Dormat Grass .... Winterkill ..... Budgets...

Last weekend the tournament committee played a Saturday round of golf at an unspecified location, with an unnamed member that came to Edmond a day early.

This unspecified location had NO grass, or at least everywhere I landed in the fairway it didn't have any and was clearly in the worst shape of any golf course I've played on in years.

That experience push started a lively debate with the group about what the problem was.  

Over fertilize?  Maybe it was kids?  Petroleum substance?  What did it?

Sunday, Sunday - The Open @ Coffee Creek

Sunday, Sunday!

So good to me!

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (April 25, 2010) Known as “Papa John”, John Phillips wrote and arranged Monday, Monday for the Mama’s and Papa’s in 1966. As I made my final site visit to Coffee Creek on Saturday April 24, I immediately thought of the melody while greeting players that had arrived for the April 25th (Sunday) event a day early.

The lyrics, from the only #1 song by the Mama’s and Papa’s to hit the billboard top 100, started with “Monday, Monday, so good to me, Monday mornin’ it was all I hoped it would be”

Edmond, OK’s G. Bob Fraley might have been humming the melody on his way home as he fought off a rough start to the day to bring home the Snead Flight honors with a strong back nine shooting a 94. His triumphant finish brought with it the Tournament Championship trophy, presented by Labor Finders.

Lawton’s, Brad Cooper, Chad Coogle from Bethany and The Cowboy Classic, Tournament Champion, Fairview’s K.C. Montgomery, all finished the day tied with Dr. Fraley at 4 over, net 74’s, but G. Bob prevailed in the 4 scorecard playoff to bring home the glass and sing Sunday, Sunday so good to me on his short drive to his Edmond home!

On Course ....... with Tom Casady - The Provisional

On Course with Tom Casady ......

It's your choice.


Tom Casady, Edmond, OK (April 21, 2010)     Have you been stumped by which rule to pick for a given situation? Don't feel you are alone. I've been reading the Rules of Golf since the 70's, and I still refer to the book. You can reunite annually with a new Rules of Golf book, but just in case you haven't done it this year, below is a little after winter test to see how sharp you still are on your golf's rules.

You've hit your ball into the rough on the right side of a fairway, past a water hazard, and are unable to find your ball. What would you chose as your best choice in this situation: 1) go to the hazard and drop a ball according to the rules regarding hazards and play out the hole; 2) go back to the tee and hit another ball; or 3) hit a provisional before your group leaves the tee box? One of these three choices will prevent delays. Do you know which you should pick?

Meet the Tournament Committee - Loyd Welch

Scott R. Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (April 17, 2010) Loyd Welch and I spoke last fall just before the National Championship @ PGA West about the direction of the Golf Channel Am Tour in Oklahoma.

It didn’t take long for me to realize Loyd shared the passion and excitement about the tour and was “on board” to help us take it to where it needed to go. His excitement and commitment to bringing the tour members great events and doing it the “right” way has contributed to the new Oklahoma Tour!

On Course ..... with Tom Casady "Responsibility of the Marker"

Tom Casady, Edmond, OK (April 14, 2010)  We have all had the displeasure of wondering how to handle an awkward situation. It is unpleasant to have to speak to someone about something that is incorrect, feeling it is not our place to correct. So we find ourselves on the golf course, pencil in hand, and about to write a score upon an official document that we will have to sign later showing our approval, when all of a sudden, a score is given with which we don't agree. What do I do as a marker?

Oklahoma Announces Overall Tour Player of the Year Program

Oklahoma Tour Player of the Year and Senior Tour Player of the Year Awards Announced!

Scott R. Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (April 13, 2010) In addition to Flight Champion Player of the Year Awards, Labor Finders and The RealEstate Place have stepped up support of the Oklahoma Tour and challenged each of the tour members to step up your game and win the Player of the Year awards.

Masters Saturday at the Cowboy Classic

Masters Saturday at the Cowboy Classic

New Personal Bests, New Faces

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (April 10, 2010) On this Saturday in April, 1,003 miles West / Northwest of Augusta, GA all eyes were not on the Masters, but the Golf Channel Am Tour big screen display and the results of the 2010 Cowboy Classic at Lakeside Golf Club in Stillwater, OK.

Clear skies and great springtime temperatures made the 15-25 mph gusty winds bearable but certainly didn’t make the golf course play easy. As one player put it “this course has some places that will come out and bite you and when it does it bites hard”.

Fairview, OK’s K.C. Montgomery, personal career best, 10 over par 80 brought with it the Tournament Championship trophy, presented by Labor Finders, as well as Snead Flight honors. “I kept the driver in my bag for the first 8 holes and was playing bogie golf”, stated Montgomery. “We went to the 9th hole and I told Doc (G.Bob Fraley), 'I need to do something different' and brought out the driver”, he added. K.C. finished the back nine 2 over par with a birdie on the 15th, that also secured him a skin.

Montgomery’s finish and success hasn’t come without work. After knee surgery last year he spent a great deal of the winter working with arguably the best teaching pro in Oklahoma, Steve Ball of Ball Golf, in Oklahoma City. “Steve’s a great communicator, he really helps shape my weaknesses around my strengths to get results”, stated K.C.. going on to say “I was given a certificate for Christmas for the TPI Fitness program and with Steve’s help the curriculum has done wonders for my flexibility”.

Springdale, Arkansas’s, Joshua Appeldorn, Fort Benning,Georgia, Staff Sargeant, Tommy Hotaling, DFW Tour Member, Damon Gochneaur and our new Canadian friend Jack Plummer from North Vancouver, BC made up our new traveling faces. Additionally, Sapulpa, OK’s, Curt Howard and Lon Norton from Moore, OK made their Oklahoma Tour debuts.

Cowboy Classic - Pairings / Tee Times

Pairings and Tee Times for the April 10th Cowboy Classic - Lakeside in Stillwater, OK are now posted - click here

Preview – Cowboy Classic – Lakeside

Final Preparations – Participation from AFAR!

Edmond, OK (April 5, 2010) Tournament Committee members, Tom Casady, Scott Chilcutt and Loyd Welch met April 3rd with Lakeside Golf Course head, Marny Moody and Head Superintendant Mike Buxton to go over final preparations for the April 10th, Cowboy Classic.

Lakeside’s layout and the two men’s tee designations bring some unique challenges not normally present with the standard three tee box layout.  After the site meeting, tour member K.C. Montgomery joined the three to play a round on the 1998 Tripp Davis renovation of the 1945 Labron Harris, SR design.

As a result of the uniqueness we’ve made some tournament specific changes to the normal tee’s and scorecard lengths that should bring playability and maintain pace of play while keeping the golf course the challenge its history presents.  Most of those changes pertain to the extraordinarily long par threes including the long uphill 18th and will be indicated in the tee assignments below and scorecards presented the day of the tournament.

You will notice a few new faces at the Cowboy Classic:

Seattle, WA tour member, Jack Plummer from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is making his way across the country to the Carolinas and will be stopping in Stillwater to compete.  Damon Gochneaur of Flower Mound, TX is making the trip north and Tommy Hotaling, in Tulsa visiting relatives ( David Shales, son in law) is an Army Airborne instructor from Fort Benning, GA.

Additionally, Curt Howard of Sapulpa, OK, the newest member of the Oklahoma Tour, will be joining us for the event.

We want to be sure to welcome the travelers and the new members alike!

Smethers Wins in San Antonio

San Antonio, TX (April 3, 2010) Birdies on the 4th, 12th and 14th holes leads Stigler, OK's Jimmy Smethers to victory at the Silverhorn Golf Club of Texas.

Smethers traveled south with Oklahoma City's Gary Chrisman and Antonio Phillips from Geronimo, OK to San Antonio to take on the Austin / San Anonio Tour.

Full tournament result can be found by clicking ASA Silverhorn Golf Club Results.

Fianna Hills Winner Pictures

Pictures are now up of the Fianna Hills Medalists - click here