Pro Golf Opens Its Heart

Hello. Are there any better stories in the sports world today than these two?
Ladies first. Dakoda Dowd, 13, fulfills her dying mom's wish by playing in an LPGA event. And shoots 74! Absolutely amazing. Give everyone involved an A+ for this event happening. What a selfless act by everyone. To be able to give someone a lasting memory like this is such a powerful thing.
Next, the men. Phil Mickelson and others are going to donate their winnings this week to Katrina victims. Again, what a selfless act. I know some cynical people out there are saying, well, Phil can afford it. Of course he can. But then ask yourself if you found $20 on the street if you would give it to your favourite charity, or any other charity for that matter.
In these times when many of the pro sports headlines seemed to be centered around money and corruption, isn't it refreshing to here how they can also benefit those who have been met with tragedy?
And really, hasn't golf always taken the lead amongst all sports in that area? At the pro level, and at the local level? I'm playing in a charity event next Friday for my favourite charity, cystic fibrosis. There are thousands of these events every year. Golfing and helping someone at the same time? Sounds like the ultimate win-win.
Give some thought to how your golf knowledge can help someone. You may surprise yourself.

Regards,
Steve

"He Has No Potential"

Hello. On the eve of the NFL draft, the start of NHL and NBA playoffs, the beginning of MLB, the end of curling season and thestart of golf in my part of the world, I find myself hearing the word "potential" often.
For some it was a curse to have so much potential. Phil Mickelson comes to mind. John Elway was in that category until he won two Super Bowls.
Then there are others who are felt to have underachieved, even if they had some impressive achievements. Greg Norman. Eric Lindros. Ralph Sampson. Clint Hurdle.
Vince Young of Texas is a strange story. He lead his team to the national championship, beating a tremendous USC team almost singlehandly. He's said to have almost limited potential. Yet his stock seems to be dropping if anything. He may not be drafted in the top 3, which the day after the Rose Bowl would've been almost unthinkable.
How many athletes have ever heard anyone say, "he has no potential"? Maybe I should clarify that by saying How many GREAT athletes have ever heard anyone say "he has no potential"?
I gave a hint of my answer in the second question. The Great One.
Wayne Gretzky and I were born in the same year 30 miles apart. We both played hockey. We both golf.
That's where the similarities end.
How many times did people say Wayne was "too" something - too small, too weak, too short, too light, too slow?
How many times did he prove them wrong?
There have been more talented athletes - Lemieux, Orr, Tiger, Owens, Bonds, Chamberlain, Jordan.....
How many of those athletes had no potential? None.
We're always left wondering with athletes if they fulfilled their potential.
With Gretzky we aren't.
While it's been a rough year for him, I can say Gretzky is still the only elite athlete I've ever seen with no potential.
And that's what makes him the best ever.

Regards,
Steve

Rejection is Tough

This week I had to return some consignment items that didn't sell at our event Saturday. I could see the look of disappointment in the owners' eyes. It's tough seeing your item come back, knowing no one bidded on it at an event that made $31,000.
One of the owners had a theory (and he may be right) that I picked the wrong item for my crowd. However, the odds of not getting one bid from 150 people are < 1% (0.75% to be precise).
My theory is the donated items can be started at 40-50% of retail. Anything we get is profit. The consignment items have to be started at 75-80% of retail to cover costs. We need more than one bid to make any money.
Consignment items also have to be returned to the owner if not sold. If they get damaged before being back in the store, we're on the hook. We had a couple of unsold donated items that we simply gave to another charitable event.
Next year I believe we will go without consignment items. What I'm asking them is to instead give us a $100 gift certificate. That way it can be sold for $50+, which we keep, and the purchaser goes into the store to use it, which pleases the owner.
I believe this is a true win-win.

Regards,
Steve

In Response to George

Hello. George White at thegolfchannel.com is one of my favourite columnists. He always seems to have a different angle on things, and he responds to emails.
In his latest column, he comments on Greg Norman inviting Annika Sorenstam to play in the Shark Shootout in November. George says this is a bit strnage coming from Norman, who is apparently in favour of women playing on the PGA Tour as long as they qualify rather than getting a sponsor's exemption. George then recommends Annika play from forward tees during the event to get "a fair chance".
Here is my reply:

Hello George. I'm all for Annika or any other woman playing in a PGA Tour event. I was thrilled when Suzy Whaley got the ball rolling, because now I can tell my daughter when she grows up that women can do anything.
I also believe that if you're against women being given sponsors exemptions, then you're against sponsors exemptions period. Ask Mr Norman if that's his position. If it isn't then ask him what the difference is between Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie and Mark Rypien. The main difference is Wie and Sorenstam were competitive, and Rypien wasn't (Rypien, who is Canadian and won a Super Bowl quarterbacking Washington, is apparently a pretty good golfer. However, when given an exemption to play in the Kemper Open in the Washington area, did not break 80 on either day, and was last by a mile). If people think Sorenstam and Wie haven't been competitive because they missed the cut, compare them to Rypien, who ballooned. Needless to say, Sorenstam and Wie were under much more pressure than Rypien was, or any other sponsor exemption player ever is. Annika was arguably under more pressure at Colonial than any athlete ever has been.
The bigger question is, why are short hitters no longer competitive? Annika can hit it 263, which is respectable in my books (I'm a scratch, and I don't hit it that far). If there is interest in making all players competitive, the PGA tournaments may want to look at the Players
Championship. The TPC is relatively short, and has produced long and short hitting champions. Then again, the tournaments probably want champs named Woods, Mickelson, Els and Singh instead of Funk, Weir and Janzen.
In summary, I think this issue is gender neutral. If you want Annika or other short hitters to be competitive, do something else besides letting them hit from forward tees. Narrow the fairways, grow the rough, plant more trees, make "going for it" have more risk, shrink the greens, speed up the greens, put in more strategic hazards, etc. That way, if the short hitters do win, there will be no asterisk. Just my opinion.

Regards,
Steve

On Cloud 9

Hello. Well, we had our Cystic Fibrosis (CF) fundraiser Saturday. It was our 7th annual dinner/dance. Every year we've had a sellout, and every year we've made more money than the previous year. Did we continue those trends?
I'm happy to say we did. We sold out again, and raised over $30,000 for CF research. Yahoo! The only way I could be happier is if I was the only person in the world with CF.
What's been our secret? We've been able to adapt to our crowd by listening. Our first year we had just a dance. It was a great way to start, because expenses were minimal. We got a sell-out, and raised $10,000. Both indicated we were onto something good.
The feedback we got back was people wanted more of an evening out. We added the dinner, which ended up cutting the number of people since the tables took up more room, sold out again, and in spite of fewer people raised $12,000.
The third year we kept things the same, sold out again, got more auction items and raised $13,000.
The fourth year we looked at expenses, realized we could cut our entertainment by having live acts donate their performances, and raised $17,000 with another sell out.
More of the same in the fifth year; another sell-out and $21,000.
The 6th year saw a return to an expensive act, better auction items, another sell-out and $26,000.
What some of us realized was in spite of the record, the people were not dancing. They were more interested in mixing in the lounge or going to the auction tables. In fact they found the live act too loud.
This year we got a quieter act for free. The results kept coming.
Now some of us have concluded we don't need a dance at all. This would mean we could get more people in our venue (an extra 4 tables could boost us from 150 to 182), meaning more bidding and ticket money. The people we'rve surveyed the last 2 days say they'd come without a dance portion.
One organizer is against the no-dance movement. Will it kill it? Time will tell. I hope common sense prevails, which is why I've asked a participant who feels strongly about the no dance option to talk to the organizer. Since I'm a man and a husband, I don't get listened to very often. That's why I have been the listener, and not the listenee.

Regards,
Steve

The Best People to Learn Golf From

Hello. Last night I played with a person who taught me a lot about golf. Who was it? David Leadbetter? A local pro? The club champion? None of the above?
That's right, it was none of the above.
The person I played with was a junior golfer.
Was he better than me? No.
Did he know a lot about the golf swing? No.
Did he even know he was teaching me? No.
So why was he a good teacher? Because he taught by example.
What did I learn? How to approach each shot with no doubt, and no fear.
I picked it up right away too. On the 2nd hole I was tentative. I healed my drive, hit a tree with my second, and made a nice double bogey. Meanwhile my playing partner was right down the middle without any worries.
On the next tee I just got up and swung. I hit every drive down the middle from then on.
Same thing on the greens. They're still a bit slow, but I was way short on my early putts. After watching the junior player slam them into the back of the hole. I started doing the same.
The result? I'm ready to go out on Sunday loaded for bear, instead of being apprehensive.
Play with a junior as often as possible. It does wonders for your game.

Regards,
Steve

The Begining of The End?

Hello. Read the following story today
http://www.tsn.ca/golf/news_story.asp?id=163111. In it the RCGA admits Bell will no longer be the title sponsor of the Canadian Open. Bell will stay on in a lesser role ($2.5 million as opposed to $5 million). The RCGA is optimistic there will be one prior to the 2006 Open. If not, then they're for sure about a sponsor for the 2007 Open, because CBS will be covering the tourney instead of ESPN.
Don't count on it. I have no idea why the RCGA is optimistic. Who in their right mind would sign on for this tournament? This year it's right after "Tiger's tournament", the Deutsche Bank, which ends on Labour Day Monday, meaning a short week. Vijay Singh seems to be the only top-ranked non-Canadian who has any interest in playing. Only 4 of the top 20 came last year. Why sponsor a tournament that runs against the NFL with a below-average field?
Next year may even be worse. The tournament is in July, right after the British Open. Top players will be resting or playing in Europe, because the PGA Championship, a World Golf Championship and the Fedex Cup all follow. No way anyone in the upper echelon will add this tourney to their schedule.
It's so sad for me to see the Canadian Open in this state. 30 years ago I was watching all the top players at Glen Abbey. The Canadian Open was regarded as the fifth major, a position the Players Championship now holds. All the great players came to Glen Abbey then. Winning meant a spot in the Masters. It was a great thing to have on the resume. Jack Nicklaus didn't win it (7 seconds, though), probably the only blemish in his career.
Does anyone remember the last 5 winners? 2001 Scott Verplank, 2002 - John Rollins, 2003 - Bob Tway, 2004 - Mike We...I mean Vijay Singh, 2005 - Mark Calcavecchia. If Weir had won in 2004, it would've meant a lot. Other than Singh, the others haven't won again. Not a great honour roll.
What can be done? Lorne Rubinstein had a great idea. Many years ago I heard his presentation. He suggested then the Canadian Open should be part of the European Tour. I think it's still a great idea. Maybe it could be part of the PGA Tour too, just like the majors and World Golf Championships. That way players on both tours could earn points for both.
I hope something is done soon, otherwise it may be the beginning of the end.

Regards,
Steve

Tough To Be a Golfer Fan

Hello. Managed to get in 9 holes last night, the first time with my new clubs. It was awesome! I'm a club longer than before, and they feel so good in my hands. Nicve and light and shiny. Best of all, they impressed Brent, Dwayne and Sean.
Read this column by Steve Hofstetter on si.com: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/steve_hofstetter/04/17/hofstetter/index.html. In it he points out how disappointing it is to be a team sports fan, because the odds of a team winning a championship annually are so low. In fact, it's tough to even make the playoffs the following year. That's why the New England Patriots are the latest of exceptional teams to win multiple times in a row. Will Pittsburgh win the Super Bowl? Tampa Bay the Stanley Cup? Another World Series for the White Sox? Probably not.
Which leads me to golf. Dwayne is still a big David Duval fan. We were giving him the gears about Duval's latest "accomplishments". He did brighten up, though, when I mentioned Duval could use his top 25 and top 50 career money earner status for two more years of exemptions. That would take him to the end of 2008 to get back on track.
How many people are still enthusiastic Mike Weir fans? Ben Curtis? Shaun Micheel? Rich Beem? For that matter, how about Larry Mize fans? Mize hit one of the most memorable shots ever to win a Masters 19 years ago on the 11th, the 2nd playoff hole, to beat Greg Norman. How long did fans cheer for him? Does any non-relative still search the papers or the websites for his latest result?
To stay it's tough to get to the top is an understatement. To do it you have to be completely committed and quite fortunate. You have to avoid unfulfilled potential, like Aaron Baddeley did at Harbour Town. At 25, he was almost being considered a has-been. His win would've been expected 3 years ago. Now it's considered a surprise.
Of course staying on top is even tougher. See the names above, plus these: Chris Dimarco, who wasn't a factor at Augusta after runner-up last year. Davis Love. Fred Couples, coming back from the "twilight" of his career to be a factor. Briny Baird, who lost his card last year after being top 30 the year before. And on and on.
If you're a fan of a particular golfer, and he's not a true superstar, you're in for a lot of pain.

Regards,
Steve

The New Clubs Await

Hello. Well, this weekend I bought some TaylorMade irons and a TaylorMade "Rescue" club. They will replace my 15-year-old TaylorMade irons, which have served me well, but seem to have worn out.
To go with my new 3-PW irons and Rescue club, I've got a TaylorMade 580 Driver, a TaylorMade Bubbleshaft 3-wood, a TaylorMade gap wedge, and a TaylorMade 61 degree lob wedge. Did I mention I like TaylorMade? Still waiting for that first endorsement, however.
I have a TaylorMade cary bag, but a Ping putter. When I get an endorsement, I'll switch to TaylorMade.
Tonight will be my first time using them in combat at my home course. Hopefully I'll be able to get 9 holes in. It will be a little chilly, but the sun's out and it's not too windy.
It's been an incredible spring in Southern Ontario. Golfing on April 1st in Niagara Falls was wonderful. I'm looking forward to as much golf as possible this year.
Hope everyone had a nice Easter. Even Leaf fans can look at their stretch run with pride. IT should be an interesting off-season. Maybe I'll see some of them at the golf course tonight.

Regards,
Steve

Too Many Rules?

Hello. Read Brian Hewitt's column at http://http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15100&dv=2488990&select=19009&select2=0 regarding David Toms' comments about Augusta. If he had one thing to change, it would to lessen the number of rules. There are apparently a lot of rules at Augusta that from an outsider's perspective seem tough to explain.
How many "rules" are there in golf that can be broken? Phil Mickelson broke one of those rules last week when he used 2 drivers in his bag. Two drivers? Some people wondered what he was doing. Why have a "hook" driver and a "fade" driver? Why not just swing differently, like the instruction "rules" tell you?
Of course, now everyone's saying it was brilliant Phil forgot this "rule" and won the championship. Brilliant in this case is lateral thinking disguised. Or thinking outside the box. How many more players are going to start doing this, especially with the US Open around the corner? I wouldn't be surprised to see 25%+ using two drivers at Winged Foot.
My daughter asked us this morning if she could do her cystic fibrosis masks in front of the upstairs TV, where she would be away from her brother, who stops eating at the sight of the electronic babysitter. I thought it was a great idea, but my wife didn't. I told my daughter that just because your idea gets rejected doesn't mean it's bad. We worked out a modification of her idea so she can now do her masks upstairs. Everyone's happy. It's a win-win. And hopefully my daughter learned how to problem-solve.
I've remembered today that golf and life are 90% mental. It's a good day.

Regards,
Steve

Why Are They Playing Tomorrow?

Hello. The PGA Tour goes to Hilton Head, South Carolina tomorrow. Who will be there? Who knows? Who cares?
All tournaments after a major are faced with the issue of how to get the top players to play. Because there are no appearance fees allowed, and because players can set their own schedules, tournaments have to resort to other means to get players to attend.
Tiger Woods has a very set schedule. If Tim Finchem made him play certain events, Tiger is the one player who could say get lost and get away with it. Maybe he already has. I don't expect to ever see him come to the Bell Canadian Open again because 1) he's already won it and 2) it's going to be right after the British Open begining next year.
I find it strange that non-PGA Tour players (Ernie Els comes to mind) have to play 15 PGA events to keep their PGA playing priviledges, but they can be any 15 tournaments. Maybe they should also be "asked" (told) to play in tournaments scrambling to get a quality field.
Then again, why is there even a tournament this week if the chance for a quality field is low? In a word, money. The TV contracts are based on weekly tournaments. The fundraising PGA Tour events do for charities is unparalleled in sports ($1 billion and counting).
Are there too many tournaments? Maybe. That's why the Tour is going with the Fedex Cup next year. Time will tell how that works out.
In the meantime, enjoy the golf. The quality doesn't always mean exciting golf. The Masters was very tame in the drama department this year, whereas 3 years ago 2 non-Big-Five golfers (Mike Weir and Len Mattice) provided lots of excitement.
If the field isn't to your liking, try looking at it like a homework assignment, to see if you can find someone who can help you correct a part of your game. I found this to be one way I got to be a scratch golfer without taking a lesson.

Regards,
Steve

Curling Summary

Hello. How did Canada do in curling this year? I think very well, but that could be debated.
In an Olympic year, that has to be the main focus. I can honestly say the 3 best bonspiels I've ever seen have been the 1997, 2001 and 2005 Olympic Trials. They may be the most difficult ones to win, even more difficult than the actual Olympics, although the Team Sweden ladies are one of the greatest teams I've ever seen, arguably right up their with the late Sandra Schmirler teams of the '90s.
Congrats to Team Gushue and Team Kleibrink for wining those trials, then going on to Olympic gold and bronze respectively. It's a lifetime achievement for any Canadian team, as the odds of getting to the Games out of Canada are so low. I hope the entire experience is something they all savour forever. If I ever go back to Newfoundland again, it wouldn't surprise me if George St in St. John's was still celebrating Team Gushue's win.
Congrats too to our world championship representatives, Team Menard and Team Scott, for earning world silver and bronze, respectively in their first appearances. With Team Sweden competing in ladies, I'm convinced everyone else is playing for 2nd, although Team USA gave them a battle this year. The men came oh-so-close, but couldn't hang on against a powerful Team Scotland.
So, how does Canada's performance rank? Very good if you compare us to any other country. Some would say, however, that since 90% of the curlers are in Canada, we should always win gold. If we sent our top 10 ladies and mens teams to play any other country's top 10 in each, I would say that's true. Because the other countries only have one or two teams at the world level, it means those teams get a lot of top calibre play against each other in European and world events, making them tougher than they may be perceived to be.
The CCA was less in the forefront this year, thank goodness. Some questions have to be asked though. And that may be what has been lacking in the past of non-profit organizations in general and the CCA in particular. If you're going to represent all of Canada's curlers, then you have to be accountable to all of them about everything. If an organization is always defensive when inquiring minds come by, that doesn't bode well for the organization, and it makes the public suspicious. Is the CCA in its present form the organization that will propel Canadian curling to a glorious future? I'm not convinced. If someone wants to convince me, I'll approach the conversation with an open mind.
On the TV front, I though both TSN and CBC did good jobs in the Season of Champions, riught up until no one broadcast the men's worlds. Maybe next year.
On a personal note, Mike Harris is leaving Ontario to become the Director of Golf at Banff Springs in Alberta. All the best Mike! It's been a pleasure knowing you, and thanks again for your donation to our dance. For all those who are wondering, Mike is very humble about his talents, and was always willing to answer my curling questions. Having played at Banff Springs 15 years ago, I certainly know why you're going. Enjoy!

Regards,
Steve

Phil (Mickelson) of the Future

Hello. For those of you with young kids, you'll recognize the "Phil of the Future" show title in my headline. I don't watch the show myself (my kids are younger and into Dora the Explorer right now), I thought it was appropriate.
Phil Mickelson of the Past was someone I was not a big fan of. As I said to my best man, Phil was the only one on TV dumber than I was when it came to golf. He took so many unnecessary chances it was unbelievable. It was very frustrating for me to watch someone with so much talent shoot himself in the foot over and over again. I didn't think he was ever going to win a major, because he always beat himself.
That all changed two years ago when he discovered one of golfer's best friends - the fairway. He realized driving in the fairway was more important than going offline. The result was a 2004 Masters victory. Then last year he won the PGA. And yesterday, another Masters. He's now tied with Ernie Els and Vijay Singh for number of majors won. And it looks like the sky's the limit.
Phil has won 2 majors in a row. Prior to Tiger, Nick Price was the last to do it in 1994. This is rarefied company. If he were to win the US Open, we suddenly have to compare Phil's year to the greatest years ever.
Can he do it? Talent wise he's always been able to. But now he's maybe even outthinking his opponents. His decision to use two drivers, one that hits a long hook, the other a short fade, now looks like sheer brilliance. His strategy Sunday, to play mistake free, and let others come after him and self-destruct in the process, reminds me of how Tiger won most of his majors. While I wouldn't always predict Phil would win every event, I also wouldn't predict he would lose either.
Speaking of Tiger, he's now 0 for majors when trailing after 3 rounds. As we were reminded repeatedly, it was 20 years ago that Nicklaus came from behind to win the Masters. Until Tiger does it too, he probably won't catch Jack's record 18 major wins.
Congratulations Phil, and CBS/USA/TSN, for showing the completion of the 3rd round at 8am Sunday morning. Thank goodness you did, or I would've broken my promise to not talk about TV and the Masters.
Congratulations to Team Canada in men's curling. While they lost to Scotland in the final, they took it to their last shot, which is all you can ask. Tres Bien! Hopefully this helps curling interest in Quebec.

Regards,
Steve

The Rise and Fall of David Duval

Hello. Congratulations to Team Canada for making it to the final with an 8-2 win over Scotland. Canada will play Norway, USA or Scotland on Sunday.
Remeber who was the #1 golfer prior to Tiger and Vijay? It was David Duval. In 1999 we was on top of the World Golf Rankings. In 2001 he won his first major, the British Open. He came close a couple of times to winning the Masters. He's in his early 30s now, supposedly the prime of his career.
Where is he today? Right now with one hole to go he's in 85th place in a field of 90. Two of the 5 players behind him are amateurs. One is former Masters champion Charles Coody, who at 68 years old shot a tremendous 74 after 89 the first round. Another is former champ Sandy Lyle, who hasn't been competitive in a while. The final one is Charles Howell III, who's days of unlimited potential may be over.
What happened to David Duval may be unparalleled in sports. I canot recall anyone going from the absolute top of the heap to so low so quickly. Vertigo, injuries and personal problems all had an effect. Golf is such a demanding and fickle game anyone could lose it after any of those things.
Time is now an enemy of Duval. His 5 year exemption for winning the British Open is about to run out. He must finish in the top 125 this year on the money list, or else it's back to Q School.
In the state he's in, I'm not sure if he'd even try if he had to go back. Right now, he may consider hanging them up for good. IF he does go on, the road is going to be tough.
One thing I do admire about Duval is his total honesty when answering a question. He and Stephen Ames are a refreshing change from politically correct quotes from Tiger Woods and other bland interviews. If he is asked about his future, I'm sure he'll have a good answer.
All the best David in whatever you choose to do. Hopefully you'll be able to focus on the great years you had.

Regards,
Steve

Fundraising Going Strong

Another day, another donation. And another day, another ticket sale. Things are on track for our 7th annual CF (cystic fibrosis) Dinner Dance on April 22nd.
What makes this event work so well? Organization for one. Gail and Shelley are great at what they do. Gail is the CMA, so she looks after finances. Shelley is a master at getting auction items. My role is 'livestock' - I do what I'm told. If I'm too much of a hindrance, I'm asked to rewind some DVDs.
The two key areas for any event of this type are ticket sales and the auction table. Because Gail, Shelley and I have different groups of friends and business acquaintances, we can ask a broad range of people for both and not step on each others' toes. As a result, we sell out our 150 tickets easily, and had 130 items worth $30,000 for our auction items. Last year we raised $26,000 to put our 6 year total over $100,000. Not bad for a group of volunteers, huh?
I have an idea that should simplify things next year. Gail, Jennifer and Sherrill all like it. Since they're successful fundraisers in their own right, it should appeal even more to people who struggle.
Team Canada men are on a roll, beating Japan 7-4 to go 6-2, trailing only the USA. A showdown game is on Thursday. Bon Chance Mon Amis!
It's Master's Eve. Think anyone's sleeping? I understand Earl Woods is not feeling 100%. All the best to the world's most famous golf dad!

Regards,
Steve

The Snow Has Stopped

It seems like we no longer get spring or fall anymore. I think we now have winter and summer only.
I went to school to get my daughter and son. It was snowing. Fortunately it's now stopped.
Two days ago it was so sunny I almost got burned golfing. Today I had my toque on.
It seems like one day it can be 10 Celcius, then the next day be either <> 20 Celcius. I don't remember these temperature swings as a kid.
Isn't this the best time of year for sports? March Madness, great golf (Players, Kraft Nabisco & Masters) curling, hockey, baseball. I wish curling was on this week. Oh well. FYI Canada is 4-2, and tied 4-4 with Norway after 8 ends. All in all, in good shape. Tres Bien, Mon Amis!
Our charity fundraiser is on a roll. It's been a sellout for every year. In our previous 6 years we've raised over $100,000. We've been very fortunate, and well run by Shelley and Gail. It's a fun event to work on.
If anyone wants some help with their event, please send them my way.

Regards,
Steve

Niagara Golf Hit The Spot

Hello. My wife and I celebrated our 9th anniversary this past weekend by going to Niagara Falls. We golfed Saturday afternoon at Whirlpool Golf Course. While it was cloudy and very windy, it was great getting out on the course. It was in surprisingly good condition, because it had just opened the day before. Golfing on April 1st in Ontario was a first for both of us.
Sunday morning we played Royal Niagara, just north of Niagara-on-the-Lake. After a frost delay, we went out with Bob and Nick, a father-son pair. While the temperature was colder than Saturday, the sun was out and the wind was down, making it a very enjoyable day.
In between, we had dinner at the Niagara Hilton, overlooking the Falls from the 33rd floor. It was great seeing the lights shooting onto the Falls.
Thanks to Grandma for looking after our kids. It was nice knowing they were in good hands.
We got home just in time to see Lorena Ochoa, Natalie Gulbis and Michelle Wie try to catch Karrie Webb in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Only Ochoa succeeded. Then Webb emerged victorious with a 1st hole birdie. Great stuff everyone!
Too bad we saw a great feature on the champion jumping into the lake, started by Amy Alcott, then didn't get to see if Karrie Webb would do it. Why couldn't CBS have stayed on for 5 more minutes to at least interview Webb? If you sign up to broadcast an event, I say stay on the air until we have a nice clean completion, especially at a major. Can you imagine CBS cutting away Sunday without presenting the Masters green jacket?
Early Masters prediction - it will be a close one, with about 10 guys within 3 shots of each other. Not like last year, when DiMarco and Woods got 7 shots out in front. My favourite? Retief Goosen. Why? I don't know.

Regards,
Steve