OLD 2011 AND NEW 2012 COME TOGETHER....

The "old" year came to an end in Elk City with a very nice New Year's party at the club, and just a few hours after repeating "happy new year" over and over, we had our first customers of 2012: member Patrick Meche Jr. with brother Adam friends Tyler Petersen and smiley Kortney.

For some reason, I didn't even have time to do any "new year's resolutions", not that I would have followed any, as has been my lifestyle the last 20 years.

Let's face it, I know that to follow through, you need understanding, conviction and will power. When it comes to "new year's" resolutions, I seem to lack one or two of these all the time. I really speak by personal experience, the only life changing "resolution" I've ever followed (quit smoking, "cold turkey"), was not a "new year's" thing, but something that just happened, overnight, through divine intervention and not by personal will power.

I think everything is going
well, don't you?

Anyway, the old year began coming to an end on Friday the 30th, when we had great golf weather as evidenced by about 70 people, members and non members, using the course that day. On Saturday, I knew things would be "new" (for 2012) pretty soon, when I saw one of our members using his recently purchased "push cart" and walking a full nine holes instead of riding his cart while listening to soft rock music ( I would have really wanted to go take pictures that day, but the pro-shop was always full of people wishing us a happy new year).

Relax Lady! All is going to
turn out very well!

Though the weather on this last day of the month and of the year, was not as nice as the day before, play was almost as high, and by the time we attended the party, we had been so busy in the afternoon, that I was only about 30 minutes from having removed myself from my desk when I walked into the party: time to relax!

See? There you go!

First member I saw at the party was "dancing" and "Texas Hold'm" legend, Calvin Adkisson (by all accounts, he has enough energy to go dancing every week, and then uses the rest of his time playing golf), who had brought two young guests to the party and ended up being seated right next to our table. Then, as you would expect, those members of the board who had anything to do with the party and who considered themselves "hosts", Joe Wynn, Brad Gilbert and Ann Cowan (as you might be used to by now, she was there before anyone else), began coming early as well. In all, over 150 people attended the party.

Despite the club having been shorthanded that night, the party went great, and the music by Trader Price was downright inviting to the dance floor. I even danced a few songs!

At 12:00 a.m. sharp, we all raised our champagne glasses and wished everyone around a "happy new year", with plenty of people to sincerely wish this thought to. Cell phones rang everywhere, including ours, from friends and family members wishing a great new year to come as well. At that moment, I began thinking of changing my habit of not making "new year's resolutions" (that I didn't seem to be able to keep anyway), into changing certain things that I know I can change, so here are the "TOP TEN" that I came up with, even if start a few days late:

10. Be on time every day (I was more on time when we lived in Sayre than now that we live 3 miles away)
9. Be sure to make everyone know that fixing ball marks is actually legal (it seems that most people think it is illegal!)
8. Be more strict in not allowing smaller groups on busy days and pairing them up into larger groups. OK, let's rephrase: include more "meet a friend" days so play is in foursomes and not twosomes.
7. Walk at least 18 holes every week and practice more (I hate playing bad golf)
6. Learn to stay out of people's way when taking pictures (hint, hint Mona: I may need to spend some money in buying another lens that I can use from farther away).
5. Take more pictures.
4. Write this newsletter more often and sooner when there has been an event.
3. Re-arrange the pro-shop and stock it with things beyond golf equipment...
2. Never, ever wear a cowboy hat again. Somehow it doesn't look good (My God! I drank only one beer all night!)

Did you see that one Sergio?

and my number one goal for 2012 is....................

1. Try harder to understand what newly  turned "Six-Oh" and friend Tony Turnbull talks about so I don't have to pretend to comprehend. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

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