From: matchplaymadness
Subject: [RSG-OHIO] RSG-Ohio 2008 Recap
To: RSG-OHIO@yahoogroups.com


It's the people, stupid!

RSG-Ohio is defined not by me, or the courses, or the prizes, or the weather. It is not even defined by Match Play Madness(TM). It is defined by the people who for some inexplicable reason travel long distances to play golf with me and with each other each September in Ohio.

What a group of wonderful people. I love so much that you come and keep coming year after year and we get to play golf! And drink beer! And tell stories! And eat giant chickens! And recall past years and make new traditions! I hate when you all leave and I am left with my mind wrapping itself around the memories... all that remains, reliving the good times, remembering the faces... wishing it could just go on and on.

There is nothing I can do to improve RSG-Ohio other than to do my best to get you to return, for indeed, if you do, then it cannot but be great and grand again and next year the Shout of life and love of The Gemme will once again ring in the air at RSG-Ohio!

I know I cannot please everybody in every way, but I hope any inconveniences and displeasures are minor in nature.

Friday AM was at Kyber Run, a lovely layout and so inexpensive. I had been a little dismayed to read the latest comments on ohiogolfguide.com, but was pleasantly surprised - the greens were in fantastic shape. The fairways... not so much. But it is a thirteen dollar course to walk! Quite a bargain, IMHO.

I played with Dave Tutelman, Roger Georg, and Phil Chapekis. Dave T may not be able to walk on water, but he sure can skip/bounce his ball on/over it! Multiple instances of skipping his ball safely to the land on the other side... or hitting a rock in the middle of a creek and bouncing over... or just bouncing completely over a small pond. Phil was playing fantastic golf on the back 9... so good I jokingly kept reducing his tournament handicap... I think I had him down to a 7 or 8 by the time we were done.

Friday afternoon was hilarious and so much fun! I had paired myself with the three women attending - Kelly, Debazon, and Meryl (abuse of power, I know, so sue me!). Anyway, my plan was to play from the ladies tees and just bring four clubs (this would make a light bag also for this none-too-walkable course). Unfortunately, Kelly could not play so Scott filled in. They arrive on the first tee wearing name tags - "Thor's Whores". So we had to take a few pictures before heading out. Scotty's was modified to read 'Thor's Man-Whore'. Hilarious. So we played a little beer match - Scotty and I against the two females, us with 4 clubs and it was a great time. We did prevail and they made a lovely presentation of the beers to us. Mmmmmm... victory beer!

We ate and drank at Champps and some made it to the Ruckmoor (not I). To bed to rest for The Main Event(TM).

Saturday dawned needing a rowboat to get to the course, but my big red truck made it through the puddles and deluge. We sat gloomily staring at the downpour, many doubting if we would be able to play. But 15 minutes prior to our tee time, the rain dried up, the sky cleared, and after a wait for the course and greens to drain a bit, headed out for a soggy round.

The course was playing very long and I perhaps should have moved us up to the white tees. My apologies to any who really struggled with this length. I like the tournament to be on a fairly long course and it does not usually play as long as the yardage, but certainly in those wet conditions it was a lot of golf course. I played with Mark Georg, whose soul belongs on a golf course, Dug just Dug, and Rick Armstrong. We had a great time, but our games all had a few problems. I played fantastic golf for 7 holes - only 3 over. Then 6 over thru 8. Then 9 over thru 9. Deflated, I nevertheless had a great time with my good friends.

Announcing the 2008 RSG-Ohio Champion - Neal Bell! Neal had a great round in those conditions. Congratulations, Neal!

Announcing the 2008 RSG-Ohio Premier Golfer - Neal Bell! Taking both the Quaich and the Coffeemaker this year was quite a feat!

Announcing the 2008 RSG-Ohio Women's Champion - Kelly Newell! Kelly triumphed over wet conditions and earned a victory buckeye necklace.

THANKS SO MUCH to all who donated prizes, especially Toucan Golf (http://www.toucangolf.com) and Clubmaker Online (http://www.clubmaker-online.com) who have supported us for many years. After awarding the trophies, and prizes, and all the hole contest winners, we headed out again to play Match Play Madness(TM).

A new twist this year... my good friend David Hayes had sent me a box of tee markers from Bandon Dunes. These tees were little logs made out of that heavenly weed - GORSE! So, John Pflum chose a spot on each hole for us to play from and placed a GORSE TEE MARKER there, defining the teeing ground as within 2 club lengths no closer to the hole. Thor vigorously denied this being an additional rule. So anyway, some tees were up by the ladies tees, some in the rough. It made it a lot of fun trying to find the tee and how it changed the way the hole played.

I played a rematch with Bill-O. I remembered him beating me last year... but I found I was incorrect when I reread last year's writup. I prevailed again, but only after he lost his ball left on the very last hole and I was able to make it over the water without mishap.

I thought the teams were fairly even this year, but Ohio was victorious over The World. I don't recall the final count but it was not exactly close.

Off to Hoggy's for lots of laughs and stories. There is a contest for the best tale of the weekend. I told a story how I helped get Patrick to his match in Match Play Madness(TM) by giving him a ride in Beau's cart. He had a cooler of beer in glass bottles that he dropped, breaking one. We picked up the glass, and he cut himself. Poor Patrick is bleeding all over the place and I say to him - you can't clean that you know, this is Match Play Madness(TM)!. I crack myself up. Anyway, Dug won with his story about stymies and I am not really sure what it was about but I know I had goosebumps because of the manner of telling. Great job, Dug!!! After dinner, I headed to my hotel room, fully intending to meet people at the Ruckmoor, but I called my wife and laid down on the bed and that was that so I never made it there.

Sunday was the annual contest to rout the Pesky Canadians back to the hinterland and I am happy to report that your wimmen and chilluns are safe once again! I (ham) and Mike (egg) always seem to play well on the right hole (when our partner is in deep doo doo). Poor Peskies... I had never played this course before, but thoroughly enjoyed it. It is beautiful and varied with lots of lovely (%&#@!) trees lining the holes and getting in your way. It was in great shape and a lot of fun.

We said our good-byes... I hate when it ends. I hope to see you next year again! Please come back! Can't we play just one more nine or two? We could be playin' Match Play Madness(TM), it's takin' me over....

-- Thor "Where'd Everybody Go?" Himself