year with blue skies, warm temperatures, and minimal wind. 

As I write this on Friday morning, we are still scheduled to have one of the hottest days of the year. The forecast is for a high of 32 with a humidex of 41. It was already quite warm early in the day. Then at 9:10 am, the sky turned black and now we are in the middle of a significant low pressure system with high winds and rain. 

We actually have three separate weather alerts right now. There is both a watch and a warning for thunderstorms. About a month ago we had the same, but for tornados. If you aren't sure of the difference, watches are intended to raise awareness to the potential for hazardous weather conditions, and typically serve as a lead-up to a warning. Warnings are issued when sever weather is either imminent or occuring. Right now it is occuring.

Back to golf. Two weeks in a row, we have had a high number of winners. Skins went on seven holes for the second consecutive time and there were multiple deuces. 

The scores on Wednesday ranged from 36 to 55 for the thirty seven golfers. There were nine people who shot 46. Closest to the pins were Noah Street on #5 and Darren Ostash on #9. They split the $69.38 deuce pot with Jason Gorrell.

Skins winners inclued Joel Ostash/Wayne Griffin ($23.13 on #2), Dave Gill/Jason Gorrell ($23.13 on #3 and $50.63 on #9), Theoren Hunter/Braeden Allen ($23.13 on #4), Scottt Maynes/John Gill ($96.26 on #7), and Sonny Blackbird/Nathan Nowasad ($23.13 on #7).

Gorrell had three birdies, on holes 3, 8, and 9. This helped him to jump into second place on the ringer board at -5. He and Robin Kimpinski are one stroke behind leader Phil Ostash.

Don't forget to sign up for upcoming tournaments, including the Horse Race on July 27 and the Seniors on July 30.

Friday, July 5, 2024

How Low Can You Go?

There were some low scores and some high scores on Wednesday. In fact, there was a 24 stroke difference between the top and the bottom. That is for nine holes. There were around ten scores under 40 and another ten or so over 50.

Two golfers carded an amazing 32 which is -4. Congrats to Matt Ostash and Buck Morton for their stellar play. Matt's was noteworthy given that it included a bogey on eight.

The high score was 56. That golfer shall remain nameless out of respect for his family. Interestingly, one of the 32's paired with this score and the other 32 found a 49 as a partner. Neither won skins.

Those 32's were one off the nine-hole Men's Night record of 31. I had the pleasure of being in the group on both occasions previously. First there was Jason Wowryk whose 31 also had a bogey on eight. Plus he hit it into the reeds on the right side of hole #3. I actually found his ball and he put it to 10 feet on the green from about 140 yards away in almost waist-high cat tails. The other 31 belonged to Scott Maynes who went five under despite some heavily aerated greens. Scott avoided much of the plinko motion by hitting most of his approach shots within five feet.

After too many weeks of poor weather, we fnally had a nice evening. It was excellent scoring conditions with sun, limited wind, and soft, receptive greens. We did have a bit of a monsoon that hit around 9:30 pm which resulted in many guys rushing from the Club House to lower their bag covers or find shelter for their carts.

The better weather resulted in a great turnout with 44 golfers. Amazingly, that was without the Waywayseecappo contingent. Had they come we would have cracked 50 for the first time in several years. The positive attendance likely related to this being the first week of July with several new faces here for the Fundraiser tournament.

On an evening in which I realized that I only had six blank cheques, I was hoping for lots of pushes. Instead, skins went on 7 of 9 holes which likely is the most in a single night in recent history. Winners included Kendal Koroscil/Ken Wowryk ($27.50 on #1), Dale Martin/Sonny Blackbird ($46.25 on #2), Stephen David/Blake Hunter ($46.25 on #4), Derek Patterson/Cole Hunter ($118.58 on #4), Ethan Hunter/Garry Williamson ($73.13 on #6), B.J. Scott/Jason Neufeld ($27.50 on #7), and Reegan Kominki/Nathan Nowasad ($46.25 on #9).

Closest to the pins were Lunk Funk on #5 and Pete Ostash on #9. The $82.50 deuce pot was split five ways among Robin Kimpinski, Jim Geekie, Pete Ostash, Noah Street, and Phil Ostash.

Best wishes for a fun afternoon for everyone participating in the Fundraiser later today.

Sunday, June 30, 2024

Double Birdies

Thirty guys showed up this past Wednesday for Men's Night. Scores ranged from a low of 35 to a high of 61.

Skins went on three holes...all won with a pair of birdies. Winners included Robin Kimpinski/Joe Shwaluk ($20.00 on #1), Charles McKay/Ashton Tanner ($45.63 on #7), and Jason Gorrell/Nathan Nowasad ($56.25 on #9). Closest to the pins were Pete Ostash on #5 and Zach Bartram on #9.

This is a big week for the golf course with the annual Fundraiser Tournament scheduled for this Friday. Let's home for minimal rain this week.

Sunday, June 23, 2024

A Nice Turnout

It is interesting what better weather can do for attendance at Men's Night. This past Wednesday we had 43 golfers, easily our highest total of the season.

Usually with more players, fewer skins are won. However, there were five holes that went. Winners included Reegan Kominko/Jim Geekie ($43.13 on #1), Robin Kimpinski/Neuf ($43.13 on #2), Myles Shingoose/Ryden Lanouette ($26.88 on #3), Chad Tanner/James van de Velde ($51.88 on #8), and Ryan Mansell/Brett Allen ($86.89 on #9).

Jason Gorrell had closest to the pin on #5 and Ryan Mansell was closest on #9. Ryan and Jason also shared the $80.63 deuce pot.


Sunday, June 16, 2024

Tornado Warning

Sometimes I don't know whether I am writing a golf blog or a weather blog. Certainly there has been a lot of focus on things of a meteorological nature this year.

Take this past Wednesday for example. As far as I can recall, this was our first tornado warning on a Men's Night. There were actually funnel clouds spotted in different communities throughout our region.

Around 3:30 - 4:00 pm, Shoal Lake was hammered with heavy precipitation, including hail, for about 15 minutes. During the deluge, I couldn't see the lake adjacent to my house. My road received 1.1 inches of rain in that time period. Shortly thereafter, I jumped on my cart and headed to the Club House.

When I arrived there were not many people around. I joined two guys to play a few practice holes. As we were about to hit our second shots on three, the sky opened up again. We picked up our balls and quickly found our way to the shelter on the rear of the maintenance shed. We stayed there until almost 6:15 pm.

Then something interesting happened. The clouds disappered and it suddenly was warm and sunny. The 24 guys who came to play had fairly good conditions for the round, with a few exceptions. My group started on #1 and were cruising along nicely until the sixth tee box. Suddenly, we could feel the pressure drop and saw dark clouds forming again to the west. We picked up our pace and finished the last three holes as fast as possible. As we putted on #9, a light rain started. That became a heavy downpour a few minutes later when we were inside our sheds. Some groups weren't so lucky, getting soaked because they were still playing.

I have not seen as much water on the course as was there on Wednesday. There was almost nowhere that was dry. There was a stream running in the low spot across #5 and #8 that was likely 8-10 feet wide at 4:30 pm. There were countless shots that hit fairways that were lost in newly-formed water hazards. The fourth hole was extremely saturated from the back tee well into the middle of the fairway. It was a mess.

On the golf side of things, it was a relatively successful evening. Joel Ostash did very well, getting the closest to the hole on both par 3's and splitting the $92.51 deuce pot with Robin Kimpinski. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Reegan Kominko/Ethan Hunter ($25.00 on #3, $60.01 on #6), Sean Blackbird/Jason Gorrell ($76.88 on #5), and Darren Ostash ($25.00 on #7).

Fast forward to today and we are still dealing with weather-related issues. There was a another storm last night which added more water to an already saturated nine holes. This resulted in a course closure for the day due to the grounds being too wet. I probably wouldn't be golfing anyway, given the wind gusts of over 70 km/hr. That wind likely was what caused a large tree to crack off onto our road. It looks fairly small in the picture but it took me a while to clear it away using a bow saw.

Normally I would look at the forecast and make positive comments about the expected weather for this Wednesday. I will forgo that this week because conditions have been so unpredictable as of late. If you are wondering what it will be like for our upcoming Men's Night, I recommend that you look at the sky at 6:20 pm, and hope that it stays reasonable for the next two hours.

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Surviving the 70 km/hr Gale

I have written too much about windy golf. I have also noted how we often have less than ideal weather. So I guess there is not much to say about last Wednesday. It was cold and windy. So much so, we were worried we would not get enough guys. We ended up with 14. That isn't a lot for June. 

Two players didn't let the wind get them down. Phil Ostash and Cole Hunter combined for two skins, winning $20.00 on #1 and $109.39 on #2. Those were the only holes that went. Closest to #5 was Milt and closest to #9 was Stephen David. There were no deuces.

The wind last week was gusting to 70 km/hr. That is fairly significant. It was enough to break off a few tree branches. It made the par 4 sixth hole unreachable in two. It put the water on #3 in play for many golfers.

We live in a place of extremes. We have cold winters and hot summers. And there can be lots of variability from one year to the next. Take for example, June 5 which was last Wednesday's date. In 2009, the temperature only reached 0.5 Celsius. The record hight was 34.6 Celsius in 2019.

The 20 km/hr wind forecasted for this coming Wednesday is much more reasonable. But we know that weather can change quickly in Manitoba. Let's be optimistic. Maybe I will get to wear shorts golfing for the second time in 2024.


Sunday, June 2, 2024

Chasing the Elusive Ace

 

The hole-in-one pot will be over $3000 this week. That's a nice prize for one lucky shot.

The last ace on Men's Night was almost twelve years ago on July 27, 2012. Dale Watson won $1616 for his hole-in-one on the fifth hole. Given that this week will be June 5, 2024, that is 4346 days without one. In the time between there likely have been many near misses, both on the two par threes as well as the short par fours on #1 and 2.

Logan Tanner had a near miss last week on #9. He had to settle for closest to the pin plus a solo claim to the $61.87 deuce pot.

The other closest to the hole went to Dawson Tanner on #5.

There were also four skins awarded to the 33 golfers. Winners included Shane Kimpinski/Stephen David ($51.88 on #1), Myles Shingoose/Keith Martin ($71.88 on #3), Pete Ostash/Phil Ostash ($51.88 on #7), and Scott Maynes/Dylan Kimpinski ($71.88 on #8).

Scott Maynes also had the only sub-40 round with a 37.

One other notable occurrence was having 4 of the 17 high-low partners score a combined max of 16 on hole #5.

When the main hole-in-one pot finally goes, we will have two pots of $2250 waiting. Remember, on the remote chance that there are more than one ace in a single evening, those individuals would split the single active pot.

Friday, May 24, 2024

Fore the Record: Fancy Fairway Edition

 

The pic shown is of Ethan Hunter. I included it (with his permission) because he had a good Men’s Night. Information regarding his experience is found further on in this blog entry.

When I got home on Wednesday evening, I texted a quick summary of the evening to someone who was away. The person responded with a suggestion that I add some descriptive words, with more adverbs and adjectives, to really paint a picture. So I took my short overview and dropped it into ChatGPT, an online AI tool. What follows is what it produced.

In a single, magnificent round of a game drenched in unbridled anticipation, only one splendidly adorned skin journeyed forth, with the illustrious Landon Tanner, in a most fortuitous pairing with the unfeeling dummy on the formidable fourth, triumphing in the grand sum of $92.06.

In a grand contest on the majestic fifth, it was none other than the venerable Cubby Bartram who emerged closest, while the sagacious Ethan Hunter made his presence known on the ninth. In a stroke of unparalleled genius, Ethan deftly executed a deuce, thus securing the solitary claim on the grandiose $43.13 pot.

In the annals of our shared history, I am compelled to recall a fateful day that myself and another braved the unforgiving terrain of Shilo, where the cold was of such an intensity that it etched itself into our very bones. On that day, the heavens unleashed a relentless sleet, reducing visibility to mere inches, and the final two holes were played in a surreal landscape of blinding white, rendering our vision obsolete, and causing my words to falter into a slurry of speech.

This week, by contrast, began with an almost preternatural calmness until the infamous Men's Night commenced. It was at this juncture that the wind began to howl with a ferocity that defied the elements, and the temperature plummeted to a biting chill. I have previously engaged in rounds with snow stubbornly clinging to the trees and on one memorable evening when the thermometer read 7 Celsius, though the biting wind made it feel a bone-chilling 3. In another particularly audacious endeavor at Pinawa, early one April, I found myself striking a pond and, in a feat of remarkable daring, ventured onto the icy surface to take my next shot.

This past Wednesday, however, ascends into the lofty echelon of the top five coldest experiences of my golfing existence, a frigid testament to the relentless caprices of nature.

Well, that was interesting. A little too fancy for my taste but it was worth trying once.

 


Sunday, May 19, 2024

Local Man Wins Big

There was 27 for Men's Night this past Wednesday. That's a reasonable number for this time of year. 

The story of the night was Wes Arnfinson. He won the solo deuce dot with a two on hole 9. That was worth $153.75. He was also closest to the hole for another $20 and paired to win the $38.87 skin there with Reegan Kominko.

The only other skin to go was #8 where Ethan Hunter and Zach Bartram combined for a $51.25 win. The other closest to the hole was Fred Hyrcak on #5.

The forecast for this week looks good enough. See you then if you can make it.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Let the Fun Begin!

As the grip of another long Manitoba winter finally loosens, we got back to the important stuff with our first Men’s Night of the year. The thawing of the snow and the budding of the trees signal not just the arrival of spring but also the promise of another great summer of golf. 

Each new season is like a reunion with our clubs and our friends and acquaintances. It is interesting that in a small town or area such as this, we get a bit disconnected during the colder months. I heard several people ask others how their winters were.

As we start this 2024 season, be optimistic about this fresh start. Best wishes for a year in which every shot is straighter, every putt drops, and every round includes clear skies with a gentle breeze. May the groups in front of you never play to slow and may those groups behind you never be too fast. For those of you who spent money on the latest and greatest golf equipment, may those shiny new drivers add 50 yards to their tee shots. I encourage you to imagine positive outcomes to manifest positive results. For example, you should all fantasize about getting a hole-in-one by practicing their victory dance in front of the bathroom mirror, and mentally spending the imaginary prize money. Above all else, anticipating the endless laughter, camaraderie, and memories shared with friends on the course, and perhaps at the campground afterwards, even if those memories involve more lost balls than birdies.

Now to the golf results from Wednesday.

Brent Allen and Reegan Kominko hit it closest to the pins on #5 and #9 respectively. There were no deuces recorded.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Phil Ostash/Joe Shwaluk ($20 on #1), Darcy Kowalchuk/Wes Arnfinson ($24.38 on #5) and Ethan Hunter/Braden Allen ($48.76 on #7).

We would really like to see more participants in the Ringer Board this year. From May 8 to August 21, participants will strive to record their best scores on every hole, aiming to secure the lowest 9-hole score by season’s end. And the cost is only $10 for the season. On any given night, each golfer can enter as many scores as they wish, with each entry representing their best effort on a particular hole. Once a score is recorded, it's locked in. If you don’t have all scores entered after the final night, you will be assigned the Men’s Night max for that hole.

Sunday, October 1, 2023

The Last One for the Year

 
I want to provide context for this week's image. It is meant to reflect the saddest day of the golf season. For me, the last Men's Night of the year fits this description. I know that there may be a few more opportunities for golf before the course shuts down, but Men's Night ends this Wednesday.  The Club House will be closing after the upcoming long weekend.  
On a positive note, we get to have a Men's Night in October for the second year in a row. That has not happened previously.

Last week was an excellent final Men's Night for September. We had 23 golfers and the conditions were more than reasonable. Darren Ostash handled the wind better than anyone and scored the low round of 39. 

Skins went on four holes. Winners included Jason Gorrell/Logan Tanner ($40.81 on #1), Vern Snyder/Barry Nychuk ($113.07 on #3, $40.81 on #8), and Wayne Griffin/Ron Hubderdeau ($28.76 on #9).

Phil Ostash was closest to the hole on #5 and Kendal Koroscil was closest on #9. There were no deuces.

Since I noted Wayne Griffin previously, I should mention that he is moving to England later in October. If you see him around before he departs make sure to wish him well.

Given the rapidly declining daylight, tee off will be at 5:30 pm. Let's hope for a reasonable day of weather so that we may get this final day in for 2023.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Let's Do It Again!

Tomorrow is September 27 and the forecast is 22 Celsius and sunny. What more of a reason do we need for another Men's Night?

Last week we had 23 golfers. Skins went on only two holes. Winners included Jason Neufeld ($38.93 on #5) and Tyson Wood /Stephen David ($54.68 on #6).

Closest to the holes were Terry Susinski on #5 and Ryden Lanouette on #9. Ryden hit it to two feet, made the birdie, and claimed the $43.13 deuce pot.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Still Time to Play

 

You never know when the weather or lack of golfers will force us to shut down Mens' Night for the season. So we should take advantage of the remaining good weather and get out and play some golf. I recognize that not everyone is available at this time of year. If you are busy with something else, all the best doing what you need to get done.

Last week we had 20 golfers. That seems to be about our average as of late. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Stephen David/Barry Bone ($40.30 on #2), Sean Blackbird/Paul Lucas ($20.00 on #7), and Ethan Hunter/Jason Neufeld ($20.00 on #9).

Ethan also had closest to on #9 and converted the birdie to claim the $36.15 deuce pot. Closest to on #9 was Vern Snyder.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Leaf Us Alone

 

We don't have a lot of fallen leaves on the course yet but they will be coming soon. Remember two important things at this time. 

Firstly, it is okay to clear a path on the putting green to get rid of leaves and other loose impediments. You can use your hand, your putter, a broom, or a leaf blower. 

Secondly, if you are certain that you hit a shot into a pile of leaves and your ball cannot be found, you can take a free drop and relief under Rule 16.1 of the Rules of Golf. You may simply play a new ball from the general area without a loss of stroke. This often happens along the rough on the right side of hole #1. Prior to taking relief, confirm with a playing partner that they agree with your decison.

Last week, there were 20 golfers. Dawson Tanner and Charles McKay registered the low round with a 34. Charles also won a skin with Blake Hunter, cashing in for $45.38 on # 4.

Other skins went to Sonny Blackbird/Darcy Kowalchuk ($20.00 on #1, $45.38 on #7) and Brett Griffin/Brad Benton ($58.26 on #8, $171.27 on #9).

Closest to the holes were Ryden Lanouette on #5 and Dawson Tanner on #9. Stephen David had the only deuce to claim the $37.50 pot.

Remember, we will continue with a 6:00 pm tee-off until the end of the season. Wednesday looks promising. The current Environment Canada forecasts suggests 24 Celsius and sunny. Not bad for September 13.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

More Golf to Come

With the arrival of September, we sart to hear the familiar laments of those who believe that the summer is over. Yes the weather starts to change and those who had vacation time return to work. But we shouldn't give up because the calendar changes. Summer is as much a state of mind as it is a period of time. Don't let your mind turn over simply because the month does.

Technically, summer runs later than usual this year with the first day of fall arriving on September 23. Also, our weather has been very good. In fact, this past long weekend has to be one of the warmest we've had in a long time. And there is lots of golf to play. Last year, we had a Men's Night in October and the final day of play on the course was October 29.

So don't give up yet. There is still time for more Men's nights. And if the weather is favourable and you are free, there are additional opportunities for evening golf and more chance to add to your golfer's tan.

Twenty-six players worked on their tan last Wednesday. Skins went on only two holes. Winners included Trevor Wilson/Nathan Maynes ($20.00 on #1) and Jason Gorrell/Robin Kimpinski ($20.00 on #5). Gorrell had the only two of the evening to claim the $48.75 deuce pot. Dawson Tanner was closest to the hole on #5 and Nick Roulette was closest on #9.

Remember for the remainder of the year, we tee off at 6:00 pm. And remember that our hole-in-one pot keeps growing and will likely be worth around $2400 this week. Eventually someone is going to get lucky, and you can't win it if you don't play.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Ringer Board Winner

 

The ringer board wrapped up this week. Unofficially, Brad Benton is the winner, edging Darcy Kowalchuk on a countback. Both finished the season at -5.

This past Wednesday we had 27 golfers for Men's Night. Skins went on four holes. Winner included Charles McKay/Joe Shwaluk ($60.64 on #1), Dawson Tanner/Brandon Cloud ($28.76 on #2), Jason Gorrell/Terry Susinski ($20.00 on #5), and Sean Blackbird/Kendal Korsocil ($165.02 on #8).

Closest to the pin on #5 was Terry Brandon while closest on #9 was Stephen David. Stephen converted his birdie to claim the $50.63 deuce pot.

With his winnings this week, Joe Shwaluk jumped to second place in the season money list with $260.04. Jason Neufeld remains in first with $264.39. This year 51 golfers have won skins with a total season payout of $3720.28

There is one tournament remaining this season...the two-person 55+ event that has been rescheduled until Thursday, September 7. Contact the Club House to register.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Final Week for the Ringer Board

Before we do the overview of last week's Men's Night, I need to remind everyone that the final opportunity to record scores on the ringer board is this Wednesday, August 23.

Last week there were oly 19 golfers. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Ryden Lanouette/Ron Susinski ($81.26 on #4), Nathan Maynes/Ashton Tanner ($20.00 on #5, $20.00 on #8), and Charles McKay/Jason Gorrell ($26.88 on #7).

Nathan also was closest to on #9 and converted the birdie to share the $35.63 deuce pot with Sean Blackbird. Joe Shwaluk was closest on #9.

Speaking of Joe, thanks to him for coordinating another excellent Night Golf evening.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Here's the Latest

 

I was away last week so thanks to the the boys who looked after Men's Night. And thanks to whomever can take care of things tomorrow eveing when I am away.

There were 24 golfers last Wednesday. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Tim McWhirter/Keith Martin ($20.00 on #2), Sonny Blackbird/Shaine Kimpinski ($20.00 on #5), and Phil Ostash/Scott Maynes ($20.00 on #9).

Sonny was closest to on hole #5 and Dave Mansell was closest on #9. Sonny converted his birdie to split the $45.00 deuce pot with Jim Geekie.