A QUICK NINE...AGAIN

1. Sorry I had not published anything new in the blog, though I had actually written about different topics, I just could not bring myself to finish anything. But here we are with some fresh news: Elk City Golf Club will soon have a real website. No, we are not cancelling the blog,  we are just going to expand exposure of this great little course.

2. The Elk City Boys Team is playing regionals next Monday in Weatherford. Make some time to go watch them! They would really appreciate support and personal appearance from more than just coaches and family. All of them have been practicing hard to defend their state title, but I am really impressed with the talent -and dedication- of several of them, including: Joby Gray, Keegan Hall, Cody Lake, Brock Walker and Berek Dyson. I am sure you all know them well and better than I do, so I am not going to say other than expect a breakthrough of at least one of them and great scores.

Jordan Willaimson and dad
Mike celebrate Terry Nichols' eagle
putt on #6 during Tuesday's
Scramble

3. The Thursday Couples started last Thursday. It was almost cancelled because of weather, but the weather turned around by the afternoon and 3 couples who "didn't know it was cancelled" (it was never cancelled, we just didn't expect any participation) showed up. So, we go it up and running. Larry Millican and daughter Kelcee won the first night. Thursday Couples will resume on Thursday April 28. With Ann Cowan back in charge, it should be fun!!

I'd be happy too if I
shot my age!

4. Tuesday we held the third Men's Scramble of the season. Despite the weather forecast, thirty players showed up and with the help of Ricki Nagle, we ended up with 7 very closely matched teams. By the faces we saw around the course, I can testify that these men have more fun than anyone I know playing golf (click on "Golfers' Gallery for some new pictures). The team of Jordan Williamson, Terry Nichols, Jeff Smoot and Mike Williamson were the low score with 29; however, there is a "carry over" to May 3rd since this Tuesday the winning team had to win by two shots, and their winning margin was one.

5. The weather has been less than perfect for golf, nonetheless, we've had some play... Hey, this is not a complaint about the weather or the lack of a full golf course, I am bragging about you "diehards"!

6. Congratulations to Bob Griffith who shot 3 strokes under his age! He shot a 70! Surely, if you know the difference between a par and bogey, you can calculate his age. We heard that there was another senior who shot his age as well, we'll find out, corroborate the story and let you know.

7. Playing the ball as it lies and the course as you find it is the only way you can find out if you are improving or not and what your true handicap really is. But that is not the onl way to enjoy yourself. Playing the ball down is also the only way that the USGA will interpret rules in case of a rules question. There is an immediate advantage to moving the ball as you play a round: you don't play out of bad lies, ever. There is a long term disadvantage: you never learn to hit shots from bad lies. The average handicap is 3-5 shots different between playing the ball down and playing preferred lies. If your course and the rules of a tournament allow you to move the ball and you go ahead and do it on a regular basis, you are not cheating or cheating anyone (remember, cheating is an attitude, not an action), but you may be cheating yourself out of learning how to hit certain shots, which to me, is part of playing and enjoying the game at its fullest.

8. As of May 8, we will have tee time services. Members will have preferred times. Most people who know about this, have been supportive, while a few are skeptical that it will work. With time, you will all see that the Board made the right decision for the benfit of all. You can call as of the previous Tuesday. Tee times will be reserved for groups of three or higher, this will allow us to pair up singles and twosomes into larger groups.

9. The tournament season continues this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. with a fun tournament that has been labeled as "Welcome Alex Alvarez Golf Tournament"; first, a sincere thank you to all, and especially to those who had the idea; second, and most important, I am only trying to fill the shoes of those who serviced you before me, most recently Cory Smith and for many years Mr. James Ellis, "my neighbor" across the street. They set the standard, and trust me, we have to work hard to not let them and you down. Both Ramona and I thank you all. Let's have some fun!

P.S. "Members' Gallery" has been updated