TERRE HAUTE — Several decades in the past, there were a couple of golf competitions that players enjoyed. These events were always open to players of all abilities and entry fees were minimal.
I’m referring to “Ringer Scores” and “Blind Bogies.” To play in a Ringer you might have put up a dollar or two and sign your name on a score sheet which was usually placed on a wall in the pro shop.
To begin, you simply put up the score you made on each hole. In subsequent rounds each time you bettered the score you made the time before on a hole, you erased that score and replaced it with the lower current score. There was no limit to the number of rounds an individual played during the time period the Ringer ran. Often a new event would begin each month.
The honor system was usually utilized, but if necessary, a stipulation could be made that a scorecard should be submitted for each round and it should be attested by another player entered in the Ringer competition.
Blind Bogey tournaments were organized to give all participants an even chance to share in the prize money or merchandise. Each month during the summer Quaker Maid Company sponsored a Blind Bogey for their golfing employees. There may have been a inexpensive entry fee, but most of the tournament expenses were borne by the company as well as a meal at the conclusion of play.
The objective in a Blind Bogey was to shoot a net score somewhere between 70 and 80 strokes. For example, if your usual score was 90 you might pick a 15-handicap. That would leave you with a 75 net and allow you to play a little better or worse than your target score. If your net score was outside the 70 to 80 range, you were not eligible to be in the drawing for a prize.
At the conclusion of play, slips of paper bearing the numbers 70 through 80 were put in the hat and the number drawn out would signify the winning score. There might be more than one player on the lucky number and that would necessitate another drawing from among those who tied, or duplicate prizes could be awarded.
With a Blind Bogey each month, tournament sites were shuffled among courses at Terre Haute, Linton, Sullivan, Paris and Brazil. The personnel department at Quaker Maid was responsible for administering these immensely popular golf outings.
A tip of the hat to Zach Hosking for a superb 68 at West Chase Golf Club during the Brownsburg Invitational. Zach’s father, Gary, and uncle, Brian, were both excellent players on South’s golf team several years ago, but I can’t remember that either of them ever posted a 68.
We’d like to add our congratulations to Kyle Miller who recently has been named head golf professional at the prestigious Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, one of the finest venues in the U.S.
After playing for North’s Patriots for four seasons, Miller earned a degree in Professional Golf Management from Ferris State University. During the past three years, he has been the first assistant at Crooked Stick Golf Club.
Congrats again Kyle and best wishes on an outstanding career in professional golf.
TIP OF THE WEEK: If slicing is a problem, check to see that club shafts placed across the shoulders, hips, knees and toes are all parallel and point on a line that is parallel to your line of flight. If your shoulders point across the line from outside in, you are apt to hit the dreaded “banana ball.”
Rub of the Green
Rub of the Green: Ringer Scores and Blind Bogies added to golf’s fun
- Rub of the Green
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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. -
Rub of the Green: Gerstmeyer Tech’s reknown Les Brown made his mark in plethora of sports
Les Brown never had a middle name, not even a middle initial. What he did have was an abundance of athletic ability that he utilized to earn letters in five different sports during his senior year at Gerstmeyer Technical High School.
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Rub of the Green: An inspiring walk of 1,000 miles
Watching the young man on the TV screen move from place to place was like watching the human body battle itself. It seemed as though his arms and legs each wanted to go in separate directions, as he flailed about with only a cane to steady himself.
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Rub of the Green: From fundraiser to reunited, game of golf wears many different ‘hats’
The game of golf can take on many different characteristics, depending on the objectives of those sponsoring the events. Golf may be played as a tribute or a memorial to the deceased. It may be a time of camaraderie that unites old friends.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Excursions are a tradition for many Terre Haute golfers
Many divot diggers enjoy excursions to play golf courses that offer new and different challenges. Terre Haute can certainly testify to the truth of that with some groups having hit the road for many decades.
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Rub of the Green: Was 1960 really the ‘Greatest Year in Golf’?
Listening to Willie Nelson warble the lyrics, “Ain’t it funny how time slips away?” reminds this writer that those words are incorrect on two counts. One, it is not funny to get old. The late Bob Bundy often stated, “Old age is not for sissies.” And two, time doesn’t just slip away, it tends to streak on at a full gallop. At least, that’s the felling you get when you qualify for the Methuselah Flight of your club championship.
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Rub of the Green: Basketball coaching legend Wooden could hold his own on golf course
The name John Wooden doesn’t just “ring a bell” with Indiana basketball aficionados; it resounds like a canon shot. No doubt about it, John Wooden is someone special, and that is a gross understatement.
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RUB OF THE GREEN: Can Tiger Woods successfully make over his me-first image?
“Pain, despair and agony on me” are the words of a comical song made popular on an old TV program titled “Hee-Haw.” The refrain might have been heard again if you had occasion to drive by the Tiger Woods residence in the gated community of Isleworth, Fla., as the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday wound down, but this time no one was laughing.
- Rub of the Green: Course architect Pete Dye has had lasting impression on game It would seem that the more you learn about Pete Dye, the golf course architect, the more there is to admire about the man. It was decades ago when Dye determined that the insurance business was not for him, and he decided to begin designing golf courses. Even Pete, himself, in all likelihood, couldn’t have known the impact he was going to make on the golf world.
- RUB OF THE GREEN: French Lick course a treasure With pristine fairways, greens and bunkers providing a colorful patchwork, the course provides onlookers with the opportunity to witness some of the best experiences Mother Nature can provide.
- RUB OF THE GREEN: Strange stories connected to golf
- Rub of the Green: Holmes held ‘corner on the market’ of club championships When it comes to winning club championships it would appear that amiable Ron Holmes has held a “corner on the market” while winning a total of 28 of these titles throughout his 50 years as an amateur golfer.
- Rub of the Green: Woods vs. Yang at PGA proves anything can happen Tiger Woods wants to win major golf championships, and he wants to win them in the worst way. With 14 of them already in his resume, it looked obvious that the 2009 PGA Championship would be No. 15, especially since Tiger, No. 1 in the world, had never lost a major holding the lead going into the final round. But then, as most golfers know, cow pasture pool can be a crazy, weird and wild game.
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