By Bruce Braun
“Give me golf clubs, fresh air, and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air.” – Jack Benny, American Comedian.
Another beauty day at Beauty Bay! 67 members and 12 guests completed this Tuesday’s roster. It’s not too late in the season for any interested individual in joining us. If you’ve never been out, please join us as our guest. You do not need a special invitation from a member to test the waters. Just call the golf course at 548-4777 before Sunday evening for the following Tuesday. And, rest assured, you do not have to be good at this game to enjoy it!
These fine words today from Marvin Koski… “What a great way to spend a day. When I leave the house in the morning to go play, I always think, who will I meet today, or just get re-acquainted with some of my previous playing partners. It is like the line from Forest Gump. ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get.’ I have never had a bad chocolate.”
What about that newly paved intersection at E. Melick Rd. and the Essex Road! And now speed bumps once you reach Beauty Bay parklands! Whew! Some things are getting kicked up a notch!
A serious oversight has come to my attention. Last Tuesday’s back nine scramble winners were Mel Locken, Jamie Turner, Lorne McCool, AND Don Paterson with a -3 score of 32. We mistakenly omitted Don. Our sincere apologies for this omission. We have gone to the trouble to beat ourselves incessantly. A public flogging will be scheduled. Our treasurer, Orlo, will be sure to present Don with his belated winnings.
Ken Lund approached me this morning and said a couple of his friends from southern Ontario saw one of the league articles that included a picture of Ken. “Well, they recognized my clubs, not me!” Turns out that those very clubs belonged to one of their sons! I was further impressed that the articles in Kenora Online are far reaching.
Another item of note was a league member mentioning a concern with gimmes and some generous “selfgranting”. Even though our Tuesday league events are focused on having a good time there is a level of competition since there are rewards. In any competitive game, generally speaking, anything outside of 12 inches should be putted out. Below I will re-print a few lines from an article from September 6, 2022 regarding some of our leagues various rules and a couple lines on this very topic.
This week I wanted to highlight just a couple of rules of golf at Beauty Bay, particularly the senior men’s league. It’s fair to say that the rules for the senior men are generally relaxed. Clearly the primary purpose of this golfing event is to have fun. Very few golfers are legalists and stick to the same rules that are observed when watching professional golf. At Beauty Bay senior men’s league, for example, penalty strokes are limited to just one stroke. The reason being is that if you have lost a ball and only have a stroke to lose you are more likely to give it up and continue with play. This effectively works in speeding up play. But… giving up on a ball is not for everyone! One of the most confounding pastimes of golf is searching for golf balls. I, too, am guilty of this pursuit but I draw a distinct line… it’s more fun if it’s not your own ball that you’re looking for!
Another rule rarely observed is playing the ball as it lies. Most men use the “preferred lie” rule, which means adjusting the ball slightly to make it somewhat easier to hit. This also has the potential of speeding up play. Then there’s the ‘gimme.’ A gimme should be declared by another member of the group, not self-granted! Regardless, discussing this infraction after a player misses his third putt generally there is an “all-quiet” rule observed! Which brings to mind the recent reprint of a book entitled, “How to Line Up Your Fourth Putt.” It’s short.
Here is a brief run down on what to expect as we move closer to the season’s end:
• August 15 and 22 normal league play, don’t forget to sign up!
• August 29 and Sept. 5 will be our club Championship rounds.
• Sept. 12 will be our Member’s only windup (Tee off at 10 am, full round of scramble teams, dinner and awards approx. 2:30 - 4:30)
Club Championship:
Individual Two week completion with the best round to determine finishes. Winners will be determined for both Gross and Net by flight and for overall club championship. Guests will be allowed to play in those weeks but are not eligible for the club competition. Individual Loonie pot hole prizing will be in place for both weeks. Gift Certificate Prizing as follows:
Club Champions- $100
Low Gross and Low Net. Individual Flight Winners- $50
Low Gross and Low Net.
Results for the league on August 15 is as follows:
Front nine scramble winners were Peter Madott, Ken Lund, Russell Hintz, and Marvin Koski with a -3 score of 32. Congratulations!
Other achievements: Longest putt on number 11: Guy “From Miles Away” Martin.
Longest drive (+75) on number 13: John “Smashed It” Zilinski.
Closest to the cup on number 14: Kevin “4 Footer” Little.
Longest putt on number 16: “Feelin’ No Strain” Rick Strain.
Closest to the cup second shot on number 18: Jack “The Laser” Sinninghe.
August 15 back nine flight winners:
Flight 1: Keith Lake, 36.
Flight 2: Frank Bastone, 39.
Flight 3: Dick Green, 41.
Flight 4: Lorne Frederick, 43. Won on a countback.
Flight 5: Marty Poirier, 48. Won on a countback.
See you next week!
