The Wall Comes Down

Bill Schuler and Mike LaBue rejoined the flock today with predictable results.  Bill on the plus side again and Mike on the minus side.  The weather today was more seasonable - dreary with low hanging clouds and temps in the low 40's.

There were lots of wins today and we did not reach three carryovers until the 16th hole.  The action got off to a quick start as Brad McAreavy and Dave Fries went down to a net 3 on the 1st.  Mike LaBue (who else) and Jim Mason went down on the second as Doug Lyon chipped in from just off the back fringe.

Brad got going on the 4th and 5th hitting it close and making birdie, once for the field and once as the team.

With seven players missing the green Doug went alone on the 6th but failed to make birdie and settled for the halve.

After extending his markless streak to 27 holes Jim finally put one on the board at 10 with a birdie then followed it up with a sandies at 11 and 16.  The slump was nice for the rest of us while it lasted.

Dave Fries finally got on the mark board at 16 knocking down a 15 footer for birdie and team with - very timely since it was the only 3-holer of the day.  After being down $14 on the front it also capped a nice back nine that finished at plus $12.  Of course that still put him on the drink check but it could have been worse.

The action finished up on 18 with Mike and Rob Turner teaming up. Playing from the blue tees left everyone (except Brad) with long second shots and no strokers were able to hit the green.  Rob and Mike both failed to get up and down for par.  The fate of the field rested in the hands of Doug Lyon who had hit a fine shot from the right rough 62 yds short of the green.  Doug knocked down his 4 1/2 footer to eek Mike into the minus column for the day.

Mike may have finished on the minus side (just barely) but we were all winners today as the flock was reunited.

Game Summary:

East Course

Players 8

Carryovers to next hole

Total Marks 11

Mark Leader - Jim Mason, Doug Lyon 3 each

Overall Leader - Jim Mason $15

Scratch Game

On yet another mild November morning six mid-am players and one college boy assembled for the first ever scratch game of Captain and Crew.  Rob Turner didn't seem too thrilled about giving up his four strokes but then again he has cleaned-up in his two appearances this year so there was little sympathy going his way.  We did declare "no black tees" allowed except for the par 3's and #17.

The first three holes were halved and the action heated-up on the 4th as five players carried the bunker and were in the fairway or right rough.  However, no one nutted their second shot and then no one could stick their third shot in close.  The result was no birdies and a halved hole.

There were a number of solid drives on number 5.  Rob Turner hit his approach to 14 feet and for the second day Andrew Kay (playing as Brad McAreavy's partner) hit it right over the top of the flag to about 6 feet.  Rob ran his put in for the field to put the pressure on AK who could not answer.

The 6th was played from the championship tees at 170 yards.  I lead off as captain and hit it to 10 feet.  Dylan Bronson followed-up with a fine shot that turned out to be 4 feet.  Inexplicably, I passed on Dylan (what the heck was I thinking?).  I managed to make my downhill 10 footer and Dylan made his putt as well. So no loss but a good opportunity was missed as Dylan and I had the only birdies.

Through ten holes there had only been one win (the 5th with three carryovers).  Jim Mason captained number 11 and played from the Championship tee - 235 yards to a back left pin.  Everyone missed the green and the only pars were recorded by Jim and his partner AK (sandy).

The 13th was captured by John Schantz (as captain) and Andrew Kay when John ran in a downhill 18 footer for birdie.  AK was again chosen as partner by Rob Turner on the 14th.  In a surprising turn of events AK made the only par (another sandy) for his third team win on the back nine.

AK was able to play in the field on the 15th but was chosen as partner on 16 and 17.  Andrew saved himself on 16 with an 18 footer (yes, another sand save) and dodged Jim Mason's 12 foot birdie putt. 

AK took it all the way back on 17 and teamed with Jim.  They could not match the birdie 4's by Dave Fries (who hit the green from 237 yds) and John Schantz (up and down from 60 yds).  That closed out the scoring on the day as the 18th was halved with pars.

Special mention today for the play of Andrew Kay.  AK played in the twosome at least nine times and came out on the plus side of the game (3 wins, 2 losses).  While he could not manage any bridies, he had plenty of good looks and finished with 16 pars and 2 bogeys playing the course from all the way back except on 1,5,7,9,&18.

The crew would be disappointed if I let this milestone pass without mention:  For the first time in known history (and we are all getting a little older so our memories aren't what they used to be, or at least mine isn't) Mr. Mark himself, Jim Mason, was markless.  Was it a case of cat scratch fever or was he still reeling from a loss in the Saturday night couples euchre tournament?  We'll never know but it beats a sharp stick in the eye or more accurately, Jim's normal 4 mark (or better) performance.

Game Summary:

East Course
Players 7
Carryovers to next hole capped at 3

Mark Leader - John Schantz 4
Money Leader - John Schantz $21.50

Détente Update

Grievances and demands have yet to be heard and no date for peace talks has been determined.

 

Без перевода (DEFECTION!!)

In a scene not seen since the days when Eastern Europeans risked their lives to escape the tyranny of Soviet rule several long time members of the flock defected to the West.............course that is. Maybe it was an attempt to celebrate the recent 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall?  The General Secretary and head of the Politburo issued the following public statement:

"No comment"

The remaining members of the Party, John Schantz, Brad McAreavy and Jim Mason were joined by the president of the University of Maryland Young Socialists Student Association  - Andrew Kay. We goose stepped our way around the front nine playing a game of left / right.

Highlights from the front nine included birdies by Mason on #2, Schantz on #4, Kay on #6 & #7. Best shot honors go to Jim Mason for his 160 hook shot around the trees from just over the bridge on #5. His shot bounced onto the green and ended up 30 feet from the hole for an easy 2-putt par. Honorable mention goes to my 3-wood from 20 yards left of the fairway and 220 yards out on #9 that ended up on the green for a 2-putt par also from 30 feet.

On the back nine we were joined on #10 by up and coming party member Dave Fries.  One day Dave hopes to lead the party so he can institute his much sought after reform agenda.  Dave paid his party dues by putting himself on the losing end of the 5 holes that were won on the back.

Jim Mason proved he was not willing to give up his leadership position just yet by racking up 4 marks on the back: chip-in birdie on 12, sandy on 13, another birdie on 14 and another sandy on 18 from the right greenside bunker to a pin on the left side of the green.

Party CFO, Ed Kay joined the group on 14.  Not only does Ed know double entry accounting and he knows how to double up on marks.  On 17 Ed's second shot found the left cross bunker from where he hit the 80 yard shot to 4 feet and made the putt for a sandy, birdie and field win.

There was a brief moment of international tensions where East meets West (i.e. the 17th tee) when I snapped my tee shot into #15 West fairway.  Fortunately, I made it over and back without attracting the attention of the party faithful. 

Life does look a lot easier over in the West.

Game Summary:

East Course
Players 4 - 6
Carryovers to 9 &18
Total Marks 16

Mark Leader: Jim Mason 6
Overall Leader: Jim Mason $13

The Biggest Loser

This post is for the game played Sunday November 8th.

I'm really too disgusted to report much today.  The results say it all.

Game Summary:

East Course

Players 7

Carryovers to next hole

Total Marks 11

Mark Leader - Rob Turner 5

Money Leader - Rob Turner $40

Biggest Loser - John Schantz  ($35.50)

Memo to Mike LaBue:

A: I am not quitting

B: Stop poaching our players

It would be unfair to let my foul disposition prevent me from reporting the fine results of Rob Turner.  Rob stiffed it to 2 1/2 feet on number 6 from the black tee for a greenie, birdie, loner win, parred 7 from the back of the blue tees for a team win, made a 35 footer for sandie on 8 and then made a birdie on 9 from the black tees to halve the hole for the field.

"I'm Done"

This post was for the game played on Saturday November 11th.

I called it quits after 13 holes since Julie (my wife) was in a car accident. I know, that was out of character for me, I must be getting old.  There weren't any great stories to report through those 13 holes.  So the big story of the day as reported to me:

Mike LaBue, who has suffered through 10 years of losing seasons as a Buffalo Bills season ticket holder, decide that after a loss of $31 he was done playing Captain and Crew.  News flash Mike - you spend more on gas driving to Bill's games.

So, please come back and join us.  We all marvel at how you can walk out of the car to the first tee and paste one down the middle with no warm-up.  I've got you beat by 10? years and I need a 1/2 hour of stretching and 20 minutes of hitting balls before I can go to the tee and hit it 5 yards short of you.

Game Summary:

East Course
Players 7/8
Carryovers to 9th on front, to next hole on back
Total Marks 13

Mark Leader - Mason 5
Money Leader - Mason $21

There's Snow in The Bristol Hills

The golf season is thankfully winding down. Even in this area a 1000 of elevation change does make a difference at this time of year.

No Bills

 

This is Upstate NY and we are Bills fans around here.  Mike LaBue and Dave Fries are even season ticket holders.  So I had to pass this along when Mike sent me the photo.

After this year's opening debacle against the New England Patriots I swore off the Bills.  My resolution: I will not watch another Bills game until they make the playoffs.  Through 8 weeks of the 2009 season, so far so good.  I haven't missed anything and saved myself a lot of disbelief (not that anything the Bills do should cause disbelief anymore) and frustration.

I'm still rooting for the Bills and can't wait to catch that playoff game.  But I'm not holding my breath.  Ralph Wilson is getting up there but he's not going anywhere soon (and I'm not going to hope he does).

Update November 2017:

Ralph Wilson is dead but the Bills still haven't made the playoffs since I wrote this 8 years ago. Although they are 5-3 halfway through this season. I'll admit I've watched some games this year.

 

RTO

This post was for the game played Sunday November 1st.

RTO as in Rob Turner Overdrive.  Saturday was a washout so we had a nice turnout today. 

Every hole that was won today was won by the field, except for one team win.  In fact the 18th was a team loss so all 18 holes were in play. Guess where Mr. Turner spent his day?  That's right, in the field.  Except for that one team win.  That happened to be won by Rob and Phil Yawman.  The second clean card by a player in as many games. Just for good measure Rob threw in 4 marks and if I recall correctly three of them were for greenies on the par 3's.

It was nice to have Phil along for his annual appearance and Ron Mack also joined the group today.  With the generally warmer temps this fall we've had consistently good turnouts.

Bill Schuler joined the fun on the back nine and maintained his winning streak for two more wins before finally suffering a team loss on #15.  That made 23 straight holes played before having a loss.  That might be some kind of record but then again I probably won't spend the time going through years of scorecards to find out.

Oh, I almost forgot.  In this case I did go back over the records and yes history was made today.  Someone actually sufferred their all-time single biggest loss in the game - $35.  I wouldn't make a big deal about it if it wasn't Jim Mason.  Of course he did have 7 out of the 19 marks so he only lost $9 on the day.  Rats.

Game Summary:

Players 8 on front, 9 on back
Carryovers to next holes, capped at 3
Total Marks 19

Mark Leader - Mason 5
Money Leader - Turner $27

Halloween Treat

This post is for the game played Thursday October 29th

I've been delinquent in my postings and it's been almost two weeks since we played this game.  So this will be a short post.

With the end of daylight savings time this weekend a marginal forecast for Saturday the call went out for our last weekday afternoon round for the season.  It was supposed to be a really nice day but in reality it was only so so.  The turnout, however, was strong with 9 players in action.  The field even included former Oak Hill club champ Tom Blank making his first ever appearance. We haven't seen Shawn Baker since he played so maybe Tom would have enough fun to join us again.

The main story of the day was Bill Schuler.  There were six wins today, three by the field and three by the team and Bill was on the winning side every time.  All team wins on the front nine and all field wins on the back nine.  In total Bill was on the winning side for 16 holes as 17 and 18 were halved.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time! That's a nice Halloween trick to pull out of the goodie bag.

Unfortunately for Mr. Blank, he was not treated very well losing twice as the team and three times in the field (offset by one field win).  He did manage 4 marks so we might see him around again.

Game Summary:

Players 9
Carryovers to next hole capped at 3
Total Marks 19

Mark Leader - Mason 5
Money Leader - Schuler $29