Dog Days of Summer

There were lots of golfers this past week. How many, I am not certain. I was away. I heard there were either 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 50 golfers depending on whom I asked. Looking at the sheet now, I think the number was 44 but their appears to be more than that listed.

In any case, it was a good night for golf. I was out of town but I assume it was a hot one. A couple of people said it was the hottest Mens' Night ever. This could be hyperbole because I am sure there has been a hotter Wednesday some time in the recent past. It would be safe to assume that it was an extremely warm and humid evening.

We are in the middle of what is commonly referred to as the dog days of summer. The expression "dog days" refers to the hot days of summer originally in areas around the Mediterranean Sea. The coincidence of very warm temperatures in the early civilizations with the rising, at sunrise, of the dog star Sirius led to the association of this phrase with these conditions. The dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically exhibit among the hottest of summer temperatures.

Skins only went on three holes. Winners were Robin Kimpinski / Ron Coombs ($41 on #5), Joel Ostash / Ron Huberdeau ($27 on #8), and Jamie McCutchin / Ivan Crampain ($22 on #9).

The Kimpinski brothers, Robin and Chris, were closest to holes #5 and 9 respectively. They converted their putts to share the $81 deuce pot with three other people, Sonny Blackbird, Ron Susinski, and Jamie McCutchin.

There were lots of scores entered for the ringer board. The final opportunity to post scores is this coming Wednesday. Right now Jamie McCutchin is in the lead with a -8.

Hopefully we will see another good turnout this coming Wednesday. The hole-in-one pot seems due to go soon, plus the third hole skin should be worth around $150 this week.

If you are free this Sunday between 4 - 6 pm, feel free to drop by new campground adjacent to the golf course. We are having our grand opening / volunteer appreciation event.

Golf No Matter What

The picture above is something that I found on the internet. The caption that accompanied it said "When you are playing golf, no matter what happens, keep your head down". It also illustrates the theme for this week...golfing no matter what the conditions are like.

So...it didn't rain on Mens' Night this week. That might be surprising for anyone that looked outside at 1:00 or 3:30 or even at 6:00 pm for that matter. But once we got going at 6:30 pm there wasn't a drop of rain for the next few hours. Fortunately, we hit the requisite number of 10 golfers to make it an official Mens' Night.

Following the final night of 2013, I wrote a blog entry entitled "Seven Alone" which talked about the seven guys who braved the cold and damp conditions to play. Interestingly of those 7, 5 played this past week.

It shows that there are some people that golf no matter what the conditions. This statement isn't intended to be critical of those who like it warmer and dryer. It is simply an observation. Some of us are willing to golf even when reason and logic suggests that we should not.

I think this speaks to the allure of Mens' Night. It isn't merely about the golf and the scores. It is a night where we clear personal and work schedules to ensure that we get a chance to get out and hang with the boys. Occasionally there are conflicts that we can't avoid, mainly on the recommendation of our significant others. But generally, we play whenever we can.

For the most part it is only exceptionally bad weather that keeps us away. Even that is relative. A couple of weeks ago, for example, we played on an evening when wind gusts were bending the tops of the flags until they almost touched the ground. We played and were grateful that we didn't have the "almost tornado" of two night prior.

I have only a few pictures of golf on my phone. A common theme is the fun that results when we golf when we shouldn't. There's a shot of the fifth green with a double rainbow after a wicked thunderstorm. There's another one of a bunch of us riding out a torrential rainfall while visiting in the maintenance shed. Finally I have one of four of us bundled up with layers of clothing, toques, and mitts. That one is from a cool day last October.

So thanks to the other nine guys who came out this week. And for those that couldn't come, maybe we will see you on Wednesday.

Skins went on five of nine holes with two double winners including Dan Stokes / Scott Maynes ($20 on #1 and $75.50 on #2) and Jason Hunter / Jason Gorrell ($20 on #4 and $66 on #9). Joe Shwaluk and Brad Benton teamed up for the other skin, $20 on #7. Closest to the pins were Robin on #5 and Brad on #9. There were no deuces.

There are only two more nights to add scores to the ringer board - August 12 and 19. Remember if there are any holes for which you do not enter a score you get the Mens' Night triple bogey. Good luck making sure that is not the case.

Let's hope the weather is fairer this week. If not, good luck for those that are willing to brave the elements.

Golf by the Numbers

Numbers are important in golf. Your select specifically numbered clubs to hit numbered balls after deciding on the number of yards to your target. You use informal statistics and probability to make decisions about where to hit and what to hit. Some golfers even record their shot distances on their GPS devices so they get a sense of their trends and patterns. And of course, you use numbers to track your progress, both in terms of scores and handicaps.

So this week I will present an overview of Mens' Night which focuses on numbers.

This past Wednesday there were 28 golfers, 9 of whom won prizes. It was an incredibly windy start to the evening with wind gusts up to 75 km/hr. Skins went on 4 holes including Mike Susinski / Darcy Kowalchuk ($35 on #1 and $20 on #7), Pete Ostash / Jason Gorrell ($51 on #6), and Scott Maynes / Ron Anderson ($20 on #8).

Jamie McCutchin and Brad Benton scored 2's so they split the $42 deuce pot. Blake Hunter was closest to the pin on #5 and Mike Susinski hit it tight on #9.

This season we have had 14 Mens' Nights during which 45 golfers have won over $2000 in prizes. Yet we have not had 1 hole in one...but it feels like it may be coming soon.

Speaking of holes in one, the odds of an amateur making a hole-in-one are 12,500 to 1. The odds of a low handicapper making an ace are 5,000 to 1 while the odds for a professional golfer are 2,500 to 1. If you are a low handicapper and play 1,000 rounds in your life (an average of 25 rounds for 40 years), you have a 20% chance of making at least one hole-in-one.

Well that's it for this week. It's Saturday afternoon and 23 Celcius outside, the wind is only 15 km/hr and there is only a 20% probability of precipitation. I need to get outside. Unfortunately, there seems to be 0 people available to golf.

The Happy Golfer

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.

This quote is from the latest issue of Golf Digest which focuses on happiness. The basic premise of most of the stories and articles is that happy people enjoy golf more than unhappy people. That isn't necessarily an earth-shattering revelation, but it is still worthy of some reflection.

Many people who golf focus on imperfections. Bad lies, bad swings, bad shots, and bad scores fill their brains. Even when they golf relatively well they lament the one bad hole. Last night for example, I heard someone ask another how he played. "Terrible" was the response. You can imagine my surprise when I saw that person's card and noted that he had a 40 on the evening.

There are others that simply enjoy the chance to get out and golf and enjoy the outdoors. I heard one of these happier people describe their round as "lots of fun" last night. When asked how they played they said "really good". Imagine my surprise when I saw that person was just under 50.

The point of the opening quote is that golf should be more than just one's score relative to par. While we reward scoring in our mens' night format, the emphasis of the evening for most people is getting together with some friends and enjoying an evening chasing golf balls around the course. While I enjoy playing and would never turn down a skin, I am happiest when there are lots of guys out playing and having a good time.

I am happy to say that we had 42 golfers last night including a few new faces. I would bet that Mike Susinksi and Jamie McCutchin were happy when they hit it closest to the pins on #5 and 9 respectively. Mikey was likely doubly happy when he scored a two on the same hole and ended up splitting the $63 deuce pot with Brad Benton,

Brad seemed happy a little earlier when he cashed in for a $90 on #5 with Stephen David (that's me). Scott Maynes and Luke Funk appeared to smile when they won $56 on #4. Hubey was definitely elated when he won a $21 skin with Robin Kimpinski on #8. Derek Ostash was still okay when he won the $21 for hole 7 even after learning that his partner (Ervin W.) departed before signing the cheque.

I know that there are at least 40 people excited about the horse race on Saturday. We actually have 48 people signed up...so I am assuming 8 will be unhappy with the weather, the format, the food. their play, or some other aspect of the day. I hope they at least have the good fortune to have one or two happy people in their group.

In closing, I invite you to think about the recently painted deck at the Club House. Were you among the happy majority who was glad that the old, worn surface was refinished and who was grateful for the volunteers that did the work? Or, were you among the unhappy minority who didn't like the colour and complained to a friend about how the natural wood finish should have been maintained? I bet if you are in the first group you are generally a happy person. If you are in the second group, the converse is likely true.

See you Saturday!

Four Deuces!

Remember a week ago or so when it was almost like a mini drought around here? It hadn't really rained in a month or so. I actually was contemplating buying a pump to get some water from the lake for my lawn.

Fast forward until now. Most people would agree we have had too much rain as of late...including that two inch deluge on Monday evening. Even yesterday, it rained pretty hard from 3:00 - 4:30 pm. Fortunately, all that did was delay the practice round for some early birds. Once Mens' Night started at 6:30 pm the weather was great for the 32 golfers who came to play.

A heavy rain before golf usually means that some Mens' Night scores will be really low and others will be really high. Such was the case yesterday, when several players took advantage of the soft, receptive greens to attack pins. There were quite a few others that had trouble with the soggy conditions, with many stories of chunked shots and fat approaches.

One group actually had the four lowest scores of the night with Brad Benton, Scott Maynes, Scott Martin, and Jason Gorrell scoring 37, 37, 38, and 38 respectively.

They were part of a fivesome with Dan Stokes...who wasn't among the low scorers for the night. I knew he was having some trouble during the round when the beer cart girl stopped by my group. She remarked that "Dan Stokes doesn't seem like he is having fun tonight".

Fortunately for Dan, his evening turned around later. His lone par on the eight hole found a good partner with Derek Kempthorne and they claimed the massive skin of $133.50. This win also jumped Dan to second place on the season money list.

Another sizable skin went on hole #7 when Jamie McCutchin and Stephen David combined for $83.50. The only other hole that went was #1 which was good for $20 for Milt and Cubby.

There were four deuces on the evening with John Gill, Darcy Kowalchuk, Blake Hunter, and Scott Maynes splitting the $48 pot. Blake's two on #5 and Darcy's two on #9 were the result of tee shots that gave them the closest to the pin honours for the night. Blake missed the $1500 hole-in-one prize by less than a foot. I know this because later he said that he was "11 inches from not going to work tomorrow".

Scott Maynes' deuce on five also helped him to move into the lead on the ringer board with a score of -6. There are five more weeks to post scores, with the final night August 19th.

For anyone who likes ordering golf stuff online, I came across a really good Canadian site called Golf Avenue that sells new and used equipment and offers free shipping on orders over $150. Their website is www.golfavenue.ca.

Don't forget that the Horse Race is next Saturday. Currently we are at 47 entrants with a cap of 60 players. To enter, text me at 847-0161 or by email at sdavid@mts.net.

Finally, welcome back to Jason Neufeld who played last night after being out of commission for a while.

The beauty of simply showing up

One of the nice things about our Mens' Night formats is that you can show up once and win money. You pay your $8 for skins and you have a crack at whatever has accumulated to date.

Such was the case last night when Barry Bone played and won $112.25.  He split the $58.50 deuce pot with Jamie McCutchin and paired with the dummy card to win $83.00 for the skin on #9. This single evening performance catapulted him to the #2 spot on the season money list. Not bad for an $8 entry fee.

Despite not getting a share of the deuce pot, Scott Maynes was great off the tee on the par 3's with closest to the pin on both #5 and 9.

With 39 golfers out there were lots of ties for skins. The only other holes that went were # 1 (Brad Swereda / Brad Burns for $36.50) and #6 (Mike Susinski / Terry Susinski for $20). The skin on #8 continued to be elusive and will likely be over $150 next week.

While I have your attention I will make a couple of quick golf club related announcements.

Firstly, our Horse Race tournament is only a few weeks away on June 25th. We already have 21 entries. With a cap of 60 golfers you may want to get your name in soon. To register, text me at 847-0161 or send me an email at sdavid@mts.net.

Our campground project has come a long way in a single calendar year. It was a year ago this coming Friday that we started. Exactly one year later, at the end of this week, we will be officially open with 58 full service sites. There are already 2 campers in lots as of this morning with at least 20 more due. 

If you know of anyone looking for a seasonal lot there are still approximately 36 available. We expect these to go quickly once word gets out about the awesome full service campground next to the golf course and lake that just opened in our community.

Night of the Ostash's

Well, we didn't crack 50 golfers last night. We only had 34. But we sure had a lot of Ostash's. It seemed like there were around 30 of them. Someone suggested the number was more like 10 or so. But still, when almost a third of the guys playing are from the same family that is noteworthy. When we paired off scores later there were 3 of 17 groups that had two Ostash's. I thought that their family reunion was not until Saturday. Maybe I was wrong.  It had to be on Mens' Night. Or maybe it was Tuesday...during the Jack and Jill, when there must have been 7 or 8 female Ostash's as well.

Not surprisingly the low round of the night was an Ostash with Matt Ostah carding a 35. One of the three skins were won by an all-Ostash team. Pete and Milt teamed up on #6 for the $48 prize.

The other skins went to Ryan Merasty / Mike Susinski ($48 on #2) and Scott Maynes / Wes Arnfinson ($20 on #4).

There were three deuces with two of them made by the same guy. Congrats to Blair Neal who won 2/3 of the $51 pot as a result. The other two was by Mike Susinski who won $17 for his efforts. Blair has closest to the pin on #5 while Mike just missed the ace on #9.

Robin Kimpinski added a birdie to the ringer board to take the lead at -5. Milt Ostash was really excited about adding scores...but then became distracted and forgot to tell me which holes he was entering.

Next week there will be no fireworks and probably fewer Ostash's. However, the 8th hole should be worth around $130. Many other pots are building as well. Plus it's July. If you are male and not golfing on Wednesday evening...you need to be.

I will see many of you at tomorrow's Fundraising Tournament. For those playing, best of luck for low scores and lots of fun. For any asthmatic players, the forecast for tomorrow is "smoke"...so best of luck for clear airways.

Environment Canada even has a new weather icon for such conditions (shown above). The actual forecast states "Mainly cloudy. Widespread smoke. High 28. UV index 6 or high." Let's hope none of those Ostash's have respiratory issues.

Coming events

There are quite a few things happening at and around the golf course. After a brief update on this past week's Mens' Night, I will highlight some of these coming events.

This week 33 golfers enjoyed one of the nicest evenings of the year. The sun was shining, the greens and fairways were cut, and the pins were placed in ideal locations.

The deuce pot that had accumulated for three weeks disappeared when three golfers made 2's. Congratulations to Ian Paterson, and Scott Martin who split the $139.50 prize.

Closest to the pins were Ron Huberdeau on #5 and Ian Paterson on #9.

Skins only went on two holes. Dale Martin and Ken Ostash won $20 for #1 while Stephen David and Kevin Bartram won the same amount on #4.

So, now for the upcoming events:
- This Friday is an exciting day for the golf club as we will have lot selection for those on our seasonal camping list.
- The ladies are hosting a Jack and Jill on Tuesday.
- The annual fundraising tournament is next Friday, July 3rd.
- Our next Nine and Dine is July 17th.
- The annual Horse Race tournament is not that far away...scheduled for Saturday, July 25th. If you are interested in signing up, send me a text at 847-0161.
- The Seniors' tournament is July 29th and the Credit Union event is July 30th.
- Finally, don't forget that our next Mens' Night is on the Canada Day holiday.

Let's Set a Record

Wednesday was our tenth Mens' Night. That is significant because it occurred in the middle of June. Assuming we get to mid-September as we did last year, we have the potential of having 13 more evenings of golf. Given that it is still mid-June is significant for another reason. The first day of summer is officially next week...so we are still enjoying spring golf.

For those who enjoy variety in their weather, the afternoon and evening had sun, then some high winds, a bit of thunder, and reports of hail before a few heavy downpours made way for relatively clear skies. It was cooler than anticipated and I realized the need to pack some pants in my golf bag. There were a few toques in play as well as some long underwear and mittens and some borrowed wind pants. On a positive note there were no bugs. It was even too cold for the wood ticks.

We had 29 golfers with skins going on four holes. Winners included Brad Benton and Ron Huberdeau ($30 on #1), Darcy Kowalchuk and Blake Hunter ($60 on #3), Joel Ostash and Wes Arnfinson ($20 on #4), and Scott Martin and Dan Stokes ($30 on #5).

Closest to the pins were Luke Funk on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. For the second week in a row there were no deuces recorded. That means a big pot next week...at least $130 I would guess.

There was a report of an interesting mix up on #4 with Jason Hunter hitting the wrong ball or something. It was a complicated multi-part story that I wasn't completely able to follow. Talk to Brad Benton for further details.

In two weeks the stars align for possibly the greatest Mens' Night ever. In two weeks it is Wednesday, July 1st. This is perfect because almost everyone will have the day off and few people should be away because the holiday is not attached to a long weekend.

Having Mens' Night coincide with July 1st is pretty rare. The last time it occurred was 2009. The next time this happens is 2020 and then not again until 2026. It is actually rarer than a Leap Year. Therefore, I encourage everyone to not only come out on July 1st but to bring someone along who doesn't normally play.

In two weeks, let's beat the record of 55 golfers that we set a few years ago. I have already made arrangements with the Municipality. It we have the best turnout of all time they will set off fireworks later in the evening to acknowledge our efforts. How cool will that be?

Thank you, thank you, thank you

I am going to flip the script a bit this week. I will start with the quick highlights from Wednesday and then write about this week's theme...thankfulness.

 

Terry Brandon and Brad Swereda teamed up for two skins including $23.50 on #2 and $59.50 on #4. Other skins went to Brad Benton and Dave Gill ($20 on #6) and Ian Paterson and Randy Tully ($23.50 on #7).

 

Closest to the pins were Cubby on #5 and Robin on #9. Neither they nor anyone else converted a deuce.

 

With seven Mens' Nights already this year, some pots are building up quite nicely. Also, our secondary hole-in-one prize just passed $1000 to go with the primary pot which was capped at $1500.

So back to the theme for this week...thankfulness. Increasingly, I hear complaints about different aspects of the golf course. It seems that a lot of people have a hard time focusing on anything but the negative. This can become frustrating if you don't remember that the majority of people are grateful for the awesome little course that we have here in Shoal Lake. I would hope that I am among those who focus on the positive. Therefore, the last few paragraphs this morning will acknowledge some of the good things.

 

Thanks to John Derhak, Shawna Hebert, and Tara Horne for the great customer service on Mens' Nights so far this year. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks to Dave Chegwin and his crew for working hard to get the course in shape for play. I know it can be a challenging job in which you heard more complaints than praise.

Thanks to the guys who come out every week to make Mens' Night a success.

Thanks to the golf club executive members for all they do to support the course. Most recently, you may have seen two members, Dan Stokes and Brenda Simspon, repainting the deck and picnic tables. This was made possible because Mel Maynes previously sanded everything.

 

Thanks to the countless people who have volunteered at our campground development, including those gentlemen already working as of 7:45 am this morning. As I sit her on a nice Sunday morning, the scrapers are hauling clay down my road toward the course. This clay will form the base for the interior roads and lots in the campground prior to the addition of gravel. The project is coming along nicely.

Since I mentioned the campground, I will admit that I have been part of conversations complaining about the occasional low turnout at campground workout parties or lamenting why it seems it is always the same people involved. Going forward, I resolve to be excited about those people that do show up and to be respectful of those that are not able to be there. Lots of people have lots of things going on beside building a campground. There are jobs, families, and other volunteer commitments.

Finally thanks to anyone that I missed acknowledging today. If you were overlooked someone will let me know.

 

 

Chase the Ace...and Chase the Canola

 

This will be a quick one. It's almost 7:30 and I have to be at the campground by 8:00.

Last Wednesday we had only 16 out for Mens' Night. That was due largely to the fact that our farming friends had to reseed their canola due to a recent frost.

Four skins were won. Mark Pawluk and Milt won two, getting $20 for #5 and $44.50 for #5. Neuf and Ron Anderson cashed in for $44.50 on #1 while Charlie McNabb and Brad Benton won $30.50 on #9.

Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and Dale Newton on #2. The $24.00 deuce pot went to Jason Neufeld who allegedly drained a 40 footer for two on #9.

Mark Pawluk was a surprise winner of the Chase the Ace fundraiser, pulling the lucky card despite 49 others in the deck. He won half of the $300 pot as a result.

Since I mentioned the campground, I should give you an update. We are nearing completion of the sewer and water lines and have some electrical work requiring completion. We should be getting close to bringing the clay and gravel in for the roads. Of course, there is always work to be done and that work is predicated on volunteer labour. To date, there have been countless man hours and machine hours dedicated to the cause. If you are interested in lending a hand, please let us know.

Another Weather Rant

As I write this early on Saturday morning I can't help to think about how much the weather seems to suck.  It did get warm in April and we have had our share of good days, but there have been several bad ones. Even worse, it seems like the coldest days are hitting Mens' Nights and weekends on a regular basis. And it isn't that early in the season anymore either. Monday is June 1st.

On Wednesday, for example, it seemed sunny and almost warm on first impression. Shortly after arriving at the golf course I realized that wasn't the case and regretted not taking a jacket.

Despite the sneaky coolness of the evening, 45 golfers showed up to play. It was an excellent turnout, as high as we normally get in mid-summer.

There was a neat contrast when everyone came in after their rounds. Half the people were bundled up with layers, jackets, and pants. The other half were like me, still in shorts and golf shirts...because we didn't look at the forecast.

Skins were won by Stephen David and Troy Chawluk ($36.50 on #2), Sonny Blackbird and Brett Griffin ($36.50 on #5), and Jason Neufeld ($22.50 on #7). Closest to the pins were Jamie McCutchins on #5 and Robin Kimpinski on #9.

Last week I wrote quite a bit about Jason Gorrell and how awesome he was. Well this week, he didn't add to his ringer board lead and he was not able to win a skin. Many of us are glad he came back to Earth a bit. On an off night, all he could manage was another deuce on the par 4 first hole. Of course, being the great Gorrell that he is, his deuce was worth $109.50. Last week I mentioned that he had a slight money lead. Well, now he is has $205.50 and the person in second place has $46. I need to apologize by stating previously that he would break the $200 barrier by July given that he did it by the end of May.

But enough about Gorrell....I want to talk more about the weather. As I write this today prior to 7:00 am, it is -2 in Oak Island. That is significant because four of us are golfing there later in a scramble. Tee off is at 10:30 am when the temperature will be 6. It will get to a high of 11 but not until 5:00 pm which will be after we finish. Did I mention that the weather sucks? Thank god I love golf.

Young Phenom Rises to the Top

Bobby Jones in 1930, Tiger Woods in 2000, Rory McIlroy in 2013…and now in 2015 we have Jason Gorrell. These are arguably the greatest seasons in golf.

After several years of struggling to find his way, young Gorrell has started off this year in historic form. He has consistently been among the low scorers every week. He leads the ringer board with a score of -4. And he is dressing at a level of coordination and country club sophistication that has John and Dave Gill sitting up and taking notice.

 

Most impressive among Jason's countless accomplishments is how he running away with the money list. After only four weeks of play, he is sitting $50 ahead of his nearest competitor with $96. To give you some perspective on Jason’s money total, last year the full season leader totalled $283 with only one other person over $200. Two years ago, only a single person cracked the $200 barrier. These were after 20 week seasons which extended into mid August. Jason is on pace to crack $200 by July if present trends continue.

Unnamed sources are suggesting that an alleged two week family vacation to Phoenix this past winter was actually an intensive 14 day work session with famed golf instructor Stan Utley.

 

When asked to comment on Jason’s rise to fame, a fellow golfer (who asked to remain anonymous) stated that he was proud of his friend. “Jason isn’t really that athletic so it makes it even more impressive” said his colleague.

 

Former Mens’ Night #1 Brad Benton was unavailable for comment due to the lifetime media ban placed upon him in 2011 by Commisioner Stephen David.  In any case, we are certain that Brad wishes nothing but the best for Jason.
 

Not surprisingly, Jason also had one of the two closest to the holes, hitting it tight on #5. Chris Kimpinski was best on the par 3 ninth hole.

 

The only downfall with Jason's rise to prominence has been a noticeable decline in the number of golfers coming to play. For example, despite the great weather only 28 played this past Wednesday.

 

Several players have stated off the record that they are simply not showing up because they feel they can't beat Jason Gorrell.  Robin Kimpinski's recent comments epitomized the general feeling. "I used to win every week but now it seems just pointless. It really is impacting my self esteem" lamented Kimpinski.

Another Jason (Hunter) partnered with Charlie McNabb to win two skins, taking in $20 for #3 and #9. The only other skin was won by Stephen David and Wes Arnfinson who took home $20 for their combined efforts on #7.
 

To see Jason Gorrell in action, please join us at the Lakeside Golf Club next Wednesday evening. He will be doing a media session at 4:30 pm followed by a meet and greet for fans. Free admission for children under 8 and Prairie Mountain Health employees.

 

Up Yours Golfers...Love Mother Nature

I was determined not to make weather a focal point of blog posts. Each year, usually in the midst of the June rains, I resolve not even to mention weather.

But today as I write this...you have to be kidding me. Compared to right now, Wednesday evening was balmy. It's May 17th and it's -1 C with a windchill of -9 C. It is forecasted for either snow or freezing rain later today. There are wind gusts of 65 km/hr. I just drove to Strathclair and there were waves crashing across the highway from the lake / slew on the north side.

While it was much nicer on Wednesday in comparison to today, it was still cold enough to keep golfers away in droves. Some last minute scrambling got us to 11 golfers which was enough to have an official Mens' Night.

Jason Gorrell had a solid round, posting the low score of 38 and winning two skins for his efforts ($20 on both #2 and #6). Like his mentor and life coach Scott Maynes last week, Jason paired with the dummy card and took the money for himself. Interestingly, it was not Robin Kimpinski who allowed this to happen as was so often the case previously. Robin was at home under a blanket or something because it was too cold for him.

Dan Stokes just missed holing out on the par 4 first hole before tapping in for the eagle. He won the $20 deuce pot and split the $20 skin on the hole with Neuf.

That was essentially the golf highlights for the evening. Neuf was the only person to hit the fifth green and won closest to the pin honours. No one found the green on the short ninth hole which was playing 3-4 clubs longer than usual.

On a positive note, the meteorological crew are calling from 18 Celsius and sunny for this coming Wednesday. 18 Celsius is the normal daytime high for mid-May. Not -1C !

We may not even have to wait until Wednesday. I just checked and tomorrow looks like a scorcher...7 Celsius. Once the snow melts I may just have to go hit a few balls.

4 H Golf

I don’t miss many Mens’ Nights…but I missed yesterday. My absence was not because it was cool outside nor was it due to the fact that it was raining a bit.  I spent the evening at the 4H Achievement Night in Oakburn…an event that I attended of my own free will, out of love and respect for my daughter and mild, subconscious fear of my wife.

There are many similarities between 4H and Mens' Night. The mission of 4H is to engage youth to reach their full potential. Mens' Night also helps people fulfill their full potential...albeit those people are typically middle-aged men.

4H focuses on four areas of personal development - head, heart, hands, and health. These all have direct applications on Mens' Night. Golfers are often well served by making good decisions (using their heads) as they work around the golf course. Some get ridiculed for using an iron on the first tee while others use their driver and end up in trouble. Some of us wish in our heart that we could hit it over the trees on #7 as readily as others. Hands are critical elements in golf. Nice shots are attributed to "good hands" while bad shots are blamed on poor hand position and grip. Finally there is health. Few people would disagree that regular participation in Mens' Night improves one's overall outlook on life which often leads to better health. However, going to Mens' Night while skipping a family event can lead to poor health, both emotionally and physically, depending on the perceived importance of said event. I knew that last night was important…so I made sure to be in Oakburn instead of on the golf course.

I did drop down for a visit at the Club House shortly after arriving home. I showed up in time to do the prizes and hear about how things went. There were only 13 golfers but all reported a good evening of golf. Apparently they only were rained on for the last two holes. Everyone that I saw looked relatively dry and generally happy.

Robin almost pulled off an extremely rare double feat. He was the “dummy” of the evening and he did so by almost scoring a 5 on every hole except for two of the last few holes.

The “dummy” comes into play when we have an uneven number of players. The middle score goes to the low pot and an exact replica of that person’s card goes to the high pot. This gives someone on the low side a chance to pair up with the dummy and potentially win money on their own.

Scott Maynes benefited from this rule, pairing with the dummy card for a $20 skin on #4. Other skins went to Jamie McCutchins and Neuf ($20 on #1), Jason Gorrell and Milt ($20 on #2), Joe Shwaluk and Brad Benton ($32 on #5), and Blake Hunter and Sonny Blackbird ($20 on #9).

In addition to his shared skin, Brad was closest on #5 where he made the putt for the evening’s only deuce, garnering him another $20.  Dick Edgeworth was closest to the pin on #9.

Fortunately I have no conflicts next Wednesday and the long term weather forecast looks promising. Until then, have a good week…and don’t forget Mothers’ Day is Sunday.

 

Break free from the chains of winter

Finally another cold season is done and another season of Mens’ Night begins. While the past winter were reasonable compared to the previous year’s deep freeze, it has still been six months for most of us since golf.

The inaugural evening of 2015 landed on a warm and sunny April 29^th. Twenty-four golfers played with many of them teeing off for practice well before the 6:30 pm shotgun. Among those present was Scott Martin who came for his first Mens' Night since 1974.

Skins went on six of nine holes with twelve different golfers getting some cash. Winners included Jason Gorrell and Sonny Blackbird (#20 on #1), Scott Martin / Blake Hunter ($20 on #3), Dan Stokes/ Stephen David ($25.50 on #4), Chris Kimpinski / Brad Benton ($20 on #6), Dale Watson / Jason Neufeld ($20 on #7), and John Gill / Ryan Merasty ($20 on #9).

Closest to the pin on #5 was Terry Brandon while Brad Benton hit it the tightest on #9. Jason Gorrell found the green on the par 4 first hole and made the putt, earning $36 for the only deuce of the evening.

We got the ringer board started with four guys entering scores. The goal is to shoot the lowest 9-hole score by recording what you think will be your best score you can on each hole over the course of the summer. In our case, we will have a Ringer Board running on Mens’ Night running for nine weeks from April 29th to August 19^th. If you like your score for a particular hole you lock it in for the year. Darcy Kowalchuk is already -3 with three birdies. Last year’s winner Jason Neufeld finished at -8 for the season so Kowalchuk is off to a good start.

This week the forecast is not ideal…but given that it is only Sunday morning there is lots of time for the weather to turn around for Wednesday. And if it doesn’t get better, there are a few of us who picked up enclosures for our golf carts, so try to find a dry spot to ride.

Good luck to all of you working in farming and agriculture related business. May your seeding get done quickly and your year start off positively…and may we see you at Mens’ Night soon.

Mens' Night starts Wednesday

So I almost predicted opening night properly...just missing it by a week. To be fair, in my final post last year I said our first Mens' Night this year would be April 22nd. It was going to be that day...until I canceled it the day before due to winter temperatures.

In any case, we start this Wednesday, April 29, which is two weeks earlier than last year. Tee off at 6:30 pm. Spread the good word.

Check out the left side of this page for updated information on skins and the ringer board.

Turn that frown upside down

Robin cries a little every time Milt reminds him that he put him out of the Horse Race. Milt gets sad when the fish aren't biting. Neuf gets teary eyed whenever he and his mom watch "The Notebook".  Gorrell gets welled-up when he has to leave people unattended in his garage on a Saturday night.

For me, the thing that gets me the most is the end of summer, epitomized by the final Mens' Night of the year. Wednesday night certainly had an end-of-season feel. Only 16 golfers showed up and it was a extremely cool and windy fall evening.

I have lived in Manitoba over half my life and I am still not used to the winters here. We generally have good summers with enough long, warm days to make it worthwhile. It just seems like it passes so darn quickly. The weather the last two years has not been ideal. It seems as if we are in a pattern of six months of winter, three months of  rain, and three months of summer.

I know that we will still have a few days to hit around golf balls. The next week looks especially promising, except for the rain that is falling right now. However, if recent trends hold true it will be eight months before Mens' Night resumes Eight months is a pretty long time.

I could continue to bemoan the loss of summer or end of Mens' Night...but complaining takes too much effort. Instead, I think it appropriate to celebrate the season that we had. Here are some highlights:
- We had 19 Mens' Nights...and a good majority of them were sunny and warm.
- Scott Maynes topped the season money list with a big night early in
September.
- On our first evening in May, only 7 of 15 golfers scored under 50. Maybe not a highlight, but still noteworthy.
- The machine shed was a welcome refuge and place to hang out during a couple of mid-round thunder storms.
- We had 51 golfers on August 3rd.
- Although no one claimed the hole-in-one prize, the accumulated pots built to over $2300.
- Neuf's blistering -8 score claimed the ringer board.
- Many nights we could see the volunteer crew working away on the new campground development.
- We were nearly lifted away one night in mid-July by a plague of mosquitoes and black flies.
- As recently mentioned, we paid out over $3000 in prize money to over 50 golfers.

The last highlights of the year will be the acknowledgment of those golfers who did well on the final night of Mens' Night.

- Ryan Merasty had his round of the summer, combining eight pars with a birdie for a 35.

- Brad Benton was closest on #5 and Neuf closest on #9. Only Neuf finished with a two so he claimed the $24 deuce pot on his own.

- Skins went on three holes. Winners included Stephen David / Wes Arfinson ($20 on #2), Ryan Merasty / Blake Hunter ($23 on #2), and Neuf / Jason Hunter ($20 on #9).

Thanks to all of the golfers for another great season. Thanks also to the Club House staff, Jenn and Natasha, for their excellent work this year...and thanks to Tracy K. for helping us out the last few weeks.

Remember the final day at the Club House is Sunday. However, our greenskeeper works until the end of the month and the weather for the next little while looks excellent.

See you for the next Mens' Night...on April 22, 2015. If I can't be optimistic, what's the point.

Only my body was cold

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these golfers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. By only changing a single word from the US Postal Service creed, I aptly described this past Wednesday.

On a rather cool fall evening, we needed to make a few last minute phone calls to get us to past the ten players required to have Mens' Night. When all was said and done we had eleven golfers. Good job Jason, Scott, Robin, Wes, Brett, Neuf, Brad, Ron A., Denny, Hubey, and Stephen.

Once we started playing it actually felt a little warmer out. I am not saying it was getting hot or anything, but many of us stopped wearing gloves in between shots and I am pretty sure at least one person removed their toque. Once we added a bit of antifreeze to our blood, we played almost enthusiastically, although extra holes were not an option for anyone.

Jason Gorrell and Brad Benton teamed up on three holes, winning $20 skins on #1 and #2 and another $28.50 for #6. Other skins went to Brett Griffin / Robin Kimpinski ($20 on #7), Dennis Green / Jason Neufeld ($49.50 on #8), and Stephen David ($20 on #9).

Hubey had closest on #5 and Stephen was closest on #9. Neither they nor any other golfer scored a deuce.

The forecast looks promising for this week so come out if you can. Two more Mens' Nights and we hit 20 for the season which is as good a measure of success as we have.

Who's the Dummy Now?

Robin Kimpinski is a dummy. Perhaps I should have said he was the dummy on Wednesday, but I think the message was clear. Robin's score on Mens' Night was the middle one of 19 cards so he went to the low pot and a replicate of his card went to the high pot as the dummy card.

Scott Maynes is one lucky dummy...because he paired with Robin's dummy card. The benefit of pairing up in this fashion means you need not split your winnings with anyone. As the result of his good fortune, Scott won a $20 skin on #1, a $133.50 skin on #5, and a $23 skin on #7. Ever the gracious winner, Scott purchased a round for the Club House before leaving for the evening.

With his big week, Scott has jumped ahead of Neuf in the season money list. In case anyone is interested, this year we have already paid out more than $3300 in prize money to over 50 golfers.

Two other skins were won. Brad Benton and Ron Anderson picked up $117.50 for #4 while John Gill and Hubey got $20 for #9. Ron suggested the par that he contributed on the par 5 fourth hole was his first in many years.

Closest to the pin on #5 was Jason Gorrell. On #9, we had our first ever tie...or at least the first since I have been involved with Mens' Night. After a reported four different measurements, it was deemed that Brad Benton and John Gill were equidistant from the hole.

I will resist the urge to comment too much about the weather conditions this past week because of a previous commitment to deemphasize the meteorological influences on Mens' Night. Let me simply suggest that the phrase "Wet Wes Whiffs Woefully" helps paint a picture.

This forecast for this weekend looks great for golf. Unfortunately, the change of season appears to have our wives and significant others in job assignment mode. Already there are a few of us trying to coordinate one day of golf against one day of work around the house. We have the classic chores versus scores dilemma. For the most part, it seems that the plan is work today and play tomorrow.

Don't put away the clubs yet

Some people get sad when September rolls around. They lament the passing of the holiday months and start forecasting how soon the weather will turn cold. I like to take the other perspective. Firstly, summer isn't over until the weather gets really cool. Secondly, just because I return to work full-time doesn't mean the golf season is over. We will get a few more Mens' Nights, maybe three or four if we are lucky, and there is always evening and weekend golf.

Take this weekend for example. Great daytime temperatures and conditions...plus Monday is a holiday.

Even when it gets cooler it's fun because the fairways get harder. Hit a ball up the middle and you'll likely get some of your longest drives of the season.

Twenty-seven golfers played on Wednesday with some new faces among them. None of the newbies had a better evening than Brandin Wilkinson. His great tee shot on #9 gave him closest to the pin, a share of the deuce pot, and the $20 skin with Brad Benton.

Other skins went to Neuf / Denny ($34.50 on #1), Dale Watson / Jason Hunter ($20 on #2), and Sport / Keith Martin ($20 on #3).

The other closest to the hole was Sport on #5. Unfortunately he did not convert the two. Dick Edgeworth ended up splitting the pot with the previously mentioned Mr. Wilkinson. Both got birdies on #9.

Don't forget that we will continue with the early start time this week with a 6:00 pm tee off. If you have no one on the hole in front of you and your group doesn't spend too much time looking for balls, there is always the chance for extra holes after you turn in your cards. This past week my group finished our Mens' Night round, dropped off our cards, played seven more holes, and we were still among the first back in the Club House.

If you need incentive to play, we have two great hole in one pots. One is capped at $1500 and the back-up pot is now at $792.

Well...that's it for now. My brother-in-law will be arriving soon for the weekend....which means lots of golf for the next few days.

That was alot of Jasons

It was like a Friday the 13th marathon. We had five Jason's last night out of the 42 golfers who came to play. Thanks to Gorrell, Hunter, Neufeld, Colon, and Galbraith for making this blog entry possible.

 

The similarities between the movies and our Mens' Night don't end just in the numbers of Jasons. For example, Jason Voorhees first appeared at Camp Crystal Lake. We played last night at Shoal Lake. The film franchise tells the story of a scary loner who chases unsuspecting coeds to claim revenge for a previous wrongdoing. Last night, Neuf won $80 to claim the ringer pot. The movies were bashed by critics but beloved by film goers. Our Mens' Night is often criticized by spouses and significant others yet is cherished by the hard working men of our community who seek only three hours per week of quiet reflection on the golf course while accompanied by their peers. Finally, the body count in the first Friday the 13th film was eleven...the same number of people who scored over 50 last night.

 

The round wasn't scary for everyone with several golfers bringing home cash. Skins went on five holes. Winners included Dave Lysyk / Robin Kimpinski ($21 on #2), Scott Maynes / Dale Butland ($55.50 on #3), Mikey / Hubey ($40 on #6), Charlie McNabb / Brady Waddell ($21 on #7), and Butch / Blake ($81 on #9). 

 

Closest to the pins were Ryan Merasty on #5 and John Derhak on #9. John was the only one of two to convert the birdie and joined three others golfers (Sport, Gorrell, and Blake Hunter) to split the $63 deuce pot.

 

Someone asked last night how many more Mens' Nights we will have this year. The simple answer is that we will keep going as long as weather permits and as long as people keep coming out. It's sort of like Jason Voorhees and the Friday the 13th film franchise itself. Every instalment of the series ends with Jason seemingly being killed yet he is resurrected in the next movie.  And the movie series itself keeps going. Since it started in 1980, there have been twelve movies with the most recent update being released in 2009.

Last year we made it to September 18th. The previous year we got to September 25th. Assuming a similar finish this year, it is fair to say that we should have at least another four Mens' Nights remaining.

Not much to say...so little time...

These are the hardest blog entries to write. I wasn't there on Wednesday plus I have stuff to do this morning. So I have a lack of knowledge about what happened combined with the need to finish up quickly. What's worse is with no general theme I don't real have an appropriate image to use at the top of the blog entry...hence the photo above.

 

On Wednesday, 38 golfers came for Mens' Night and 9 walked away with cash. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Wes Arnfinson / Brent Zenchyshyn ($20 on #1), Keith Martin / Jason Gorrell ($34.50 on #2), Sport / Cody M. ($34.50 on #7), and Milt / Joel Ostash ($125 on #8).

 

Closest to the pins were Scott Maynes on #5 and Brady Waddell on #9. Neither scored a two which allowed Chris Kimpinski to cash in for $57.00 on the deuce pot.

 

Wednesday was the last night for the Ringer Board. Congratulations to Neuf for taking the first flight with a score of -8, followed by Brad at -6 and Jason Hunter at -4 on a count back. The second flight standing required two count backs. Chris Kimpinski, Ron Susinski and Scott Maynes were all at +3 but the count back pushed Chris into the first flight allowing Ron to claim the 2nd flight title, followed by Scott. I will state that results are preliminary at this point given I already made a few changes...based upon the keen eye of avid blog reader Chris K. Please feel free to check out the scores between now and Wednesday to let me know if there are any other changes required. Prizes will be available next week.
 

Thanks to Jason Gorrell and Scott Maynes for taking care of Mens' Night in my absence.

 

Best of luck to Wes and Bob Moffatt who are competing in the Tamarack Golf Tournament over the next week.

Birdies, birdies everywhere

This one has to be a quick one. I have a few things to do before some 10:00 am Sunday morning golf with the boys followed by some late final round viewing of the PGA Championship.

Last Mens' Night was as good a night for scoring as a social evening at a womens' prison. For starters, we had thirty one golfers and the middle score was 42. Robin Kimpinski shot a 32 with a new driver, new putter, and bogey on #8. There were birdies everywhere by multiple golfers.

With so many scoring well, it was not surprising that only two skins were won. Mike Susinski teamed up with Wayne Chegwin for $20 on #1 while Darcy Kowalchuk and Rob Anderson cashed in for $54.50 on #6.

Scott Maynes accomplished the rare double closest to fter hitting it tight on both #5 and #9. Unfortunately for Scott, it took him two putts on each hole to finish. This set the stage for Jason Hunter to roll in for the only deuce of the evening while winning $46.50 for his efforts.

To be fair, not everyone was ripping it up on every hole. There were four people who scored fives in the short par 3 ninth hole. There was also an unfortunate guy who scored 39 during the practice round only to follow it with a 53 during Mens' Night. Out of respect for he and his family, I will only refer to him by the pseudonym Hlake Bunter.

A reminder that this coming Wednesday is the final night to lock in your scores for the ringer board. Right now we have Neuf in the lead at -8. Good luck to everyone in this final shot at ringer board glory. Remember any unfilled scores will be recorded as triple bogeys.

 

51 golfers...and most of them on time!

What a great week for the golf course! The warm, dry conditions have resulted in considerable traffic and lots of usage. The high point was Wednesday and Thursday when we had 55 senior golfers Wednesday afternoon, 51 for Mens’ Night in the evening, and then 68 for the Credit Union tournament on Thursday.

 

Thanks to Jenn and Natasha for their excellent work in the Club House during this busy week. Thanks also to Scott Maynes who came out and drove the beer cart during Thursday’s tournament. Despite my suggestion, he refused to go topless for tips.

 

The 51 for Mens’ Night represents our highest total in a couple of years. It did not look promising around 6:15 pm when the surprise rain storm blew in over the golf course. Fortunately, the nice weather returned quickly and with it, cart after cart of golfers.

 

There were lots of good rounds with 10 golfers posting under 40. Among those low scores were five twos, collected on holes 1, 5, and 9. Congratulations to Ryan Merasty, Neuf, Joel Ostash, Murray Salaway, and Stephen David who got to split the $216 deuce pot.

 

Skins went on four holes. Winners included Charlie McNabb and Stephen David ($25.50 on #1), Sport and Carey Findlay ($72.00 on #2 and $25.50 on #7), and Neuf who paired with the dummy card for $25.50 on #3.

 

I just realized that the sheet for the ringer board is on the bulletin board in storage room at the Club House. I will pick it up later and update by the end of the day. There are only two weeks remaining to post scores (August 6 and 13) so start filling your sheet if you have yet to do so. Remember that any gaps in your card will be filled in with triple bogeys.

 

One final reminder…if you want to golf additional holes please turn in your score card before doing so. This has become an increasing issue this year and really needs to stop. To be fair to the late group this past week, there have been multiple groups and golfers guilty of this in 2014. We appreciate your desire to take advantage of the nice conditions but you need to appreciate that others are waiting for you for sometimes close to an hour. If you feel you are too far from the Club House to drive the score card in then you can call me and tell me the scores hole by hole.

That's it for now. Enjoy the last few days of the long weekend.

The Week of Milt

What a week for the young man from 4th Avenue. After a Cinderella-like run to the finals of the championship flight of the Horse Race, he won an almost $100 skin on Mens' Night.

There were 27 golfers on Wednesday, including the previously mentioned Mr. Ostash. Skins went on four holes. Winners included Neuf / Sport ($20 on #1), Stephen David / Sheldon Bone ($20 on #3), Dan Stokes / Charlie McNabb($20 on #7), and Milt / Jason Gorrell ($94.50).

Closest to the pins were Ron Anderson on #9 and Brad Benton or Brad Swereda on #5. I probably should starting writing full names on my recording sheet on Wednesdays. No one claimed the $139.00 deuce pot which will continue to grow next week.

Speaking of accumulating pots, we have our first hole-in-one pot capped at $1500 and the back-up pot is already at $603.00.

Back to the Horse Race, it was a great event with 55 golfers spending the day at the course. We ended up with four flights which was awesome. The Calcutta was a huge success bringing in close to $3000. In fact, while the winners of each flight made $210, the winners of each Calcutta Flight won $356.

Congratulations to Scott Maynes for being the only player who could outlast Milt, thereby becoming the overall Horse Race champion. Thanks also to Scott as well for the incredible job that he did organizing the event.

Since I am a bit off topic already, I should mention the campground development. We now have the roads taking shape and quite a few lots cleared. If you get a chance, it is really worth the short walk in to check things out.

Well, that's it for this week.  I have stuff to do and my wife knows I have to do it.

The Plagues of Mens' Night

I need to reread the Book of Exodus. I think Mens’ Night is in the midst of those plagues that the Bible references.

A few weeks ago we had that intense storm that brought us darkness. We haven’t had water turn to blood yet…but routinely the men on Wednesday have their blood get very watery. I have also seen frogs around the pond on #7 and I am pretty sure Neuf has a boil on his neck. Earlier in the week I saw Dan Stokes scratch his head a lot while putting in Shilo. This could easily be the beginning of the plague of lice.

Last night we had what seemed to be a plague of insects. It would be no exaggeration to state that the bugs were as bad as we have ever seen them. There were the regular mosquitos combined with swarms of repellant resistant gnats or black flies. I saw people mishit shots because of the onslaught of insects. You could not putt without have bugs fill your ears and nose or bounce between your eyes and glasses. You know the bugs are bad when there are three discussion groups on the main page of eBrandon dedicated to them.

Given their steadfast resilience, the Mens’ Night participants soldiered on and completed their rounds before hurrying back to the Club House. It was interesting to listen to the conversations and hear many more references to bugs than to golf shots.

Thirty two golfers battled the elements with skins going on five holes. Winners included Ron Susinski / Jamie McCutchin ($20 on #1), Neuf / Jason Hunter ($20 on #3), Rob Anderson / Stephen David ($33 on #4), Ken Ostash / Robin Kimpinski ($33 on #6), and Joel Ostash / Luke Funk ($51.50 on #7). With a couple of first time winners we now have 37 golfers who have taken home cash this year.

Closest to the pins were Cubby on #5 and Ryan Merasty on #9. Neither they nor anyone else scored a two. As a consequence, we will likely see a deuce pot next week of around $150.

A reminder that the Ringer Board runs until August 20^th so you have five more nights to lock in your scores.

That’s it for this week. Hopefully we will see most of you at the Horse Race on Saturday.

Practice is overrated

I played with Neuf and Newf on Wednesday. Neuf of course is our own Jason Neufeld, while Newf is my friend Jamie Park from Newfoundland who was in for a visit.

Jamie had a pretty good round. He shot a 40, won a couple of skins, and probably should have been lower given that he had five birdie putts. More impressive was the fact that he played in sneakers, with his brother's clubs, and it was his third round of the year.

This is why I think practice is slightly overrated. Don't get me wrong. The more you play the better you should play. Certainly, your feel for chipping and putting improves the more rounds you get under your belt. But sometimes the best days ball striking are your first rounds of the year when you are not weighed down by poor habits and bad swing thoughts.

Speaking of first rounds, congratulations to Zach Bartram who joined us for his first Mens' Night ever. Mens' Night is one of the classic rites of passage for males in Shoal Lake, right up there with getting your license, working at Central S, graduating from high school, getting married, and buying your first combine.

Zach joined 33 others golfers on a night where only two people scored under 40. Three skins went. The previously mentioned Jamie Park teamed with Ken Ostash for $20 on both #1 and #3. Bird and Keith Martin won the other skin by going low on #5.

Closest to the holes were Brad Benton on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Neither they nor anyone else made a deuce.

Don't forget that the horse race is this coming Saturday, July 19th. This is a great tournament and it is filling up quickly. You might want to check the list on the top left of the page to see if your name is there. If not, text Stephen at 847-0161 to let him know that you are interested.

It's not quite 8:00 am but it looks like it will be a great weekend for golf. Hopefully we will see many of you out there over the next few days. When travelling the course you might catch a glimpse of the initial stages of development of our future campground adjacent to hole #4, 5, and 6. The picture below shows one of the two future campground roads which were cut out the last two days.

I'm So Excited

This will be my quickest turn around on the blog post this year. Usually I don’t complete my weekly entry until Saturday or Sunday morning. But I am up early. It is the day of the fundraiser tournament. I am excited. I already cleaned my golf cart and I have a few hours before I need to go to the course to help with the final set-up.

I think I have some form of medical condition related to golf excitability. I didn’t go to bed until 1:30 am last night…most likely because of the tournament today.  It is fair to say I get a bit wound up every Wednesday morning because Mens’ Night is later the same day.

I know that this past Wednesday excited me because we had a season high of 37 golfers. I also was very happy that we got to play given the wet conditions and the fact that the course had been closed two days previously. I have to be careful not to slip back into a discussion about the weather. Let me simply say that there was a lot of water on the course and water in places where we have not seen water in the past.

Despite the general sogginess it appeared to be a really good evening of golf. There were some low scores and good play by many people, particularly a few visitors who were making their first appearances of the year.

Six first timers left with cash in their pocket. On his first night, Phil Ostash won $84 on his own for a skin on #6 because he was paired with the dummy card. Derek Ketcheson’s first visit saw him split a skin on #1 for $31.50 with Carey Findlay and then win the deuce pot of $137. Derek’s two was noteworthy in that it occurred on the par 4 first hole. Finally, on his first trip to Mens’ Night for the season, Jason Wowryk carded a solid 37. I actually had the please of playing with Mr. Wowryk about 12 years ago when he scorched the course for a 31 and did not win a single skin.

Skins were dropping all over the place with six holes paying. In addition to the two mentioned above, four more holes were won. Brad Swereda and Joel Ostash won $31.50 on #2, Wes and Gorrell got $73.00 on #3, Neuf and Luke paired for $20 on #4, and Jaime McCutchin and Darcy Kowalchuk got $20 for #9.

Closest to the pins were Dan Stokes on #5 and Brad Swereda on #9.

Well….that’s it for this week. If I don’t see you at the course today, have a good day and enjoy the weekend.

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.