Everything is ready for Springfest 2010. We are going to have 114 of us this year. This is our lowest number in a decade. 2010 has become the year of “something else came up and I cannot make it this year” but I will be back in 2011. This must have been the lament of at least 30 Springfestors. Sometimes life just gets in the way. However, this has been a blessing. We lost all our accommodations on Cliffside and will be moving into the new cottages beside the lodge. We cannot put up as many in them as we could on Cliffside so we may never be able to take 130 to 140 players again. This situation may cause this tourney to become very exclusive. We will have to wait and see how it goes as the years roll by. Tim at the Bristol Harbour Pro Shop told me they have mowed the greens and fairways several times and the course is looking great. He also mentioned the hot tub will be open to help you soothe those tired and aching muscles, so bring your bathing suit. A cocktail waitress will be available to get drinks for you if the odd hot tub party breaks out. Hoove Nation will love that.

Everything is now on the website and you can see where you will live, what your shoot-out group looks like, where you start on Saturday and Sunday and of course who is on your team for the 5 man scramble. I love the looks of my team. It is a mix of old vets (four) and one young guy that hits it a mile. We will ride Juniors drives like a rented mule. Junior, I promise, if you keep driving them long and straight, we 4 old guys will keep your favourite quaff coming. I love hitting wedges into par 4’s instead of 5 irons like I usually do. There are a few other teams that may have a chance against us so the betting in this event should be furious.

As for the betting, Sports Book Shaw will be set up as early as Tuesday to take all your bets. Please try and do them as early as possible as he usually gets buried on Friday morning. This will help him a lot. SB is taking wagers on the usual events. The big and little bops always grab a lot of action. The ol commish has done very well in the past betting his favourite numbers in the little bop. One year I held the only winning ticket and won about $400. Thanks boys. The little bop and the overall champ bets are a real crap shoot, so play yourself and a couple of your lucky numbers. This system works for the ol commish. The number of big boppers came out to an even number this year, so the ol commish will be able to go in the little bop where he belongs. This is the setup to bet the Springfest winner. There are 5 players on a scramble team so when you bet one player to win Springfest; you get the other four guys on the team. And lastly you can bet the 5 man scramble. This is the one bet you have to make. Not having any money on your team tells your teammates that you do not think they can win and what message are you sending them. Even a Baptist would bet this event. So there you go, drinking, golfing and gambling, the male triumvirate.

I have finally pulled together all our closest to the pins and it goes like this. On #2 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Pat Shield has arranged for a night at the Skydome Hotel for each daily winner. He also has two certificates for the Skydome Hotel that includes the baseball game. I am giving one of those away in the sponsors draw and one on #8 on Saturday. Thanks Pat. On # 8 on Sunday I am giving away a Jill-e Cert for luggage compliments of Jill and Bryan Wight. I am actually giving away two that Sunday, one for the guys from the white tees and one for us poor stiffs from the blue tees because we never win anything ever. These are great chick items and when you give this to your significant other, brownie points will flow faster than the speed of an ol commish’s skulled chip shot. Thanks Jill and Bryan. On #11 Brian Lalonde has once again arranged for high class luggage from Swiss Army Canada and they are a 27" mobilizer, a 24" mobilizer and as well as a hanging travel kit. So we will give the 27” mobilizer on Saturday and the 24” mobilizer and hanging travel kit on Sunday. Great prizes, thanks Brian. Of course # 15 is the Steve Kerekes Memorial Trophy and Callaway UPro that are being donated by the friends of Steve, spearheaded by Jim Oattes. This is a wonderful tribute to their close friend and thank you guys. Lastly, for the first time last year we had an extra closest to the pin prize and we were out of Par 3’s. What to do? So the commish in waiting, Walk Jr. said why not closest to the pin on your second shot down the hill on # 14. Brilliant. So once again this year, our reps of RIM, Ken Boyd, Mike McRae and Zelko Kecman have donated a Blackberry for the winner of this shot over 2 days. If you win this and have a teenage daughter to give this to, you will just rock. For at least 10 minutes anyway. Thanks guys this is most appreciated.

As for sponsors prizes, we have a night at the Skydome including ball game from your room, a Jill-e cert, SkyCaddie, Bristol Harbour picture and a couple of gift certificates from Bristol Harbour. I’ll try and add a couple more things if I can. So, make sure you bring something to add to the prize table and possibly go home with a wonderful prize. To all my sponsors that give me money to spend, thank you. Scott McPhee has helped the ol commish out for years and I cannot thank him enough. When you come in from the shoot-out on Saturday and are chewing on some wings and veggies etc., I used Scott’s money to pay for it. Thanks Scott. The rest of the money donated by others I have mentioned in other updates is used for event winner prizes, beer, food, prizes, give-aways and all the other perks it allows me to spend on you for the tourney. It also keeps the initial entry fee to Springfest down and that is good for all of us. I thank all our cash sponsors from all of us. You remain the backbone of Springfest.

Because I had some money to spend this year after hedging against the dollar, I spent a lot with Ken Kennedy and the boys at Sportcover, who are getting us outstanding arrival packs and also they got me some great deals on jackets. Some of the jackets will go for the Granny’s 2 man teams that placed 3rd-10th and the rest will go on the prize table on Sunday. Thanks guys, because of you I got a tremendous bang for my buck and we all win when that happens.

I am also supplying wings on Wednesday night as over three quarters of you are there then and you can enjoy them with a few beverages when we do the Granny’s 2 Man Shamble draw. The poker is Thursday night and we always look after the people that run the event as our dealers. The ol commish will look after that as well so all the entry fee money will go back to the players. Bob Londry, last year’s poker champ, says he is going to kick ass once again. We’ll see Bob-O.

Friday night you have a choice for dinner. Michelle Clement the food and beverage manager at Bristol and the one that makes sure we are well looked after, has told me you can have Pulled Pork Bar BQ sandwiches, French fries and gravy, cole slaw and cookies for FREE, courtesy of the folks at Bristol Harbour or you can buy whatever you want off the menu. I know what my choice is going to be. Michelle has also arranged a wine-tasting for us on Friday night. Free wine, oh yeah, count me in. Sure I’ll try that one and that one and that one, you get the idea.

The MMOS/Hoove banter is in full swing. Hilarious musings from Jim Wiggins and Kenny Boyd have kept the ol commish laughing and checking his e-mail every 20 minutes. The last couple of years we have had a group dinner on Thursday night to celebrate another year of being on the right side of the grass and to commiserate on the day’s proceedings and the shots that were struck this day that led to eagles, birdies, pars and worse, much worse. The group will also get to be regaled by the Blade and me, how we once again defeated Robbie Burns Mitchell and Jim Per Oattes in our Thursday afternoon grudge match. JO is subbing for Doug Westland who could not attend this year and we appreciate him taking on this most daunting task, which is making RM a winner. That hasn’t happened ever before and the Blade says this tradition will continue. Once more, the Blade and I will be bringing our secret weapon to this match, our old pal Jack Daniels. It seems that RM has a little trouble with Jack. Beauty. So calling all Hooves and MMOS, Thursday 7pm dinner at the lodge, be there or be square. Also, with much pomp and ceremony, and in front of the whole group, the ol commish has to make a point of paying off Ken Boyd and Billy Mitchell, $20 each. I bet the two of them that the Leafs would finish higher than the Habbies this past season. I was wrong, again. However we should be okay next year because Burke got rid of all those stiffs they had to Calgary. The Maritimes and Quebec do it with theirs, so it must be a good idea. At night, from the end of the bar, as Lars Johnson and I soak up some Bristol rum, you will hear in long low voices, “WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR”.

Before I sign off, we had one Springfestor that was all set for Springfest and really looking forward to it. Sadly, Lou Lockyer had a massive stroke this past Saturday and passed away. Dave Bates, Todd Tsukamoto and Reid Ferguson were his long time pals and will be playing this year with heavy hearts. Lou had just bought a new driver for our event this year, so Todd is going to bring it down with him and use it, as Lou would want him to do that. Lou was one of the Springfest originals that went to Peak and Peak in 1989 and he will be missed.

The long range forecast seems to be for temperatures around 60 plus with a slight chance of rain from time to time. Hopefully the Farmer’s Almanac is right and that changes to 75 and sunny but who knows. Come prepared. We play in anything except lightning so you need the following, rain gear, rain gloves, toque, parka, sweaters, shorts, bathing suit for the hot tub, Tylenol, Tums and Advil, sunscreen and tanning lotion, glass with cover in case it rains and you do not want your drink to get diluted, cart cover if you have one and some No-Doze as not much sleep happens on our weekend.

Well, that is about it. I will be picking up the Blade this Saturday at 6.30am and away we go. Everything is bought and paid for and if you think you have to bail at the last second, well tough luck and thanks for the donation. Refund time is past so please tell it to someone who cares which the ol commish isn’t. Now is the time we all have to start praying to whichever God we believe in to once more take care of our little band of most deserving Canucks. I look forward to seeing you all very soon and please drive to Bristol Harbour with care.

1 Week and Counting 

Summer came early to the GTA. The ol commish was able to golf at his home course the last two days. Dressed in shorts and short sleeved golf shirt, I am already sunburned. Oh what a beautiful feeling it is too. As I am now only 13 days from Blade pickup and the annual pilgrimage to Bristol Harbour, my thoughts are turning to the fun and laughter I have enjoyed these past twenty years. Everyone has something to turn to for refreshing their life outlook and the time spent with you guys at Springfest is what does it for me. I can hardly wait. Hold on commish, the weather is great now but what is in store for us two plus weeks from now, you ask? Well I do not own a crystal ball but the Farmers Almanac seems to, so read their prediction for what our weekend should be.

APRIL 2010: temperature 48.5° (1° below avg. east, 4.5° above west); precipitation 3" (0.5" below avg.); Apr 1-3: Sunny east, showers west; mild; Apr 4-6: T-storms, then sunny, cool; Apr 7-9: Showers, then sunny, cool; Apr 10-12: Rain and snow, cool; Apr 13-15: Showers; Apr 16-21: Rain, then sunny, cool; Apr 22-26: Sunny, very warm; Apr 27-30: T-storms, then sunny, warm.

Sorry about that but they are predicting SUNNY AND VERY WARM for our weekend. Oh baby, we may score once again. Bring the shorts, sandals, suntan lotion, sunscreen, sunglasses, swimming trunks, floppy sun hat, and a wicked thirst that will need constant quenching. I am.

The golf course at Bristol Harbour has now started to turn green. The greens and fairways have already been mowed and in two weeks the course should be in great shape for us. Playing Bristol greens that are fast and tricky is always fun and the ol commish looks forward to testing himself once again. Tim Biggs has said they will have lots of deals for us in the Pro Shop and with a dollar at par they really are deals. If you are looking to buy a new club call Tim at Bristol 1-800-288-8248 and see what he’s got. Those of us that have dealt with him over the years know what he can do. Buying new technology is a lot easier than taking lessons and practicing.

My new boss, John Robichaud of Ontech Sales has given the ol commish a little something to help with the tourney. John has been a long time Springfestor and has always helped out. John thanks from all of us. John always comes with Al Bartlett and Al has told me that he is bringing some red golf shirts to put on the prize table. Why red ones you ask? Well it is to pay homage to our troops that are out there on the front lines for us. Al bought these from the web site I am going to give you and the money raised goes to help those injured serving our country. The site is  http://www.cfpsa.com/en/psp/soldieron/index.asp. and a more worthy cause cannot be out there. Please check it out.

Brian Lalonde has also checked in. Brian owns Blazers for Men in the Oakville Town Center. Once again Swiss Army Canada is donating some of their high end travel gear. These prizes are so valuable that they have to be won and once again the closest to the pin on number 11 will be the hole. Brian, I know the guys that have won these in the past have been thrilled with them and on behalf of all of us, thank you. Brian Steele, Chris Schaefer and Bob Londry have all sent me their sponsorship of the Canaccord Capital Little Bopper, Raymond James Big Bopper and SG Distributing Shoot-Out  events and we thank them all.

We are once again giving out Skycaddies for our event winners. I used to get the SG2.5 but they are now discontinued, so our winners will have to accept the new and improved version of the SG 3.5. Plus the winners will get killer trophies and golf travel bags courtesy of Ken Kennedy and the gang at Sportcover. I will also have a Skycaddie for the sponsors draw so do not forget to bring something and get entered. Jim Oattes and the friends of Steve Kerekes have ordered the Callaway UPro Go for the winner of the closest to the pin on # 15. You have a few chances to win some new golf technology, so good luck. Once you own and use one of these devices you start to wonder how you ever played without one. Knowing how far you have to hit the ball is paramount to making good shots. At least you will know how far away you were from your target when you screwed up. Most comforting, don’t you think?

I have thought long and hard about changing the Granny’s 2 Man from a scramble to a shamble and so it is decreed that in 2010 we are making the switch. It will be a one year test and if guys like it we will keep it this way. We play a scramble already so having an event that is a little different is what Springfest is all about. I love introducing new events to Springfestors so here is another one. I have never played in a Shamble so this is new for me too. OK commish, so how is this run? Well, we will once again use 6 red tees, 6 white tees and 6 blue tees and you choose which ones you use. You both tee off and take a chosen drive. From there, you play the rest of the hole on your own. We will play this as a 2 man net best ball, so you will record the score of the player that has the lowest net score on the hole. The reason is that if one of you is having a bad hole you can pick up. That should keep play moving and not torture anyone that is having a tough hole.  You will also enter a score on the cart GPS so the cart scoreboard can let you know how you are doing against the rest of the field. That always makes things exciting. Lastly, because it is still early in the golf season and we are all a little rusty, you will still get your two do-overs. One can be used through the green and one on the putting green. They are individual do-overs unlike the team ones in the past, so you choose when you want to use them. I have no idea what might win so this should be an interesting and much talked about event. Shamble is also a word that really describes how we all move about once we have been at Bristol for 24 hours.

I have a couple of spots left so if you want to be a last minute entrant you have got your wish. Or if you know someone that wants to come let me know now and you can get them in. The Masters is this week and come Friday, that is it. We do the Shoot-out and Scramble draw next Sunday. I hate making last minute changes and will go with whatever number we finally arrive at. So this is it, last call.

If you have any news I will update once more so let me know.

2 ½ weeks and counting
 

What a month March was. Golf courses have opened in the GTA and snow has not been spotted for a couple of weeks. Bristol Harbour, home of our favourite tourney, has been open for play for the last 10 days and the course is dry and already ready for us. Tim from the pro shop tells me the greens came through the winter perfectly. There is no winter kill on them and they should start cutting them later this week. Some warm weather is expected and the grass is already starting to green up. Yeeha, great conditions once again.

What have you been up to commish you ask? Well I played a round at Pebble Beach with Sports Book, Greenie, Peteman and Jumbo at Nils Cornerman’s Tee Times Indoor Golf at Hwy 7 and the 400. It was a blast and Peteman blew us away when he teed up his first drive, took a mighty lash and missed the screen from 10 feet away. You could hear us laughing in Wendel Clarke’s restaurant next door. He got the hang of it after a while. I even chip badly at simulator golf. Hit some high majestic draws though, so this could be my year. Simulator golf is definitely good for your golf ego. And Pebble looks like a wonderful place to play. Maybe someday.

Our entries are at 110 and I expect 10 more in the next week. That will do it as I am concerned by the accommodations and how it will work out so this is a number I know I can deal with. Once we get through this year and I talk to the guys that stayed in the cottages I will have a pretty good idea of what my maximum number of entrants can be. Luckily and unluckily, some long time Springfestors cannot make it this year due to other commitments but plan to return in 2011. They will be missed but our slightly reduced numbers actually are a bit of a blessing for the ol commish. A few less of us will also make for our speed of play to increase which is good, especially if our weather is not too kind. So, if you want to come or have someone that wants to come this week is the deadline. By April 5^th I should have 120 and then the Shoot-out and Scramble draw on Masters Sunday can proceed.

I have thought long and hard about changing the Granny’s 2 Man from a scramble to a shamble format. To be honest I cannot decide whether I should do this or not. On one hand we have the old theory of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”, but on the other hand we have tried all sorts of things. Our tourney has evolved by the way we have never been afraid to try something new, so I’ll let you know on my last update what we will do. If you are playing in this event be prepared to play your own ball all the way to the hole once your team drive has been selected. Or maybe not. I am also going to check with Sports Book about making bets available for this event. A chance to win more cash is always a good thing.

I want to take a moment to thank some more Springfestors and their generosity towards our event. Paul Henry and his family own Maple Dale Cheese and Paul sent along a little something for the ol commish to use. Paul is also trying to get some of their family’s award winning cheese down to Bristol for us to enjoy after one of our rounds. I hope that happens, the ol commish does not get much of a chance to eat award winning anything. Whatever is on sale is the order of the day for Mr and Mrs Commish. It has something to do with the copious amounts the ol commish packs away on a daily basis. Paul and I teamed up to win a scramble one year and have never partnered since. It was my only win so I think I need him on my squad. Paul if no one is looking I will hook us up. Fat chance of that though, with Sports Book overseeing the proceedings. Thanks Paul from all of us. Colin Kinsman of Ottawa has also sent me a little something from his family business Perkins Restaurant in Ottawa for me to use for you guys. Colin is one of the Manly Men of Scotland that have the audacity to take on Hoove nation every year in a Ryder Cup format. His entry was a little late arriving and I am positive it was because he was wondering if his psyche could handle another whipping at the hands of us Stensen clones. Unlike a few of your MIA compadres I am glad to see you weigh in and take up the fight. Of course you are going to lose again sucker, but thanks for helping us all out. Larry Snow and his company GT Wood has also confirmed that he is once again helping us out. Larry gets a few of his friends to help as well and the ol commish wishes to also thank Jack Henderson of Henderson Machinery, Tom Maxwell of Aevitas, Luis Salazar Jr. of L.M. Generating Co. and Mike Penny of P.B.W. High Voltage Ltd.

Jim Oattes and Steve MacDonald last year started the Steve Kerekes Memorial Trophy to pay tribute to a good friend and Springfestor that passed away much too young of Lou Gehrigs disease. One of Steve’s favourite holes he ever played in his golf life was our #15 Hole from Hell at Bristol Harbour. Therefore they have made this the hole that the closest to the pin over Saturday and Sunday wins the Steve Kerekes Memorial wall plaque and prize. The first trophy presented was last year and was won by yours truly, the ol commish. I was touched and proud to be the first recipient. Jim and Steve are once again sponsoring this and if any of Steve’s buddies want to add a little something to this, see Jim or Steve. Thanks guys.

Last year we allowed groups of 10 or more to play in their own shoot-out group. The Meoffs have been doing it for years. Bob Londry (the sponsor of the SG distributing shoot-out) and his Lougans from Brockville, the Kenora crowd and the Snowmen decided they also wanted their own and it went so well for all those groups that they want to do it again this year. I will make it so. If you have a group of at least 10 that want their own shoot-out group, then let me know and I will set you up. Make sure all the guys in your group want to do this. Do not just conscript somebody.

The Walker clan has always played together on Saturday morning and this year will be no different. However, my nephew Eric Neubauer is joining us for the first time so we will now be a fivesome. He joins his Grampa, 2 uncles and cousin in a round that is one of the highlights of my year. He is just finishing his first year at law school and having a lawyer in the family is huge. Walker men have been known to need a solicitor on occasion, as we sometimes get ourselves into little predicaments from time to time and this should help to cut costs. Family rates, right Eric? You should be able to spot him; he is about 6 foot 18.

I hope you are now in workout mode for Springfest. That’s right, you should now be getting off the couch and getting your own beer and not have someone waiting on you. It is good to stretch those muscles. I’ll be back to you in about a week. If you have anything to add please let me know and I’ll tell the world.

4 weeks and counting
 

The Olympics have arrived and they could not have arrived at a better time. It is mid February and if you are anything like the ol Commish, the winter blahs are upon me. The only thing keeping me going is watching the PGA tour, swimming at my parents condo and the fact I like my new job and enjoy going to work every day. I was not going to Florida this year, but Don Smith who was going to go with Bish, Sports Book and Chunky, has to have a small medical procedure done, so he had to bail. Going with three stinks, so I offered to come in his place and the boys are happy their chef is coming. Without me, takeout pizza would have been the order of the day. The other news is my buddy Peter Daechsel (Dex) has been suffering with a bad back. It has been so bad he thought he might even miss Springfest. His back is now coming along so well that he is planning to meet up with us in Florida for a couple of days. That is great news. We will also see Ross (Ace) Traub as well, as he is wintering down there. Why Ace? Ross aced the 15^th at Springfest last year which as we all know, hitting the green on 15 is a major accomplishment, acing it is unbelievable. That is only the third hole in one at Springfest in 20 years, which is a testament to the set of par 3’s we face at Bristol. This brings up the point that Ross bought drinks for the crowd to celebrate his accomplishment and I hate the idea of anyone having to pay out of their own pocket for this. So, we are going to start a fund this year to finance hole in one insurance. We will make sure there is enough money in the kitty to buy a round of drinks for everyone if you get one. But If you score one, but are the second one, the fund will be empty so don’t tell anybody. We’ll keep adding to it each year so that in the unlikely event there is two in one year, we will have enough to cover the cost. Sorry Ross, I wish I had thought of this sooner.

I went to see Ken Kennedy and Bruce McWhinnie at Sportcover International this past week. They always set me up with my arrival gift package for you guys and as always, they didn’t disappoint again this year. When you head out for the 5 Man Scramble on Friday afternoon this year, your A player will be packing some great items for you. They are new items this year and something a little different. What are they? Sorry you’ll just have to wait and see. Thanks guys from all of us.

Bryan Wight e-mailed me that his wife Jill has an internet company called www.jill-e.com and they sell camera bags and carry cases and lots of other stuff. I went on the site and they have some very nice items for the ladies, as well as us guys. She and Bryan are donating four $300 gift certificates for products from her site and the guys that take one of these home are going to score some serious brownie points with their significant other. I’ll have to figure out a way to distribute these. They should be won and not just given away, so maybe I will keep one as a sponsors prize and the other three may go as a closest to the pin or some sort. Check out the site and Jill and Bryan, on behalf of all the guys we thank you.

I never really am one for trying to fix something that isn’t broken, but we have had a lot of discussion about the Granny’s Crotch 2 Man Scramble that we run on Thursday morning. The ol Commish is looking at tweaking this event a little. How you ask? Well, first off it would still be 2 man teams. You would still decide which tees to use. You still play 6 holes from the Reds, 6 from the Whites and 6 from the Blues. You would still get two do-overs but here is where we change things a little. Both players would tee off from the tees they decide to hit from. They would then choose which tee shot they want from the two of them and then from that point, you play your own ball in the rest of the hole. You would get your full Springfest handicap and you both have to enter a score on the hole. The do-overs would be individual now and each player would get two, one through the green and one putting. Double par would be the max anyone would take on a hole. The winners would be the total of both players’ net scores. This is not etched in stone yet and if you want to comment on this change, e-mail the ol Commish with your comments. Springfest is always evolving and I think everyone enjoys what goes on, but there is always room for improvement and your comments are important.

The cottages at Bristol are ready for us. The Cliffside crowd will get first crack at them. I know the Meoffs will take one over and Larry Snow’s group will get another so there is a couple up for grabs. I know Glen Stanton’s group may want a piece of one and they are all entitled as long time Cliffsiders. If you want a cottage that has room for 6, or 12 if you want both floors, e-mail me your request and I will try to make it happen. No promises as yet, as I have no idea how this will all shake down.

I met up with our Web Master Bob Londry in Kingston a couple of weeks ago. All is well with him and the boys from Brockville. He just wanted to let all of you know that he is the reigning Springfest Champ from 09 and fully expects to be the reigning champ in 2010. Gentlemen poker players, the gauntlet has been thrown down.

Well that is about it for now. If you are planning on coming fire off those entries. Please check the Entries Received section to make sure we have yours and your buddies entries and you are signed up for all the events that you want to participate in. I expect to start filling up fast as winter starts to wan and our thoughts start turning to golf. If you plan on sponsoring or have something you want to bring let me know and I will tell the world.

9 weeks and counting
 

We have hit the dog days of winter. I consider Jan1 until Masters weekend the dog days. There is not one part of winter I enjoy. The big thing this winter will be the Olympics and now that the hockey teams from every competing country have been announced, I am starting to get pumped. This may be the best hockey ever played. I’ll watch the curling as well but I would enjoy it more if Glen Howards rink from Ontario had won the spot. Richie Hart who I have known forever was on that team and George Laing’s son Brent was the second. George has attended many Springfests. My cheering for them was just not enough to help them overcome the play of Kevin Martins squad so I will have to cheer for them now. I also thought the best women’s team won, so go Cheryl go. Ski jumping, downhill skiing, speed skating and all the many other events will keep the ol commish very busy in front of the TV this February. In keeping with all the athletics I plan to watch, I am going to snack on as many low fat munchies as possible. I feel it is important for us viewers to be in the best possible shape to cheer on our athletes.

The entries have started to come in for Springfest already. We are at 30 to date and at this time last year I hadn’t even started. This could be a bumper crop year so if you are planning on coming you better not dawdle too long. The Blade has confirmed that he will be attending in 2010 and of course that tolls the loser bell of Mssr’s Westlund and Mitchell. Smitty has bought a new putter and plans to reclaim his rightful animal name of Bladeamus Extrodinarious, that he feels has been a little lacking the past couple of years. Even though he thought he was putting poorly, we still won. If he starts putting like he is world famous for, can you imagine what the carcasses of these two lambs are going to look like when he is done with them? Bones picked clean and the only remaining part will be their tails tucked between their back leg bones. Oh the Horror. I’m sure I will hear from these two that they want to take a sabbatical in 2010 and for us to look for other pigeons, er, competitors.

The ol commish has returned from a week in San Diego to visit my daughter and her husband. Scott and I played twice when we were there. Once at the Coronado Golf Course that is situated right on the bay of San Diego and gives you outstanding views of the city. It would be like golfing on Center Island in Toronto. It is also a city course and we paid the twilight rate of $15 each. Matt Ginella who ambushed us last year for Golf Digest told me it is the best golf deal on the planet and he was right. We got in 16 and a half holes and the golf course was very challenging. The next day we played Torrey Pines, South Course and it was spectacular. It is also a city owned course, but costs a lot more to play. We paid a twilight rate of $100 each and managed to get in 16 and a half holes as well. The ol commish parred 18 in the dark. How did you and the Commish in Waiting play you ask? I played really well at Coronado and really surprised myself. At Torrey, I birdied holes # 6 and # 9. Both are par 5’s and I stuffed wedges in to 2 feet and 2 inches. Not bad for an old guy. I could have had a couple more if I could have read the putts right. The commish in waiting hit some long drives, some really good iron shots, has a good short game but struggled with the putting. Scott needs to work on his touch. I know, you also want to know about my now world famous chipping woes. Did I have any chipping meltdowns? The answer is no, I surprised the hell out of myself and had a short game that was not too bad. First time I have said that in the last 15 years. Hope does spring eternal.

Now on to Springfest. Bristol Harbour has struggled for years trying to pacify the different home owner associations that are there. There are 3 of them actually. One of them is adamant that they do not want the condos rented out anymore. That is not just aimed at us but anyone that rents the condos. There have been legal battles going on and the management of Bristol Harbour has said enough is enough. They do plenty of weddings and convention business year round and need space to house the guests of the resort. So what they have done is build five buildings along the east side of the main parking lot. One is to be used as a spa and the other four has hotel suites with kitchens. Each unit will be able to hold 12 of us, based on 6 per level and 2 levels per building. They have two bedrooms and with cots and a pullout couch will sleep 6 per unit comfortably. So, we have 48 to go in these units, 70 in the hotel and the rest spread out along Andrews Way and with local residents. We can accommodate our usual number without anyone using the condos down by the lake on Cliffside. What I want to hear from all of this is from some groups of 6 or 12 that want to go in these units. If you have requested condos on Cliffside previously, you are the ones that will probably want to go in these new buildings. If you normally stay in the hotel you still can. There is no spot on the entry sheet for this, so if you have a group that wants to get in one of these units you must e-mail me your request. Talk to your buddies and get back to me. In regards to distance from the clubhouse to one of these units, it is the same distance away as the hotel. Staggering range.

Last call for Derek Bumsteads golf pool. The PGA season has begun and the first event for his pool is on the web site. Check out the Golf Pool. It is cheap and cheerful and very well run. You will be going for second at best because the ol commish has got the team this year and plans on winning. Once more, hope springs eternal.

Well the days are getting longer, the ol commish is swimming 4 times a week trying to help shed the 30 pounds that are attached to my gut and trying to get through winter the best I can. Real golf to watch on TV certainly helps. If you are coming get your entries in. Also check the entries received section to make sure your name is there and that you have the right package.

Stay warm my friends.

15 weeks and counting 
 

Welcome to the winter of 09/10 and the revving up of Springfest 2010. I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and fall although it was awfully late in arriving. The Indian summer we have enjoyed through October, November and now December has at least solved some of the wounds we endured with our late arrival of summer. Springfest 2009 will always be remembered as the Year of the Ambush. What a tribute to our yearly get together. When Matt Ginella of Golf Digest chose us to write about in their July issue, it just reiterated what we all know. We have a super group of guys going to a resort that can offer everything we need. Challenging golf, booze, accommodations, food, great service, fair prices, booze (did I mention that), well no wonder we all feel like winners when we head home each year. I have listed all the winners of our 09 events in the Yearly Results section of the web site. Congratulations to last year’s overall champ Henry Savage and welcome to the world of the Blue Tees Henry. The large bell that used to reside at his father Pete’s place beside the 10th tee is now visible at Henry’s house off of the 14^th tee. The ol commish has been ringing that bell for 20 years and always makes me reminisce about Henry’s wonderful parents Pete and Verna. I rang Pete’s bell the first time I saw it in 1990 as an alcohol fuelled prank and Pete came out to see who rang his bell. We met for the first time then and he told me I was welcome to ring it any time I wanted. As the years went by, we would get together after I rang his bell and catch up on what was new with each other. In fact Pete would get pissed if I was at Bristol Harbour and didn’t swing by and ring it. They have both departed for a better place, I miss them and hope they rest in peace.

The weather for Springfest 09 was again pretty good. It was a little cool in the middle of the week but by the weekend it was shorts weather. Are we lucky or what? Once again the tourney ran without a hitch, no missed events due to inclement weather and I believe a good time was had by all. In one of the big events of Springfest, the Thursday afternoon Blade/Commish vs Mitchell/Westlund Better Ball Championship Match for yearly bragging rights was once again championed by the B & C duo. The ol commish rode the blade like a rented mule (as always) and we persevered once more. I believe we now stand at 10-0. Keep trying suckers. And in a stunning reversal, the Hooves of Scandihovia who were receiving a solid spanking at the hands of the Manly Men of Scotland after days 1 and 2, completely turned it around on days 3 and 4 and stole victory from the jaws of defeat. It was probably one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in the annals of any sport, anywhere, anytime. The long sad faces on the MMOS we Hooves got to enjoy watching as the winning numbers appeared on the score sheet were priceless. I predicted victory for Hoove nation and it came to be. I am known as the all seeing, all knowing commish and proved it once again. I salute your gritty performance my Hoove brethren. 

The best line I heard all week at Springfest came from Curtis Hache. He is Kenny Sine's stepson and was invited to join old dad to partake in Springfest with the rest of the Brockville group, led by webmaster Bob Londry. When Curtis was asked what it was like to hang out with all those Brockville maniacs he said “it’s like being with a bunch of 12 year olds with money”. I could not in my wildest dreams have ever come up with a better way of describing my buds from Brockville. He hit the nail right on the head. Great line Curtis. 

Springfest 09 had a new annual prize started by Jim Oattes and the friends of Steve Kerekes. Steve passed away in October of 08 from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) at the much too young age of 51. Steve had been a participant at Springfest in years past and to commemorate his memory they donated a trophy, keeper trophy, Skycaddie and a $200 Bristol Harbour gift certificate to the winner of the closest to the pin on #15 over two days. The winner was yours truly, the ol commish and I was very touched to be the first recipient of this award. I have my keeper trophy displayed on my basement wall and it reminds me constantly of the loss of a really good guy. This is a wonderful tribute to their great friend and I am positive from his celestial perch, Steve will ensure that we always get super weather at Springfest.

Lastly I want to thank Ken Kennedy, Bruce McWhinnie, and Wayne Kennedy of Sportcover International for the wonderful job they did on the pictures we all received at Springfest. Having those pictures of being with family and friends for the 20^th year of Springfest was very well done and a memento we all will keep forever. It was a ton of work for those guys and we will never do it again as they had to spend way too much of their time pulling it all together. But we all appreciate the effort and the memories. Also, we have a lot of guys that without their help with money and prizes would never be the event that it is and we thank each and every one of you. The names and company’s they are associated with are in our Angels section.

So commish, what happened the rest of the year? Well I have a new job and now work with John Robichaud. He has an electrical sales agency and I have joined him to cover Toronto and the eastern and northern part of Ontario. I am really enjoying what I do.

Peter Daechsel (Dexman) entered my name in the Golf Planners contest that was run by Golf Digest. I was one of six chosen and in July I got a three day trip to Pinehurst, all expenses paid. I stayed in the Pinehurst Resort Hotel, played #’s 2, 4, & 8, got interviewed for an article about Buddy trips and am in the December issue of Golf Digest. It was an unbelievable experience and I met some very interesting people. Dex, I cannot thank you enough for submitting my name for this. If you want to see some pictures of the ol commish at Pinehurst, go to Flickr and in search, type in Pinehurst 082 and the wsongolf pictures will come up. Click the picture on and put it on slideshow and you can see about 45 pictures. The last day we played # 2 with caddies that had our names on their backs. What a blast seeing that. On the 18^th green of # 2 my caddie told me I was putting from the exact spot Payne Stewart putted from when he won the Open. I was putting downhill and he putted uphill in the other direction. He made, I missed, but my putt was harder. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

As always, I made the trek to Brockville to visit my buds there. Sportsbook, Chunky and I first drove off to Montreal to play Royal Montreal with Billy Mitchell. What a freakin hard course that is. The ol commish was in 14 bunkers and shot a smooth 96. That’s the highest score I’ve had since I first took up the game. And the greens weren’t even that fast. If they had been up to warp speed I might still be out there today. That night we turned around and drove to Prescott where Bob Londry’s blues band Blues Highway was playing. They were great, played about an hour and then we headed down to Dan Thompsons bar in Brockville, the Keystone Pub. Drop in if you are going by Brockville. We golfed at the Brockville CC and Smugglers in Gananoque, played some no-limit Texas hold-em and basically laughed the weekend away. Thanks for the two days there guys.

Sportsbook had me to his member/guest in August and I was awful. Why do I play so poorly in the middle of the summer? I should be on a roll by then but for some reason I am in my midseason slump. Can’t hit it straight, can’t hit a green, can’t chip and my putting stunk all year. I got new irons in late August and they really helped my game. Next year SB, with the new irons, we’ll kick ass. Thanks for having me.

I really didn’t play in much, but Don Smith of Smith Brothers fame took me as a partner in the GAO Senior Mens Better Ball for Ontario and we shot a very good round of 68 and tied for second overall. Don must have very large shoulders if he can carry the ol commish to a second place finish. Thanks for being my partner Don.

Derek Bumstead always runs a first class golf pool and the ol commish always has a couple of teams in it. It is not expensive and makes the PGA season fun to watch when you have players to cheers for. How did you do in the pool in 09 Commish? Well, I rode Anthony Kim and Sergio right to the bottom. What a couple of stiffs. The entry form is on the web site and you have to enter by the start of the Sony Open which starts in the second week in January. Sign up and take a chance on winning some dough.

The entry form for Springfest 2010 is up. The weekend is April 23 to the 25^th. Yes, it is early again, for the third year in a row, but for the last two years, the weather has been great so I won’t mess with a good thing. As you can see there is no price increase and with the dollar presently higher, hopefully the ol commish can add something extra this year. I am pleased to report that Chris Schaefer of Canaccord Capital is back sponsoring the Little Bop, Brian Steele is again sponsoring the Big Bop and our web master Bob Londry is once again sponsoring the SG Distributing Shoot-Out. These three guys help make what I am able to do a whole lot easier and we all thank you. We also have a number of others that sponsor and as I get the info on whom and what, I will let you know. Our sponsors in years past have been generous and plentiful and we all thank them.

If you are coming you all know the drill. Send a copy of the entry form, one cheque for $100 dated the day you send your entry in and a post dated cheque for April 1^st 2010 for the balance. Two cheques and your entry form in the same envelope at the same time please. Some guys still can’t get this right.

In a couple of weeks Christmas arrives and this year the ol commish, Mrs Commish and son Scott, the commish-in-waiting are off to visit our daughter and sister Lisa in San Diego. We will usher in the Christmas vacation with a round on the south course of Torrey Pines. Turkey and Torrey, it’s true, every now and then you are allowed to win one. I wish all of you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Take heart boys, the days start getting longer in 12 days time and then we start heading back towards spring and Springfest. I’ll get back to you the first of the new year.

19 weeks and counting