Aug 29, 2013
The final count for folks brave enough to endure the heat at the Golf Club of Wentzville was 87, a little bit less than one person per degree. Fortunately for us the course had ample water at various stations so that we could reload our drinking vessels and perhaps wet a towel or two to drape over our necks. And we even had a small breeze or two that occasionally sprang up in the higher elevations of the course. It made it just a touch cooler than a toaster oven.
Another aspect of the high heat and humidity is the effect it has on the flight of the golf ball. It was amazing the number of times our team came up just short of the green when we thought we'd hit good shots. Nothing as bad as an overheated, exhausted golf ball when you're trying to be accurate, right? Fortunately for us, our pinpoint short game salvaged many a chance for a par when we failed to get the GIR (green in regulation) so desperately needed. We escaped the whole round without a bogey thanks to our laser-like chips and cheek-squeezing putts.
Wentzville was in very, very good shape. The fairways were a joy and the greens ran true. The greens are on the subtle side, not exhibiting the viscous breaks that some greens give us. They had been watered quite a bit because their surfaces were pock-marked with old ball marks, many of which were not repaired unfortunately. The rough was rather tough and fortunately for our team it only had to be dealt with on one or two occasions. However, between #14 and #15 there is some common rough ground with a few small trees and vast patches of Bermuda grass. This stuff is frustratingly notorious for allowing balls to burrow into it and promptly disappear. Of course we had a couple of balls hit into this grass that we never did find. Luckily, no one was coming up behind us so we did not disrupt play whilst searching, in vain, for those little lost orbs. They're still out there for some mower to behead at some time in the future.
Actually, for us anyway, play went fairly rapidly and we finished in about 4 1/2 hours, a good round for this group.
Results:
Flight "A"
All alone in First place and taking low honors for the day at a -10 (61) was the Ed Boyer, Bob Stephenson, Bill Howell, and Frank Vien team. Anytime you have two very good players such as Ed and Frank hitting from the front tees you stand a better chance of a low score. In their defense, however, the red tees did not have that much advantage for most of the course, so their shear talent must've carried this group to the lofty, or lowly, score. Congrats guys.
Tied for Second at a -8 (63) was the Dan Ottoline, Jack Reiner, Harold Lindahl, Pete Grouzos team, and the Art Soble, Darryl Rue, Brian Cox, and John Aubuchon team. Ottoline's team won in the SCP (hole #9). Mr. Ottoline is another long driver of the ball and for him to be spanking off the red tees is almost worth an investigation. If they made birth certificates when he was born the committee may ask to see it.
Heading up a gaggle of teams with -7's (64) was the Paul Rivard team followed by the Al Rosenberg team, the John Dierker team, the Russ Wall team, and the Bob Meinhardt team.
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Flight "B"
Three teams tied for First in this flight but by virtue of the SCP the Dee Ridenhour, Livingston Sykes, Dennis Terhaar, and Don Giarraffa team nosed out the Karson Kosowski, Doug Torrie, Don Wulf, Roger Nikrant team and the Bob Pahmeier, John O'Toole, Steve Comfort, and Bob Brewer team. These guys all shot -6 (65).
Also finishing with a 65 but out of the proverbial money was the John Prather team. Finishing with a 66 was the Steve Dierker team.
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Flight "C"
The winning score for this flight was the 67 shot by 4 teams, but the top 3, via the SCP were the Jim Mead, Gene Erard, Mark Bryant, Joe Cernich team was First, followed by the Del Lohmann, Larry Willman, Dennis O'Connor, Doug Nolte team, and the Paul Villhard, Mark Hagler, Earl Phillips team.
Also with the 67, but out of the top 3, was the Don Moschenross team.
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Flight "D"
Four teams shot 68's but the top 3 were the Jim Waugh, Charley Wilson, Tom Wulf, and Harold Howard team, followed by the Bill Clark, Bob Haddad, Jim Hawkes, Ron Martens team and the Mark Gordon, Larry Amen, Dan Fergus, and Jeff Delaplain team.
Also with a 68 but out of the top 3 was the Jack Eckhard team.
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Following up the scoring, and finishing with an even par (71) and a big fat smacker from their sisters was the Larry Riedisser team.
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Awards:
Closest to the pins for the day:
#2 Jack Reiner #6 John Aubuchon #8 Joe Cernich #12 Bob Meinhardt #16 Art Soble (so close Art; hey, it's just like #14 at Wolf Hollow, you'd have never seen it go in anyway!!!)
Skins:
only one and it was on #5. Art Soble's team had a birdie.
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