WHEN I'M 64

To paraphrase Paul McCartney:

Will you still need me 

Will you still pay me

When I'm sixty-four

Yes, yes you will, as long as my partner is fellow 64 year old Gene Baldino.

It's been a while since I fired up the C&C blog. What better time than opening day of the 2024 flocksome season. Thanks to Doug Evans for pulling together a field of 6 players including newbie Brandon Nunn.

On a day when the field could not notch a single victory the day was highlighted (or lowlighted depending on your point of view) by three, 3-hole carryover wins by the team of Schantz and Baldino on holes 6, 13 and 18. Gene had a nice sandy, net 4 on 6, I had a 2-putt net 3 on 13 and Gene again with a fairway wood from 200 yds on 18 for a 2-putt net 3.

The other big highlight was Brandon with a 3-hole carryover loner on 11 where he made sandy-birdie. Brandon also bagged 3 greenies on 4,8 and 17 for 5 marks on the day. Brandon had numerous birdie chances all day but could not get a putt to fall. His 4 on 11 was the only birdie for the group all day.

Good to be out with the crew again. Fun to get paid again.

WEATHER: 45, cloudy, misty, sunny

PLAYERS:

Gene Baldino, Doug Evans, Ed & Jeff Kay, Brandon Nunn, John Schantz

TOTAL MARKS: 9

MARK LEADER: Nunn 5

OVERALL LEADER: Nunn & Schantz $21

 

 

STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

 

    Many of the names have changed over the years but some of us are still crazy enough to keep plugging away in mid November. It was cloudy and windy for a 9:30 start with temps in the upper 30's topping out in the low 40's. No rain and no snow though.

    The scribe is feeling a little lazy today so here's a highlight reel summary of today's proceedings:

    #1 saw David Fries and Alan Roides pull out a team win. A theme that would be common today as the team was +12 on wins today against only two field wins for +4

    #5 had Fries and Schantz team up for a three hole carryover win after Schantz rolled it in from 60+ feet for the birdie

    #7 had Burns and Baldino for another three hole carryover team win with a net 3

    #10 was yet another team win for McAreavy and Roides after Brad nailed a 20 footer for the birdie

    On #13 the field finally got on the board when the team of Baldino and Roides could not match a McAreavy birdie from 5 feet 

    #14 and 15 had two more team wins while on #16 McAreavy stole a win for the field with an eagle from 15 feet short of the green. Rumor has it he eagled the hole yesterday as well

     #17 was a tie as McAreavy gave up the greenie with a 3-putt bogey and on #18 Ed Kay was denied a 66th birthday win as he and Gene Baldino could only manage a net 4 to tie the field. Happy birthday Ed!!

 

Total Marks: 17

Mark Leader: Brad McAreavy 5

Overall Leader: Brad McAreavy +$20.50

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

"LET'S GO SCHANTZ"

                                            #6 West

                                            #8 West

                                            David Fries tees it up on #8

                                                      Fall greens at Oak Hill!

 

    The headlines write themselves. But there were so many ways to go today. "Fries Unfrozen" would have been a good counter to yesterday's headline. But it's not often I get the opportunity to make fun of my failure to pay attention. More on that to come.

    It was a  brilliant fall day and while we had another frost delay this morning, the end of daylight savings time got us off an hour earlier at 9:45. A field of 7 players teed it up as we went off the back of the West. 

    As predicted, former club champ David Fries came out for revenge with a birdie, birdie sandie, birdie start to lock up 2 field wins on #'s 10 and 11. The team of Schantz and Turner had a chance for a rare win on #12 but Rob's birdie (net 2) putt slipped by the hole.

    On #14 Alan Roides hit a fine shot to 4 feet for the greenie and what looked like a team win with Andrew Burns. However, Schantz drained a 15 footer which was followed by Chris Evans' 6 footer. Alan secured the tie and two marks and through five holes we were on a torrid mark pace. 

    After a horrid, "grrrrrr" inducing, second shot on #16 Alan hit a running iron out of the rough from 150 yds to 3 feet to notch his 4th mark of the nine. Fries and Burns also birdied and the hole was halved. That was the start of a brilliant three hole stretch for Andrew as he took the greenie on #17 and drained a 20 footer for birdie on #18, for the field, to tie the hole.

    Through nine only two holes had been won. The trend continued as #1 was halved with pars. We were now playing three hole carryovers for the foreseeable future. The floodgates opened on #'s 2 and 3 as Andrew teamed up with first Turner, then Schantz to lose both holes. 

    Three more ties brought us to the 7th tee where controversy ensued. But first, some context. On #11 Schantz confused the stuffing out of Roides by teeing off first (followed immediately by Turner). This left Alan, the true captain, wondering WTF was gong on. We cleared it up and moved on. Now on the 7th tee, Schantz did it again, but we all thought he was captain and Turner was chosen as his partner. In the fairway the error was discovered and we let Alan take over since both he and Rob were getting strokes. In true Schantz fashion, Dave Fries was not informed of the situation. 🤦 Oh boy! Not again! 

    We brought David up to speed on the green. Now a little torqued at the prospect of a field loss he proceeded to run in a bumpy, downhill 18 footer to tie the hole and save the field's butt. With the thoughts of "Let's go Schantz" bouncing around his head it seemed David was primed for another loner on #8. While he was the captain's pick, there was no loner or birdie, just another halved hole.

    Rob Turner was the biggest loser (and next up anyway) captain on #9 with yet another three hole carryover on the line. Fries bombed a drive and he was an easy captain's pick. David stuffed to 6 feet and full redemption for yesterday, plus some, seemed inevitable as Schantz lined up a 25 foot downhill curler from the ridge. It's never over 'til it's over in C&C and the yipper dropped it in the side door for his third mark of the day (on his first appearance in the mark game this year). David's putt slipped by the hole and he was heard mumbling "Let's go Schantz" as we settled up for the day. 

    

PLAYERS: Burns, Chris Evans, Fries,  McAreavy, Roides, Schantz, Turner

TOTAL MARKS: A season high 17

MARK LEADER: Fries (5)

OVERALL LEADER: Fries +$18.50

 

Epilogue: David actually said "good putt" and meant it. After all, it was a Seinfeld "Everything evens out" day as he did avenge yesterday's $18 loss. Next week I will pay more attention...maybe.

 

         

FRIES GETS FROZEN

      It was a gorgeous fall day but low overnight temps made for a frosty start and tee time was delayed until 10:45. We had seven players tee it up on #1 with former club champ David Fries joining the crew on #6 tee.

     Andrew Burns led off choosing John Schantz as his partner. After a solid second shot bounced over the still frozen green Schantz managed to navigate a frosty chip shot for an up and down par and a rare par win for the team on #1.

    Doug Evans and Jim Mason could not manage a par on #3 and lost the 2 hole carryover. Mason then teamed up with young Chris Evans for another loss on #4 when Chris 3-putted from 12 feet and lost not only the hole but the greenie.

    On #6 Schantz and Fries lost the 2 hole carryover to a birdie by Brad McAreavy.  On #8 tee Fries discovered he had been on the losing end on #6. He was so unhappy that he laced one of his patented iron shots to 12 feet, took the loner, made the putt and won the hole when Andrew Burns missed an 8 foot birdie to tie. Memo to John: Don't get David mad!

    Unfortunately for David he was on the losing end of 3 hole carryover team losses on #'s 11 and 16 with Doug "putter drop" Evans and Phil Yawman respectively. Burns managed a 12 foot par putt on #17 to save himself from a team loss and set up Fries for the lucky loser captaincy on #18. 

    It wasn't looking great for team Fries and Burns after Jim Mason knocked his running 3 wood to 9" for a field birdie. But once again Andrew came up big with a par save and net birdie for the tie. Still, Dr. Fries ended up on the losing end for the day. Watch out for a big Sunday comeback by Dr. Fries tomorrow.

 

PLAYERS:

Burns, Chris & Doug Evans, Fries, Mason, McAreavy, Schantz, Yawman

TOTAL MARKS: 9

MARK LEADER: McAreavy 3

OVERALL: McAreavy +$22

 

 

     

 

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR 2021

    After a week of rain and a day after some epic East Course flooding the 2021 Captain & Crew season opened on Halloween day. It was basically a miserable day with temps in the mid 40's, misty rain and a soggy West Course.

    Seven hardy players managed to tee it up. Missing form the line up: Dr. Mason and cart condom Kenny Ogden.

     It was a mostly uneventful day with the field racking up 6 wins through 17 holes. On 18 we instituted an new rule: the biggest loser on the day had the choice of being captain. The honor fell to ed Kay who chose Gen Baldino with both getting strokes. Gene came through big with a 4 for 3 and a 3 hole carryover win. A win that propelled Ed to +$1 on the game for the day.

 Players:

Baldino, Burns, Fries, Jeff & Ed Kay, McAreavy, McCarthy, Schantz

 

Total Marks: 12

Mark Leaders:

JR McCarthy & Andrew Burns 3 each  

Overall Winner:

Gene Baldino $19

 

 

BREAKING NEWS!! OGDEN WINS BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Unconfirmed sources have released the following transcript of a conversation allegedly caught on a hot mic between Jim Nance and Sir Nick Faldo:

Nance:

Sir Nick, I've just been handed an unconfirmed report saying that Kenny Ogden has won the Oak Hill C.C. Bowling Championship. What do you make of that?

Sir Nick:

Brilliant, Jim. Oak Hill is an iconic club with a storied tradition of hosting major championship golf. Who knew  they even had bowling lanes? Is that true?

Nance:

It's true Sir Nick. It's one of their hidden secrets. Zinger and I were just discussing his visit to Oak Hill a few years ago. He can confirm the lanes exists. I think he even bowled a game. Weren't you there recently yourself Sir Nick?

Sir Nick:

That's right, Jim. I was. But I've tried to erase that memory from my mind. Had almost forgotten about it until you brought it. Of course, I remember Oak Hill. The Ryder Cup at Oak Hill is the site of one of my career highlights but that last trip to Rochester was utter bollocks!!  They dragged me out to some hole where I stood around all day like a wanker and had my picture taken. I never had to deal with that nonsense when Fanny was around.

Nance :

Sounds rough Sir Nick.

Sir Nick:

Bloody right it was.

Nance:

Let's get back to Oggie. What do you make of this victory?

Sir Nick:

I'm gobsmacked, Jim. At this late stage of his career? It's been a long time since he was on the PBA tour and he had to fight back from a devastating wrist injury. He must have had one hell of a trainer. 

Nance:

Do you think this makes up for the cart condom incident? 

Sir Nick:

Cart condom incident?

Nance:

I heard Kenny showed up to a fall captain and crew game with a cart, cart cover and a heater. Temperature wasn't even under 50 degrees! Won all the money and didn't even feel bad about it.

Sir Nick:

Bollocks! Jim, bollocks! No, this win not erase that memory. Kenny will never live that down. But let's not go down that road. Let him celebrate a championship.

Nance:

Fair point. Where does he go from here, Sir Nick?

Sir Nick:

Well, from here on out it's all gravy isn't it Jim? He's not getting any younger. 

This could be big. I can see taking this momentum right into the golf season. He's got all the talent you could ask for and you can't buy this kind of confidence. You have to earn it, dig it out of the dirt. It's what we all search for Jim. It's why we play the game. I know right now it's brass monkeys in Rochester but I have no doubt Oggie will be working hard on his golf game now that bowling season is behind him.

Nance:

So does this opens the floodgates?

Sir Nick:

In 1968 The Monkees Released "I'm a Believer". Let's go with that. The floodgates are open, Jim, the floodgates are open. Cheers Kenny!

 

Ken Ogden in all his cart condom glory

                                 

 

 

 

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

That's how I feel after today's festivities. Alan Roides probably feels about the same. Things were going along just fine as we stepped onto the 17th tee. Sure, Alan had zero marks and I had one but only eight holes had been won or lost to that point. So no one was hurt too bad. 

Alan was Captain on #17, missed the green and chose me as his partner. As only the second hitter it was a quick call but not a terrible choice. As it turned out only Brad McAreavy and Jim Mason would also hit the green. We were all 25-30 feet from the hole so a tie seemed likely. "Seemed" being the operative word because Brad thought it would be a great idea to roll his 25 footer into the hole. Grrrrrr. Greenie, birdie. Alan and I took a hit with a 3-hole loss.

No worries. I was captain on #18 and I was taking Alan and his stroke even if he was the last hitter. We were going to get our money back. That turned out to be a hard headed, bone headed move. I passed on three good drives by the 10 handicappers. Alan hit it wide left and couldn't make par while both Gene Baldino and Andrew Burns did. I mention Andrew only because his par was also for a sandie. Grrrr. Another 3-hole loss. The last two holes cost us $24 each. Grrrrr. Sorry, Alan.

Anyhow, enough of my frustrations.  Nobody cares!

It was a cold and at times breezy Sunday with temps in the upper 30's to start and maybe low 40's to finish. A hearty crew of 9 was on board for today's game. Doug Evans was MIA leaving McAreavy without competition for the daily title. He took full advantage and continue his hot play in the mark game. Brad did pass on the chance to take #14 alone from 12 feet. We were hitting from 228 yds so it was not a crazy option. The possibility of a 2X loss on a 3-hole carryover did not sit well with him. He's not greedy and was willing to settle on winning the hole with Captain Mason. In a rare misfire this fall he left the birdie putt short and settled for the halve when I rolled in a 5-foot sandie save.

Not much other action today as only 6 holes were won. I guess there were too many strokes flying and the tee markers were gone so we played the tips on our share of holes.

Game Summary:

9 players

West Course

Carryover to next hole, 3 hole max

Mark Leader: Brad McAreavy (6)
Total Marks: 20

Money Leader: Brad McAreavy ($32.50)