Seeing Keith Wolf’s picture on the front page of the Dec. 21 Joplin Globe brought a flood of memories, some good and some not so good, about winter golf.
Wolfe was taking advantage of the un-Decemberish 60-degree temperature in Joplin on that day to get in a round at Range Line Golf. Good for him.
I remember getting to play golf almost every weekend during some normally frosty and snowy months many, many years ago. Not that we didn’t have cold or unpleasant weather. We did. But it seemed like every weekend was clear, acceptably cool and inviting for the avid golfer to visit his favorite course.
Unfortunately, there also was late fall and winter weather that fell into the category of nasty.
I recall one time that my buddies and I were stuck without a chance to play golf for weeks because of snow that blanketed much of the area for 20 or so days.
A group of us decided that we could handle the snow if a course would open up. That particular day was not too cold and the sun had come out, melting patches on fairways at Briarbrook Golf and Country Club.
I called Briarbrook and whoever answered the phone in the pro shop that day said come on over. He also cautioned that the snow was still inches deep in many places.
So off I and 11 heavily bundled-up, but happy pals drove out.
Each foursome had one guy assigned to carry a shovel and another to carry a broom. The shovels were used to dig through the drifts in search of errant golf balls and the brooms to sweep off the greens so we could putt.
I don’t remember what anyone shot that day, but it took us at least four hours just to play nine holes. Most of our time was spent searching for golf balls. By the end, everyone was weary but smiling. At least we got to play golf, such as it was.
On another occasion, this time at Schifferdecker, our Saturday noon game of 20 or so players were caught on the back nine, between 12 and 13 greens, in a hail storm. Some of the guys ran or drove for the cover of a small rock shelter near the 13th tee or to the barn adjacent to the 11th tee. Others huddled under trees.
I and a couple of players, on the other hand, decided to use our umbrellas as a shield and kept on walking up the 13th fairway. It only took nine or 10 steps to discover that my umbrella didn’t have much stopping power. The umbrella was in shreds and I was being pelted by small, but numerous bits of ice.
Never again would I test the stinging power of hail.
One beautiful November day a decade or so ago, also at Schifferdecker, my son and I decided to continue on the back nine despite ominous clouds gathering in the northwest. I figured it was going to keep north of us. In the middle of the 10th fairway, a howling wind accompanied by streaks of lightning and a drenching rain engulfed us.
We dropped our golf bags and took off running at top speed for the safety of the clubhouse. Needless to say, we were scared.
And contrary to the popular joke about lightning on a course, I know that God can hit a 1-iron.
The lightning abated. But the rain didn’t let up. We finally ran to the car, drove around to the side of the course, stepped over the low cable fence and retrieved our clubs. The weather started clearing, but we were so miserably wet that we gave up and went home.
I played in a tournament at Neosho many years ago with a friend of mine, the late Frank Ward. We teed off in plummeting temperatures and a chilly breeze. Then a light snow began to fall. The group in front of us quit. But we trudged on. As I recall, we “won” a prize in that tournament. I don’t recollect what we received, but I do remember frozen fingers, frosted eyebrows, running noses and a healthy respect for the intelligence of all those other teams that sensibly quit early on.
Of course, not all bad weather involves cold, ice or wind. I scorched my feet playing on a day when the 112-degree temperature baked out fairways. Let me tell you about the hot, bright sunny day when ... . wait, that’s a different column.
Quotable
Gene Littler, one of my favorite interviewees, said that tournament winners aren’t the golfers who hit the most good shots, but rather the players who best control their misses.
”I’m hitting the woods without any trouble. My problem is getting out of them” — Anonymous.
”Par is whatever I want it to be. For instance, this hole here is a par-25 and I birdied it the other day.” — Willie Nelson, talking abut his golf course in Texas .
“Putting has no relationship to the game of golf.” — Ben Hogan.
“I’m hitting my irons the same distance I did 20 years ago,” said Gene Littler. He then told me that every year he had his irons tweaked a little stronger so that he didn’t have to learn the distances with each club again.
CLAIR GOODWIN receives correspondence at Joplin Globe, Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802, or sports@joplinglobe.com
Sports
January 1, 2011
Remembering the thrills, chills of winter golf
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Stanton’s homers fuel Marlins’ surge in May
- Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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