CGRA June 2010 Newsletter

This is a little painful to report (especially for him) but our esteemed CGRA Executive Director Dick Mitchell is undergoing (or, depending on when you’re reading this, has undergone) hip surgery on June 3. Dick is having a hip replaced at Duke, so let’s all wish him a speedy recovery.

Who knows, if he comes back playing better than ever, maybe there’s a Comeback Player of the Year Award in his future. Or not. Seriously, Dick, hope everything is going well and you’re back on the courses soon.

Obviously, our little pep rally in last month’s newsletter caught the attention of some members as we had several responses over the next few days.

Speaking of surgery, another veteran member of our tight-knit little group is trying his best to dodge the knife.

Gene Hudson sends along this note:

Enjoy your newsletter. I haven’t played in over a month now and have just finished up receiving injections of Synvisc in the knees. The cartilages are about gone and this injection is supposed to turn into gel and serve as cartilage. Had the right knee injected on Tuesdays and the left knee on Thursdays. Just passed the four-week mark and it’s working a little.

Jack Reitzel and I are playing in a superball tournament on Saturday and I’ll see how I hold out.

Also, I’ve had a pulled muscle in the hip and a terrible lower mid-back pain.  But hell, other than that, I’m OK. I’ll be 65 in November and the body is telling on me. Life goes on, though. Looking forward to our next meeting.

Gene

Wow, Gene, sounds like you’re doing great! I’ll take two shots a side at our next event.

New member Bill Bauer of South Carolina has some better news to report:

Hi Howard,

I’m not counting birdies, but I did get my first hole-in-one last Thursday on the 159-yard par-3 Boscobel Country Club in Anderson. I hit a high 7-iron that hit the green and rolled about four or five feet into the hole. Had a few pars, too, but no birdies.

Bill

Hey, Bill, I’ll swap you three of my birdies for your ace.

Speaking of the birdie race between me and my old adversary Steve (Ess Dubya) Williams, as of this writing the count is 38 to 37 in favor  of Ess Dubya, who has also caught me in the eagle category, holing a 160-yard 5-iron from the rough at Pennrose Park for a 2 on the par-4 10th hole.

“It never left the flag,” the elated Ess Dubya elatedly reported in elation. “It was the longest shot I’ve holed since a double eagle in 1982. Also had my lowest round of the year, a 75.”

Jeez, this is getting just a little sickening, Ess Dubya.

On a much brighter note here’s something we received from Phil Werz of Myrtle Beach:

The 16th Annual Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After The Masters Celebrity Golf Tournament was another huge success this year. Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has hosted this annual charity event for all eight years since it moved up from Kiawah Island, and for the fifth straight year the event sold out with more than 6,000 fans attending. PGA Tour player D.J. Trahan and country music singer Steve Azur won the title with a score of 18-under par. There was a five-way tie for second place including the team led by PGA Tour player Jim Furyk. After missing the cut at The Masters, it appears all Furyk needed was a little R&R at the beach to get his game in gear as he captured the Verizon Heritage Classic at Hilton Head the following weekend.

FYI….Golf Channel had a one-hour special on Monday After The Masters that ran May 11, 12, 22.

The 27th Annual GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is set to take place in Myrtle Beach Aug. 30-Sept. 2. More than 3,000 golfers from 40 states and 20 countries are expected to attend. More than 50 Grand Strand golf courses will be used for the tournament with the finals taking place at the renowned Dunes Golf & Beach Club.

This year, CBS Sports David Feherty and short game guru Dave Pelz will be on hand to meet and greet at the “World’s Largest 19th Hole,” the nightly post-round party at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. For more information, go to: www.worldamgolf.com. Or, to enter a free entry fee to the World Am, register at www.worldamsweeps.com. A woman has won the World Am two of the last three years including Linda Fuller from Richmond, Tex., last year.

The Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer charity golf event is slated for Aug. 28 in Myrtle Beach. Turner Sports award-winning essayist/reporter (formerly with CNN), Jim Huber, is this year’s national spokesperson for the KYS campaign. We are in the midst of a big media blitz for Jim to get the word out about the fight to end prostate cancer, and to tell people about how they can play in the celebrity/charity event in August.

Meantime, think of my last name as the call letters of a radio station … call letters have only four (4) letters, and so does my last name: W-E-R-Z…no “T” in my last name! In fact, WERZ-FM is a classic rock station in Exeter, NH. Believe me, I’ve seen every spelling imaginable of my last name, so no big deal…just sayin’…

 Sorry about that spelling of your name Phil, or is that Fill? Just kidding. You will always be known in the future as Werz. I promise.

Phil rushed that note because he had a tee time at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, then had to run off to Dataw Island for a South Carolina Golf Panel outing.

Not getting a whole lot of sympathy here, Phil. At least not like that for Dick’s hip and Gene’s knees.

Speaking of surgery again, got a little of my own coming up on June 3, same date as Dick. Mine is for an eye problem and is taking place in Pinehurst.  Let’s all pray for Dr. Shuler to have a steady hand that day.

Meanwhile, take advantage of this great (Well, some like it hot) weather and get in some golf.

May your worst shots end up in birdie putts, and keep the news coming in. I love it.

Your humble correspondent,

Howard (Aitch Dubya) Ward