A20 April 2025 Charbonneau Villager
Men’ s Club
■ From Page A19
Pace at Charbonneau
Here at Charbonneau, we have a shorter length course to play. Yes, we’ re older and naturally move a bit slower, but the pace“ requested” of three and a half hours is easily doable, even for me with my short Italian legs. There is plenty of time to socialize and harass each other as we wander down the fairways and on the tee boxes, as well at the Market Café, our 19th hole.
Suggestions, actually things we already know
Please consider a few of the following suggestions to improve the pace of play. Start by not teeing off on the first hole until the players ahead of you are on the green. This should allow for better spacing during play, and avoid excessive wait time on subsequent tee boxes. Unless you’ re sharing a power cart, walk directly to your ball. Mr. Gibbons says to walk“ briskly” in his rules talks. Brisk is a tea style Mr. Gibbons, but yes, moving deliberately is what we should all do. Still, you can even trot alongside your favorite of the foursome( ala Mr. Adams) and solve world problems, but then split off when you need to approach your next shot.
Start thinking about a club decision as you walk down to your ball. We’ ve all played these nines before, and have a good idea of what to hit next based on past experience. Check your electronic yardage guide briefly then choose a weapon. Prior experience should be your guide, along with those numbers I discussed in a prior article( for example. carry distance). FYI, the average golfer takes 16 seconds from address and backstroke to hitting his shot. Average is good in this case. Play ready golf! That is, when it’ s safe and you’ re ready, hit the ball! Yes, you can do this even if you’ re not the farthest away from the hole.
I recognize that we old codgers( actually, I prefer seasoned citizens) can tighten up in a nanosecond, but are 12 practice swings necessary? Think of your poor back( and the group behind you waiting to hit). When ready, make that famous athletic move and hit it. You won’ t offend your playing partners if you hit before they do even if you’ re closer to the hole( trust me on this). Ready golf is fun golf and a good experience for all.
Plan ahead
When walking up to the green, look at possible breaks for your upcoming putt, and for heaven’ s sake never do that“ aim point” dance on the green. It’ s enough for us to keep our balance just walking, let alone trying to discern an elevation difference from one foot to the other. If someone in your group is in a bunker, and you’ re on the green, after he hits, by all means putt in. He’ ll need to tidy up that bunker before he gets onto the green anyway. If needed, finish putting and Putt it out with permission from your partners, and move on to the next tee.
What to do if you fall behind the group in front of you
If you’ re falling behind the group in front, putt out( even while others are finishing the hole) and move to the next tee box. Then tee off if the fairway is open. It should be up to the“ A” player of the group to shepherd his group onward. In case you’ re wondering, the“ A” player is listed first on the GHIN scorecard, or is someone designated at the first tee. If the next tee box is open, and the group ahead is on the green, or on the next tee box, shepherd one or two players onto the tee box even before everyone has putted in order to‘’ catch up.”
There is one area where we should take a little bit more time
That magical area that all golfers would appreciate you taking a few extra seconds with is in the sand bunkers. Please, take those 20 or so extra seconds to carefully rake the sand for those playing behind you. As a bonus, you can then strategically place the rake to mess with them when you’ re finished( we’ ll talk about rake placement in a future article).
Golf is a simple game, not easy, but simple and fun. Let’ s not be selfish and keep it fun for those who follow us down the fairway.
GHIN score reporting
The OGA has requested that all golfers who are electronically reporting their scores do so on a hole-by-hole basis. The importance of this lies in the fact that Charbonneau( being a smaller / shorter course) scoring does not easily translate to an index and handicap at longer courses. Thus, our handicaps are skewed. The information also helps OGA when rating our course and comparing our handicaps to others on the longer courses.
Charbonneau Men’ s 9-hole play for 2025
The schedule is all set for 2025. Monday and Wednesday, 9 a. m. start for all play unless otherwise noted. In addition, we’ ve added several games and the dates they will be played:
Wednesday, April 16, two-man scramble
Wednesday, May 14, four-man scramble Wednesday, June 18, Sweet 8 Wednesday, July 30, men’ s 9-hole guest day Wednesday, Sept 3, scramble step back Wednesday, Oct 1, 4-man scramble
Gary’ s Grins
By GARY NEWBORE
■ My doctor asked if anyone in my family suffered from mental illness? I said, no, we all seemed to enjoy it.
■ You know you are getting old when Happy Hour is an afternoon nap.
■ I thought the dryer was making my clothes shrink. Turns out it was the refrigerator.
■ In the 1960s people took LSD to make the world weird. Now they take Prozac to
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make it normal.
■ Bought a new wine. The wine steward said it reduced trips to the bathroom. It’ s called Pino More.
■ My boss wants me to sign up for a 401K. No way I’ m running that far.
■ Grandpa leapt around in his undies on July 4. It was his in depends dance day.
■ Without free speech, we would not know who the idiots are.
■ I am neither for or against apathy.
■ They told me I was gullible and I believed them.
■ All I ask is a chance to prove that money can’ t make me happy.
■ If the world were a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses side saddle.
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■ What is a“ free” gift? Aren’ t all gifts free?
■ The high cost of living hasn’ t affected its popularity.
■ I used to be indecisive. Now I’ m not so sure.
■ Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.
■ How can there be self-help groups?
■ Show me a man with both feet on the ground, and I’ ll show you a man who can’ t get his pants off.
■ Two things to make your day better: 1. Do not watch the news. 2. Stay off the bathroom scale.
■ Not to brag, but I just went into another room and actually remembered why I went in there. It was the bathroom, but still a victory.
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■ Just failed my driving test. When the examiner asked me“ What sign would you expect to see down a narrow road?” Apparently“ fresh eggs for sale” wasn’ t the answer.
■ Dance instructor:“ Everyone get in line and we will get started learning the salsa. Me, hiding a bag of tortilla chips,“ I think there has been a misunderstanding.”
■ Every holiday I say to myself,“ Jim, you have to stop drinking so much wine.” Luckily, my name isn’ t Jim.
■ My mom is a hoarder and refuses to throw out her magazine collection. She has a lot of issues.
■ I got gas today for $ 1.49. Unfortunately, it was at Taco Bell.
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