"If you want to take long walks, take long walks. If you want to hit things with sticks, hit things with sticks. But there’s no excuse for combining the two and putting the results on TV.
Golf is not so much a sport as an insult to lawns."
~National Lampoon, 1979
"Give me the fresh air, a beautiful partner, and a nice round of golf,
and you can keep the fresh air and the round of golf."
~Jack Benny
One of my early ideas when I created my Updated Bucket List for YEAR 77 was to repeat some of the activities I had enjoyed in the past but hadn't done for a long time. Golfing is one of those activities. It's hard to believe, but it's been almost 30 years since I played a round of golf. I thought getting back on the links for a "game for fun" would be an interesting activity.
The Ron Hadfield Year 77 Golf Tournament: My plan was to ask a friend to play some golf with me just for the fun of it. I knew that Steve and his friend Karan were golfers, and I also know Steve well enough to know that he could handle playing a round of golf with someone who hadn't played in a long time and wasn't going to take it seriously. So I asked him if I could play 9 holes with him at his convenience, and of course he said yes. To my surprise, within a day or two I received an email from Steve and Karan saying that they not only planned on playing golf with me, but they were organizing a tournament so a bunch of friends could also join us. They were aware of my preoccupation with the number seven and it was clear in this first email that 7 would be used to excess in the tournament and also that it would be a lot of fun.
Steve and Karan went way beyond the call of duty in planning, organizing and implementing this somewhat crazy golf tournament. It was obvious from the time you arrived at the golf course through to the awards ceremony afterward that they had put a tremendous amount of effort (and money) into making this a really pleasurable morning of golf, and lots of visiting and fun among a group of friends.
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Description of the Tournament: The information in the email shown below was sent to all those playing in the golf tournament or attending as an observer:
From: Karan Davies and Steve Hunt
Subject: The Ron Hadfield "Year 77" Golf Tournament
We are looking forward to seeing all of you this Tuesday, November 7th, for the first and only Ron Hadfield "Year 77" Golf Tournament.
Rancho Duarte Golf Course
1000 Las Lomas Road
Duarte, CA 91010
626-357-9981
www.ranchoduartegolfcourse.org/directions/
The first tee time is at 7:57 AM followed by tee times of 8:07 AM, 8:17 AM and 8:27 AM. There will be one golf cart available for each foursome. This cart can be used by the golfers or any observers who wish to follow the tournament.
We will be there early to check everyone in and answer any questions. We will have a pot of coffee waiting. If possible arrive around 7:07 AM. Spectators can come later if they wish, but should be there by around 9:27 AM, or before, to see the first golfers coming in on the 9th hole.
All green fees, beers and Bloody Mary's are free. There will be a no host awards breakfast after the tournament on the patio of the golf course. Awards will be given to the low gross man and woman players as well as a special, very expensive, tournament champion winner's plaque. All awards will be decided by the tournament committee. All decisions are final.
Attached please find the tournament rules and foursome pairings.
Feel free to call if you have questions or need additional information.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you and enjoying a fun round of very serious golf.
Steve Hunt and Karan Davies
818-388-8732
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The Ron Hadfield
Year "77"
Golf Tournament Rules
Rule #7-1
Have Fun !!!
Rule #7-2
You must use a 7 iron on the 107 yard 7th hole.
Rule #7-3
Have Fun !!!
Rule #7-4
If you use your 7 iron to putt and the ball stops within 7" of the hole the putt is good.
Rule #7-5
Have Run !!!
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The Ron Hadfield
Year "77"
Foursome Pairings
Foursome #7 Tee Time 7:57
Ron Hadfield
Jim Newman
Warren Preston
Art White
Foursome #77 Tee Time 8:07
Bill and Susan Boyd
John and Ruth Ann Berg
Foursome #777 Tee Time 8:17
Don and Debbie Russ
Gary and Patty Boyett
Foursome #7777 Tee Time 8:27
Gary and Lynne Naeve
Gerard Conijn
Bill Taylor
Karan Davies
Steve Hunt
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In addition to the golfers listed above, Quentin & Barbara Covert, Heather Hadfield Daly, Bonnie Hadfield, Harry & Barbara Terrill, and Connie White attended the tournament as observers.
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SO MUCH FOR THE SET UP
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT
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"Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants,
today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing."
Dave Barry
There was no doubt we were in the right place as we approached the golf course.
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Karan and Steve were there at the golf course patio to greet everyone and check them in (with John B sneaking into the first photo with Karan). Coffee was brewing and bloody marys were available for those so inclined. Steve took a photo of me before the action began so I could show off my 1965 Hush Puppy golf shoes and my full set of used golf clubs - a seven iron and a putter.
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Everyone was given a goodie bag - golfers and observers alike. The goodies were slightly different between the golfers and the observers. Each bag included a travel mug (an adult sippy cup), the participant's bag included a plaque decorated with a golf ball in the grass, a "Top-Flite" golf ball adorned with the tournament name, and a special ball marker. The observers bag included a plaque ("Official Observer") decorated with eyes, a practice golf ball, and a unicorn belt buckle with a note that says, "I can think of absolutely NO GOOD REASON to include this in a golf tournament "goodie bag"!
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Golfing began, as stated in the invitation, at 7:57 AM and proceeded each 10 minutes thereafter. The biggest challenge on the first tee was Stanley, the raven. He was quite a pest, trying to find food in the golf bags and landing on the heads of several of the golfers. The golfers are shown below. From the left: 1st photo - Warren P, Ron, Quent (cart driver and Warren's caddie), Art W, and Jim N; 2nd photo - Bill B, Susan B, Ruth Ann, John B; 3rd photo - Don R, Debbie, Patty, Gary B; 4th photo - Bill T, Steve, Gerard, Lynne, Gary N, Karan.
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When the golfers had all completed the 9th hole, the group assembled on the patio for breakfast (or lunch?) and the awards ceremony. In the photos below, from the left: 1st photo - Karan, Steve, Gary N, Lynne, Harry, Barbara T; 2nd photo - John B, Art W, Ruth Ann, Bill B, Susan B; 3rd photo - Barbara C, Heather, Bonnie H, Quent, Jim N, Warren P; 4th photo - Gerard, Gary B, Patty, Debbie, Don R, Bill T.
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Steve conducted the awards ceremony, giving a sleeve of fine "Top-Flite" golf balls adorned with the tournament name to Debbie with the low score for the women and Jim N with the low score for the men. Looks like Jim is getting an additional prize.
Then Steve presented the Grand Prize - a special, very expensive, tournament champion winner's plaque, which was given to the player that had the 7th lowest score of all the players. Ruth Ann was the tournament champion.
Below is a closer look at the champion's plaque.
So that was the first and only Ron Hadfield Year 77 golf tournament. I think everyone had a great time and I really appreciate the work that Steve and Karan put in to organize everything.
A Little History: My first experience with golf was when I was in junior high school and I worked as a caddie at the Logan Golf and Country Club. I never played a round of golf while working there. It was just part of my plan as a young boy to have "My Own Money." Beginning when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade I sold punch on the street corner, sold worms to fishermen, picked beans and thinned beets, delivered newspapers, tied mattress tufts at a local mattress factory, set pins at the local bowling alley (manual, mechanical pin setting machines in those days), caddied at the local golf course, and worked at the Logan Roller Rink.
When I moved to California in the early 1960s I played with Merlin and Mel at the South Pasadena Arroyo Seco 3-Par course quite often for several years, which was fun and really helped my "short game." During my career as a financial officer I was invited to play golf many times by banks, CPA firms, and law firms that we were doing business with. This was not serious golf and I enjoyed it and the related social activities very much. While working at Hydril Company during the 1970s I had the privilege to play the old course at St. Andrews while on a business trip to Scotland. I have always mentioned this to my friends when they brag about the various tough courses they have played. I played golf in a Security Pacific National Bank Outing held for their financial officer clients in June 1988. I've played only once or twice since then.
Photos below from left: 1st row- My perfect golf swing at St. Andrews; a few of my Hydril associates playing at a company sponsored tournament.
2nd row- A group of participants in a tournament at an Oil Tool Industry Conference, and the last photo of me, when enlarged shows that the ball is still in place - (a miss or a practice swing??).
I understand the attraction of golf by many of my buddies, but I think it is quite addicting and time consuming for a single activity. I have always preferred to be addicted to running, hiking, skiing, biking and motorcycling.
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