You can go full circle unless you end where you start.  I'm sure that's a quote but I'm too lazy to look it up.  So I'll credit it to Plato as he seems like a smart guy.  But I digress.  

We ended at La Fortune we started when the course was dead and we were fresh and end the season with a lush green course and a dead field of SMGL Boys.   It has clearly been a long season with lots of ups and downs.  Mostly downs for everyone but Shootzy who continued his consistency with a top 3 finish today that puts a patch on his jacket and a ugly ass trophy on his mantel for the next year. 

But I think you have to look at  some of the side stories that happened this year.  Like Grape Ape - aka Scott Milburn who plays 4 times a week and throws up crazy low scores but folds like a $3 lawn chair in the heat of battle.  Or you get someone like Fuller and MTG who have taken the two gloves mind set to mean consistent play and were threatening on the leaderboards all year.  

When you look at the Warren boys they took different paths to get there Senator as you would expect had 4 medal finishes and then was absent from a lot of votes, counters to KW's style who only medaled one time this year but by running some stealth missions finished one point behind the Senator.

Then you have the story of the FNG or GT or Glen Taylor who as a first year you would expect to fall to the bottom like most new meat, but in a surprising twist came out and stirred the waves with an impressive 8th finish for the year, which could have been higher if he put his golf career in front of a boat tire.  Choices matter!

But the story of the day and a fitting end was Coach Conley who rolls into 5 tourney's this year and wins 3 including this one to show that when it come to competition we can call him "Beast Mode".

"Great Year" was the sentiment by all along with see ya at Shangri La.

Champion = Conley Phipps

Side Note:  

Team: 

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Never bury the lead.  So in his own words I give you MTG:

since you are jonezing for details about the hole in one, I can offer you the following summary of the miraculous event:

The 11th hole at Battle Creek, having heretofore been the bane of my very existence, today delivered what can only be described as evidence - nay - PROOF - that the eastern principal of Yin and Yang indeed exists and does, from time to time, deliver karmic relief to those who refuse, despite repeated beat-downs, to accept ultimate defeat, but rather step into the arena again and again and again and again until the very principles of the universe are forced, if by nothing other than statistical probability, to acquiesce and allow - one time - a small measure of the pain it has inflicted to be blissfully reversed and delivered to the foolish combatant in the form of a singular ejaculative experience - the hole in one.

I stepped into the tee box, flush with the knowledge that this bitch has gobbled no fewer than 87 of my bright green Callaway Super-Soft matte finish honeys, and proceeded to tee up another - eager it would seem - to again feed the disgusting beast another of the balls of which I have become so enamored.

Wind slightly hurting, and distance being a cruel tweener of 126 - as relayed to me by Messirs Gibson and Purcell, I opted for my pitching wedge, against my first instinct to reach for my gap wedge and ignoring the plaintiff appeals of my attack wedge, who seemed rather insistent that it be the club of choice for this next humiliating splash down.

Having selected my weapon, I positioned my little green goblin a pace behind the tee box markers, gave a quick glance to the flag, and lined myself up slightly right of the pin - certain in the knowledge that it would likely make little fucking difference where I thought I was aimed, the result would be as it had always been.

I stared hard at the ball as I initiated my abbreviated back swing, as if I was desperate to communicate to my little green friend that I would miss him and that he should know that it was not my intention to send him to the bottom of that wretched, stinking pond, and that perhaps we would meet again if he were to be harvested and offered for sale in the slightly used golf ball basket often seen in the pro shop.

And then - something amazing happened.  My swing was pure and easy, and it felt as if I hit nothing at all.  I had to search the sky while my ball was in flight and I saw it - the telemetry seemed perfect - too perfect - and I braced myself for the inevitable - the dreaded "thap" on the far edge of the pond and subsequent dribble back into the water.  But.....that did not happen.  The ball seemed to head straight for the pin and land on the green and just stopped cold.  It was impossible to tell how far from the hole it was, but I assumed the worst - that it looked really great but knowing my history with this hole, I was probably looking at a 20 foot birdie miss, followed by a choke on my par putt, so I would be carding a solid bogie.

However, as we drove around to the green, I heard Gibson and Aud in the cart in front of us begin to gasp and they became visibly more excited as we got closer.

Could it be?  No.  Stop it fool. But we climbed up to the green and then walked down to the hole and.... 

 in other news game set match with a Shootzy win.  

Champion = Jason Schulz

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 Let me call a fact a fact.  Majors are hard.  They are supposed to be the hardest test of the league to let the cream rise to the top.  Well it's what a billion degrees again as we tested the metal of the SMGL against Forest Ridge.  This was a major league golf course played at a 6400 yards.  

When we put the screws to our band of knuckleheads some people faltered like P going 43/48 or Joe 47/47 and some people looked at this course a the opportunity to make a move.  Chuck who started on hit some heart ache on the front caught fire on the back with the Senator who stated right on the middle isle with 46/45 for nice second place points.  But one man decided that true destiny happens on the back 9 in a major.   Starting out with a high volatility 48 on the front came charging with a 41 for a net -1 and victory for the peoples champion is Shootzy.  

Champion = Jason Schulz

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Team: 

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Every plan is perfect until you take the first step.  And the Stone Creek Cup became the Old Man Pops Cup at Olde Page when we showed up and saw that they had a tournament on Stone Creek that wasn't us.  But they jumped up and helped us out with the good old get on the tee box and go as fast as you can.  So we got off to a cold start and some people can thrive and some get the cold swing yips.  

Now the Course was in good shape.  It's hard not to have a Bermuda course not in good shape with all the sun and rain we have had in the region.  The greens were actually pretty good even though the putting stats don't show that anyone had them figured out.  They were slow but quick with a touch of rough so take that as you may.  

The highlights of the day were Kyle put a stomping on La Fortune during the week and followed it up with a strong showing on Sunday.  Cat had a big night at the Casino telling the table Max to shut the hell up.  So when Shulzy picked him up he was already downing Coors lights in the garage as a pregame.    As you can guess this was a strong front nine plan and a poor back nine plan.  At one point he was playing the wrong hole and everyone decided to just let him keep going as he was on a vision quest.

You can't complain too much getting a Father's day Saturday Tourney with the US Open in the back ground and Pokes at the top of the leaderboards.  

Champion = Kyle Warren / Shon P

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Team: 

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Champion = Conley "Coach" Phipps

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Champion = Doc Fields

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Team: 

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There is something about the players championship that just feels different.  As the Boys walk around the first tee a feeling of excitement and fear runs through the group.  Everyone know this is a chance at greatness, to be memorialized with some of the greats like Dunn and Gilbert.  Playing on the home course for several of our members you saw some favorites to watch early.  Meadowbrook is a classic tree filled wonderland.  With greens that have movement and pin placements in bad spots.  The course was in perfect condition and we new that greatness was to be had this day. 

Now lets go through some of our favorites:

Joe G is a member and regular post low rounds at the Brook.  He started strong with a controlled round until 2 showed a hitch in his putting giddy up and a colossal meltdown on 9 in which is 2nd shot was play from the other side of the creek after hitting the red markers tee bin that flew right into the M and was never to be seen again.  This knocked him out of the running as he was enfuego and not in a good way.  

Cary who usually started on the bogey train and just couldn't find a stop to get off.

Doc who was dropping triples like he was working at a baskin and robbins.

P who was grind to keep bogey as his worse couldn't stop the long right miss that got him trouble on 9 and followed that up with a 3 peet in the sand for an 8 took him way off the podium.

Now we did have 3 men who were able to fight the trees and come out on top in a 3 way Tie for first after 18.  Lance "Pants",  Chuck and GT.

GT is a new member to the SMGL and a CC boy from the Brook so his inside knowledge and lack of scar tissue to get the play-off win.  Congrats new guy hope it never happens again.

Champion = Glen"GT" Taylor

Side Note:  

Team: 

Skins:  2 = M Chambers, 1 = GT, Joe G, Pants, SM

The forecast called for rain early in the week.  And it was raining golf balls in the to water on every hole on the course.  The Greens were some of the best we have played on all year and there was grass-ish in the fairways.  So give credit were credit is due.  Now lets get real about the set up of this course.  It was designed by the Devil and his son sets the pins.  You have to have complete control of your irons and this course will expose the smallest flaws.  The greens are small and firm so you have to have distance control and hit it straight, like anyone can do that.  The real problem comes with a missed green, where as you are either in the water, The hard pan or OB.  The only saving grace is if you really flare one out you can hit an apartment building and it might kick it back into play.  This course leaves no room anything less the precision and a few guys were able to make that happen.   

Chuck was charging strong into the final hole.   With a Nice lead and just playing safe would put in on the Podium, But a couple safe swing got several balls in the water and he was able to tap in for a cozy 10, taking him from first to 4th.  But Chuck wasn't alone we saw several meltdown on the 18th.  Lance was strong at the top until he has to put 2 in the water and the third over the green for an 11 and T6.  Shootzy another crowd favorite with his easy going style and Full Jasper Parnevik hat flip somehow got on the 17th fairway and hammer screwed one into the gunch and slapped it finally in for a nice 9 and single point for the week.  This is what the Corner does to golfers.  It waits until you have hope and then just shoots a nail gun into your nut sack.  

One man who has clearly got a wink and nod deal with the man downstairs because he has owned this course for years.  Our own Professor Gilbert picked it apart with precision and control.  First win of the season and get joe in contention for back to back patches.  

Champion = Joe Gilbert

Side Note:  Quote of the day:   "Why do I do this?  I could stay at home and claw hammering myself in the nuts , saving $17"

Team: P, Chuck, GT

Skins:  3 = Pants, 1= GT, KW, Shootzy, Senator, Cat

The Boys made a second trek to the north to lock horns with the Ranch. 

Bailey Ranch (BR) is a Bland Pittman design that plays through a neighborhood in Owasso.  It's an interesting track that has used the houses and natural terrain to set up for a fun and interesting round.  North of the major hills that run through Tulsa this course play with high winds and little to block them.  This is home to the Owasso Rams golf team which side note has a young phenom Connor H.  look for this kid to make waves in the future.  

But back to the matter at hand.  How did the Sandy Boys do on this track.  Well to sum it up Ouch, the Wind kicked ass and the still inconsistent greens put a hurt on the soles of our players.   BR went with the new greens like many of the courses and are on the struggle bus for a second year in a row.  Tulsa had a quick freeze early in the winter and it put a hurting on vegetation.  But grass was available and they had them in as good as condition as they could.  Putts rolled true but at various speeds along the track.  

One man was able to keep it in control by some insane luck of the draw, he had the best Caddie in the league in his pairing,  "The Hoff".  Hoffman was at this wits end on the state of his game.  A low single handy that as of late seen some slippage in his game.  But even with Bogie as his best friend he talked the Fabergé Egg off the cliff and drove that wagon to the end for P's first victory of the season. 

Champion = Shon P.

Side Note:  What the hell is up with pace of play.  The gap between the groups grew from Walmart size to malls of America.  I'm not sure what the solution is but we are going to have to start giving out the "Cantley"  to the player that just can't move his ass.

Team: Tie between 2 teams:  Officer, Pants, GT and P / Shootzy, Chambers, Chuck and M2G 

Skins: KW, Shootzy, Cat

One of the great courses in Tulsa is the redesigned Perry Maxwell course called Cherokee Hills.  It's the playground of the Hardrock casino in Catoosa for all the high rollers and people that just need  break from winning big at the tables.  

This is Major,  That means something not just more points for the winner but a course that will test you more then the rest.  When you step on the first tee you have a higher level of stress and desire.  This is the round that can turn the year around.  This Major didn't disappoint it created great shots and big losses.  It was a great day.

Now lets talk about the course.  It was really in great shape.  The greens were in amazing shape and to get to hit off some actual grass in the fairway was such a pleasure.  When a course does something good i think you have to take the time to call that out.  Now i want to punch the people that set the pins in the nuts so hard there grand kids get a black eye.  They set pins on slopes that you couldn't stop a ball within 3 feet of the hole.  Look I love a good false front, just like the next guy.  It's a statement that shows that Perry's fingers were on the design.  But you can't put a pin  3 feet from that false front on a downslope that when you run it by the hole you end up 30 feet down the hill and no matter what you do you walk off with a fuckin 12.  I might just be bitter but "WHAT THE HELL BOYS".  

Lets get on with the person that didn't get a 12 and stayed ahead of the pack to bring in the win. 

Champion = Cary "Officer" Aud

Side Note:  

Team:  

Skins: 2 = Senator / 1 = Dunn, Philly, Cat

Goat Hill or as it's actually known "The Canyons at Blackjack Ridge" is one of the most intriguing layouts in the Tulsa area.  The course plays from the top of the spine that runs through Tulsa and down into the valley below.  You have elevation changes, Interesting routing around this massive hill and a good combination of short and long holes.  That said, with all do respect.  The course we played was like a pissed off wife because your girlfriend gave her herpes.  The ground was hard as a rock with no grass to speak of.  Which in it's self would not be a problem, but you have a course that plays with so much ground movement balls just collect in really bad areas.   The greens were spotty on the nice side and dead as hell on the real side.  I'm not sure they have watered the greens this year yet, and we are in a drought.  Simply they have lost so many greens and the spots with grass just make a putting surface that is a hot mess.  

But even with all the course conditions we had a few players that understood the question asked of them.   Control your approach shots and miss in the right spots.  We had players that got around in as low as 86 Gross and 121 on the high side.  It clearly took down some  favorites and we see cream rising to the top.  Past favorites Schulz and Gilbert had strong showing but the silent killer in the group was Guy who making real waves  watch out for him.  

Champion = Jason "AARP" Schulz

Side Note:  

Team:  

Skins: 4 =M2G / 2 = Officer, Chuck / 1 = Guy, Doc, Pants

You hear them talk on the PGA about how they "Lost Control" of the course, or the greens were baked out.  Well now the members of the SMGL know what that is.  Heritage hills was dry as a bone even through we have had record rain in the past 2 weeks.  The greens were like putting on glass except for the few spots that were fuzzy from some actual grass growth.  at a minimum you could say they were inconsistent.  Upon coming up the 18th you could hear the pronouncement of "I don't know who picks these courses but this place is DOG SHIT!!!"  No matter the conditions it was established that everyone played the same course in the same 25mph wind, so all you can say is it was fair-ish.  

Some bright spots from the week were it was established Purcell and Potts were back 9 guys, After making a full on mess of the front side. flipping it over seemed like a place to start anew.  Philly wanted to join the back side group but never could get out of his own way or the smell, You got to really want it to be a backside boy.  The amazing thing is that Conley went from couldn't miss last week to couldn't find it this week, makes the old adage true a blind squirrel may find a nut but he's still freakin blind.   Other notables Chuck was feeling the burn with a 12 on #7 followed by 10 on #8. nothing says it's time to start drinking like going 13 over in 2 holes.   Furthermore Doc is starting to gain some momentum but still has to work on his endurance so he can finish as strong as he starts.  

All in all another great week for the boys!

Champion = Robert "ex-Commish" Potts

Side Note:  Guy and Schulz went on a boondoggle with Seacat.  Now this not only sounds like poor decision making on the part of these gentleman's wives but also on the state of AZ for letting them in.  So others stepped up and kept the side games rolling.

Team:  Senator/Pants/Doc

Skins: Phipps=2, Dunn=1, Fuller=1, Chambers=1, Potts=1

It's Week 2 so everyone has shaken off the rust from last week and are ready for the real competition to start.  As we walk to the first tee we see that the rain that fell in buckets the last week has had a tremendous impact on the course.  It's CPO and rollout is  a thing of the past.  In true Commish fashion Chuck calls us to move up to the white tees to give the guys a chance.  This clearly starts a mental breakdown with the app handicap vs the course.  People are getting 2 pops a hole and anarchy prevails.  But everyone calms down and we start play.  The course is wet but it's playable.  Scores are good not great but with the elevated handicaps every one is going low in a way of thinking.  Once again the Senator is rolling and it looks to be his season.  But the Par 5 #15 is his downfall.  He loses several in the water and flies to close the edge.  The egg is broken and that opens the door for a whole new set of players to get a win.  Purcell and Schulz are rolling with a serviceable rounds but they are no match for Phipps and Fields.  Phipps who plays 4 tourneys a year and either shots an 80 or 110 and Lonny fresh off major medical last year finished the round just as they started strong.  Those 2 put on a clinic for the rest of us, but in the end, it was a score card playoff that put Phipps in the driver seat and points in his pocket.  

Champion = Conley Phipps

Side Note:  Now Schulz has gotten into the side action starting a Skins game.  This is on top of the Team game of Guy.  So we got $10 a week of action on 2 games that still no one knows what the hell is going on.  But we have winners again:

Team: JS/CP/MJ

Skins: KW=2, Fields=1, Chambers=1

It was cold but that's nothing for the seasoned SMGL crew.  We teed off with aspirations of greatness.  New Season everyone is leading.  Then the first swings happen and the desperations hits early that maybe this season won't be different and we are destined to get our participation point and go way.

The front 9 was filled with low scores and people who had taken the offseason as time to get better not rest.  But the first time you look at that leaderboard you see the facts that you got a chance and the wheels start to fall off.  But one man held it together, at least more then the rest of us and with a uninspiring double net bogie on the last hole, we crown a champion and season 5 has started.

Champion = Mike "The Senator" Warren 

Side note:  Guy starts some kind of Team competition that no one understand but everyone is ready to participate in.  I think he might be spending too much time watching LIV golf and thinking that hey they got something .

Team Winner: CG/SM/JG