Road Warriors

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (June 29, 2010) The Oklahoma Tour surpassed the entire 2009 year with rounds played last weekend and it’s obvious that we accomplished that feat with a lot of highway miles.

Prior to embarking on the highways, flyways and waterways for the 4th of July weekend I wanted to recognize all of the Road Warriors that have participated in events from Blanchard to Grove and from Stillwater to Ft. Smith.

While I get a kick out of reporting on Mel Yates' travels and his commitment of time and natural resources to join us, we'd be remiss if we didn't recognize the travels of our members that don't live in the Panhandle, but also rack up the miles.

Grouping the regions, here are the members and what the travel looks like:

Fast and Firm?

Scott R Chilcutt, Blanchard, OK (June 26, 2010) Less than a week after the USGA touted its new “FAST and FIRM” initiative we wondered if Winter Creek Golf Club had a head start on the process when the Tour Committee hit the course on Friday for our normal reconnaissance round. That thought was short lived once we arrived at the first green. On Friday they didn’t have a lot of play before we went out so it seemed that, even though the greens were spongy, they would be very receptive to approach shots and although slow, rolled well.


Saturday would prove to be a little different. The course sold out of carts before our first 11:00 tee time and was an indication of things to come. They called in rentals by a local supplier when we refused to combine our groups into foursomes as demanded by former Oklahoma Tour Director, Larry Merrick who works part time for the course.

While an impending cart disaster was averted, all the play they booked in front of us turned those spongy greens into spongy bumpy greens that proved to be a test of patience.

Apparently not lacking any patience, Texhoma, TX ace Mel Yates fired the tournament low gross round for the 2nd week in a row shooting a 3 over par 75. Mel also won the Tournament Championship Trophy, presented by Labor Finders for the 2nd time in three weeks. James Fowler from Checotah, mentioned “he doesn’t miss any fairways”. When asked how the round was going, Roland Lewis stated “I’m just having fun watching Mel play”.

The Oklahoma Tour, surpassed the entire 2009 year in rounds played with the 7th tournament of the year at Winter Creek.

Howard Qualifies for State Amateur Championship

Scott R. Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (June 25, 2010)   Golf Channel Am Tour Player Curt Howard from Sapulpa qualified for the OGA State Amateur Champsionship throught the Page Belcher qaulifying.  Curt shot a 3 over par 74 to hold on to a T17 rank.  Howard stated, "I played pretty darn good to get my 74" and added "Same fool who shot 82 at Cherokee is going to the show"!

The OGA State Amateur Championship, a match play event, will be contested at Cedar Ridge Country Club July 12th-14th.

Meet the Tournament Committee - Tom Casady

Scott R. Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (June 24, 2010) Tom grew up in the San Francisco Bay area playing guitar in a band and had aspirations of making it big. But Uncle Sam got in the way of his national stage in 1968 and shipped Tom to Okinawa where he and his wife Trish spent the next two years.


After returning from his Army service, Tom enrolled in the Cal State University system; where he would gain bachelor degrees in History and Philosophy and would go on to form a CNC machine shop business. In the early 90’s he would sell that business and relocate to Edmond, OK to be near family.

He has since built Casady ‘n’ Company, a business similar to the one he sold in California, employees 15 people in good times, and designs, creates and manufactures a wide range of very technical products.

But what has Tom done in his spare time? Autocross racing & car rallies in the 1960's, whitewater kayaking and rafting in the 70's & 80's, and rock climbing in the 80's and 90's.

He still enjoys reading, traveling, tennis and obviously golf. After taking up the game in 1973 he co-founded and was a Director of Bay Area Masters Golf Association in the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area.

In 2007 I talked Tom and his nephew in trying out the Golf Channel Amateur Tour and they competed at Forest Hills as guests. Tom won his flight but opted to play closer to home and didn’t join the tour.

Finally successful in getting Tom to join the tour during the fall of 2008 he helped me with signage last year and competed in every Oklahoma Tour event winning the Sarazen Flight Championship and barely missed out on player of the year awards.

Tom is Chief Editor of The Revised Lectionary Bible Study, published by Paraklete Press of California, and was actively affiliated with an interdenominational Bible study ministry for 14 years.

Next time you see Tom, I’ll bet you can find something to talk about!



Tom Casady is a member of the Oklahoma Tour Tournament Committee and is a partner with Scott Chilcutt and Loyd Welch in the operation of the Oklahoma Tour. Tom can be reached @ TC3ofCnC@aol.com.

Between a Rock and a Hard Spot

Cherokee Hills Squeezes out the Best

Scott R Chilcutt, Catoosa, OK (June 19, 2010) Nestled between the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the historic ridge to the north lies the Cherokee Hills Golf Club. The course set up for the two day Club Championship had ½ of the pins in very difficult positions and added the battle with winter kill with cart paths only. Combine that with the 82% humidity and 96 degree temperatures and the conditions put the players directly in the middle of a Rock and a Hard Spot.

Ryan Cummings from Stillwater seemed up to the task, firing a career low 75, playing even par on the back nine to take his 2nd Tournament Champion, presented by Labor Finders, trophy. Cummings denied Mel Yates attempt at two in a row by one stroke.

On Course....... with Tom Casady - The Flukes of Hazard (s)

Tom Casady, Edmond, OK (June 17, 2010)     Since we are going to be competing at Cherokee Hills this weekend, I thought it might be good to forewarn everyone about a local rule on the scorecard of the golf course: “All native and wooded areas are to be played as lateral hazards”. The following should be kept in mind as we play in our tournament.

Beware, Summer is HERE!

G. Bob Fraley, MD, Edmond OK (June 15, 2010)    I was watching the St Jude, PGA tournament in  Memphis, listening to the announcers talk about the temperature and humidity. I heard about how important it was to keep well hydrated, drinking plenty of water and trying to stay cool. I heard how difficult the conditions were on the golf course relating to the weather instead of the pin placements. I also, noted how many of the pros, caddies, and support people were carrying water to keep hydrated. It was clear the focus was on avoiding a heat related problem.

On Course....... with Tom Casady - The Handicap, Day 1

Tom Casady, Edmond, OK (June 11, 2010)  I presently have in my possession a book of 149 pages. It is titled, “The USGA Handicap System”. I thought when I started reading this tomb that it was impossible to have very much to say about a simple number. I found out soon how wrong I was, again!

In the late 1970's, I was a founding member of the Bay Area Master's Golf Club, an associate golf club belonging to the Northern California Golf Association, located on the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area. One of my functions was handicaps, so I went to a class sponsored by the NCGA to learn how to use the handicap system. During the next 10 years, the new, Handicap Index system was coming into use throughout the United States, starting out with a new slope rating for courses and evolving into what we have today. And what took maybe 10 pages of instructions then, now is a book full of charts, rules and formulas. I hope I can help you understand some of it over a series of articles I have titled, “The Handicap, Day (#)”.

Players from Six States and Three Tours Take on Patricia Island Golf Club

Oklahoma Tour takes FIVE out of EIGHT Flight Champion Trophies

Scott R Chilcutt, Grove, OK (June 5, 2010) Players from Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas representing the Arkansas, Kansas City and Oklahoma Tours took to the Patricia Island Estates and Golf Course to vie for the Grand Lake Showdown awards.

Iced towels and plenty of liquids greeted the players to sunny skies, high humidity with temperatures in the 90’s. Despite a few bumpy greens, the course set itself up to some fine scoring with almost ½ the field taking to the tee’s on Friday for a practice round that proved, for some, to be an advantage.

Of those to take advantage of that practice session was first year Oklahoma / Texas Panhandle player Mel Yates. Yates has logged in excess of 5,800 highway miles this year from his Texhoma, TX home to take on the Golf Channel Am Tour competitors. In addition to winning his flight, Mel won the Labor Finders Tournament Championship trophy in a score card playoff with Gary Chrisman from Oklahoma City, OK both shooting net scores of 7 under 65’s. Mel had to get leave shortly after his Flight presentation, in route for an Albuquerque, NM benefit golf tournament on Monday.