Watertown South Dakota Class of 1971 Golf Tournament Blog: May 2021

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.