Our ever-changing group of players retell their most memorable golf stories. Have one yourself? E-mail it to golf@ibmadison.com for consideration. Our league is easy to join, share in the laughter and lessons learned this week!
Fred Johnson
President & CEO, Credit Union Executives Society (CUES)
I have two stories to share…
Story 1:
A supplier who does business with my company called excitedly one day and said, “You won’t believe it, but I might be able to get us on Cypress Point (Monterey, California) the week before our convention in San Francisco. I have a guy I do business with who is the son of a member.”
By now, I’m gasping for air. Cypress Point is one of the sacred venues and rumored to be harder to become a member than Augusta National.
“The only problem,” he continued, “is that we won’t know if we’re good to go until the night before. We’ll stay in a local hotel and await his call.”
This was sounding more like a secret military mission, although getting to play there is filled with unknowns. So, you can imagine how hard it was to explain this plan to my wife — a seldom golfer: I’m flying out to California, staying in a hotel, yet not knowing for sure if I’ll actually play this “sacred” golf course.
Well, we did get to play and it was a perfect day in June — seventy-two degrees and no wind with only three other foursomes on the course. I wanted the day to never end.
Oh, and I parred the number 1 handicap hole and saw Bing Crosby’s former home.
Story 2:
A few years ago, I had a Board Chairman from Utah who loved to play golf — anywhere, anytime. I called him one day in the month of April to tell him we had a couple of trips coming up that would be a tight schedule. We’d have to fly out to California on a Wednesday, kickoff a new leadership program at the University of California at Berkeley on Thursday and be in Boston on Friday night for the start of a conference.
His answer? “Great, see if you can find us a course near Berkeley and one in Massachusetts. Cape Cod would be perfect, because we could play overlooking both oceans in less than twenty-four hours.”
I’m a “can-do” guy, but this would be a challenge, especially since the weather could be very “iffy” in April (I grew up in upstate New York).
I arranged a game at a friend’s club in Palo Alto Wednesday afternoon (overlooking San Fransico Bay), took the red-eye to Boston where we arrived about 1 a.m. We rented a car, drove down to Cape Cod and rented a room near the golf course.
When we got to the desk, we had to ring a bell for service and a young woman came out of the back room still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When we asked for a 5 a.m. wake-up call, she said, “Geez, are you guys golfers?” “Yes,” we replied.
She mumbled something like, “Must be golfers to go out in this weather.” It was in the low 40s and breezy.
When we got to the course, the breeze got stronger and there were four older gents playing cards in the Pro Shop next to a roaring fireplace. They looked up and one guy nodded our way and in a distinctly Bostonian accent said, “Must be from out of town wanting to play in this weather.”
We were from out of town and that breeze turned into snow on the 11th hole!
We should have stayed home.
Randy Hackbarth
CPA, Smith & Gesteland
I am actually better talking about golf than playing it. However, I’ve been lucky enough to participate and witness a number of exciting events:
- Fifteen years ago, I was with my son Drew, age 7, who had a hole-in-one on hole #7 at Vitense (he also had one a month ago on hole #8).
- In a small group event at Six Mile Creek, I witnessed a banker get a hole-in-one on hole #9. The cigars were enjoyable after that.
- About 20 years ago, we went to Green Bay for the 4th of July. As we pulled in the driveway of my in-law’s house, my mother-in-law ran up to the car and said “quick, go to the golf course, Terry’s buying drinks; he just had a hole-in-one.” As we were driving out the driveway, she added, “oh yeah, and by the way, I had one last night.” They had hole-in-one within 12 hours of each other. I think he’s had over 10 by now.
- Handicaps are a wonderful thing — while competitive golfers may frown on those of us with high handicaps. For us hackers, it makes any hole or event fun. At the first annual Nakoma Badger Day I was lucky enough to play with a good consistent banker golfer who kept us in the game, while I was lucky enough to par two or three holes where I get two strokes. We received the autographed basketball and football from Bo Ryan and Bret Bielema. Go Badgers!
- We hackers don’t get that many birdies. I was playing with one of my client friends, when he birdies three out of four holes in a row. I think we still both got 95s for the 18, but those four holes were a lot of fun.
- Finally, I was able to have a lucky shot. In a scramble event about a month ago ( the Rusty Putter), I was able to benefit from a great drive from one of my banker teammates. On the par four we then put it in the hole from 99 yards out for an eagle. That’s just fun. (After I wrote this, it just happened again on hole 4 at University Ridge in the Fitchburg Chamber outing from 106 yards out.)
I am certainly not as good a golfer as I would like to be and am certainly not very competitive. However, it’s a great activity to share with your family, friends, clients, and business network.
My advice: “Remember the good shots, forget the bad.”
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