Another Year

It's hard to believe another year is "in the can" as Rush would say. But, 2009 is over and for my way of thinking it won't be missed. We seemed to have weathered a great number of storms and in some cases I'm not sure how well. Only time will tell. Let's hope 2010 and the beginning of the new decade bodes well for us all. Speaking of Rush, I saw a news flash they took him to the hospital last night in Hawaii. Sounded serious but no other info at the time.

Not much to report on. The club is going into hibernation for a couple of months and we'll have to fend for ourselves. Current plans are for lunch at Moe's on Monday and some where in Levis Commons on Friday. We can decide at a later date. I'm sure this will be hit or miss for most everyone due to various travel plans. Speaking of travel, did you hear TTS got a Garmin the other day. Now he can find his way to Kroger's for ham loaf fixing's. This is on top of putting Skype on his new computer. Wonder what will be next? A replacement for his Kodak Brownie? Just kidding TTS, but remember to get to Naples it 's turn right on I75 from State Rte. 795 and drive about a 1000 miles straight South.

Back To Normal

Well it's back to normal after three days with the grand kids ( aka the wrecking crew). Great fun Christmas Day with all the presents, food and visiting family. Everything went off without a hitch and the kids were surprised that Santa found them. One fun thing was following Santa's progress on Christmas Eve using Google Maps on my smart phone. We helped pack the van Sunday morning ( my son was muttering the whole time) and got the dog wedged in the back and waved goodbye. Normally we've been know to take a nap, but this time just we kinda sat there in daze for a few minutes before getting busy around the house. We spent the rest of the day watching football between trips to the storage closet with some of the house decorations. We still have the majority of the decorations up but did put away stockings, dishes and etc ( at least a good start). I'm always amazed at the amount of trash we generate during one of these visits. It took five trips to get it all to the curb this time (new record).

Last night we got back to our normal lives. Went to our last seasonal party (very nice) and then went to the movie and saw Sherlock Holmes. Not a great movie but entertaining. After coming home I really got back to normal by falling asleep in my recliner while watching TV.

Next up is New Year's Eve and then winter hibernation. But first there is lunch at Moe's today and the club on Wednesday.

Christmas Eve

This always one of the great days of the year. When I was young it was always the climax of the anticipation of Christmas and presents. As I got older this has changed to waiting for the grand kids to show up and the excitement they have about Christmas. My grandson was concerned that Santa wouldn't know where to bring his presents this year because he wouldn't be at his own home. We all had to assure him that Santa would find him no matter where he was. Thus a special trip was made to pick up the Santa gifts without him realizing it. This may be the last year for he is a believer since he's at the age when you find out the truth. Then it will take a few more years before he realizes, like we all do, that Christmas is much more than gifts. Any way enjoy the time and have fun.

No golf to report on. Duh, snow on the ground. But lots of gatherings with friends and good conversation, food and adult beverages. One more lunch at Moe's on Monday and the at the club on Wednesday before the winter shut down. Then you'll have to check the blog for the schedule. I understand the Board has hired a new manager, who will start after the first of the year. Don't really know anything other than he is lives currently in Bloomfield Hills, MI. We made it through a very difficult year and we are still standing. I also understand that almost all the delinquent accounts have or will be paid. Tell me posting delinquencies doesn't work. Any way a lot of people should be congratulated for all their efforts. That includes the board, members and staff. Time will tell but I think we'll be astronger club in the long run.

Friday Lunch

As most of you know we meet on Fridays and some Mondays for lunch when the golf season is over. We'll meet at the club on Friday (when open) and at some designated place like Moe's, Bar Louie's, 0r Biaggi's on Monday. Six of the faithful showed up yesterday and we had a pretty lively discussion about a lot of topics. Not much of a consensus on anything but a lot of hot air was moved around the table. About the only thing we agreed on was to meet at Moe's on Monday and the club on Wednesday. So hope to see some of you there.

The weather has turned decidedly winter like with a dusting of snow and cold temperatures. It seems to be following the 2010 Farmer's Almanac pretty closely (I was killing time in the check-out line at The Anderson's the other day). I don't remember everything about the long range forecast but we could be playing golf sooner than normal in 2010. It sounded like it was going to be dryer than normal with an early warm spell. OK with me!

I had the accounting firm of Dewy Cheat'em & Howe perform the annual audit on the Shake of the Day Fund. Their cash count showed we have $70.00 on hand. As expected they gave the fund an unqualified opinion and the Trustee a clean bill of health. Plus they didn't see any need for a surety bond (Whew). So we're good to go for another season.

Mexican Night

As you know Wednesday is Mexican Night and yesterday was no different. Just a small group since Uncle Bob is still having problems with his knee (had it scoped last week): TTS put his ham loaf in too early and said he forgot. So it was just LBB, CSS, the Gilhooley's and myself (the Mrs was picking up the Santa gifts in Germantown). But even though we were a small group we still had a fun time. A few adult beverages and some pretty good food. Home early and fell asleep in the recliner in front of the TV; woke up watched the Science channel until I was tired again and then finally went to bed (yeah I know - too much info).

I'm still working on the rules questions that will be published throughout the winter. I plan on using our everyday infractions as the basis to try to bring everyone up to speed. And, believe me I've got a lot of material to work with.

Remember lunch tomorrow

Holiday Season In Full Swing

The holiday season is in full swing. And, my guess our golf swings are getting rusty by this time. It has been two weeks since the last round I've played and I know how quickly you can lose your edge. But, we all need a break to recharge our batteries. That is unless you're a snow bird. We picked up Bill and Laurie Sunday at Toledo Express, and Bill said he had played four times the previous week. The only problem is he doesn't seem to be getting any better. That's kind of the same thing with Gilhooley who always comes back from Arizona no better than when he left. The only one I've heard of improving is Tom Z; a recent email said he broke 90. That sounds like the Miracle on 34Th St or some other feel good movie that is out at this time of year.

Hard to believe Christmas is next week. Hope everyone has their shopping done. I know mine is. Now we are just trying to get ready for the wrecking crew. Two grand kids and a dog can create a fair amount of chaos, but certainly a lot of fun to have around. Also, it's time to get our second wind for the remaining holiday festivities.

One final note of caution. Good friends of all us have had their home burglarized twice in the past week. Jewelry and money were the items taken. A word to the wise. This is the season for mischief like this. Make sure you are careful when leaving home. Set your alarms, and be vigilant when shopping. These are tough times for many people, especially at this time of the year, and temptation can be a powerful force.

Talk at you later.

White Caps On The Lake

Yes you read correctly, there were white caps on the lake yesterday. This doesn't happen very often but when it does you know you don't want to be out there. The wind chill was especially brutal yesterday. Even LBB said there was no way he was going to play in that weather. I think he spent the day by the fire with a nice warm toddy to keep him company.

We broke with tradition last night and didn't do Mexican but rather had standard American fare at the Granite City Brewery at the Fallen Timbers Mall. If you haven't been there the burgers are pretty good and the micro brew beer even better. Before going to eat we stopped at LBB's and Mrs LBB's (aka CSS) for a cocktail or two. What a surprise to find Frosty The Snowman taking a bath in the guest bathroom. Mrs. Gilhooley said it was a little strange with Frosty there. Didn't look anywhere else but maybe there was a sleigh with tiny reindeer in the garage.

The wind seems to have slowed a bit this AM, but still gusting a times. I did note my grill cover is in tatters. I guess I'd better check the paddle boat cover too, but I think I'll wait for a warmer day.

Remember lunch Friday.

Is It Over?

Is the golf season over? Boy, looking at the Weather Channel this AM it doesn't look good for the rest of the week. Rain, snow, and winter conditions for Wednesday and Thursday. Maybe a slight warming trend for the weekend. Someone said they saw LBB looking for snow chains for his cart. I guess the snow tires weren't enough. Personally I think he should be looking for snow shoes.

Had lunch with a few of the boys at Moe's yesterday. The waitress said golf season must be over since she hadn't seen us for a few months. One constant in this ever changing world is Moe's. You can always count on good burgers and the same decor (early 50's bar). Even some of the same faces were sitting at the bar. The only change I could find was the smell of smoke is slowly dissipating since the smoking ban went into effect. But, it's probably like radioactive material with a half life of about 1000 years.

More later when I have something to report. Waiting to hear the results of TTS using Skype since he finally has his notebook computer straighten out.

The Winter Dance

Well another great evening last night at The Winter Dance. The club looked great, the food was delicious, the band was entertaining, and the staff did a great job. A big thanks to the committee who put in the time and work to put everything together and make it another great party.

Of course the members who attended had a lot to do with making it a fun time. And, of course there are always little things you hear or see happen that add to the experience. There was a good number of the JR/SRs in attendance and they are always a source of material for my reporting. To protect the innocent (wives) I'm not going to mention any names, alias' or the like. I no particular order here goes:

1. Someone was overheard to say that the suit they were going to wear had mill dew on it and they had to find something else to wear. Wonder when the last time they had a suit on?
2. One JR/SR was caught in the ladies coat room. Wonder if he lost his way or was trying to use the lessons learned recently form Tiger. Fortunately his wife wasn't carrying any clubs in her purse.
3. One person was told he couldn't sit with his wife at dinner and thought he had to find another table. They sent him back and bought him another drink.
4. Another person was overheard to say he thought Rascal Flats was a stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, and was disappointed to find out it was a country group his wife had just made plans to go see (with him in tow) with their neighbors.

I'm sure there were a lot more things I could report on but these were the ones I could remember.

Lunch on Friday at the club; Monday at Moe's if your interested, and golf when and if it warms up enough to melt the frost. In the meantime be safe an enjoy the season/

Not A Good Sign

Looking out a the lake this AM, while having coffee and watching the news, I discovered a thin skim of ice. This is not a good sign since winter weather truly can't be far behind. I know it wasn't realistic to hope it would stay mild but one can always hope. At this point I settle for more mild day so I can say I played in December. I imagine TTS was looking for an extra sweater and LBB was putting snow tires on his cart.

Yesterday the final interviews for Evans Scholars were held in Columbus and BCC had a candidate - Zack - that was invited to be a finalist. While not a sure thing the odds were in his favor. The Evans people normally don't invite candidates to this interview if they aren't really good. Let's keep our fingers crossed for him. I understand he was one of the very few candidates from the Toledo area this year (none from Inverness in 2009). BCC has had a lot of Evans Scholars over the years. This in spite of the fact we have a limited caddie program. In case you didn't realize it the award represents about $60,000 per person for 4 years of school.

Hope to see a lot of you at the big party tonight. If not then at lunch next Friday.

December Golf

Yesterday was another nice day. Unfortunately I didn't play so I could have some time to finish putting up the outside holiday decorations. Plus, TTS wanted to have lunch off the reservation.
Anyway I probably missed the best day of the week. There were some players out and I'm sure they enjoyed the day.

We're still working on putting up/out inside decorations. Since this is the year that the "Wrecking Crew" aka the grand kids are here for Christmas day we will put out more decorations than normal. I'm not sure where all this stuff came from! It's like rabbits, it just keeps multiplying no matter how hard you try to stop it. The only big problem so far is that we have a string of lights out on the prewired tree. This is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. So far I haven't a clue, but the pool table is covered with fake evergreen. Maybe the best solution is to put a new string of lights in that area.

The Winter party continues to attract reservations. We heard last night there are 130 planning on attending. That's the largest crowd I've seen in quite a while.

Remember we are now in the lunch on Friday mode. See you at noon in the grill.

The Season Goes On!

The holiday weekend is over and the Christmas holidays will be here before we know it. But, the golf season is still going. We played again on Saturday under some pretty mild conditions for late November. And, the weather may cooperate for a few more days. We'll see, but we may squeeze a few more days out before the winter dance on Saturday. Base on what I've heard this year's dance promises to be a good time. Reservations are way ahead of the past couple of years and the food sounds pretty good, and the music should be very entertaining. If you aren't planning on being there you should reconsider.

Back to golf. I was able to take a few few dollars from the Social Director while only losing one to Dean S (aka the Great White Hunter(GWH)). SD's putter was almost as cold as the temperature when we started out. Can't believe how good the course is at this late date.

Above is the last picture from the JR/SR Championship. Sure would be nice to have shorts on again. I know TTS would agree. I wonder if those are real legs or did they ride in on chickens? I guess photos do funny things but I don't think these were touched up.

Check These Out!

A Great Day

They tell me this is late November but I really didn't believe it until I realized it was The Big Game day. The weather has almost been perfect. More like October than November. But, back to my original thoughts.

Saturday was really a good day for your humble blogger. I won three different ways. In no particular order of importance, the 1st was when I took the majority of the skin money from my two Saturday golf chums. They tried to set me up an it back fired on them. It started out they only wanted to play the front so as not to miss the kickoff of the OSU game. Then they got greedy and thought we had time to play the loop. Well, it back fired on them since I was able to take advantage of their poor putting and picked 7 skins due to carry overs. I guess they will never learn. Second, OSU beat Michigan again and won the Big 10 outright! Third, I even won some money in the football pool. The real winner there was Linda S who took 2nd and 3rd quarters and the game money. Not bad work if you can get it.

We need to give a big thanks to our Social Director. He brought in the group picture from the JR/SR Championship. Check it out in the grill. We'll have a hanging ceremony sometime in the future (just an excuse for getting together for a drink). The Shake of the Day pot is over $50 again thanks the ladies at the OSU vs. Michigan party. They thought it was great fun and would have probably played all afternoon if we let them. But, rules are rules.

We Should All Have His Genes

That's right we should all have Fred's genes. At least once a year he seems to find his game and overcome his chipping yips to take the money. Yesterday was one of those times. He was well on his way to shooting better than his age before the rain forced off the course after 16 holes. While he didn't take all the marbles it was darn close. LBB and I made a late rally to cut into his marble bag. Uncle Bob also snuck in for a share of the loot. The best part was Fred was winning with birdies, three to be exact. It was great to just watch.

Gilhooley tried to bring in a ringer. Scooter from Southfield was in town and brought his game to BCC to try take our limited funds. Personally, I think Gilhooley and Scooter were in chaoots and planned to split the money at Ralphies later that night. For those of you who don't know him, Scooter is one of Gilhooley's tax bandits who used to be a member (and former BCC caddie) before moving to Southfield. Fortunately Fred was able to spoil their plans. They were both skinless at the end of the day.

As you know Wednesday is Mexican night. TTS showed up at the course to pick up his clubs and was invited to come, or more correctly we inquired if St. Gwen would like to join the group. Remember TTS's delicate palate has trouble with any thing stronger than black peeper. TTS said he doubted it since he was making ham loaf again. By the time we came in there was a message from him wanting to know what time to show up. I guess the ham loaf wasn't going over well at the homestead. Not sure how the evening turned out since we had another engagement.

Remember lunch Friday if no golf due to the weather.

Cold And Windy

Well the sun was out and the day showed promise. Six of us (with probably too much time on our hands) decided that it was a good idea to play. However, the wind was howling out of the northeast and the wind chill made it feel like 35 instead of 50. We talked about only playing the down wind holes but LBB voted that down for obvious reasons. So off we went bundled up like the little kid in the snowsuit in the Christmas Story ( the classic movie shown every year non stop on TNT on Christmas day). I had on so many sweaters and vests I failed to realize I didn't change my street shoes until after hitting my tee shot on the first hole. Of course my friends were nice enough to point it out for me in some very graphic terms. Anyway, we played as best we could and people kept collecting skins like they were Halloween candy. I don't get it. These guys don't play this well in normal conditions. It was so windy on #6 that it took a driver and three woods to get to the edge of the green and four guys made six to halve the hole. I decided that a sinus headache was not worth the chance to win $2 and dropped out after nine holes. The rest continued on and I don't know how the day ended. My guess is that LBB was the big winner. I vowed to return on Wednesday if it doesn't rain and the wind calms down. I also found a hat with ear flaps, and no it doesn't tie under the chin.

After warming up and popping a few sinus pills I went to visit TTS and take him his post op cookie. He was in good spirits and bouncing around the house like he normally does. St Gwen looked a little frazzled but OK otherwise, and not quite ready to brain him with the frying pan. He showed me the surgery pictures (nice digital shots of the inside of the knee) and it was pretty clear that the surgery was needed. Now if he doesn't overdo it in the next few days recovery should be quick.

Almost forgot, welcome back Uncle Bob.

November Golf

These are the bonus days of the golf season. Saturday was pretty nice and we played just a casual round. Too many good football games on to be hanging around the course for too long.

Here's an interesting tidbit of info. While talking with our pro I learned that we have used more than 80,000 tees this year. That's the the four boxes the club bought and the remainder from the previous year. Not really sure of the actual count but that's a lot by any measure. Probably not the most expensive item in the budget but it all adds up. Too bad some people can't bend over and pick theirs up on the tee box. Wonder how many range balls we lose a year? I sure have found a lot of them around the course. I know they are planning on using a different brand next year and the NXT's will only be on the chipping green.

Saw H1 in the grill on Saturday. The top of his head had healed and he was laughing about hitting the tree with his cart. He also showed me the repair estimate - not cheap. Good thing they don't come with air bags because that most certainly would've deployed and added to the cost. Just glad no one was hurt. Even the tree seems to be OK.Didn't realize umbie was such a physical game.

The Old Bear

It was a pretty typical day. Five guys, skins game, clear crisp day the only difference was TTS came out of hibernation for one last round before getting his knee scoped on Monday. Well as you can guess things were going along as they usually do; it is hard to win a skin with five guys playing. Thru 13 holes four of us managed to eek out a win. TTS was skinless and taking a fair amount of ribbing, especially from LBB. As LBB said later "I must have poked the old bear once too often" because TTS found his game and won 3 out of the next 4 holes. He even made a natural birdie on #15. Congrats and good luck on Monday. And, yes I'll bring you another cookie.

Lots of News

First and foremost Dr. J did it again. Yep, rolled 5 aces (2 rolls) for $33.00). This is getting to be too much and we may have to put him on Shake of the Day probation. Nobody has won with aces before!! Plus, he won in the skins shoot-out. We did have a measure of revenge, the drinks cost more than he won. Speaking of playing we had 5 and 1/2 guys play in about three hours. The 1/2 was TTS who only played 9 holes (more on him later). Everyone had their own cart and I'm sure it resembled a swarm of bees running around the course.

Dave H showed up after spending time in Hawaii. Said he had a great time and now knows why everyone raves about the islands. He said one of his favorite things was learning to do the hula. Now tell me, a semi old bald guy wearing coconuts and a grass skirt, swiveling his hips can't be a pretty sight ( I don't care how many rum drinks with little umbrellas you've had).

As you all know Wednesday is Mexican night at a local tortilla factory. Well the normal crowd showed up. LBB made a special effort to invite TTS and St. Gwen. Well St Gwen came but TTS was absent. We all thought maybe golf bothered TTS' foot our his knee was giving him trouble. But noooo, we were informed (after much questioning) that TTS wanted to stay home in his jammies and have warm milk and cookies before going to bed at 8 PM. I wonder if his jammies have feet in them? At least the cookies should have been good since TTS is a master baker.

One last thing, this morning we looked out our big windows to see a doe munching on our rose bushes. This is right next to the house mind you. Before she was done a young buck also showed up. Note to Dean S - just come to our house instead of going West to hunt. We'll only charge a fraction of what you're paying out there.

Bright and sunny again today. Can golf be in the picture?

Just Another Day on The Links

It certainly wasn't a great day weather wise but not the worst either. Plans to play nine holes turned into eighteen for Gilhooley, Fred S and I. Too bad the rest of you fair weather birds didn't show up since my putter was hot and I had my playing partners mumbling and grumbling most of the round. Fred S found another place to look for balls. When we got to 16 tee Fred was going to use the ball washer. When he pulled up the plunger he found a new ProV1. Now I've heard about a lapse in memory but that has got to be one of the best. And, can you imagine the embarrassment if you ever admitted to leaving your ball in the ball washer? That's like leaving your driver on the tee and driving off to play your next shot (TZ I believe), or leaving your putter in the middle of the fairway. I don't remember who did it but it happened this year.

Wednesday is dawning with clear skies and moderate temperatures so maybe we'll see more of you trying to take advantage of these bonus days. Note - new paving projects on 10 and 3 are complete and TTS can quit complaining the rough ride.

Calling It Quits

No I'm not quiting golf, just looking for balls for the season. While watching the 4PM news yesterday I noticed the lake on #2 looked as smooth as glass. Being the ball hawker that comes with living by a golf course I thought one last trip around the lake might be rewarding. So off I went and 15 minutes later I came home with my pockets bulging with 14 balls ( 40% were ProV/Titleist). That's not a record for one trip but a pretty good haul. The total for the season is 14.7 dozen (slightly above average since I've been doing this). At an average of $25 per dozen (about 50% of all balls are pro line) that represents $367.50 at retail. Over the years we've lived here I've found over 83 dozen so you figure what they might be worth. Maybe I should sell them instead of giving them away (with the market, recession and being on a fixed income). At $.25 a ball that would be about $45.00 per year. Ah, on second thought I'll just give them away.

Sunday - Wow!

Wasn't able to play golf on Saturday due to family function in Germantown, but did play Sunday and what a great day it was. Can't remember the weather being so nice in November in the recent past. Seems like the past several years the door slams shut on golf about this time and doesn't unlock until mid April of the following year. Any way we had six couples and played a little 2 best ball competition for $5 a person. Surprise, surprise every team was minus 8. What are the odds of that happening? Followed that up with cocktails and chili at a participant's house. A lot of lively conversation, good wine, and food. The wives were introduced to the "shake of the day" and thought it was great fun. Most wanted to roll again since there were no winners. We had to remind them of the name of the game (no it's not really my gas fund).

I've been thinking about what to blog about in the off season and am working on several ideas. One of which will involve the history of the JR/SRS. If any has any ideas I'm open to suggestions. As indicated earlier rules will be covered and maybe I'll address issues that relate to work that Eric does. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about his work and why he does some of the things he does. Anyway, I'll let those postings take their own course.

The weather looks reasonable for the next week so let's see everyone at the training table.

Could Have Been Worse

Well Gilhooley showed up for a change and brought Fred S with him. The one constant, LBB was missing in action. After much kibitzing and hem haughing they decided they could play a few holes. While all this was going on the G Man showed up and declared it was perfect weather to play and we were burning daylight. So off we went and 9 holes turned into 18. I think the motivating factor they each won a couple of early skins and thought they could make an easy killing. Did they forget they were only playing for $5.00 since I wasn't much of a factor yesterday.

Bill S and Laurie came home for the weekend. They were bundled up and sitting in their sun room when we went by on #2. Tried to to say hi, but they thought the crazies were loose and tried to ignore us. It was really disappointing that Laurie didn't have cookies ready on #3 like she normally does. We did have dinner with them and the Gilhooleys at the club and they seemed to have warmed up by the evening. Have to say there was a nice crowd for dinner with several new faces.

The Friday lunch meeting will start this week. You guys really don't want to miss this. If your absent you become the topic of conversation.

Two Days In A Row

LBB and I were sitting in the chow hall sipping our coffee yesterday at the appointed time wondering where everyone was. Now we knew TTS was on the mend and can't play: The Social Director never plays on Wednesday due to better company for lunch; Sarge says he is working (but the real reason the SAI doesn't have insulation on his body for warmth); and Dr. J was at another appointment. But where was Gilhooley? This is the guy from Vermont who says they made sweaters to stay warm when it's cold. So I pulled out my cell phone (TTS that's a new invention that most of us use to communicate with) and rang him up. After only two rings he picks up and without saying hello announces it's too cold to play golf and besides it's raining at his house. Now understand LBB and I are looking at the sun peeking thru the clouds and not a hint of rain at BCC (and we're maybe 3/4 of a mile from him). Well LBB and I played the front nine and the loop in about an hour and fifteen minutes in perfectly sunny skies and we were actually warmer than the day before. Had the whole course to ourselves, and a great time. We both took carts and it really speeded things up.

The story didn't end there. Wednesday is Mexican night at one of the local eateries and Gilhooley is the ring leader. The better half and I were a few minutes late and the drinks were already flowing when we arrived. I could tell Mr. G Had been working hard to justify not playing to LBB. I felt it was appropriate to pile on and proceeded to join in. Needless to say I don't think Mr G. will miss showing up again ( he may not play). TTS and St. Gwen showed up which was a real surprise since he has that delicate French palate and says Mexican is too spicy. I think he tied to order a hamburger but was talked into tacos or something close. I'm sure he survived but we'll all hear about it for weeks.

That's it for today. Watch for my new feature on rules starting soon.

Who's Cold?

Well the day was bright and sunny with a chill in the air. Gilhooley (the guy from upper New England) declared it was too cold and decided to stay with TTS in the chow hall. They probably loaded up on free cheese and crackers before going home for their naps. The Social Director said it was cold but he would try 9 holes. LBB and I couldn't figure out what the problem was since we had our fleece jackets and rain pants on (turned out we were over dressed). Anyway we all took off in separate carts to speed up play ( or come in if we chickened out). The G Man meet up with us on 3 green and played the rest of the round. To make a long story short it was brisk but not cold and we had a fun time. And, for a change I won the majority of the skins.

TTS was finally following his doctors instructions and wearing the boot. Now maybe the healing process will speed up. We all know how patient he is and follows orders (yeah right). Can't understand why St. Gwen doesn't take the proverbial fry pan to his head.

Golf is on a weather check basis (hourly at times), but we'll play as long as we can. Remember Thursday is Texas Hold'em for those interested. Starts at 6PM ends at 9PM in the Men's Grill, with dogs and chili available.

A Sunny Tuesday

The sky is clear and bright. Just another crisp Autumn day, and if it warms up and the wind isn't too strong a great day to play. Let's hope the course is drying out. I did play nine holes Sunday with the better half and the Gilhooleys. While the temperature was OK the course was still really wet. But that didn't seem to stop a lot of people from coming out. A real log jam on the 1st tee around noon time. That's great for BCC, and a lot different from the recent past.

How many of you subscribe to the WSJ? I imagine most of you do. Recently my subscription ran out and I was waiting to receive the same price I've had for the past two years - $99 for 52 weeks. Well The WSJ wasn't cooperating. They kept making some ridiculous offers and I kept turning them down. Their normal price is somewhere around $400 per year. This has been a topic of conversation at lunch since many of the JR/SRs were in the same boat. TZ emailed me the other day and said the best he had gotten was $200. I figured if I was ever going to read it again I was probably going to cave-in and pay a higher price. Mind you it wasn't the money so much but the principle. Well, on Monday morning the WSJ called to offered me the $99 price. I can just picture the expression on TZ's face when he read my email telling him that.

Just a reminder that the official posting season is over and the real "silly season" begins today.

A Blustery Day

To quote Mr. T, "Pity the fool(s)". That's what we did as we drank our coffee and had a pastry yesterday morning. We started out with good intentions but slowly came to our senses as three groups made the turn and gave us a weather report. You can always tell the avid golfer who doesn't get to play a lot. If they were playing in a hurricane the conditions would be great. Well, those guys coming thru said the frost bite wasn't bad and the 35 mph winds were really a plus on the downwind holes. Plus, the one guy in shorts said it was just a little cool (guess he couldn't see his blue legs). That was enough for us and we packed it in.

For those who weren't there Friday night Oktoberfest was really good. A big crowd and the staff did a great job. Over ninety people in attendance. Have not seen that size crowd for a while at a non major function. Let's keep it up.

We should all take our hats off to our master wood worker - Steve H (aka the pilot). He did a fabulous job with the trophy base. We unveiled it Friday night to the ohs and ahs of the crowd. And no JJ it is not like the Stanley Cup. You do not, repeat you do not get to keep it a home for six months. LBB was seen polishing the plate with his name every half hour. It now resides in the Men's Grill next to our famous Pig Trophy. Check it out next time you're there.

LBB's Day

Well LBB hit the daily double. First of all he takes 4 out of 9 skins. Not a tremendous amount of money but bragging rights for sure. Second, he rolls five 6s (two rolls) to win $44.00. Not a bad day's work for the retired. It is not back to the beginning on the "Shake of the Day" there is still $45 in the pot waiting to be won by someone. The G Man came back to earth yesterday. Every putt he made on Wednesday wouldn't go in on Thursday, but he still played better than everyone else. A different dentist showed up, and said he left his big shake winnings in a wine shop in Italy (no surprise there). Gilhooley and Fred S went on the road and probably plucked some pigeons at SCC. If anyone will listen I'm sure they will tell you all the gory details.

As the 2009 season draws to a close the Executive Comm. is working on next year's schedule of events. Even though this is in the thinking about it stage we think the Pig Tournament needs to be resurrected in 2010. I think we all would agree we missed having it this year and the trophy looks dumb with no names on it. Initial thinking is we hold in the spring as an opening event for the 2010 season. We may have to modify the format since the Commish has lost a lot of his team. But, I'm sure we can come up with something that will be fun and interesting for all. One thing we know it would take place after the middle of May so we can welcome the snowbirds back. Besides, the course is usually wet and muddy early in the year and what better conditions for pigs.

The G Man

Well, we have a new man in town. Tim G (aka TGM) showed up yesterday, as he does on good days and all the lawyer business is done for the day, with his $5 and got in the game. The problem was he threw a little 73 at the field. It could have been better but he put his tee shot in the lake on 18 but still managed bogey. The only thing that saved us from him taking all the skins was the normal pack of thieves that play every day. You know the group, LBB, John G and etc. The only one missing was Sarge. We even had our locker room dentist there for the second week in a row (complaining his game was off from too many root canals that morning). Competition at the 2010 JR/SR Championship could really be intense with all this new talent. Note - any round played wuth the JR/SRs from the previous championship will count as a qualifier for 2010.

Thursday should be another good day. Let's hope the course is a little drier, it was pretty wet after the rain Tuesday night. In fact it was almost balmy and I think Thursday could be even warmer. John G will probably have the shorts out again.

Several close calls in the "Shake of the Day", but the pot continues to grow.

Ali Babba And The Five Thieves

Thank goodness there weren't 35 more. I don't play a lot better than today, but all I did was cancel out skins, or to put it another way the 5 thieves canceled mine. These skins games must bring out the best in these guys because they certainly don't play like this when they're my partners.

The weather may hold for a few more days so we need to take advantage of these bonus days. The course is a little wet but very playable. Don't forget to check the pro shop out for some great deals. If you have any credit left it has to be used by sometime in November.

Interesting conversation about BCC monthly bills. Half the lunch table didn't realize that bills weren't being mailed but only available from the web site. In fact one unnamed party called their wife to see if she had paid theirs, and she hadn't. She didn't know about the change. Fortunately a board member was sitting with us and said he would bring the subject up that evening, and suggest follow-up communication be made by the office.

Cold and Rainy

I looked at the weather report on Friday and decided it was going to be cold and rainy on Saturday and not a particularly a good day for the links. So being the bright guy I am I decided to go South for the day, and went to my grandson's (3rd grade) final football game. The only problem was it wasn't far enough South. Eaton, OH wasn't basking in warm balmy breezes. On the contrary it must have been 45 with a wind chill of 35. The game itself was exciting with his team scoring in the last minute to squeak out a 6 to 0 victory on a cold and blustery day. I must admit that 3rd grade football is better than 3rd grade soccer. There's more excitement with dancing bears than bumble bees if you know what I mean. Since the granddaughter was at home with the flu (not sure which kind) we decided it was better to turn around and return home. It only took one stop at McDonald's and the heater turned up to thaw out.

Upon returning home and checking our email ( a must in this modern age) we at least had one lingering question answered. No, we still don't know which flu strain the granddaughter has. But, a friend forwarded The Blade article about the indictment of Gary and Barb by the Wood County grand jury. Many rumors have been circulating over the past eight months and this is really the first thing I've seen or heard that gives you a real idea of what is happening. There must be enough evidence of wrong doing for an indictment, now we'll have to wait for the trial.
Very unfortunate for all involved.

One final thougth. I couldn't belive the end of the Iowa vs. MSU game!

A Triumphant Return

Well Sarge came back from Arizona. We're not sure whether he ran out of money or he was asked to leave by local golf officials. Anyway he was the "big winner" Thursday - if you can call $5 big! Basically it was LBB's money since the rest of us each won a skin and our own money back. Course conditions continue to improve after all the aerification work; especially the greens. They were as fast as they have been all year. A little bumpy in spots but overall pretty good. With the predicted rain on Friday 16 and 18 should be back to normal by Monday. Next week looks like we'll get some good weather and play should be good.

No word from TTS, but no news is no news. I assume I would have heard from St. Gwen if things didn't go well. I'll check in on him later today.

Two More Days

Well the weather has cooperated for two more days and we've had good turn outs. Since Eric's crew was still working on the fairways we've just been playing a field skin game. Tuesday was pretty worthwhile since a skin was worth $30. Yesterday a bit lower, <$5, but we're not really sure since TTS was running everything and 2 auditors couldn't make any sense of his chicken scratches. Thursday's weather looks like showers late so it may be only a nine hole day.

Speaking of TTS, He is hanging up the spikes for the year. He has 2 outpatient surgeries scheduled. One for his foot, the other for his knee. I'm sure he'll be fine, but St. Gwen may need our support. I told TTS I would stop by on Friday and bring pastry to have with coffee, but it took my wife to explain it to him before he would accept I wasn't trying to pull his chain. Anyway, let's hope everything goes well and he gets back to normal quickly. With a little luck maybe he won't be so grumpy. Can anyone remember the Esop's Tale of the lion with the thorn in his paw?

The weather was so good yesterday that the course was full of guys trying to get one more round in. I don't think we've had Indian Summer yet so there should be plenty of bonus days. Keep your fingers crossed. Although, the next few days don't look promising.

Oscar Meyered

I wish I could "say it ain't so", but I can't. Since I'm still auditioning new partners I agreed to a skins game with Ron M ( aka The Social Director) and Dean Two Stokes (aka DTS). It was really a bad idea since I was Oscar Meyered (primarily by the Social Director). However it wasn't a total bust. DTS provided some real comic relief on #8 tee. After teeing it up he hit a low screamer that ripped the white tee marker out of the ground, the ball careened through the walking opening and came to rest so he could have reasonable shot to the green. His second shot came up short of the putting surface and he proceeded to take several more shots to get up and down. The best part was when he asked, with a straight face, if he had won the hole. Since this was one of the few holes where he only gets 1 stoke we told him he was a bit short. Unfortunately The Social Director was having one of those rare out of body experiences and couldn't do much wrong all day.

The rest of the day must have been cursed since the Buckeyes couldn't find their game either. Notre Dame also came a bit short and "the School up North" played the proverbial blind school and found someone they could score on. I'm sure the Browns and the Lions won't fare much better. But at least the weather was decent and we were pretty comfortable overall.
There were several carts with full covers and I noticed the Pro Shop is now stocking them along with Heaters to keep you toasty. Looks kike a bit of a warm spell coming next week and maybe no rain.

A Prime Time

Thanks to our Social Director, Ron M for organizing another great get-together on Wednesday evening. Looked like about 60 in attendance and I think everyone had a good time. Thanks to Greg and his staff for doing a great job and the Chefs for preparing some very god prime rib. This was probably the last of the JR/SR dinners for the season but you never know what our Social Director may come up with.

Steve H ( our master carpenter) says he is almost done with the base for the JR/SR Championship Trophy and will marry it with the top in the next week or so. I guess I'll have to get busy and get a plate made with the 2009 champions names.

The weather certainly hasn't cooperated for golf or the grounds crew. It looks like a dry period is coming, but I don't know if it will warm up much above 50. That's why we have sheep, so we have wool for sweaters. We'll see who is really hardy! If we can't play then we'll just have lunch on Friday's.

My $5.00

Well seven showed up and six played. Field skin game was enjoyed by all but me. I was so bad that my Mother probably couldn't root for me. Any way there were so many skins out I think the other five guys were playing for my $5.00. The course was a little rough since Eric and his crew are doing work on the fairways. And, with all the rain it was a little messy in spots. That's Fall golf for you. We'll see what Wednesday brings.

Looks like the Pro is clearing out the inventory, and has some great deals going on. Check them out if you are in need of anything. Remember there is a drop dead date for use of shop credit.

We are back to two rolls for the "Shake of the Day". Ron M almost wiped us out again. It turned out to be a close call, but scary just the same. Sixes were the hot number for all players (and have always have been).

Time Flies

Wow, seems like it was yesterday that I was talking about auditioning new partners and here it is a week later.

First TTS wanted to play something silly last Tuesday so we had a shamble with 2 best balls. Thought our team was doing well at -23 but wasn't even close to LBB's team at -28. TTS Was a distant third. On a personal note, I shot 71, a personal best and I don't care whose drive we used. Now if I could only figure out a way to hit my tee shoot 230 or better....

The rest of the week was filled with Grandparents Day in Germantown. Glad I'm not that young anymore. Then we were off to Baltimore for a wedding. Baltimore reminds me of European city with the mix of new and old buildings on the Inner Harbor. Noticed they didn't have any problems renovating their old steam plant into an entertainment center. Probably had someone who had real clout and could federal $$ for the community. Or maybe they had some real leadership at the local level. Yeah, I know the grass is always greener.... Well in my opinion it really was. Have to say one thing about our turnpike, it's great compared to PA's. The state of PA. should be embarrassed they let it get in the condition it's in (at least the part we were on). EZ-Pass is a big improvement for Ohio. Now I just have to sign up. Too many place we go have it for us not to. One shock - $25.00 in tolls from here to Baltimore ($50.00 for the trip).

Hope the weather is good this week and we can play a little Fall golf. Plus there is Ron's prime rib night. Almost forgot, we played Texas Hold'em last Thursday. I wasn't as lucky as the first time but still had fun. Next night is a week from this Thursday from 6 to 9 PM with a lite buffet available. If you like to play cards you should give it a try.

Snowbirds

Well Bill S has left town for the warmer weather of Florida. As a result I'm auditioning players to replace him until he returns in the Spring. First up was TTS. Dean S said it was more like playing with Tommy Two Tears with all the crying going on. Can't say I really blame him between the crummy weather and the ham and egging going on by the 2 Stroke Brothers who didn't play worth a lick until they got to the holes where they got 2 strokes. Needless to say we couldn't overcome everything and dropped a few pesos to them. So back to the drawing board to see who can cope adversity. Couldn't even win anything in the field skin game with Sarge's foursome.

The weather has decidedly turned Autumn-like. Cool bordering on cold with scattered rain showers. But, there were plenty of players out Saturday. Bill (the pro) says with a little luck we could be up over 3000 rounds from 2008. As far as I'm concerned that's great for the club. We've been under utilized for years.

See ya Tuesday

The Course To Ourselves

Well, the weather didn't look like it was going to be very nice yesterday, but six of us showed up and decided to play. With no other crazy people around we made it a six some and played a little skin game with greenies. Several things became apparent very quickly: LBB's name is well earned but we were all pretty safe with a putter in his hand ( just don't let him chip). Gilhooley gave us new term based on his proficiency on the par three tees (more later). Bob B is still looking for chipping lessons. And, yours truly can hit it sideways all day but strike once and be the big winner (thank goodness for greenie carry overs). Tom Z thought he lost his practice club on the first tee, but forgot he set in his cart while putting on his glove. He was looking all over the place and accusing all of us of hiding it before mumbling about his memory. At the end of the day the weather was pleasant and we had a great time and the course pretty much to ourselves.

Now more about our new term. Gilhooley teed it up on #4 and proceeded to dribble it about 30 yards. Bob B was heard in the background to exclaim he shouldn't get comfortable in the cart since he was going to be first to play. Then I did pretty much the same on #8 and was told I hit a "Gilhooley". The use of the same term twice in 9 holes constitutes general acceptance and mandates inclusion in our glossary of terms.

The weather on Thursday should be sunny and about the same temperature as Wednesday. Hope to see you on the range and don't forget your $5.






4

One For The Commish

The crew came through for the Commish (aka Clint M) one more time as they blew away the field at HMGC in the Senior Inter Club. The format says the low five scores from each participating club is used to determine the winner. BCC had four teams in the money and won by seven shots. That gives us two victories in 2009. That's the first time I can ever remember us doing that since I've been playing. Can't remember who the big winner was, but Sarge was seen loading his car with a lot of socks (literally). I guess he has enough of the other stuff or maybe the HMGC Pro Shop has really nice socks. Go figure! TTS found his game for one more day and was seen smiling at lunch, and then left early. His playing partner picked up his prize money and told him later it was for $20 when it was really for something higher. Maybe his partner heard about the great selection of socks and wanted all he could get too.

Saturday was the men's final closing, so no big match to report on. Fun format, 3 man scramble with a different course set up. Some really interesting tee and pin locations. Bill (aka the Pro) cleans out the shop and everyone wins a prize. You guessed it Sarge took socks and left the expensive stuff on the table. LLB was heard muttering about the great shorts he got, but really how great can they be if he was picking last and the Pro hadn't been able to sell them!! I heard he went out for some emergency play but was hitting it sideways. I guess the euphoria of the shorts was too much for him.

Sunday was the mixed closing event. Another interesting format - Step Aside Scramble - with 2 drives per side from each player required. The winning team had to pay off the Pro Shop for their pairing. But guess what? Sarge won more socks! He now has the best dressed feet at BCC.
His wife was heard to say they were running out of space and she may have to put a card board box in the garage for the overflow.

Played Texas Hold'em on Thursday night in the grill. Something new at the club and was a limited success for the first time. The next scheduled time is October 10Th at 6PM. Here's the deal; You play from 6PM until 9PM, a light buffet is available. The stakes are limited, an all in max is $10. If you interested look for emails comming from the club office on future dates.

Remember JR/SR Silly Season starts October 1. I've been working on some different formats. Could really be silly.

Finally, how about Philly Mick? Wins the tournament but Tiger gets the big check. But still $3 mill is nothing to sneeze at.

The Winners Are!!!

Well, it was an historic day in the long history of the JR/SR's. There were a few surprises yesterday in the Championship. Here are the winners:

Low gross - LBB 1st (82), Sarge (83)

Low net - JJ 1st (71), Dean S 2nd (72 in a score card playoff)

There were a total of five skins paid to five different individuals. Would someone please explain what Ralphies booth 4 means to Dave B!!

The biggest surprise was the person who was DFL. We won't mention who since that would be rubbing salt in the wound.

Lightning struck again as JJ rolled five 6's in the Shake of the Day to win a paltry $39.00. So we started again and have $9.00 in the pot.

All-in-all I think everyone had a good time. Plans are already in the works for next year. The first change is to hold the championship the Thursday before the JPK. Keep that in mind as you make travel plans in 2010 (s/b 9/9/10 based on history).

Thanks to Paul and Greg for all their work. Also, to Matt M, our photographer.

Silly season will start October 1st. Should be fun based on the imaginations this group has.

Finally Here!

Well the JR/SR Championship is finally here. The buzz around the locker room has been long and load with anticipation. The Fed Ex Cup has nothing on this championship. Everyone has been sharpening their games and now we're ready to tee it up. There is no odds on favorite at the moment. Although if you look at range time Gilhooley wins, but his performance in a cameo appearance on Saturday says otherwise. Ron M has been out west working with his swing coach in wine country and shows some promise. TTS bought some new clubs but who knows whether they'll help. Sarge is always dangerous, but has been Dr. Jeckle, Mr. Hyde this season. And, who can read the book on LBB and Ironsides (the attorney). In any event we'll know the answer by late this afternoon. There may be a real sleeper in the group!

Good luck to all.

The Start of Silly Season

Well because the greens were aerified and sanded it seemed like the format should be something a little less serious. So, a two man shamble with partial handicap seemed appropriate. The only problem was Sarge and TZ thought it was serious and tried to set some kind of record. Nobody shoots under par on gross let alone gets in the 50's net. Although LBB and the Used Car Man were almost as bad or good (depends on perspective). Even Fred S got in the act at times with a hot putter on less than perfect greens. He was heard muttering about finding a new club with sand greens. But, his partner told him he probably wouldn't like living in Death Valley. Probably one more day of goofy golf before we can get back to the regular stuff.

Don't forget to sign up for the JR/SR championship. Our ace woodworker , aka The Red Baron looked at the trophy, took some measurements and said he would have soon plans for a base. Anything would be better than my feeble attempt since my cabinet making skills are limited to using the Yellow Pages .

Weekend Update

The weather was great, the greens were fast and the golf was there. The JPK (wrap up to the tournament season) was held over the weekend. I know there was some great golf played, but it wasn't from yours truly and my partner. Congrats to Robbie J and the Swede for their play on Sunday which put them in the winner's circle. Three under par in the two best ball segment is really pretty astounding when you consider the greens (which were really good). And, to the rest of us there is always next year.

The next big event coming up is the JR/SR Championship. This is the first annual of a soon to be classic. You don't want to miss out on the fun. Remember September 22. Two ways to win, gross and net (you must have played 5 times to qualify for the trophy). There will be a an additional skins game for everyone. Everyone is encouraged to play whether you qualify for the trophy or not. Even guests are welcome. Remember we're planning a stag dinner after the round (cookout fare). AND, I heard there will be a group picture taken. So save your pennies for the entry fee ($15 and $5 for the skins) and get permission to stay past 6PM.

See you at the course.

PS - What a wacky football weekend!

OH NO!!!

Say it ain't so. But, truth be told we knew it had to happen. After 928 rolls of the dice Dr. J rolled five 6's on the first roll for $271.00 yesterday. The really bad part was this was the second time he has won. So the pot goes back to zero and we start again. By agreement we will only get one roll each until we get $50.00 in the pot. Currently we are at $5.00.

The rest of the day seemed immaterial. But, golf was tough and the money spread around.

Too bad the Pig Outing was cancelled. It seems the biggest problem was lack of promotion and lack of participants. Let's not let this go by the wayside. We had a nice event going for a number of years and were well on the way to establishing a fun tradition. The JR/SR Championship is another opportunity for us but we need the support of everyone to make it a success. To date we have only eight players signed up. Put September 22 on your calendar, and make plans to play. This should be no different than any other Tuesday. The only difference is a bigger entry fee and a trophy at stake. Plus we all know how much fun we have!

The weather looks good for today and the rest of the week.

Hit 'em straight and keep it in the fairway. Believe me, the rough is no place to be right now.

Another Summer In The Books

Well another Labor Day has come and gone and we can close the books on another Summer season. Lots of nice weather until the rain showers moved in on Monday afternoon. Plus, the college football season kicked off with a bang. Hope everyone had a great time. Now we need to get ready for the best golf time of the year. Lots of great golf left until the weather turns ugly, starting with the JPK and then the JR/SR Championship. I'm sure Sarge and John G will be spending extra time on the "rock pile" getting ready. the JR/SR trophy will be on display this week. Check it out and see how your name might look as the 1st winner of this soon to be classic event. Almost forgot, don't forget the Pig Open next week. Let's see if the defending champ, TTS, can pull off a repeat.

There must be something about Dean S picking up subs when Ron M is out of town. This time Dr. J (not t/b confused with the real Dr. J) made an appearance and played above his head to help Dean win 3 bets. Oh well, Ron will soon be back and the planets will get back in phase.

Just when the course is in perfect playing condition something always happens. Rain, maintenance or whatever. Eric is planning on aerifying next week (but this is a must) and we'll have about 7 days until they heal up. By the way, what a great job the grounds staff did on the women's 17th tee, and we will have a much better tee at 14 when all is done.

The Shake of the Day pot continues to grow. A winner has to be close.

Back Home

Well, the Greenbrier is everything its reputation says it is. The facility is great and a real treat to stay at. The golf courses are a challenge and fun to play. All in all a great value, though not cheap. The highlight of the trip was Sarge's wife making hole-in-one on the 18Th hole of the Old White Course (2010 PGA Tour site). Ask Sarge for the details.

The weather definitely seems to moving towards cooler days. Can't remember the last time I wore a sleeveless vest during an afternoon round. A good group yesterday and a challenging format created by Sarge. Don't remember who won, but do know it wasn't my team.

Don't forget the JR/SR Championship. Rules of engagement (play) will be out shortly, so stay tuned. I'll bring the trophy over next week for everyone to see. Keep watching for Ron's updates.

There must a winner close in the "shake of the day". The pot is close to $250.

LBB Strikes Again

Well, since his OJT was a success we allowed LLB to be captain again. If nothing else the man is creative. The game was 1,2, and 3 best ball. Needless to say with three man teams the scores were not record setting. However, LBB was on the winning team. I wonder if a pattern is developing here?

The dice seem to be heating up after a long cold spell. We are up to $244 in the Shake of the Day pot. For some reason 1's are coming up a lot. Dr. J rolled five of them on a practice roll and then asked if that could be his roll for the next day. I don't think I really have to say what the reaction of those sitting at the table was.

Well off to the Greenbrier this weekend for a little R & R. See you birds next Tuesday.

A New Captain

It is good for everyone to get a chance to be the leader of the pack. Remember if you never get to be the lead sled dog the scenery never changes. Well yesterday was LBB's turn. Well, after having everything arranged player #11 showed up and threw a wrench (plumber humor) in the works. To quote the Commish "it's hard to herd cats". After a little consultation, and under breath muttering LBB made the necessary adjustments and we got off the tee. Not playing with your partner was new touch and a touch I liked (do you think we might see that again?). Because of the blind draw aspect Dave H was a two way winner. After a lot of complaining by the "cats" he was paid and then started lamenting the fact he was too old to attract the two blonds sitting on the patio even though he had enough money to buy them a drink.

I noticed a definite change in the attitude toward putting in my group. The friendship range seemed to shrink as everyone was starting to prepare for our upcoming championship. We might want institute a standard for gimmes; say 12 inches. Plus, I'm not hearing many complaints any more about the 1st tee rule. Only TTS is still trying to hit until he's happy. By the way, I talked with Ron M and he is writing his trophy presentation speech while in California.
Has anyone noticed John G is off working on his game in a secret location? I know he said he was going to Vermont, but I really think he's working with Butch Harmon.

The rest of the week looks good. See you at the training table.

Another Week of Goofy Weather

Well so far we got one full day in without being blown off the course or drowned. Thought the format on Wednesday was lot of fun (since I was on the winning team). Thursday threatened rain and the wind was howling at about 15 to 20 mph. Plus the humidity was high and that made playing a little uncomfortable. Three of only played nine and the other two made it around in about two and half hours.

The image (above) is the trophy for the JR/SR Championship. Plans are to have it sit on a base that will have the winners names (low gross and net scores) for each year. I am looking for a suitable base. If you have any ideas pass them along (especially you wood workers). Also, I think we will have locker plates. Just for your info the top comes off so the winners could leave a memento of their feat for future participants to see and marvel at ( no ashes please). Keep watching for future details on what is expected to be the highlight of the 2009 JR/SR competitive year.

Even Tiger Can be Shanged

Wow! What a finish to the PGA. Did anyone ever think Tiger could be faced down like that?
What happened to Padric? One minute he's close the lead and I doze off in the recliner and wake up and he's off the leader board.

The weather has certainly gotten to be very summer like in a hurry. Hope the players in the "Divorce Open" were off the course before all that hit this afternoon. Bill S and I, along with the wives played in the AM to beat the heat and it was still HOT. Can't say we were very successful against them. I don't think you can give a combined 21 extra shots and win. The fact we only lost one or two bets (hypothetically) was a real accomplishment. We were Shanged and Ziemed so many times I'm probably going to have nightmares tonight.

With our worthy opponents out of town we had cameo appearances by TTS And Johnny G. I'm not sure where all the money went but I was the one who got clipped. We did team up well in the open tee event and tied for 2ND. Johnny G was on a different planet the front nine and then came back to earth.

Lots of good golf coming up. Two big events to look forward to. First, the Pig Outing with the PGGA and then the JR/SR Championship. You don't want to miss either event. The Pig Outing has a long established tradition. The JR/SR is new but will be a classic after our 1st one this year. Watch for Ron's emails for further details.

See you all Tuesday.

Quote of the week - From Long Ball (Bill S #2) about the roof repairs at Steve S' house - "even with Mexicans that has to be expensive." Keep your wallets close since he'll be on the prowl to recover what he can from us.

Rain Again

Just another rainy Tuesday. At least it rained before started so no one got wet. After a lengthy wait and a couple rounds of Horse (rules by Dr. Black Ankle) five of us got in 9 holes. Since it looked like another wave of showers we called it quits. No money changed hands but the Shake of the Day pool continues to grow. I think we are around $190.00 but really need to sit down and count the money.

Steve F (aka Dr. Black Ankle) said he was leaving town since he couldn't win anything. We'll have to wait for his 2010 pilgrimage to get further in his pocket. I guess it's really true everything does equal out over time. Safe travels to Steve and Angie. Maybe he'll have better luck fishing.

The weather looks better for the rest of the week.

A New Week

Well another week is here. Last week was kinda of a bust. Outside outings, weather, vacations, and visiting families. Let's hope things will be a little more normal this week.

The heat has certainly been oppressive the past couple of days. Thank goodness for a strong breeze on Sunday at our family picnic. Yesterday was really hot at Red Hawk Run (TDGA Rating Group); no trees and very little shade. A nice track but we really do have special course at BCC.

Allie, our bartender, is recovering from major gall bladder surgery. I'm told she under went a 4 hour procedure at the Cleveland Clinic and is on the road to recovery.

See you at the training table.


PS - Ron "Hi Ho Silver" M. is on his his way to Calif. for 4 weeks. I'm sure he will keep in touch via his weekly announcements.

Black Ankle Disease

Well another JR/SR showed up on Tuesday. Steve F is in town for a couple of weeks and showed up looking to take our money. For those of you not familiar with Steve he is known for 2 things. First, his bogus handicap (which most of us have) and second "black ankle disease". This affliction is somewhat rare and first encountered by our resident locker room doctor in India when he was growing up. For a full explanation, causes and cure you should talk with Sarge. This blog is not really the place to delve into medical issues.

We had another big group on Tuesday - 15 assorted players. After several false starts (due to people walking in later than normal) a reasonable game was concocted. All I'm going to say is that everyone seems to be getting worse not better. Even par on the back nine is not earth shaking. Anyway the best part of the day was when Dr. J opened the bar to celebrate his slam dunk from Saturday. A big thank you to him.

The Executive Comm. meet and decided to hold a JR/SR Championship in September. A tentative date of Sept. 17 was set. Watch Ron's weekly announcements for further details. This is sure to be something you won't want to miss. Currently we are looking for an appropriate trophy. All ideas will be considered (and probably discarded)

See you on Thursday.

One Week Later

Wow! It has been a week since I last published a post. Where does the time go? Lots to talk about, so I'll get to it.

First of all rain played havoc with golf for a lot of the week. Things started to get back normal around Thursday, although I didn't play and can't comment. Friday the "Commish" gave us a pep talk and got the whip out. His strategy worked as BCC placed 1st in the Sr. Inter Club ( we should win on our own course). Ed S played his best round of the year (maybe ever) and placed 2ND overall with Steve H; Bob B and I were 4Th; and TZ and John J were 6Th.

Saturday saw the beginning of the club championship weekend. Congrats to Ron H who played very well in a number of categories. They were too numerous to list so check the board for results. Also, Ron M. elected to play off the white tees and won low net in his age group. I'm not sure who really was in his costume but it wasn't the same guy we all know. As a side note, Ron and Dean finally got in our pocket for $6.00. Oh well, it had to happen some time. Steve S. (part time JR/SR) also played very well and was low net champ in the regular group.

In case you didn't hear Dr. J slam dunked one on #17 on Saturday. Pretty good considering where the tees were. Is the bar open on Tuesday? Is it really true he wasn't in the skin game?

We should get back to normal this week. The weather looks decent and nothing big scheduled. Speaking of the weather, is this really the beginning of August? Where's the heat? If this is climate change then we should be so fortunate. The "shake of the day" is back to $170.00 and waiting for another winner. See you at the training table.

Almost forgot. Heard a new term Sunday while playing with Dean S and his better half. While hitting from the heavy fringe on #8 Lil-Mar moved the ball about 2 inches. She said she "moofed" the shot (not quite a whiff and not a chili dip). Of course she bladed the next through the green and then ran a 35 foot putt in for a 5. I'm sure we have all "moofed" it but didn't really know what to call it. You have to give Dean S and Lil-Mar credit they are a source of great golf terms. Could a book be in their future?

Rain Delay

Well not much to report on due the rain on Thursday and the
Founders Day weekend. For those who didn't attend the Founders Day party Friday you missed a really nice affair. Good food, good music and an overall good job by the staff.

The rain continued to play havoc with golf on Saturday but did clear up long enough to get the Founders tournament in. Sunday was nice but very windy. Tuesday looks OK. The course has been very wet, but maybe the wind dried it out yesterday.

Allie, our grill room bartender has been in the hospital with gall stones. Hope she gets well soon.

Not Again!

While I didn't play with the group yesterday due to another golf commitment I received a phone late in the day from Ron M who wanted to know where the Shake of the Day money was. Seems he rolled 5 fours and wanted to buy drinks. Of course I couldn't pass up a free drink and dropped what I was doing and hot footed to the Grill Room. After a thorough interrogation of the assembled group I paid him $145.00 and ordered a beer. It is important to insure there were no cahoots going on and people just wanted a drink. This is the 2nd time Ron M has hit the mini jackpot. The last time was around the Masters. Not to worry there still is $150.00 plus in the pot.

Too bad about the rain and the return of every one's money. I take it TTS wasn't playing well. Normally it would have been a 9 hole competition, but the Captain of the Day has the right to make the call.

The Weekend Recap

In reverse order it was a pretty good weekend. How about the British Open? What a great ending! I'm sure most of you, as was I, were rooting for Tom Watson. Just think a pro Jr/Sr almost pulled off the biggest sports story of the year.

Saturday Bob B. finally got his first hole-in-one. He said he feathered a 3 wood (really an 8 iron) in on #4. Needless to say there was a little celebrating going on afterwards. Congrats from all your thirsty friends.

The great match continued with Ron using a sub while his trusted companion went on the invitational circuit at SOCC. Bill S and I came out kind of flat and let them win 3 bets. I'm not totally sure whether they are still in the hole or even after two months. The match will resume next weekend when Dean returns from his travels and I'm sure will have many "fish tales" about his time at SOCC.

Finally in a lame attempt to break his spell of bad luck and play Sarge ran the game last Thursday. I think he cooked his own goose with 2 best of three, played off his ball for the field.
That's a pretty tough format but interesting to say the least. Sarge's team struggled the entire day. He even tried to recalculate using full strokes and they couldn't break par.

A new rule was implemented on Thursday by the Exec. Comm. If you have to hit 2 on the first tee then you must play the 2nd (a true mulligan). Just remember this is for your own good as we approach the tournament season.

The shake of the day is now over $280.00.

Saturday on Tuesday

Well the Hi Ho Silver boys wanted to play the regular Saturday match on Tuesday, and being the nice guys we are we obliged them. It was kind of a mistake since they were able to squeeze out a two bet win. We're still not sure how it happened but it did. The good thing is we are still playing with their money after all these months.

Now we have truly created a monster in Ron H. His team won for like the 5th straight time. This has got to stop. We have given him almost every possible combination of partner and he continues to collect the money. He may have stopped himself. His handicap has dropped to 4! If he plays to that with the pairings I'm thinking of and still wins then more power to him.

TTS was seen wandering around mumbling about string again today, and saying he will definitely get it right in the future. John G ( a partner on Sunday) said if he didn't they might string him up. No pun intended there. It would probably be a good idea to keep sharp knives away from him also.

The shake of the day continues to grow. We are now at $266.00. The next winner will be buying a lot of drinks for sure.

Saturday Washout

Saturday was a washout for some of us. Others who were able waited for the showers to pass and played in the Belmont Cup. I understand it was a good event and worthy of addition to the tournament schedule. Too bad many couldn't play because the published schedule was changed! Oh well there is always next year.

Sunday saw the DD of S (hosted off site). A fun couples event that seems to bring out the best in some. Question for TTS-do you understand how to use string yet? If not there will be a class you can attend next year.

Back to business this week. Weather looks good and the competition should be fierce. Bring your A game and most of all your $5.00.

Three In a Row

Ron H can't complain anymore. His team has one three days in a row. Fortunately I was on his team one of those times. The rest of you need to step up your games and put a stop to his runaway train. To give him credit 3 birdies on the front nine was something to see (holes 1, 8, and 9) coupled with one on 15. Nice to see new faces playing and it is always good to have fresh money in the game. If these numbers continue we may have to devise a new system for pairing players. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also good to have the Pro with us.

Very unusual to have slow play like yesterday. There was one group that had the whole course backed up. Let's hope this is the rare occurrence. Next week is the women's district match play for three days. Since they are in the morning I don't think they will impact us very much, but will probably push the seniors back to the afternoon at least one day.

The weather looks to be good for the next seven days. Hate to say it but we now need some rain. There are areas that are really drying out. Also saw Eric watering during the day which is not always a good sign.

Saw TTS yesterday. He said the rumor about him going to LA for the Michael Jackson Memorial was false. He could only make it to Gary, Indiana in the Winnebago because of the driving time. But, he said it was a thrill of a lifetime to be part of such an historic event. If you are nice he'll show you his souvenir t-shirt (without the AP Parts logo).

Finally!

We all knew it had to happen someday. The stars aligned, the format agreed, the team worked and Ron H finally broke the ice and won. In the end it took a scorecard playoff that went 4 holes but his team did win. He said he was going to celebrate by taking his wife to dinner and mumbled something about Burger King. Personally if it was me I'd have gone big and gone to Sonic for the big night out.

Great group on Tuesday, 17 players. The only challenge is to try pair everyone up and come up with a tough format. Can't comment on the pairings but thought the format was challenging. It was tough not to give shots back. Have to say the playing conditions were as good as they get. Maybe a little windy but great weather for early summer. The rest of this week looks to be the same.

We missed TTS yesterday. Could the rumor be true? Did he really buy tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial on EBay? That's probably the case since we all know what a fan he is of contemporary music. Wonder if he drove the Winnebago to the memorial?

Green Speed & Geese

Talked with Eric this AM while watching the animal control people corralling the geese for removal to McGee Marsh. He said the green speed over the weekend was between 11 and 12. If anyone thinks that was too slow then we probably should have a "come to Jesus meeting" with them.

As far as the geese go the DNR gave us a removal permit and we hired a company to come in and collect and relocate the geese to another location. It was quite a process to watch. It took more than one try since the young are now flying. But in the end they were herded together and loaded on a trailer. Pretty impressive the way it was done. This particular group should not be back at BCC.

Last night while spending a few minutes trying to catch the elusive bass in #2 lake I observed a neighbor catch the biggest bass I've seen here. This fish was at least 6 pounds. The best I was doing was about 8 ozs. I've heard stories about big fish but had not seen one until last night.

A Long Holiday

It is Sunday night and the 4th of July Holiday is winding down. Hope everyone had a great time. Ron H played in the Dandy Dozen and came in 2nd losing a chip off on the last hole. Way to go! The Jamie Farr is in the record books for another year and from all indications a good tournament with an exciting finish.

Saturday saw the return of Ron M to action. He and Dean had visions of finally getting on the plus side of the ledger. They had their dreams dashed again and are still in the hole after losing 4 bets on the backside. Don't know when the next match is since Ron has scheduling problems this next weekend. Have to give Ron credit he didn't try to use his injury as an excuse and actually played well (especially his putting). Dean on the other hand continues to look for the magic with the flat stick (the rest of his game has come around except for the occasional duck quacker).

Thought the greens this weekend were as good as they have ever been. If anyone thought they were slow they should learn how to use the stimp meter. Let's hope they stay this way the rest of the year.

the Shake of the Day continues to grow and is reaching the territory were there is serious money at stake. There were a couple of close calls, with sixes being the hot number.

See every one on Tuesday.

Still Can't Win

Well we tried to help Ron H out by giving him the 2 chops with double strokes on #6; I hear they came through but Ron H had his own issues. Besides someone woke Sarge up and he reverted to his normal game after a slight slump and the rest of his team went brain dead and played above their ability. Their card said 20 under for 2 balls out of three. Hard to comprehend numbers like that. Ron, the only thing we can say is this to will pass and you eventually will win.

Thanks Sarge for the anatomy lesson. We are all staring to become sports medicine (locker room) experts. The drawings are especially good and maybe we should start a file for future reference and study. It would be really helpful if you used colored pencils.

I finally audited the "Shake of the Day" money and low and be hold we have $221.00. Based on past experience a winner can't be far away.

My Apology

Remember my comments last week about the poor play of the BCC team at SCC? Well I forgot to mention that Dave H and TZ were the low net team for the day ( Dave H reminded me of the omission) Belated congrats guys on the great round--net 62.

Today was rather cool. If you didn't know better you would have thought it was September and not the end of June. Overcast skies, a few showers, wind and a little sun late. TTS and his team must have thought the conditions were too severe or they were playing poorly because they quit after 8 holes. The rest of us waited out a brief shower and finished the round. By the way TTS where is your $5? Ron H kept his record in tack and hasn't finished in the money yet. Bob B and I brought him down to our level and he barely finished out of the money. Maybe tomorrow will be the day. I won't say who but 4 major chops did 20 under and walked away with 1st place. I hear rumblings from the crowd that 2 strokes on a hole may soon be outlawed if some handicaps stay where they are.

We may have a chance to win tomorrow since 2 of the above referenced chops are playing their Old Pal match. Almost forgot, Ron M is back but on IR for a few days. Seems he injured himself Sunday playing Hit and Giggle golf. Here's to a speedy recovery (we really need fresh money). Thursday is the big 4Th of July Party at the club. We need to make a decision about play; don't want to be on the course during the start of the Dandy Dozen.

Summer Time and The Swinging Is Easy

Lots of golf since the last time I updated the blog. Thursday we played early to avoid the heat and the monthly stag. TTS thought he had the only skin for a while until we audited the cards and realized there were two others. Still each was worth $13, not bad for a mornings effort. I called to give him the good news and he told me he was just pulled his weekly ham loaf from the oven. Friday was another Senior Inter Club. This time at SCC (newest member). The BCC Team suffered the humiliation of placing last by a couple of points. The Commish was last seen mumbling to himself about bringing a "bunch of chops" and vowed to get nasty if we didn't play better in July at our home course. In our defense the green speed was not what we expected and we never really adjusted (and some of us can really be chops at times).

Saturday saw a number of matches being played at BCC as everyone tried to beat the deadline for round one. Bill S and I finally (after 4 years) broke the ice and got past the first round. We had a great match with Sarge and Ron H and won 1 up. I understand the biggest upset of the day was pulled off by Marv R as he won 1 up over Kevin M (a 31 beating a 2) in the Presidents Cup. Just proves anything happen on any given day. The course setup was a little tough with some really bizarre pin placements. Must have been because of Beat the Pro. I saw some putts do things that defied gravity. But, the greens were as good as I've seen them all year. Hats off to Eric considering the heat we've had this week.

While warming up at thee range I found a nice pair of Oakleys were John B was warming up. As he walked away I asked if they were his. No he replied and went to the 1st tee. About 3 minutes later Bailey was looking for a pair of sunglasses that a member left on the range. She said Mr. B had left them there while warming up. Go figure, my guess is that he'll fit right in after he retires. Most of us can't remember much either anymore.

Heat Wave

Summer is finally here and with a vengeance.

Didn't play yesterday due to a family commitment but was outside enough to know it was pretty warm. Played my President's Cup match this afternoon at the hottest part of the day and didn't melt, but didn't win either. It is pretty tough to take on Tony H when he has 6 birds in 12 holes.
However, I did try to make a match out of it and made through 16 before losing 3 & 2. Great fun and Tony is a a very good player and fun to play with. There were a lot of other matches going on this afternoon since the deadline for 1st round completion is June 28.

Looking forward to playing tomorrow morning and then going to SCC on Friday for the Senior Interclub. Finally, how about the final round of the Open? Great theater! Too bad for Phil, but that is way it goes sometimes. And, David Duval can't be 885th in the world anymore! Bring on the British Open.

No Winner Yet

Here it is Monday morning and they haven't completed play at the US Open. I'm sure we can all relate to the wet conditions. The Invitational is over and am sure it was a success even though we had our own weather challenges. I understand the shootout winners did a Jerry Pate and jumped in the lake by the 18th green.

Yesterday was Fathers Day and there were a number of activities around the club. Saw Dave H with a pretty nice bass at the fishing competition, but he was complaining they took his picture with the small one and not the big one. Oh well, I'm sure this will turn into another "fish story" over time.

Had a new experience Sunday on the golf course. Can only describe it as being Shanged/Ziemed squared. While playing a friendly couples round for drinks afterward the TZ's both started going 5 for 3 (4 for 2) I beat you. Needless to say I bought. Hide your wallet when someones wife says they haven't played for 2 weeks. All that means is they haven't had time to reinforce any bad habits and will play their best round of the season.