With high school boys golf practice usually beginning in early March, most every young man encounters a stern and potentially dangerous enemy on Midwest courses, and that would be none other than Mother Nature.
She obviously is no lady when she sends freezing winds, cold rain, hail and even snow flurries zeroing in on the young men who are already battling a most difficult game. We haven’t yet mentioned the biggest bug-a-boo, that being lightning, a scourge that has plagued a multitude of golfers throughout the years. It can also impose life or death situations at times.
Things do improve to some extent as the high school season progresses. Instead of facing the aforementioned distractions, the cold and icy eventually turn into hot and humid. By the time the Indiana High School Athletic Association boys golf championship arrives in late May or early June, the mercury may climb into the upper 80’s or 90’s. A “happy medium” temperature is often not discernable, or as George Kaperak often opines, “You just can’t get ideal conditions!”
At any rate, let’s go back through the years to the early meetings between North and South on the fairways and greens where they competed for dominance not only with each other, but also with Schulte, State High and West Vigo.
The 1971-72 school year saw both North and South, by far the largest schools in Vigo County, ready for action. Each team had a number of quality players and North coach Howard Sharpe had been playing motivational tapes in an effort to elicit lower scores from his squad.
May 4 arrived and a much anticipated 18 hole dual match pitting North against South was under way, but soon darkened skies and a cold wind descended on Rea Park. After a crash of thunder, heavy rain, the sight of lightning, and hail stones that made it difficult to tell a golf ball from a ball of ice, the contest officially was called a match at the end of nine holes.
What seemed to be a hailstone resting one foot from the flagstick on the ninth hole proved to be a golf ball that belonged to North’s Gregg Kluesner. When he tapped it into the cup to conclude the match, it proved to be a harbinger of what was to come and it wouldn’t be good news for South.
Kluesner’s birdie gave him an even-par 36, a superb effort considering the terrible conditions. Mike Fenoglio added a solid 37, Dan Royer had 38 and Rick Cartwright scored 39 for an outstanding team total of 150. Don Alumbaugh’s 43 wouldn’t count unless the match ended in a tie, which of course it didn’t.
South totaled 164 with Al Gurman and Jay Smith posting 39s for the best the Braves could muster. Terry Metheny and Bob Olah would add 41 and 45 respectively, whereas, John Moulton scored 47.
Round one belonged to North, but it didn’t take long before the Patriots were flexing their golf muscles again. This time they went down to Jasper and claimed the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference Championship.
In late May, South did manage a degree of revenge when the teams tied with 324 totals for the Vigo County championship. This deadlock required a sudden-death playoff with all five players on each team combining their four low scores on each playoff hole until a winner was determined.
The Braves were going with freshman, John Moulton, who had carded a 77 which included an even par 36 on the back nine. Also, Bob Olah and Terry Metheny, who each fired 80’s, while Al Gurman and Jay Smith carded 83 and 84 respectively.
Dan Royer claimed medalist honors with a sterling 71. He was joined in the playoff with Kluesner at 82 and Don Alumbaugh on 83. Fenoglio and Cartwright each required 86 strokes.
When Moulton and Metheny rolled in 7-foot birdie putts, the South total was one under par and two better than the one over par fashioned by North.
It was Schulte picking up third position with a 341 total as Earl Elliott shot a 76 to lead the Golden Bears while Mark Neaderheiser helped out with an 83. Mark Tanner was the low man for State High’s fourth-place finishers with an 86. David Abel and Jon Schedler each scored 91s for the Young Sycamores, who finished with a 363 total. West Vigo was next with 396. Mike Weger’s 96 was low for the Vikings.
This was just a temporary setback for North as the Patriots won the ‘72 sectional title by three shots as they combined for a 311 total with Dan Royer again leading the way with a 74. The Braves got a pair of 77s from Metheny and Olah as they totaled 314.
North was now set to become the first Vigo County team to qualify for the IHSAA golf finals and there was little reason to think they would fail to achieve its goal. The regional was held at Cascades Golf Course in Bloomington, and it took a top three finish to qualify for the finals at Old Oakland located a few miles east of Indianapolis in Oaklandon.
North, with a 311 total looked like a sure thing for third place behind Bloomington with 301 and Indianapolis North Central with 303. Then the unthinkable happened. The number one man for Indianapolis Arlington roared home with a 33 in near darkness. This gave his team a 310 total and the final spot in the state finals. It was a heartbreaking loss for a team that had experienced a great golf season.
The following year was a big one for South golfers. They won the SIAC championship, the Vigo County Championship, and despite losing the sectional to North, came out a week later to win the IHSAA regional crown and advance to the state finals.
With a blend of three talented seniors, Bob Olah, Steve Metheny and Steve Cass along with a pair of consistent sophomores, John Moulton and Fred Bonewell, South was a formidable foe in nearly every competition entered.
They would be challenged by a North team which boasted some familiar names in Terre Haute golf circles such as Jon Holloway, Steve Thompson, Randy Harmon, Mike Fenoglio and Don Alumbaugh.
We will take another look at a bygone era of high school golf at a later date.
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When Tim Clements’ and Kenny Bosc combined to win the recent better-ball tournament played at Lost Creek Golf Club at the Elks, we posed an innocent question to each of the players on the winning duo. We asked, “Who did most of the work that led to their eight under par 64?”
Clements advised it was he who contributed the lion’s share of the team’s score. When advised of Clement’s comment, Bosc replied he was the one who was responsible for most of the tandem’s pars and birdies which led to the victory. So we did what any investigative reporter would do, we scheduled lie detector tests for each golfer.
Results are in with Clements receiving a totally innocent rating, whereas Bosc’s test was returned as “inconclusive”. Such is the court of public opinion.
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• Tip of the week — Don’t neglect using the “Texas wedge” when the occasion arises. When your lie is tight or there is little green between you and the flagstick, a putter may produce your best result. Just last Sunday, nearing the end of his round, Dennis Watson used the putter from more than 10 yards off the green, and he ran his shot a couple of feet from the cup. It helped Watson insure a senior tour, two stroke victory. This shot takes some practice, but it obviously can produce desirable results.
Keep your head down and your shoestrings tied. We’ll be back.
Bob Arnett can be reached by e-mail at subob@aol.com.
Vigo County Golf Leagues
Paitson’s Roofing Eastside Ladies — Standings (through May 29): Sandy’s Touch of Magic 236, Turner Coach 222, Mowbray Consulting 221, Baesler’s Market 206, Coaches Corner 200, Daphne’s Beauty Shop 185, Advanced Chiropractic 167, Page’s Market 163. Low gross — Ann Hart 40. Low net — Virginia Clark 27. Play of the day: Hart. Chip-ins — Sandy Hicks (4). Birdie — Betty Swanson (1).
T.H. Elks ladies 9-hole — Low gross: Darby Guglielmetti. Low net: Mary Silvers, Low Putts: Vivian Neimeyer. Play of the day: Mary Shake, Darby Guglielmetti, Chip-in: Rita Depasse, Mid Wills.
Charlie’s Tuesday Night Men at Hulman Links — Standings: Hulman Links No. 1 159, Charlie’s No. 1 147, Charlie’s No. 4 135, Charlie’s No. 3 119, Charlie’s No. 2 108, Hulman Links No. 2 11. Low gross — Gregg Kluesner 35. Low net — Mark Trendleman 31.
Rea Park Tuesday Women 18-hole — Low gross: Sharon Horrall 77. Low net: Beth Lowe 66. Birdies: Elizabeth Newton (2), Stephanie Meyer (15). Chip-in: Lowe (5). Play of the day: Horrall.
Idle Creek Home Builders League — Low gross: Kurt Jones 39, Donnie Aldrich 39. Low net: Jack Simpson 32. Proximity winners: Longest putt: Dan Ridge (No. 14). Closest to pin: Brian Holley (No. 12), Brian Allen (No. 16).
Idle Creek Wednesday evening — Low gross: Sean Brinkman, Brad Binns, Charlie Brinkman 37. Low net: Charles Sullivan, Al Chruch, Ron Forester 41. Longest putt: Al Church (No. 2). Closest to pin: Brad Binns (No. 3), Sean Brinkman (No. 9).
Chandler Construction (May 21) — Team results: First place (Misty Chandler, Steve Jarvis), Second place (Sue and B.L. Chandler), Third place (Cindy, Blaine Chandler). Low gross (men): Steve Jarvis, B.L. Chandler, Blaine Chandler 44. Low gross (women): Misty Chandler, Cindy Chandler, Bonnie Chandler 51. Low net (men): Bobby Grizzle 33. Low net (women): Cindy Chandler 33, Bonnie Chandler 33.
Rub of the Green
Rub of the Green: Prep rivalries of past era live on
- Rub of the Green
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Ryder Cub drama a great part of American sports scene
The recent Ryder Cup matches are over, but not done with! At the time the final match had concluded the “talking heads” had already gone to work assessing blame to those who didn’t live up to their preconceived expectations.
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Snedeker the big winner after FedEx Championship
The season-long FedEx Championship has finally come to an end and Brandt Snedeker may need a Brinks truck to haul his winnings to the bank.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Memories of Crooked Stick
The BMW tournament that concluded Sept. 9 at Crooked Stick in Carmel brought back a flood of memories.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: "Fair Joe" known expects rules to be followed in local hunts
Fair Joe is the name and golf is the game when referring to Joe Bukovack, who has sponsored hunts in Terre Haute as well as throughout Indiana during the past 25 years.
The “Fair” in Joe’s title refers to the fact that players who wish to participate in Bukovack’s competition must be willing to follow the rules of golf to the letter, otherwise they will not be invited to participate. -
RUB OF THE GREEN: Enjoying the game after all these years
When golf is referred to as “The Game for a Lifetime,” you’ve got to believe that description is definitely on target. For example, there is the Danny Williams hunt that converges on the first tee at The Landing on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Many players are in their 70s and retired dentist, Bill Aikin, has seen 92 birthdays.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Hunts still popular on golf course
There is something about golf that lends itself to some friendly competition and in times gone by, the competitions were called “choose-ups.” Somewhere along the line, choose-ups became “hunts.” Regardless of what you call them, they remain a most popular mode of play for Terre Haute divot-diggers on courses throughout the Wabash Valley.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Heat doesn’t deter Terre Haute golfers
“When you’re hot, you’re hot, and when you’re not, you’re not.” Those are the words of country singer Jerry Reed and they apply to golfers as well.
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Rub of the Green: Father’s golf imprint still evident today
I was lucky and I knew it. My father, Robert Erwin Arnett, was one of the best dads any youngster could hope for.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Hogan, small of stature, left big footprints
With the Crowne Plaza Invitational being played at Colonial Country Club today, it conjures up images of the man himself, Bantam Ben Hogan, who won so often at Colonial it became known as “Hogan’s Alley.”
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Rub of the Green: Bowling or golf? Both provide plenty of challenge
The question has been raised in the past, is it bowling or golf that is the more difficult endeavor?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Sometimes this can be a confounding game
To be sure, the great Sam Snead certainly knew what he was talking about when he delivered his favorite axiom, “The sun don’t shine on the same dog every day.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Grayless takes over as golf professional at Hulman Links
Ed Grayless has assumed the “head man’s” position at the Links after Ryan Klopfenstein resigned as Hulman Links golf professional in order to pursue other interests.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Young players should match course to skills
One of the biggest mistakes a beginning golfer can make is to keep playing a golf course that is far too difficult for the ability demonstrated by that player.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: On the lanes or links, Davis is competitive
Darrell Davis carries a 240 bowling average which obviously puts him in some strong company on the alleys, but he feels that golf is a much more difficult sport than keggling.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Loquacious golfers can provide priceless quotes
Golfers always seem to have a great deal to say, but determining who said what and who said it first can be a problem.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Rick Fernandes can look back on a great golf career
What does an outstanding golfer have left when an accident has robbed him of the consummate skills he once possessed? The answer most assuredly would be one word, “Memories.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Feherty’s humor good for golf
David Feherty is an extremely funny man. If you have read his book written a few years ago, you might have guessed what to expect from him. The book, entitled “Somewhere in Ireland a Village is Missing an Idiot,” set the stage for his far out brand of humor, most of which is directed at himself.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: It's all in your head
A pair of divot diggers had been discussing their favorite sport when one could be heard saying, “You know, I think this game is 90 percent mental.” After a short pause his friend replied, “Well, I think you’re about 10 percent short in your estimation.”
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Golf: ‘The Game You Love to Hate’
Golf has been called “The Game You Love to Hate.” In addition, love-hate relationships have been around since the beginning of time.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf is only sport that offers both hilarity, pathos
It’s been stated more than once that “golf is a microcosm for life itself.”
This writer would heartily agree. No sport or game can offer combinations of happiness and sadness, hilarity and pathos as evidenced by an activity called “cow pasture pool” by some of its practitioners. -
RUB OF THE GREEN: Even golfers say there is drug problem on Tour
Are professional golfers using performance-enhancing drugs? This writer wouldn’t have the foggiest, but if you asked Gary Player, one of the game’s greatest, the answer would be a resounding, “Yes.”
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Not all golfers display their trophies
Back in the “old days,” let’s say the 1940s, most of the time when you won something in a golf tournament your prize came in the form of a trophy. That was it, just a dust catcher. Later, merchandise prizes were added.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf full of colorful characters
Every sport has its own cast of characters and golf is definitely no exception. Whether it is diving head first into a greenside bunker or tying an unreliable putter to a car’s bumper and dragging it down the road, golfers can do some strange things.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Winter made golf impossible this year
Old Man Winter along with Mother Nature must have something against area golfers. They have joined forces to sabotage a sport called winter golf, an activity many Wabash Valley players have enjoyed in years gone by.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Golf instruction a strenuous art
Few who have ever tried their hands at playing the game of golf would describe the sport as “easy”. In fact, just the opposite would be the case.
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BOB ARNETT: No matter what your level, watch out for pressure
What is the affliction that can affect most any golfer from those who can’t break an egg to skilled golfers who can break 70?
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RUB OF THE GREEN: THGA tournaments include variety, long history
In days gone by, the Terre Haute Golf Association has always offered more than just a 72-hole stroke play tournament.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: PGA playoff system still needs work
Is anyone fed up with the convoluted Fed Ex playoffs? The PGA has been tweaking its so-called Fed Ex playoff system for years, and they never seem to get it right.
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Rub of the Green: Golf can be roller coaster for young pros
Dustin Johnson may be best remembered for his appearances in the major tournaments in 2010, but not because he won. He didn’t win. But he came awfully close.
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Rub of the Green: One size does NOT fit all when it comes to golfing ability
Literally hundreds of books have been written on the subject of golf instruction, and we can be certain they all agree on one fundamental, always keep your head stationary throughout the swing.
Right? Nope, wrong as it could be! How’s that, you say? As examples both David Duval and Annika Sorenstam at one time were rated the world’s No. 1 professional golfers, respectively, and both swiveled their heads well before their clubheads reached the impact zone. In fact, Duval is one of a select few who has a 59 to his credit on the PGA Tour. - More Rub of the Green Headlines
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Ryder Cub drama a great part of American sports scene
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