August, 2021: The Ridge at Castle Pines North: Mick Rennich reporting.

 August 9, 2021.  

Mick writes, with a light editing hand from Mark:

Brutally hot.  Ninety-eight degrees.  The air, from the fires in the Western States, was the worst in the world that day.  No kidding.  The worst air in the whole world.   Worse than Mumbai.  We soldiered on, though the haze and the heat.

The four Colorado Arrows … DeVine, Hanson, Rennich and Rinerson … found themselves playing at The Ridge at Castle Pines North, Harley’s home course.  We played from the Silver tees. 6002 yards.   Mr. Hanson warned that playing golf, in Colorado, in August, in air thick with wildfire smoke and haze, was a bad idea.  He finally caved and reluctantly agreed to participate in the Arrow August outing.  He was right.  Might be the first time that we all agreed on something … it was too hot!  The conditions were almost too much to overcome.  In fact, it was too much for Mr. Hanson.  More about that later.

 

Given the conditions, the play was relatively decent.  Everyone broke 100.  Mick was medalist with a 90.  Harley right behind with a 91.  Among the group, there were 12 pars and one birdie (Rennich birdied No. 8, a 395 yd par 4 named “Pikes Peak”).  Mark actually posted a two-under par 70.  He was DQed, however, as he refused to play after Hole No. 13.  He claimed that he was too hot, that we should never have played in August and that he was right.  Rather pompous, that guy.  Right, but pompous.  Against medical advice, the round continued with the threesome.

 

A special shout out to the turkey playing with us on #12 … no not Mick … a real, live turkey.  As we are very astute, we named #12 the Turkey Hole.  On the Turkey Hole, Mr. Devine deep in the trap to his thighs, from a lengthy trap shot, with the turkey watching, the ball perched precariously on the rim of the trap and holding the club below even the bottom of the grip, hits it to within 8 ft!!!  He missed the putt, however.  Nevertheless, the bunker shot was amazing and figured prominently in the decision to award Deac the Rino Cup.  See the photo, below.

 

In addition, #13 will be remembered as the hole that Mark almost hit Katie, our delightful cart girl, with his shot to the green.  It was the last hole he played.

 

The awards ceremony lasted a bit longer than usual.  The bar was, of course, air-conditioned and no one was eager to leave its comfort. We had a bite to eat and then the lobbying began.  Here we go.

 

Shot of the day - Harley.  A spectacular 210 yard 3-hybrid on #3 to within 15 feet.  Although he missed the putt, the shot was pro-quality and the clear winner of SOD. 

 

Longest putt - Harley.  He knocked in an 18 footer for par on #9.     

 

Rino Cup (best short game) - Deac. For his short game body of work and especially for the shot on the Turkey Hole.

 

MVG - Harley was voted MVG. Despite not playing often, his game was steady.  He had only one recorded 7 during the round.  He shot a 91, and even though we did not keep track of chits (they are always waived anyway), it is calculated that he would have won that too.  Harley also received the new MVG cap to go along with the MVG trophy.  The cap was a gift to the group by Mr. Hanson.  It could stand for Mountain Vista Golf, but with this group, it stands for Most Valuable Golfer.  Go. Harley!

 

Miss C - Mark.  This was a close vote as both Mark and Deac received support.  Mark won the tie-breaker for his ”Compliment Circle” idea, which, while playing, left Rennich in tears and Harley speechless. He also purchased the new MVG cap, which effort, was a fact that we all considered while voting. Mark also drove the greatest distance to play … 88 miles each way!

Though one or more of us likely contracted some sort or other of pulmonary disease or complications from heatstroke, it was another fun time, and probably worth it.

Still crazy after all these years!

Notice the turkey in the background?  In the background, I said!  Devine lines up the shot.

Mickster doesn't age-- he just forgets stuff.  

The secret elixir.  Rhymes with "risky."

Greetings from the WHS Class of '71.  Harley cops a 'tude!

Harley is a better mood with his hardware and a snack.

May, 2021-- Saddleback Golf Club in Frederick, C

Saddleback Golf Club--Frederick, Colorado--May 21, 2021

Our WHS Class of ’71 foursome assembled yet again, this time at Saddleback Golf Course in Frederick, Colorado,  Mick’s new home course, just down the County Road from Mick and Gwen’s new home.  

It turned out to be a great venue, a beautiful day — the only fly in the ointment was the quality of play, which was not up to par.  In fact, the group had only 8 pars in the entire 18 holes, 72 total holes played, from the blue tees.  So Father Time, it turns out, has the last word after all.

Mick was the medalist, as he generally is and won Most Valuable Golfer, though decorum prevents me from disclosing his score.    Perhaps we should, going forward, style it the Least Invaluable Golfer, in homage to our rapidly deteriorating skills.

He also won the Rino Cup, thanks to a 28 foot hole out from just off the green, with a putter.  

Ask Mr. Hanson about whether there are sand traps at Saddleback.  Oh, there are sand traps at Saddleback, and he found most of them.    Mickster, ever the wit, long ago quipped that when Mark passes, the group should spread his ashes in a sand trap at Coal Creek, the spot marked with a plaque reading:  “Now he’ll NEVER get out of the sand.”  Funny guy, Mick.

To get some sense of the depths of mediocrity in the quality of play, Hanson won longest putt award with (wait for it) . . . .a nine footer.  But not just any nine footer— the completion of a sandy on number 8, which won him Shot of the Day as well.   In the sand (of course) on a downhill lie, short sided pin, ball nestled against the lip, one foot in the trap, one foot out, practically on his knees, with his not-very-supportive pals cracking wise and making bets about whether he’d a) even get out of the trap and b) whether he’d put it on the green.   A pick up snowman seemed very much a possibility.

But just then, when all doubted and smirked, our SOD award winner hit his Black Death wedge to 9 feet, holed the putt for a sandy and, momentarily at least, silenced his cynical pals.

Only to follow it up on the next hole with a six-iron from the fairway bunker (of course) to 20 feet for still another Shot of the Day Nominee.  The SOD award was not contested.  It rivaled the Colonel’s holed out birdie from under a fence from an Environmentally Sensitive rough, long ago, when we were young.  Three bright spots in an otherwise mediocre round for Mr. Hanson —  a brief moment of glory.    At this point, you may have guessed who is writing the blog entry this time around.

The Strength of Stream Award is still in development, since it’s tough to find a trophy depicting an old guy peeing.  The Competition Committee is still working on it.

Devine and Harley were shut out this time around.   I think their unbelievable productivity in the real world might be interfering with their game.  Mick and Mark don’t have that problem.

And what of Miss C, you ask?  Mr. Devine was brutally and painfully honest in observing that no one in the foursome had been particularly deserving—and since we were soon to adjourn to Mick and Gwen’s beautiful new home nearby for dinner that Gwen should win Miss C, and it was quickly agreed.  A fortuitous choice, because the Chicken Enchiladas were wonderful, at The Table, the centerpiece of Chez Rennich and Gwen was the best.  No non-competitor and surely no Clark Comet had ever contended, to say nothing of winning Miss C.  Her win was unprecedented.   And as the photos will attest, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.    Of all the accolades Gwen has accumulated—beauty queen, media star, motivational speaker extraordinaire, none compares to Miss Congeniality, 2021.  That’s our story.

Photos of the merriment follow. 

All told, it was a merry chase and we are fortunate that lo, these many years later, we four who attended kindergarten at Mellette School in the late 1950s, still find joy in one another’s company.  Fortunate, indeed.

 

 The Boys-- Vaccinated!

Practice makes perfect.

Miss Congeniality, 2021!

Not a dry eye in the house during the Miss C presentation.

Just let Mick keep score, Harley!

Looking good, Colonel!

The Medalist and Most Valuable Golfer, 2021.

Tom Devine, May, 2021.  Tanned and rested, just back from South Padre.