t was cold. Tee time was at 9:06 am and the wind chill was around 40 degrees. Twenty minutes before the round only three players had arrived. It looked like we wouldn’t have a qualified round. Then, like a mob of homeless who heard rumor they were serving hot meals, people started showing up; bundled up; ready for whatever. You Golfers Gone Wild must be crazy.
On the Saturday before Mother’s Day, May 8, the GGW held its 5th Tour event of the season at Tuckaway Golf Course in Crete. Tuckaway is definitely tucked away near the Illinois-Indiana border, surrounded by horses and farms. Another unorthodox layout, Tuckaway has par 35 front and 37 back. It played to 6037 with uneven lies in the fairways, elevated tee boxes and undulating greens on almost every hole.
Add in some frigid May temperatures, vicious high winds and we had conditions more suitable for an episode of Survivor Alaska than playing Golf. But, even with play not nearly as good as last week, Big Dog was the sole survivor, under par, with a net 69. For the second straight week, reportedly playing golf every other day and using his prodigious drives (along with an equally prodigious handicap index), Lonnie finished on top.
Coming in second was the Silent Assassin. Sam shot a 98, net 73. Only 1 stroke more than he had during his unsanctioned practice round played in ideal conditions on Wednesday. (Please note: his official excuse was he was there to check the playable condition of the recently aerated greens. Instead of chastising him for taking our money, we should trust that he was just looking out for us). Sure he was.
TaylorMade Kid shot the best scratch round of the day with a 90 (net 74). Placing third, Taylor shot a 43 front and again won the Nassau bets from the serious gambling addicts. Holder of the lowest handicap index at 16.1, The Kid surrenders 11 strokes to Big Dog and almost 7 strokes to the average players in the field before the race even starts.
How did the GGW racing sheet handicap these other average horses trying for a win at Tuckaway?
Way Cool (78), Until Warmer Weather Comes, A Win?, No Way.
Quick Draw (77), Doesn’t Even Care, He Just Bombs Away.
Cadillac Blue (79), Can’t Hit a Green When Skies Are Grey.
Grade A (81), Kept Missing Fairways All Damn Day
The Gambler (81), a Winner Last Year, But Not Today
Rifleman (82), He’s Wealthy and Somebody Has to Pay
Kappatain Styles (84), Hey, Maybe He Knew It Wasn’t His Day
Double D (86), He Just Showed Up, Didn’t Come to Play
Country Strong (90), Going from Bad to Worse, What Can I Say?
Agree with me. Yay or Nay, That’s what happened to the also rans in the field, Saturday at Tuckaway.
However, six of twelve players won skins. TaylorMade Kid was the big winner with 7 skins all on the front side. Grade A picked up 3 skins and took over the season skins lead with 19 total. The Gambler, Cadillac Blue, Big Dog and Silent Assassin all won 2 skins each.
No Matches were played on Saturday. Since handicaps are used and everyone schedules their own matches perhaps the GGW needs to Beware of Big Dog. He is a better player than the index he carries. Two wins in a row raises several questions.
Why was the handicap calculation changed and when? How much better must one play to break par and win? What will it take for those high handicap brothers to drop? And, Who, in the hell, Let The Dog Out?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
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