On the Last day of 2008...

Hope all you golfers out there look back on a good 2008 and are looking forward to an even better 2009. Have a safe and happy New Year's eve and the best of wishes for a very good New Year. Those wishes come to you from each of us at Lakeview Golf Course. That would be Diane, and Eric and Michael (me).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Johnny Miller speakes - worth listening to

Johnny Miller uses espn.com to share some of the wisdom he has gained in a long and successful golfing career. And since we have more time now that the cooler days are here, we might as well pay attention. Heaven knows, come the golfing season something may click and we'll find ourselves hitting irons like Johnny used to. that would be sweet.

Course Opening

Gonna be a nice day today. Will open the golf course at 11am.

Break in the weather

Not much rain out there for our area. We'll open the course for play about 9am. It will be cart paths only for cart users.

Update: Wouldn't you know it: As soon as I showed up, so did the showers. Oh well...

Christmas Eve 2008

Golfers! Be joyful for it is the season of peace.

And may the weather warm and the rains abate so that you can walk the fairways and trod once again on friendly greens.

Peace and Joy for each of you throughout the New Year.

More Tiger and Bob Smiley

espn.com reprints more of Bob Smiley's Follow the Roar. This time it's his resurgence during the second round of the US Open where Tiger goes five under for the day to get back into contention. Would be just jim dandy with me if espn.com serializes the whole book...

Frank's photo, Tiger's best of the year and Yes we played golf today...

Photo: Ready, set and.... Frank Bratton on the tee at #9 back in July.

From espn.com and Bob Smiley, Tiger's best ten shots of the year. That would be in an abbreviated season for TW, what is it, eight tournaments? Six on the PGA tour and two others? Smiley does a good job of picking and describing ten shots that are pretty phenomenal.

And yes we did play some golf this morning when the temperatures roared into the mid fifties, it wasn't raining, and the grounds were relatively dry. A little wind but that was no big deal. Rex, Ken and Rick Hudson and I played nine and enjoyed the chance to get out, stretch our legs, and hit a little ball all over the place. No telling when we'll get to do it again...

POY is Harrington

The players like the fact that he won two majors. Bully, bully. Here's Bob Harig from espn.com commenting. Note that Padraig only played in 15 events on the PGA tour. Impressive.

Update: Here's Jason Sobel's take on the POY. He said months ago that TW would not win if another player won the last two majors - which Harrington did. But he adds another reason for the non Tiger choice, one he picked up from a player: six tournaments does not make a year. So, if Harrington hadn't won one of those majors, somebody other than Tiger would have one? I think not...

Best shots of 2008

espn.com's Jason Sobel's take on the best golf shots of this past season. Best shot of the year? Tiger's 12' putt on the 72nd hole at the US Open for birdie that got him into a playoff with Rocco Mediate. Third best shot of the year? Tiger's run at the same major during the third round where he picked up five strokes, and got back into contention, on holes #13 (70' putt for eagle), #17 (chip in for birdie), and #18 (30'putt for eagle). Impressive and memorable. Go here for the write up by Sobel.

Btw, do you have five memorable shots from the past year? Off the top of my head, I can think of one for me - the hole-in-one on #9 during a Saturday morning Lakeview golf shamble. I can think of two memorable shots by Jim Bateman - daggers to the heart - on a Thursday morning in August that knocked Richard Swayze and me out of the Senior League playoffs. And I can remember three terrible lag putts of mine the following week that lead to bogeys, a loss to Wilma and Diane in our match play event, and on top of that, a drop from the top spot in both the team and individual standings. Oh boy. Oh - this is supposed to be best shots of 2008. Got any?

Bob Smiley's text chat with Michelle Wie

Here's a pretty funny brief peek into the world of a teen's text messaging, the teen being Michelle Wie and the guy she's messaging not up to date on his abbreviation vocabulary. The Wie lassie helps him out. Note: Bob Smiley wrote Follow the Roar.

Sunday opening

Weather might cooperate tomorrow and allow for some golfing. Temperatures in the 50's and maybe some rain. Lets cancel the rain and play a few holes just for the fun of it. Expect to be open by 11 am if at all possible.

PGA POY: Tiger or Padraig

espn.com writes about who it should be and comes up with a draw. My vote: Tiger. For his four wins in six outings - that's about a 66% winning percentage. For his second place in the money race even though he played in only six tournaments as opposed to the twenty-three that the money winner played in - that would be Vijay. For his gritty and super human effort and win in the US Open where he battled not only the course and Rocco but also his own broken body. I think Harrington, winner of the third and fourth majors of the year (sans Tiger) lost his chance to be POY when he failed to do well in the FedEx playoffs.

Tiger vs. Rocco: Sporting Event of the Year

Better than the Giants beating the undefeated and looking-for-immortality Patriots in the Super Bowl and the Kansas defeat of Memphis in overtime at the NCAA Men's basketball championship. At least according to some. Go here for the USGA story of the 2008 US Open where Tiger was triumphant after nineteen extra holes on a Monday in June. Remember? I bet you do. And I agree about it being the sporting event of the year.

Michelle Wie sitting pretty...

...but still has to close the deal with one more round. So, if you were her, would you be thinking about the nine stroke cushion she has over the 20th position (top 20 get their LPGA card and that is what this Q school is all about, right?); or would you be thinking about how to make up that one stroke deficit to get to the top spot and win the event? Guess I would have both in mind but would concentrate on making one good shot at a time and, of course, end the day at least one stroke better than anyone else. The Wie lass goes out with Stacy Lewis and Amy Yang in about forty minutes. The leaderboard here.

Update: Well, looks like she took the safe route, firing a +2 on the day and finishing tied for 7th place six strokes behind the winner, Stacy Lewis. And now it's on to the LPGA. The scoreboard.

Wie shows maturity and steeliness

The Wie lady responded to adversity yesterday, adversity being a couple of yanked drives and a three putt, with three birdies after the first yank and then another birdie following the second yank. She didn't implode as this espn.com writer says, but recovered and played well, finishing with an even par 72. Super. Ten under and two behind the leader and six up on the 21st position - top 20 get their LPGA card.

Welcome to the world Noah Kyle Hager

Just learned that James and Louton Hager had a baby last night: Noah Kyle. Welcome and congratulations. Looking forward to seeing the youngster on the links in a year or two.

Michelle Wie shares lead at Q school!

Second of five rounds and the young lady doing very well at Q school after a round of -7 yesterday. Shares the lead with Shiho Oyama at 10 under. Three more days, three more rounds. Sure sounds like fun - would love to be out hitting the ball around. Wouldn't you? Maybe we need to have our own little Q school here at Lakeview. Think you could handle five or six days with 18 holes each day? Oh yeh...

Fees and Rates for 2009

Fees and Rates for 2009 can be found at our web site. Membership fees can be found here. Contact us if you have questions.

Michelle Wie in the news again - hurray!

She's completed her first day of Q school and did well. Four more to go. espn.com also has this story from espn the magazine which talks about the young lady changing the sport and being a big, big thing. High praise. And high expectations. Good luck to the young lady - and yes I want to see more of her on the LPGA tour next year, and in other tournaments.

More Friday golfers: the family

Oma firing one down #5 fairway. Ian is the spotter.

Lucas showing excellent form after an errant shot off of #5 tee box.

Having a little fun on #5 green.

Heading home with Ian having traded his clubs for the camera.

Some of today's golfers

Eric and his #1 son, Lucas.

Lucas, Eric, Ian and Diane posing at #8 tee box.

Bloomfield Belles covering three generations.

The guy who went west several years ago resurfaced today. Remember Ron Wilde? Still an excellent golfer.

Happy Thanksgiving

And thanks to all our friends and fellow golfers for the many moments of good cheer and friendly competition.

Some of the boys

Butcher, Hudson, Lents and Hudson taking care of business out at the golf course yesterday. They were finishing up 18 holes on a sunny Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Wednesday sunshine and time for golf

Looks like plenty of sunshine tomorrow and a halfway decent set of temperatures. Eric will be out mid morning to get things started and to mow the greens. Better get your golfing shoes all shined up and show up for another several shots at that elusive hole-in-one. I'll be out later in the day after a midday visit with a beautiful young lady at the dentist's office.

Thanksgiving week schedule

During Thanksgiving week, as weather permits, we'll open the course by 11 in the morning and close at dark which is just after five now. Of course, the latest forecast is pretty dim for Monday and Tuesday. Maybe by mid week and later golfing conditions will improve. Or maybe the forecast will change to dry with temperatures in the fifties and sixties.

Thanksgiving week at Lakeview

Looks like the weather is going to warm up a little during the next several days. Not so much today - just up to 40 sometime in the early afternoon. But tomorrow and during the week, temperatures in the high 40's and the 50's. Just might be half decent golfing weather. Expect to open the course for play by 11 each morning over the next several days, earlier if the freeze from the night before isn't all that bad. Gets dark fairly early now so expect to close shortly after five. Might get a round or two in and after the non golf of the past several days, that should be hunky dory and then some. Right?

Eric is hoping for a little rain for the greens and there is some predicted for next week. Maybe he'll get his rain and the rest of us will get some golf.

Weather woes and Putting stretches

The weather isn't cooperating, yet... In the meantime, something to think about from about.com: Stretching exercises to do so that you can become a better putter by practicing longer. Lord knows I need both the better putting and the exercises to keep me from stiffening up after a surprisingly short time practicing with the short stick. The short article does make it sound like work and to date I keep away from the sore muscles by practicing for short periods several times a day - my living room putting green is very handy. Do like the back massage part of the routine - might try that. Might try each of them - I'm reminded of Sam Snead's very long and successful career and the fact that he was extremely limber well into old age (whatever that is!). So, go stretch, practice your putting, and then dream of hitting your approach shot close enough so that all you have left is a gimme putt.

Golfing doldrums

Yesterday's sunshine amounted to about ten minutes in between banks of clouds. And the temperatures never did get to 40. What a disappointment. Today? Lots of sun but cooler yet with the thermometer just creaking by the mid thirty mark. Bummer. Starting to get withdrawal symptoms. Maybe tomorrow?

Sunny day ahead of us

Mostly sunny with a high in the low 40's and a wind somewhere between 10 and 20 mph. Might not be too bad a day for golf. Maybe most of the course will be leeward (?).

Did you catch the tv shot of Tiger at the Tampa Bay game yesterday? Fore Right links to this Geoff Shackelford Q&A with Bob Smiley, the author of Follow the Roar, for a little more of Tiger.

Leafy patterns at #9

If you look closely, you can see the paths some of us golfers made to the pin in holes of making a putt or two. Photo was taken yesterday afternoon.

Seniors golf in mid November

Dave Strange and I joined forces with Jack Butcher, Jack Lents, Kenny Hudson and Rex Hudson this afternoon and played nine holes of nail biting, number crunching golf. In the end, Jack Lents walked away with the most quarters while the two person teams of Mike Bird and Dave Strange and Jack Lents and Rex Hudson beat up on Jack Butcher and Kenny Hudson. The two Jacks and the two Hudsons were completing eighteen holes of golf on a not-so-bad Thursday in November. Sun actually peeked out a couple of times.

Thursday Senior Game

Looks like we will get a break in the wet weather tomorrow. Let's have a nine hole Senior game at 1 o'clock. Expect I'll be back in town from my early morning visit to Bloomington to have a tooth yanked.

Golfing blogs

Here are a couple of golfing blogs that might be worth a visit every now and then:

- Jason Sobel from espn.com. Writes about first tee jitters as experienced by several amateurs with Tiger Woods looking on. I can imagine that that would be a little daunting, but, what the heck, just get yourself in that special 'I'm all alone in the world' place, rear back and stripe it down the middle, maybe with a little draw just for fun.

- Bob Smiley and his Fore Right blog. He started out this year with the intention of following Tiger throughout the season and writing a book about the experience. Well, Tiger's season was cut short by half but it was still a career for most professional golfers with four wins to start the season and an Open championship to finish it. The book is now in the bookstores: Follow the Roar. Smiley's blog subtitle: A Golf Site for the Everyman.

Anybody out there got one they particulary like?

Man with many sticks

Golfer tackling his world with a few sticks and a lot of determination during yesterday's not so welcoming weather.

Saturday Golfers

Father and son, each named Ken, came out Saturday morning and played some golf amid the fall foilage. It was a bit breezy and a tad cool - best place to play would have been #5, where the woods offered a lot of protection from the wind and the cold.

Staying warm on a cool Saturday

Eric finishing up yesterday morning after mowing the greens and pushing dirt around and improving drainage up at #4 green.

Mr. Ed Happy with Friday Golfing

Not too many golfers out in the windy and cooling conditions on Friday. But that didn't stop Mr. Ed from coming out with his buddy, Sean, and giving it a go. Here he is apparently quite happy with his tee shot on #9.

Lady golfer rolling up her sleeve...

...and getting ready to smack the bejeebers out of a tiny white orb. Dear friend waits patiently.

Ed, Maggie and the Fall Colors

Ed and Maggie were out taking advantage of the still mild temperatures. Here going up #4 fairway, they are responding to Jim Bateman's hello from #8 tee box.

Bird, Lents and Bird Win Senior Super Shamble

Thursday's senior game turned out to be a backyard scuffle between Diane Bird, Jack Lents and Mike Bird on one hand, and Dave Strange, Denny Wagoner and Wayne Souerdike on the other. Diane Bird rolled in a twenty-five foot birdie putt on number one to stake the Bird-Lents-Bird team to a lead that they never relinquished, finishing the nine holes at one over par and a three stroke win.

Thursday Senior Game

Senior game tomorrow morning at 10am. Nine holes for starters.

Blue Heron Unfazed by Golfer Jack Lents

Note the blue heron in the lower right of the photo. He wasn't about to be bothered by golfer Jack Lents as Jack hits a second shot towards number two green. Jack was in the midst of playing eighteen holes with Ken Hudson, Jack Butcher and Mike Bird on a lovely, sunny, warm election day. After voting, of course.

George Templin and Mark Jones Spark Win with Birdie Putts in Tuesday Scramble

The Tuesday afternoon scramble had four teams of three with George Templin, Mark Jones and Mike Bird winning with a score of minus four. George Templin had the hot putter early, sinking 10 foot plus putts on his team's first three holes, numbers six, seven and eight. After pars on the next four holes, Mark Jones slammed home another ten foot plus putt at number four to get the team to four under. Don Nolan, Curt Johnson and Terry Butcher came in at three under for second place while Karry Stoll, Jim Murphy and Dave Wininger finished at two under. Dave Strange (the Younger), Dave Strange (the Older) and Doug Denson suffered through bogeys on #6 and #7 and came in at even par. For George Templin, the win is a third in a row in Lakeview scrambles following wins a week ago and last Sunday afternoon.

Monday afternoon golfers

Jim and his son on #9 tee box. They finished up as the sun slipped over the treeline and the temperatures droped dramatically. Brrrr.

Sharon coming down #8 fairway. Kenny is off to the right and wanted to know what I was doing. I told him I was taking photos to submit as possibilities for the cover of the REMC annual report (think you have to have your suggestions in by Nov. 15th). He and Sharon both laughed though I think the above one of Sharon would be just jim dandy.

Sunday light at 6

For those thinking of golf Tuesday afternoon, the above photo shows the gloaming at the golf course at six in the afternoon (evening?) last night. A four o'clock start with an hour and a half game would be more than okay. Teeing off at six on your last hole would be stretching it. Temperperatures will be okay with the sun up but they do drop once it slips down behind the trees at #3 green. Expect Doug will let us all know about the start time. Don't forget to vote first.

Sunday Afternoon Scramble

The guys gathering for a 2 o'clock scramble put together by Mike Arvin.

George and Karry reacting to a near miss (wouldn't it be more correct to say 'near make'?).

Mike, Vic and Dan watching intently to a putt that refused to fall.

Travis (and Karry) watching Joe's par putt on #9 that turned out to be the winning putt.

Vic Wallace, Dan Steiner and Mike Arvin realizing that their last chance for a par on #9 was going awry. That gave them even par for the nine holes, one stroke behind the victorious team of Karry Stoll, Travis Bullock, Joe Doyle and George Templin. That makes two in a row for Joe and George, who were part of the winning team last Tuesday night.

Saturday Morning Scramble - Shamble - Golf Game: Time for change

In this season of change: It's been over a dozen years that I have been running a nine hole golf game on Saturday mornings and I think that is more than enough for any one person to be holding the baton. It has been a lot of fun playing with a multitude of players with all different levels of skill. Over the last several months, my own interests have changed and that has resulted in a change in the kind of golf games being organized on Saturday mornings. They, too, have been fun as well as challenging in different ways than the traditional scramble. But that has resulted in a mixed reaction from the Saturday morning participants. So, in order to make room for other enterprising individuals, and I know there are several out there, I am placing the baton on the podium to be picked up by whomever. I appreciate and am thankful for the many games that have been played all these Saturday mornings over the last dozen or so years, and , of course, for the many chances to share a few hours with a pretty good bunch of guys.

Senior Game Results

Ray Shaw birdied #9 to seal a win for himself, Dave Strange and Mike Bird in a the Thursday afternoon senior game. The trio bested Jack Lents, Rex Hudson and Jack Butcher in a '345' game where the players played their own balls on the par threes, scrambled on the par fours, and did alternate shot on the par fives. The winning team ended up shooting par in a three stroke victory over their opponents.

Wednesday Golfers

Kenny Hudson gets his putt on the 18th hole to curl around to the back of the cup and then drop in for a birdie. That, along with a Rex Hudson four footer for bogey, gave them a come from-behind-on-the-last-hole win over Jack Butcher and Rick Hudson in a golf game played at Lakeview yesteday.

John Feinstein's Tales from Q School

Here's a book, Tales from Q School: Inside Golf's Fifth Major, that's worth reading if you are a golf fan and a golfer. Finished it this morning. Saw a lot of golfers in the book who have made a splash here and there on the PGA. What the author does is follow a bunch of golfing aspirants through Q school. That school is a grueling three event (for some only one) test to claim exempt status in the Bigs. And that's important because in the Bigs you play in $5 million tournaments and get courtesy cars and free food and lots of television exposure and the chance to play with Tiger Woods (!) rather than $500000 tournaments as in the Nationwide Tour, or even further down the golfing pipeline. The year is 2005 but the author updates the whereabouts of his stars though 2007. I found it pretty easy to see how they all did in 2008 with espn's Money Leader Board. From the book link at amazon.com:

What makes this account so compelling is the way Feinstein drives home the point recreational golfers know all too well: golf is, above all, a humbling, even humiliating, game. Bill Ott

I would add that it is grand and rewarding and fun as well.

Thursday Senior Game

Supposed to be beautiful today and tomorrow and the next three days as well. Better come on out and get some golfing in. On Thursday, a Senior Game of nine holes will be played at 1 pm. Everybody is invited.

Age and Accuracy Trump Youth and Distance in Tuesday Scramble

Joe Doyle, George Templin and Mike Bird gave away twenty-five years in age and twice that much in driving distance but still came in with the low score in the Tuesday afternoon scramble at Lakeview. Their score of minus three bested by one scores posted by the team of Dave Wininger and Curt Johnson as well as the team of Doug Denson and Buck Holland. Joe Dolye started it all off with a 'safe' shot on the first tee, a drive which gave the three a 150 yard shot to the pin but which was followed by a twenty foot Mike Bird birdie chip from just off the green. George Templin finished it off at #9 with a tee shot to eight foot which allowed for a relatively straight in birdie putt by Mike. In between, the trio used a variety of shots from all over the course, truly scrambling on the majority of the holes, to battle the cold and the wind on their way to the low score of the day. Birdie putts on #6 - George T's from thirteen feet, and #7 - Mike B's from twenty feet, offset the lone bogey the group got on #3.

Tuesday scramble

It's windy, cloudy and cool. Anybody wanna scramble at 4:30? The course is open.

Tee Box drilling and sanding

Eric got out in the cool of yesterday morning and got started on the aerating and sanding of the tee boxes. Fertilizing and seeding up next.

Jack Lents and Senior games

Caught up with long time golfer (and good neighbor) Jack Lents resting at his home this morning. He's on the mend and looking forward to playing some golf when the weather moderates, probably this Thursday. Look for some kind of afternoon Senior game that day when temperatures are supposed to get back in the 60's.

Tribune article for the week

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Lakeview Golf Course News for the week of October 27:

Kevin Byron, Curt Johnson and Mike Bird Win Super Shamble

It wasn't pretty but it was better than the others and that got the win for Kevin Byron, Curt Johnson and Mike Bird in the Saturday Super Shamble out at Lakeview. The three came in with plus two on both the par threes and the alternate shots, and one under on the scramble holes for a plus three. That was an improvement of two and three on teams who came in at plus five and plus six. Dave Strange, Dan Steiner and Dave Wininger made up one team while Mike Arvin, Joe Allen and Noah Callahan made up the third team.

Almost Even in Thursday Senior Skins Game

The cool and windy weather didn't restrain Wayne Souerdike, Dave Strange, Ray Shaw, Ken Hudson and Mike Bird from playing at Lakeview this morning. The nine hole Skins match came up even with five skins taken off the table but the final distribution was just a little askew. Kenny Hudson carded a net birdie on five and then an actual birdie on six to take two of the skins. Wayne Souerdike got a birdie on two for his skin and Dave Strange got a net birdie on seven to earn his skin. Mike Bird took the easy route on the very first hole and removed a skin with a par. Ray Shaw went home empty though he was instrumental in thwarting skins taking on holes three and nine.

Johnson, Johnson and Nolan Win on Cards

The Tuesday afternoon scramble was won by Kevin Johnson, Curt Johnson and Don Nolan with a score of five under par. They were tied by the team of Dave Wininger, George Templin and Jim Murphy who lost on the tie breaker, a card drawn by Joe Allen. Mike Bird, Joe Allen, Mark Jones and Joe Doyle came in at three under while the team of Doug Denson, Dave Strange and Tony Wease came in two under. The win by Curt and Kevin and Don was their second in a row.

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Kevin Byron, Curt Johnson and Mike Bird Win Super Shamble

Mike, Joe and Noah after the super shamble.

Dave and Dan coming in from a tough nine holes that did not end in a win.

It wasn't pretty but it was better than the others and that got the win for Kevin Byron, Curt Johnson and Mike Bird in the Saturday Super Shamble out at Lakeview. The three came in with plus two on both the par threes and the alternate shots, and one under on the scramble holes for a plus three. That was somewhat better than the two other teams who came in at plus five and plus six. Dave Strange, Dan Steiner and Dave Wininger made up one team while Mike Arvin, Joe Allen and Noah Callahan made up the third team. A good time was had by all (?).

Saturday's Golf Game - Something New

Tomorrow's Manager's golf game will start at 2 pm. That allows for the weather to moderate (warm up) and for the volleyball game between the Vikings and the Lions to get put in the books.

George and Joe on a Thursday Afternoon

George Templin and Joe Doyle, long time Lakeview golfers, came out and got in 18 holes today. Here they are finishing up on their last hole and sporting smiles. Joe must have been telling one of his stories, a funny one. Or something.