Secession Member Member (May 6-7, 2005)

I rounded out my two weeks of fun at our Member Member event at Secession Golf Club.


In the past my partners have been good friends Peter Joos (now in London) and Marion Moore (now in rehab from a recent surgery), so Bob Harcharik put his good friend Larry Bouman and me together this year. Here we are on the 10th tee, our first hole in the first round on Friday.


Larry and I made a good - if at times exciting - team. On Friday we struggled, but held a lackluster round together with pluck and determination. Our 68 (net) was looking more like an even par round 'til Larry finished the last three holes (7, 8 and 9) with a 3 for 2, 3 for 2, and 5 for 4. That put us in first by 3 shots going into the second and final day.

Larry again got us off on the right foot with a birdie putt from the fringe on the first hole. And from there we played well and struggled little (a bogey on 12 was our only hiccup) en route to a 62 (again, net). His iron play was outstanding the entire day, and we were both in almost all of the holes, the key to success in a better ball format.

We won our flight easily, then waited about 90 minutes for the "shoot-out."

Eight flight winners play off in an alternate shot staged from the middle of the fairway on 18. A coin toss determines which of the partners will play the first shot, and the winner's (loser's?) handicap determines the distance. Larry was designated for our first shot, and his 8 handicap meant he'd play from 100 yards. He stiffed it, I made about a 3-footer (good thing!), and we won the shoot-out outright.

Harcharik asked for a finder's fee on our winnings, but Larry and I pretended not to recognize him.

Note to Peter and Marion: Maybe you guys can play together next year.