May Newsletter
Hey! Is anybody out there awake? Ye olde newsletter writer sure could use an infusion of news. I mean, is anybody out there playing golf these days besides Steve Williams and me? I do have an e-mail listing, guys and gals. Try howardward@att.net. Seriously, it doesn’t even have to be an infusion. How about a hint?
One thing we do have is some new members, and boy, are they quality guys.
Signing on since our last newsletter are Al Arrigoni, Executive Director of the Brunswick First Tee Chapter and star of the Tee Time radio golf show on ATMC TV 3; Tim Kreger, Executive Director of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association; Sam Smith, Publisher of Carolinas Golf Journal; and Phil Wertz, Program Communicator of Brandon Advertising in Myrtle Beach. Welcome aboard, guys. And don’t hesitate to tell some friends. The CGRA is growing and it makes old-timers such as Ron Bennett, Steve Williams and me happy.
Meanwhile, that dang Ess
Dubya is seriously scaring me as he cuts into what I thought was a formidable lead in our “friendly” birdie competition. I mean this guy recently made seven birdies in a couple of days and has me grinding over every shot now. Going six consecutive rounds without a birdie can damage a man’s psyche.
As of this writing (according to an e-mail I just received from Ess
Dubya) we are tied at 29. I’m scared. And I’m definitely going to tell Jay Allred to check on just how much time ol’ Stevie is puting in on the local golf courses.
My favorite group of golfers, the Gates Four Gangsome, paid a visit to Little River Resort a couple of weeks ago and came away impressed by the facility and depressed by our ineptness.
Seriously, if you haven’t played Little River in the past couple of years, give that course a try. It’s a terrific layout and is in absolutely gorgeous condition. Even Boss Hawg was impressed, although the self-professed leader of the Gangsome did get hit by a ball struck by the irrepressible Puddin’. “Shoot,” Pudding said after seeing Boss Hawg go down screaming, “the sumgun shouldn’t oughta been standing behind the green.”
The North Carolina Golf Panel spent a day at Southern Pines Golf Club recently and enjoyed four hours of vintage Donald Ross subtleties. This course is always mentioned as one of North Carolina’s true hidden gems, but it deserves more. It really is a layout that you could play every day and never tire of it. Heck, 91 strokes and I wasn’t even weary.
Now that the “young” guys, such as J.W. Farquhar (or however he spells it) and Tom McAuliffe (or however he spells it) seem to be taking over the tournament scene, I’m suggesting we start a Super-Duper Senior Division for those of us who can’t hit the ball out of our shadows these days.
OK, I know I’m the only member old enough right now to qualify for that new category, but what the heck, I accept trophies. In fact, I still have a trophy from a few years ago that’s still in the mail. Seriously, ask Reid Spencer. If he’s a real person, that is. My suspicion about Reid is that he’s an Air Person. You know, like the Air Trophy he presented me with at Mid Pines that hot day in August after Scott Martin and I had duked it out for 36 holes. Man, that thing went down to the very end. Scott and I were tied after 34 holes, remained tied after matching triple bogeys on Mid Pines’ 17th hole, and was finally won by a bogey on the final hole. Is that clutch or what?
So anyway, tee it up every chance you get. And remember, the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame event in Pinehurst is coming up in August. Good food, good golf courses and good companionship. It’s definitely worth the price of admission. Whatever that might turn out to be.
Yours in bogeys, (and birdies, Ess
Dubya).
Howard Ward
