August, 2013.

The Prairie Club

Valentine, Nebraska

Mick and Mark got invited to The Prairie Club in Valentine to play the Pines on Thursday, and the Dunes on Friday.   It was a great trip.  Mick's back held up.    Mark was especially grateful that most of the sand had blown out of the sand traps.

Our hosts were Brian Aamlid and Dave Johnson.  If you get a chance to play golf at The Prairie Club, take it.  It's a beautiful spot, along the Snake River, not far from the cultural richness of Valentine.

Green River Raft Trip, July 2013.

The Colonel on the Green River.  July, 2013.

Mick and Gwen Rennich.

Louisville, CO

November 21, 2012.

Mick's 60th Birthday.

Colonel Rinerson and Mick Rennich--October, 2012

Harley

Mick

Harley has an odd sense of humor.

Hanson in the trap.  Rennich in the woods.

October, 2012:  Coal Creek.

Occasionally, even great golfers hit an errant shot.  Occasionally, Mark hits his golf ball into a sand trap.  This is unfortunate, but do you think his life-long pals sympathize or encourage him at all?  No.  They stand by, bemused and unhelpful, with tell-tale smirks on their faces, making side bets on how many shots it will take him to get out of the trap.  Harley took it to another level this week at Coal Creek, by taking a picture of Mark in the trap.  Mark returned the favor with the international distress signal.

But all is not lost--if you look carefully in the background, you can see Mick Rennich, deep in the woods on Number Five at Coal Creek, after hitting an even worse shot than Mr. Hanson.

I believe Hanson got out of the trap.  With one swing.  In one shot.  With a sand wedge, instead of a putter.  And proceeded to bogey the hole.

Another great outing.  Marvelous weather.  The round was interrupted though.  Harley should add a comment explaining the reason for the half-hour delay at the turn.  Harley?

Reunion Weekend, September, 2012.

September, 2012:

11 Warriors gathered on the Front Range of Colorado this past weekend for golf and grins in great abundance.  It was styled as a contest between WHS Class of 1970 and WHS Class of 1971.  Turns out the Class of 1970 didn't get the memo, because their team included two contestants, both GREAT golfers, who had no association whatsoever with WHS.  Not surprising then, that the Class of 1970 won the Devine Cup.

However, the Host Committee met after the Awards Presentation, and added two players who likewise had no association with the Class of 1971.  We chose Rory McIlroy and Jim Furyk.  The Committee was able to re-construct their scores, and after further review, considering the scores of OUR ringers, we won by a single shot--the Rex Nelson birdie on 17.

So the weekend had a happy ending.

Photos are below.   Guests are welcome to comment on the weekend.

Shot of the Decade. Coal Creek #17. August 7, 2012.

August, 2012.

3/4 of the crew met at Coal Creek on August 7.  A younger man would likely remember more details.  Hanson recalls only being in a sand trap on #17, one of his least favorite places to be.   At Hanson's death, Rennich has promised to lobby that the ashes be scattered in a particularly deep sand bunker, with a plaque nearby:  "He STILL can't get out of the bunker."  Or "Now he'll NEVER get out of the bunker."  Funny guy, Rennich.

Hanson shut him up some (only temporarily of course) with the Shot of The Decade from that bunker on Coal Creek #17.  Hanson decided to play the shot Harley invented--the Harley--a putter from the sand.  While Rennich stood by, smirking and making bets with Harley about how many shots it would take Hanson to get out, Hanson stood over the shot, trembling with fear, palms sweating, eyes dilated, woozy from the stifling heat.  Brother Rolf had given him a new putter earlier in the season, so there was a slight confidence deficit involved as well.

The greenskeeper was standing by in his cart, readying himself to re-make the trap with a deep, deep lip.  So this would be the last Harley possible from that trap.

There stood Mick, grinning like a possum eating shit.  The ball came up out of the trap, along a slight break in the lip, and tracked straight as a plumb line into the bottom of the cup for a bogey four--Hanson's first tee shot having found the snarl.

Shots come and go.  Great shots don't last very long.  But Hanson.  From a trap. A deep trap.  Late in the round.  On a hot, hot day.  With a new putter.  Trying a Harley.  Rennich grinning and smack talking nearby.  For a birdie (sic).   It will live long.