Lucky to Get the Round In

 

Sometimes golfers are not the bad decison-makers. Often this relates to club or shot selection. On Wednesday it related to the weather. I arrived at the course at 4:50 pm when the air temeprature was 28 Celsisus. By 5:10 pm, the temeprature dropped down to 16 Celsisu. Twelve degress down in 20 minutes. A big storm blew in and Shoal Lake finally received some well needed rain. While our numbers were lower than previous weeks due to the weather conditions, we still had 19 golfers tee of for Men's Night. We did have to wait until about 6:50 pm before we started. Once we got going the weather settled considerably. In the entire rain, we only got a little bit of drizzle for ten minutes or so.

You know the conditions were less than ideal when no one from Waywayseecappo showed up. That is the first time in three years that Charles and the crew didn't make an appearance. Those who decided to play had a good evening, although the scores were not great as a group. There were two scores under 40 led by Brad Benton's 36 and Phil Ostash's 39.

Phil also cashed in with a big $139.53 skin on #7 with Bill Flynn as his partner. The only other hole that went was #2 where Brad Benton/Charlie McNabb claimed $20. Closest to the holes were Jason Gorrell on #5 and Terry Susinski on #9. There were no deuces.

Forty-Four Was the Score

 

Forty-four was the number for the night as seven of the 43 golfers recorded that score. That was the most golfers that we had this year. It would actually be an excellent turnout in July. When the weather is like mid-summer it seems to get a few more guys out slinging clubs.

Conor Geekie had the round of the evening with a great 34. Close behind was Logan Tanner with a 35. The high round of the evening was a 58.

Despite have 43 golfers we calculated the skins based upon 41. One person forgot to pay and another took a 50% discount and only put five dollars in the container.

The previously mentioned Logan Tanner has a night. He scored a 2 on both par threes for the only deuces of the evening and the $116.27 pot. Logan also was closest on the fifth and split a $25.63 skin with Derek Cross on #5.

Conor Geekie was closest on #9.

The other skins were Randy Brandon Jr./Noah Street ($38.76 on #1) and Ryden Lanouette/Cody Cornwall ($38.76 on #2).

We have a couple of tournament closing quickly. There is a cheap one of June 17 for Just for You Daze. Forty dollars gets you your entry fee and buffet supper.

There is also the Fundraiser on Jul 7 and the Horse Race on July 29.

This Will Be Brief

There were 21 golfers last week. The number was lower than previous weeks. This dip was likely due to a weird weather system that went through earlier in the day.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Logan Tanner/Pete Ostash ($30.63 on #5), Phil Ostash/Cubby Bartram ($112.61 on #6), and Stephen David/Jason Gorrell ($20.00 on #9).

Phil had the low round of the eening with a 38.

Closest to the pins were Logan on #5 and Brad Benton on #9.

A Big Deuce Pot

Neuf is the Frnch word for 9. That is fitting given what happened last Wednesday. On the ninth hole, Jason Neufeld scored the only two of the evening, and the first in several weeks. For his effort, he claimed what was one of the largest deuce pots in our history...$174.38. Neuf also paired with Trevor Wilson to get the skin on the same hole which was valued at $58.13. 

Despite it cooling off rather quickly, there were 29 golfers last week. Skins went on five holes. In addition to #9, winners included Ash Brandon/Zach Bartam ($20.00 on #1), Brad Benton/Blake Hunter ($66.26 on #2), and John Tanner/Jason Gorrell ($37.50 on #3 and $58.13 on #4).

Closest to the pins were Cubby Bartam on #5 and Chad Tanner on #9. Despite hitting the best shot on #5, Cubby ended with a score of 5 which was indicative more of the pin position than his putting.

Great Weather Is On Its Way

Last Wednesday was an odd one in terms of weather. It started out a little overcast then there was a storm warning. It rained from about 4:20 - 5:00 pm then the sky completely cleared. We still had 27 golfers, many of whom waited until late to decide if they were playing.

The official round belonged to Chad Tanner who shot a masterful 32. His group members said that he had a birdie putt on every hole. Surprisingly Chad did not win a skin with his partner Robin Kimpinski.

The only skins went on #1 and 5, both by the team of Charles McKay and Terry Susinksi. They picked up $20 on the first hole and $40.63 on the fifth.

Closest to the pins were Charles on #5 and Myles Shingoose on #9.

The forecast for this week, including Men's Night, looks great at this point.

And Here We Go Again

The first Men's Night of the year was as ideal as one could imagine. The weather was very nice, reaching a high of 22 Celsius. The course was in very good condition for just coming out of winter. And we had 38 golfers, which was an excellent turnout for opening night.

Skins went on two holes but one of them was a big one with Darcy Kowalchuk and Joe Shwaluk winning $191.27 on hole #3. The other skin went on #1 with Cody Cornwall and Ethan Hunter claiming $52.51.

Closest to the holes were Cody Cornwall on #5 and Trevir Wilson on #9. There were no deuces.

The Ringer Board started last week and runs until August 23. 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. You may record as many scores as you want from a given night but once you place a score on your ringer board it is locked in and cannot be changed.   You may even choose to enter no scores if you have a challenging evening for scoring.

If you are checking this out on your phone, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Web Version". There you can see the money list, ringer board scores, and other information,

A Rare Winter Blog Update

Since the weather is mild this week, I thought it would be a good time to do a rare winter Men’s Night update. Always an optimist or at least always an optimist when it isn’t raining on Men’s Night, I am going to predict an extremely early start. Mark Wednesday, April 20 on your calendar. That’s only 73 days from today. If you think about it, that isn't a great deal of time.

Firstly, you can check out the new Order of Merit which tracks previous season money leaders and Ringer Board winners. It is found on the desktop version of this blog or at this link.

To get us in the mindset for the upcoming season, here is a quick review of 2022:

• Phil Ostash was the leading money winner for the season with $211.24 finishing almost $40 ahead of second-place finisher Nathan Maynes.
• Fifty-two different people won money during the season.
• On July 6, Phil and Ryden Lanouette combined for $194.29 in skins.
• Terry Brandon won $123.76 on September 28 when he paired with the dummy card.
• Robin Kimpinski won the ringer board with a score of -7, edging Scott Maynes by 1 stroke.
• Speaking of Robin, he spent last year as the head greenskeeper. Working with his assistants Rob and Thomas, they battled erratic weather and water line breaks to have the course in excellent shape.
• It was a slightly late start to the season with the first Men’s Night on May 11.
• There were 19 Men’s Nights, with weather-related cancellations on May 18 and September 14.
• On May 26, five different golfers scored deuces.
• June numbers were down to a stretch of poor weather which included rainy, wet conditions and lots of wind.
• The most golfers on a single evening was 45 on July 13.
• Although not Men’s Night exactly, Reegan Kominko won the Horse Race on July 23.
• On August 10, seven golfers scored less than 40.
• On August 17, seven of nine skins were won.
• Robin also had the lowest score of the season with a 33 on August 31.
• We had our first October Men’s Night when thirteen golfers bundled up and showed up.
• There were no holes-in-one recorded.

For anyone contemplating new clubs, PXG Canada has their annual sale on and prices are lower than they were last year. Their 211 line has been updated and price points are excellent…$260 for the driver, $195 for fairways, and $180 for the hybrids. The clubs are customizable and include several shaft options. It takes 10-14 days for assembly and delivery. More info is available at https://www.pxg.com/en-ca/home

It's Not Over Until It's Over

Well, we had a Men's Night in October. I have participated in these for 20 years and looked after them for 10 years or so. This is the first time we had one after September 30.

It looked a little shaky about 20 minutes before tee time. But then10 more guys showed up. We ended up with thirteen golfers (shown in the picture) which made it official. In total, we had three of us from Shoal Lake, eight from Waywayseecappo, one from Rossburn, and one from Oakburn. Obviously, the cool, windy weather kept many people at home. However, everyone seemed to be dressed warmly enough and we got the round in.

I think it is worth acknowledging the thirteen who made it. Let me state their names so that the history books will remember them, and so that their grandchildren may speak of that cold day in October 2022 when these brave young, old, and middle-aged men faced their fears and the elements to play golf. Let's hear it for Randy Jr., Tim, Landon, Terry B., Ash B., Zach, Terry Z., Ashon T., Charles, Colby, Myles, Rob, and Stephen.

Three skins went on Wednesday. Logan Tanner paired with a nice dummy card to win twice ($20.01 on #4 and $41.26 on #5). Myles Shingoose and Ashton Tanner claimed $20 on #9. Logan was closest to #5 and Colby Moore was closest to #9. Terry Brandon grabbed the $123.76 deuce pot in dramatic fashion. With winds swirling in all directions, he hit a three-wood from the tee to about six feet on the par 4 first hole then drained the putt.

The title of this blog entry is "It's not over until it's over". While this past Wednesday may have been our final one for the year, it is too early to make that call. The Club House will still be open this week and right now the forecast is suggesting it could be 12 Celsius. Plus the Wayway boys will likely be there to get us past the required 10 golfers. 

I will wait until Tuesday evening to make the call regarding whether or not we will try for one final Men's Night. I will carefully assess predicted temperatures and estimated wind speeds. I will analyze radar maps and study charts depicting barometric pressure, windchill, and cloud coverage. And then finally, I will text the boys from Wayway to see if they are still coming.

Last week we teed off at 5:30 pm and it was tight getting it completed. So in the event that we can go this week, I will suggest a 5:15 pm tee off. I know this doesn't work for everyone. If you come a little later, just start when you can.

No matter what happens next week, we already had 20 Men's Nights this year. There were 22 available but we had cancellations due to insufficient numbers on May 18 and September 14.

One final thing...I check Weather Network and Environment Canada to get my forecast and choose to believe the one that looks best. For next Wednesday, it is this one - https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/mb-28_metric_e.html

And We Are Still Going!

 

Nineteen guys showed up on September 28 for Men's Night. That is fantastic. Even better, the forecast for tomorrow is 15 Celsius which means the first October Men's Night since I have been involved. Tee time is 5:30 pm.

Last week, skins went on three holes. Winners included Terry Susinski/Jason Gorrell ($65.01 on #2), Charles McKay/Colby Moore ($33.13 on #8), and Phil Ostash ($20.63 on #9).

Jason Gorrell was closest on #5 and Terry Susinski was closest on #9. There were no deuces. The low score was 37.

Bonus Golf

Well...while we are closing in on the end of the season we have been fortunate to get some nice weather. While it isn't tank tops and sunscreen conditions, it definitely is great for this time of year. Men's Night will continue as long as the weather and number of players allow for it. To adjust for the earlier sunset, we will continue teeing off at 5:45 pm.

Right now the forecast for this Wednesday is 22 Celsius and sunny. Heck, even the following week is showing 14 Celsius and sunny. I always try to be optimistic about the weather and golf...so I am hopeful that we will have an October Men's Night for the first time since I have been involved.

This past Wednesday we had 14 golfers. Surprisingly, with the small numbers, only one skin was won. Robin Kimpinski and Neuf combined for $36.88 on #4. There were no deuces but Terry Susinski dropped a putt for eagle on #7. Terry also had the closest to the hole on #9. Rob Martens was closest on #5.

For this coming week, we have the always attractive hole-in-one prizes available. Also, the skin on #3 will be worth around $160. Come on out and enjoy the nice weather. Before we know it, we will be starting out our windows looking at snow and wishing spring would arrive.

Shortest Update Ever

 

On Wednesday we had 20 golfers. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Jason Neufeld/Nathan Maynes ($20 on #1), Mike Zenchyshyn ($44.38 on #7), and Doug Cripps/Jason Gorrell ($20 on #9). Closest to #5 was Trevor Wilson and closest to #9 was Pete Ostash. There were no deuces.

It’s Not Over Until It Is Over

 

Well...it is September. While there are some people who really enjoy fall and winter, I expect that most people wish we had another month or so of summer. It is usually this week that we see the flood of social media posts bemoaning the end of the sunny season.

Personally, I ascribe to the "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" camp. Sure I prefer summer over other seasons. Yes, I would like another eight weeks of great weather. But I had a good summer break and I am grateful that I had it. 

Plus the golf season isn't over. Last year we golfed into mid-October. And as is our practice, Men's Night will run until the weather or low numbers shut down the season for us.

This past Wednesday we had 25 golfers. Robin Kimpinski recorded the lowest score of the season with a blistering 33. When asked about it Robin said, "I've been dreaming about this round all summer". Others were polled about what they have dreamt about this summer. Jason Gorrell referenced Disneyland. Scott Maynes said his summer dreams have been filled with thoughts of grass cutting and trimming.

Scoring wasn't easy for everyone. The middle score for the evening was 46, the most common score was 47 for 5 guys, and there were a few over 50.

Robin combined with Bill Flynn for two skins, $20.00 on #6 and $31.88 on #8. Other skins went to Stephen David/Rob Huberdeau ($20 on #1), Ash Brandon ($50.63 on #5), and Jason Gorrell/Nathan Maynes ($31.88 on #9).

Ash Brandon's win on #5 was noteworthy for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it represented one of the few times this year anyone won a hole when paired with the dummy card. Also, Ash had a two on the hole which also got him the $46.88 deuce pot.

The closest to on #5 was Robin and the closest to on #9 was Phil Ostash.

So far this year there has been $3138.16 in prize money spread out among 48 winners. The current money leader is Phil Ostash with $211.24 followed by Nathan Maynes with $166.90.

Remember we are now at 6:00 pm tee off for the remainder of the season.

Robin Kimpinski Claims Ringer Board

The ringer board wrapped up this week. Congratulations to Robin Kimpimski who scored a -7 for the win. Scott Maynes finished second at -6 followed by Stephen David at -3.  Jason Gorrell and Phil Ostash secured the top two spots in the second flight.

There were 26 golfers on Wednesday. Wes Gregory and Brett Griffin were the big winners, combining for three skins including $20 on #1, $20 on #4, and $20 on #6. Those were the only skins of the evening.

The $48.75 deuce pot was claimed by Scott Maynes and Reegan Kominko. Reegan was closest on #5 and Kendal Koroscil was closest on #9.

Thanks to Scott Maynes, Kendal Koroscil, Nathan Maynes, and anyone else who took care of Men's Night for the past three weeks during my absence. See you all again next week.

This coming Wednesday we will be switching to a 6:00 pm start time for Men's Night. 

Skins for Everyone

 

The number of skins in a given week is quite variable. Usually three or four go. Sometimes it is only one or two. Last Wednesday, seven out of nine holes went.

Winners included Shane Kimpinski/Dean Gadd ($40 on #1), Robin Kimpinski/Wes Arnfinson ($20 on #2), Blake Hunter/Joe Shwaluk ($75,63 on #4), Matt Ostash/Ron Susinski ($20 on #6), Pete Ostash/Charlie McNabb ($40 on #8), and Jason Neufeld/Terry Susinski ($55.63 on #9).

Neuf and Terry also were closest to the pins, on #5 and #9 respectively. They also converted their deuces and split the $56.25 deuce pot with Nathan  Maynes.

Golf Records

People ask me if I am getting lots of golf this summer. My response is that I can't complain but I am nowhere near last year's total. In 2022, I played 2136 holes from April 2 to October 16. This morning I read that the world record for most holes played in a calendar year is 11,000 by a Dallas golfer named Richard Lewis in 2010. To put that in perspective, that is 611 eighteen-hole rounds or an average of 30 holes per day for 365 days straight.

Since I've mentioned one interesting statistic...here's another with a Canadian connection. The Guinness World record for most holes played in 24 hours was set by Robb James in Edmonton. In 2004, he played 851 holes in a single day.

There were 34 golfers this past Wednesday. That certainly wasn't a record but it was a good evening for scoring with seven players breaking 40. The low round was Reegan Kominko with a 35. As best as I can recall, the record for low round during Men's Night is likely 31. I know this because I haven't heard of anything lower...plus I played with the two guys the nights they scored the 31. It was Scott Maynes and Jason Wowryk on separate evenings a few years apart.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Ashley Brandon/Kevin Bartram ($36.88 on #2), Dave Mansell/Joe Shwaluk ($36.88 on #5), ad Wes Arnfinson/Charlie McNabb ($148.14) on #6.

Closest to the pins were Kendal Koroscil on #5 and Dale Martin on #9. Dale converted his deuce to split the $110.62 deuce pot with Joe Shwaluk.

Remember that the final two weeks for the ringer board are August 17 and 24.

Thanks to Scott Maynes and Kendal Koroscil for taking care of scoring and prizes in my absence.

Golf and Life

There are stretches during any summer where things are going on when golf is put on the backburner. You get busy with other things, maybe have other plans, and suddenly you haven't golfed in a while.

Last year I golfed a lot...likely the most golf I have played in a single year. This year has been different. I have golfed more than the average person but am nowhere near my 2021 totals. I am okay with that. Sometimes other things are priorities or sometimes things come up that require your attention. Golf is a great pastime but life involves more than golf.

Last week, we had 25 golfers. Ash Brandon had the low round of 36. Brad Benton was closest to on #5 and Derek Patterson hit it tightest on #9. There were no deuces.

Skins went on three holes. Winners included Derek Patterson/Mike Susinski ($20 on #1), Robin Kimpinski/Ron Huberdeau ($20 on #7), and Brad Benton/Blake Hunter ($106.89) on #8.

The middle score last week was 45 which is the highest it has ever been. Despite good conditions, there were 6 scores of 50+.

If you have yet to finish off your ringer board, there are three nights remaining (August 10, 17, and 24).

Last Wednesday in July

There were 32 golfers last Wednesday. Skins went on five holes. Pete Ostash/Dawson Tanner won twice including $66.88 on #5 and $48.75 on #7. Other skins went to Nathan Maynes/Jason Neufeld ($20 on #1), Charlie McNabb/Brett Griffin ($20 on #2), and Ethan Hunter/Joe Shwaluk ($38.75 on #9).

The $60.00 deuce pot was split by four people - Kevin Bartram, Joe Shwaluk, Nathan Maynes, and Terry Susinski.

Closest to the holes were Pete Ostash on #5 and Myles Shingoose on #9.

A reminder to lock in your ringer board scores given that there is only 3 weeks remaining to do so.

Club Toss Anyone?

I just read that the longest throw of a golf club is 235.2 feet or 78.4 yards achieved by Tyson Allen (USA) in Emporia, Kansas, USA, on 14 October 2021. I verified this with a couple of other sources. This doesn't seem long. That's barely half the distance to the back of the ninth hole. I may have to test this out later today with an old club. If this is actually the record, I think that there are a few people in Shoal Lake who could challenge it.

As far as I know, there were no clubs thrown by the 30 golfers last week. Skins went on three holes. Winners included Stephen David/Mike Susinski ($20 on #1), Robin Kimpinski/Theoren Hunter ($20 on #2), and Jason Neufeld/Terry Susinski ($46.88 on #4).

Closest to the pins were Darcy Kowalchuk on #5 and Scott Maynes on #9. Scott converted his birdie to share the $56.25 deuce pot with Phil Ostash.

Including this evening, there are four weeks remaining on the Ringer Board. The final night to record scores is August 24. Currently, Robin Kimpinski leads the way at -7 followed by Scott Maynes at -5.

Congratulations to our Horse Race champion for 2022...Reegan Kominko. Reegan battled back from a lost ball on the first tee to victory by way of a chip-off on the ninth hole. Congratulations also to 2nd Flight winner Jason Gorrell and 3rd Flight winner Ron Susinski.

Just a Solid Men's Night

What an excellent Men's Night yesterday...lots of golfers and great weather. In fact, the sky was so clear that many groups continued on as long as they could. Our numbers have increased the last three weeks...from 33 to 39 and then 45 yesterday. There were many new faces including some who likely played for their first time with us. Nights like this are always good for the course, the Club House, and the beverage cart.

Skins went on five holes. Winners included Noah Street/Brendan Cloud ($72.51 on #1), Terry Brandon/Cubby Bartram ($$72.51 on #2), Dale Martin/Braeden Allen ($28.13 on #3), Derek Patterson/Nathan Maynes ($72.51 on #7), and Reegan Kominko/Myles Shingoose ($90.64) on #9.

Closest to the pins were Cyril Patterson on #5 and Kendal Koroscil on #9. Three people split the $84.38 deuce pot...Charlie McNabb, Reegan Kominko, and Noah Street.

Next Saturday is the annual Horse Race tournament.

By the way, if you read last week's blog I had a small error that made for some entertaining conversations yesterday. The deuce pot was only $133.13 not the $4133.13 that I originally reported. Thanks to Blake Hunter for pointing out my mistake.

Golf Sayings, Phrases, and Words of Encouragement

I read an article recently about golf sayings. There are a lot of these phrases that are overused. Most of us drop them occasionally. Many I have heard in the last week. I try to use them less but still one occasionally slips out. My go-to one is "that'll play".

We start out rounds with obligatory comments about having a good game or hitting them straight. We compliment people with phrases such as "well hit", "that sounded good", "nice bomb" or "that one isn't going to hurt you". When people putt and miss, we say things to encourage such as "had the line" or "you gave it a chance". Occasionally, we make comments that are less supportive such as "if you hit it hard enough you would have had it".

Sometimes we say things to others that suggest that we have some insight into the golf swing. We tell people "nice tempo" or "good speed" or something like that. Or we react to a great shot with the comment "be right" as if our words can help the shot be even better.

When we hit a ball too far, someone in the group might yell "bite" or "hit a house". Often our comments are intended to pick someone up after a bad shot. We say things such as "you could be worse" or "better than being at work". However, golf can sometimes feel like work and these attempts at support can have the opposite effect.

Last Wednesday we had an excellent turnout due to nice weather and several people visiting town. Three of the 39 golfers had a deuce, with Darcy Kowalchuk, Ron Susinski, and Robin Kimpinski sharing the $133.13 pot.

Robin was closest to the pin on #5 with Kendal Koroscil hitting it closest on #9.

Only three skins went but two of them were the biggest on the board. Reegan Kominko and John Gill combined for $98.14 on #3 while Phil Ostash and Ryden Lanouette won a whopping $194.29 on #4. The final skin of $44.38 went to Tim Siegle and Ron Susinski on #9.

There was a change in the lead on the ringer board with Robin Kimpinski adding two more birdies to move to -6.