PICTURES AND WRAPUPS

2018 Hop and Vine

The 28th Annual is now in the books. From all reports and feedback, it appears that it was an unqualified success. We enjoyed the glories of Southwest Michigan as exemplified by the beautiful and fun to play HawksHead golf links, the hospitable and comfortable Hop and Vine Inn, the cool and not humid weather, and the spirit and vibe of the WACOFFs gathered together once again.
The weekend started on a wet note with the Thursday game threatened by a immobile band of rain hunkered down on the Lake Michigan Hills venue. Quick thinking and decisive action by the Thursday Committee in the person of Paul Coughenour (with an able assist from the allegedly amoral Stimson) located an alternative venue 30 miles north that was dry and that miraculously could accommodate 20 players on a moments notice. Clearbrook was perhaps not our first choice but it served admirably as a walk on sub.
The southwest Michigan venue was welcomed by all the Boyz, but particularly the Chicago contingent who saw their usual 6 hour drive shortened to less than 3 hours. Nevertheless, Paul Nielsen insisted that the Hond a'Odyssey be loaded and ready to go by 6am Chicago time. Better never than late.
We arrived at the Hop and Vine Inn not quite knowing what to see or expect, but all were pleasantly pleased with the accommodations, the gracious hospitality of our hosts Dan and Amber, and the chance to once again have a private venue for the Wacoffs to fully express themselves over the course of the weekend. From the rum punch cocktails which greeted us Thursday evening, to the hot and welcome breakfast offerings, to the group gatherings in the dining room, patios and firepit, the Hop and Vine delivered all we needed to enjoy our time together to the fullest. You will not be surprised to learn that The Committee has determined to return to the Hop and Vine in 2019 for an encore experience.
Some people say that the reason we gather each year is to play golf, others say it is simply to gather and renew bonds and friendships forged over many years and events. Either is reason enough of course, but the golf is the fuel for our collective anticipation of the time together, and this year did not disappoint. After the Clearbrook session on Thursday, we spent two rounds at the beautiful and hospitable HawksHead Golf Links, one of the nicest and most WACOFF friendly courses we have played in our storied history. HawksHead gave us a taste of every aspect of the game, from shot values, scoring opportunities, challenging risk/reward options, short and long holes, wind, sun, sand, trees, and marvelous turf. The Committee thinks it ranks high in the pantheon of outstanding Scramble Championship courses we have experienced over the 28 years. We will return.The Ravines, while pleasantly scenic and wonderfully routed through deep woods, cavernous gullies and endless gorse, was perhaps a bit too challenging for our Sunday sensibilities, and scores seemed to bear that out. With a few notable exceptions, most of us felt the Ravines got the better of us on Sunday.
The results and outcomes for the 28th Annual are as follows:

THURSDAY GAME
Played in dry conditions on the soft and unmowed Clearbrook track, the Thursday game proved challenging for many. Shining performances from Ron H, Larry Mann, the Bretz boys and Paul C highlighted the event. Randy was just glad he was hitched to the right horse for once.
Flight A/B 2 Man Stableford Competition

1st Place Dan Bretz/Randy Moss 44 Pts $100

2nd Paul C/Glenn C 41 Pts $50

3rd Paul N/Jim C 38 Pts

4th Stimson/Voshell 32 Pts

5th Nick G/Pavle 28 Pts

Flight C/D 2 Man Stableford Competition

1st Place Larry/Ron Hardesty 48 Pts $100

2nd LaBarge/LaBarge 45 Pts $50

3rd Phil N/Jim Bretz 42 Pts

4th Tim G/John Coon 37 Pts

5th David H/John Coon 32 Pts

6th Palmer/Hyman 31 Pts

4 Man Team Results

1st Place Dan/Moss/Phil/Jim Bretz 86 Pts $100

2nd Paul N/JimC/LaBarge/LaBarge 83 Pts

3rd Stimson/Voshell/Larry/Ron 80 Pts

4th PaulC/GlennC/Palmer/Hyman 72 Pts

5th Nick G/Pavle/David/Coon 60 Pts

X Tim G/Coon + A/B 1st Place = 81 Pts

Gross/Net Scores

A/B Flight

Dan B 81/72

Paul C 80/74

Glenn C 89/74

Moss 88/75

Jim C 93/78

Paul N 90/79

Stimson 94/82

Nic G 88/83

Pavle 96/84

Voshell 101/84

C/D Flight

LMann 88/68

RHardesty 89/69

Jim B 97/73

Tyler LaBarge 96/74

J LaBarge 96/77

Tim G 96/78

Palmer 98/78

Phil N 98/80

Coon 104/82

DHardesty 103/83

Hyman 116/88f

FRIDAY 4 Man Team/2 Net Best Ball Competition

Dan/Jim C/Ron H/Coon 119

Tom B/Glenn/Larry/Jim B 125

Nic G/Joe L/Phil N/Baran 133

Paul C/Voshell/Tim G/Marsh 134

Paul N/Pavle/DavidH/Mantey 135

Stimson/Moss/Palmer/Tyler 136

Friday gross and net scores:

1st Place

Dan 78/69

Jim C 85/70

Ron H 90/70

Coon 97/75

2nd Place

Benson 84/75

Glenn 85/70

Mann 89/69

Jim B 105/81

3rd Place

Nic G 74/69

Joe L 92/75

Phil N 94/76

Baran 126/97

4th Place

Paul C 76/70

Gary V 90/73

Tim G 101/83

Marsh 109/81

5th Place

Paul N 91/80

Pavle 93/81

David 96/76

Mantey 104/78

6th Place

Stimson 87/75

Moss 93/80

Tyler 98/76

Palmer DNF

THE 28th ANNUAL WACOFF SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP
It was a competitive event, with one stroke separating the winner and second place, and one stroke also separating the next two finishers. The winning Bretz team relied heavily upon the putting stroke of Joe Mantey, ably coached by the "Joe Whisperer", Glenn Coughenour. All in all, a fine Scramble on a fine course. Congratulations to Team Sage, the purported embodiment of "Destiny.....and Desire".

Sage 32 + 33 = 65 (Bretz, Glenn C, Phil N, J. Mantey)

Thyme 31 + 35 = 66 (Paul C, R. Moss, L. Mann, A. Baran)

Paprika 34 + 33 = 67 (Nic G, Jim C, D. Hardesty, Hyman)

Rosemary 34 + 34 = 68 (Paul N, J.Labarge, Tim G, T. Labarge)

Lavender 37 + 34 = 71 (Stimson, Pavle, R.Hardesty, JBretz) (Winner of 5th place by tiebreaker)

Parsley 36 + 35 = 71 (Benson, Voshell, Palmer, Coon)

SUNDAY INDIVIDUAL FLIGHT COMPETITION

The Ravines showed its teeth on Sunday, particularly to many A and B players faced with some long carries from the Blue tees. Scores jumped significantly for many in all flights, but quality and capability did out, with gritty performances again from Dan B, Paul C, Larry M, John Coon and Jimmy B. A fine day weather wise, and a reminder that Sunday is sometimes the cruelest day at Wacoff.

(Parimutual Winners)
A Flight

1st Dan Bretz 81/72

2nd Paul C 82/76

3rd Nic G 85/80

4th Stimson 98/86

T4 Benson 95/86

6th Paul N 100/89

B Flight

1st Jim C 95/80

2nd Glenn 99/84

3rd Voshell 105/88

4th Moss 102/90

5th Pavle 104/92

C Flight

1st L Mann 91/71

2nd RHardesty 98/78

3rd Phil N 98/81

T3 Tim G 99/81

T3 Palmer 101/81

DNF DHardesty

D Flight

1st John Coon 96/74

2nd Jim Bretz 99/75

3rd Mantey 103/77

4th Marsh 115/87

Some memorable moments from the 28th:

*The increasing availability and legality of ingestibles wreaked havoc amongst a few of the Wacoffs this year, notably Palmer on Friday (unable to move from the cart and swing the club for the last 8 holes after a run in with some gummy bears) and Coon on Saturday (fell into a catatonic stupor after indulging in his home batch of refined THC oil, touted earlier by John as a "sleep aid"). Evidently some of the old guys require warning labels.

*Randy Moss extemporizing on the glories of playing a round out of someone else's bag (Stimson's) after leaving his clubs in the wrong car for a WACOFF practice round the Friday before. One might reasonably wonder what Randy learned from the experience regarding the adequacy of his own club inventory, but he was not able to articulate anything meaningful.

*The aforementioned Moss regaling all of us with a full throated version of all five verses of his ode to the Hond a'Odyssey to the tune of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" on Saturday night on the patio. It was a Grammy worthy performance of a truly inspired set of lyrics. Well done sir.

* The pitiful and repeated failure of ANYONE to build and sustain a campfire on both Friday and Saturday nights. Despite the attempts of at least ten different erstwhile fire builders, at least two of which were Eagle scouts and all of whom had plenty of advice and criticism for the others, NO ONE was able to succeed. Excuses ranged from bad wood to poor ventilation to lack of kindling to lack of outdoor skills, all of which were addressed by one or the other builders and still failure reigned. I think they are still laughing at the Hop and Vine.

*Larry Mann celebrating his 72d birthday amongst the boys in style, playing his best golf of the year and trash talking to all who came at him. Well done Larry, and many happy returns to the day.

*Joe Labarge testing the laws of physics with not one but two trees on each of Thursday and Friday, pitting his legendary shot accuracy (not) against large and immovable trees, and losing both times. The second time almost killed him they say, but hey, its Labarge, who doesn't go down easy.

*For those who cared, Randy evidently took pictures of every approach shot he hit on Saturday that was within 25 feet of the cup, and showed them off somehow thinking they were special. It's OK Randy. Perhaps if you used Stimson's clubs you would get it that close more often.

*For the first time in a long time, the boyz did NOT eat all the food available to them on either Friday or Saturday. Either we are getting too mindful of calorie intake in our dotage or we aren't working hard enough during the golf to work up an appetite.

Thanks to all the usual helpers/suspects/planners and factotums who assisted The Committee this year. Paul C as golf guru, the best ever; Ron H for beautiful shirts and Callaway balls, although the shirts bore little relationship if any to the referenced colors; John Stimson as Curator of SHFand B items, and David H as Keeper of the Archives (glad we finally got these titles straight); Glenn C for his always competent work on the Parimutual betting; Joe Mantey on Friday skins and for the wine selections for performance prizes; Marshall for managing the award of performance prizes, particularly for having to go out post Scramble and retrieve the placards after they were abandoned by the last group out there; and to all of the Wacoffs for your continued loyalty and devotion to this event. It is a good thing indeed.

Back to Hop and Vine in 2019, Sep 5-8. Mark your calendars. Save your $$. Sandbag that handicap. PLEASE SEND ANY PICTURES YOU HAVE FROM THE 28TH TO THE COMMITTEE FOR POSTING ON WACOFF.NET. This does NOT include pictures of Randy's approach shots landing 35 feet from the pin on the back fringe.

Have a peaceful and comfortable off season all.

YrObtSvts

2017 Boyne Mountain

Boyne Mountain beckoned, and the Wacoffs appeared, traveling from not so near and indeed quite far to mark the 27th anniversary of our annual autumnal bacchanal. We were greeted by quintessential Northern Michigan early fall weather, crisp mornings and evenings punctuated (for the most part) by sunlit days of moderate but appropriate temps. The weather brought out the fashionistas amongst the faithful, with a plethora of sweaters, shorts, pants, rainpants, hats, shirts, vests, raincoats, in every conceivable color, logo, style and fit imaginable. Most of us have learned to at least look the part of semi-competent golfers if not play like such, but some of us (who shall remain nameless, but The Committee refers you to the pictures on the website for proof) have some way to go in this department. Perhaps a seminar by John Stimson on sartorial minimums on the course will be in order next year.
As we have often stated, one might think that after 27 years of this event, a certain sameness or “been there done that” attitude might be evident amongst the faithful. But 2017 had enough novelty, surprises and new twists on old themes to disabuse our boyz of any such thoughts. Some of the highlights and lowlights of the weekend, in no particular order:

The scene at “Club Oban” on both Friday and Saturday nights as Marshal “Hennie” Hyman hosted and entertained the boyz with his case of high end single malt and his best Poconos stand-up comic routines. Next year he is selling tickets;
The overall level of energy and enthusiasm at Unit 706 on those same nights, with 16-20 of us crowded into a small space, drinking, smoking, drinking, jawing, trash talking, drinking, cheering on Oklahoma, and re-discovering the bonds we have forged over these last decades. Felt like a biker bar without the fighting;
The incredible edibles furnished by Randy “Goldfish” Moss, baker extraordinaire. He couldn’t pass ‘em out fast enough. I’m mellow, are you mellow?;
The invigorating and growing presence of men of a different and younger generation filling our foursomes and our tables. What a treat to share this time with sons and nephews of ours and our friends. It looked they had as good a time as anybody. Please come back;
A fabulous (and fantastical?) physics lecture delivered at Club Oban by the resident rocket scientist in our midst, Ben Coughenour. The most amazing thing is that the whole room went quiet and was actually listening (if not necessarily understanding);
The resonant and resounding recitation of The Benediction at Saturday dinner, led by basso profundo Prof. Mann. That unassuming little verse from 1992 (©B. Goldman) has stood the test of time and unerringly distills the essence of the WACOFF ethos;
The simulated shark skin shirts in primary colors provided by the Shirts, Hats, Fobs and Baubles Sub-Committee this year. When the sun struck us in a certain way, the shirts gave off a subtle shine that made me think of Weak Kneed Wille, Go-Kart Mozart and Big Bones Billie from a Springsteen song about the Jersey shore; Marvelous togs this year Ron;
The only thing worse than Paul C. having to suffer the indignity of an undeserving hassle from the course Ranger was having to tell and retell the story at least a dozen times, and in each telling having to face anew the fact that the bogey ultimately made by Team Raven on that hole might have been the difference in the Scramble Championship.
On the darker side, the pre-event threats of mutiny and secession by a small group of extremists, obsessively focused on tee designations, threatening the very existence of our merry band. The Committee was saddened to hear of this insurrection and the piling on that followed. We suspect that in the future some misbegotten souls will no doubt seek to raise statutes and monuments in (dis)honor of these rebels, despite their treachery. Let it be boys, its only a game;
All in all, a spectacular weekend. The competitions were also spirited and well fought. Here is the breakdown:
THURSDAY -Bay Harbor Links/Quarry
19 showed for the Thursday game. We were treated to one of the most spectacularly picturesque golf courses in Michigan on the Links course, offering stunning views of Little Traverse Bay and the surrounding area from almost every hole. One to remember. The Quarry jarred us back to reality with its steep cliff like fairway edges and ravine carries to almost every hole. The Stableford ended with some of the usual suspects in command:
A/B Flight:
PCoughenour /JStimson 47 Stableford Pts
DBretz /RMoss 36
NGuerriero/JLabarge 36
NPavle /TBenson 35
PNeilsen /Voshell 33

C/D Flight:
DHardesty/JCoon 37 Stableford Pts
TimG /Mantey 35
PhilN /JBretz 33
RHardesty /Hyman 30
Palmer/Mantey 26

FRIDAY-Arthur Hills @ Boyne Highlands
While perhaps not as visually stunning as Bay Harbor, the Arthur Hills course was every bit as pleasing and pleasant to play. Lauded by some as the best overall course of the weekend, the weather gods cooperated fully and offered up another spectacular day for our labors. The full WACOFF complement went at it hard and furious, with the veteran Glenn Coughenour leading his team to the finish with the assistance of a nice little 87 from B player Tom Benson, who over the course of the weekend (Skins winner twice Friday, Flight winner on Sunday) cemented his status as the most over-handicapped player of the group. Given the scores posted, it is hard to fathom why the Paul Coughenour team did not sweep this event, but that is the beauty of this game. You never can tell.

GCoughenour 92/TBenson 87/PeterC 92/JMantey 112 2 Man Best Ball = 130
PCoughenour 80/LMann 92/PhilNeilsen 94/JCoon 98 2 Man Best Ball = 132
DBretz 86/GVoshell 104/DHolefca 96/DHardesty 107 2 Man Best Ball = 135
JStimson 91/SCoughenour 94/TGuerriero 103/MCoughenour 112 2 Man Best Ball = 138
PNielsen 87/RHardesty 97/JLabarge 100/JBretz 110 2 Man Best Ball = 139
NGuerriero 83/JCoughenour/94/BPalmer 106/ABaran 129 2 Man Best Ball = 143
NPavle 93/RMoss 93/BCoughenour 104/MHyman 120 2 Man Best Ball = 145

FRIDAY SKINS
TBenson #4 (3/2) and #10 (3/2)
PNeilsen #18 (4/3)

SATURDAY: WACOFF SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE ALPINE @ BOYNE MOUNTAIN
With 7 teams, each with clear strengths on paper, the pundits were all over the place in their prognostications on the outcome of the 27th Annual. Conditions were excellent, and the course was amenable to going low and every team came in under par. Conditions were excellent, and the course was amenable to going low and every team came in under par. As it played out, it came down to two teams, as it often does. Team Grosbeak (widely reviled as the worst team nick- name in WACOFF history. WTF is a Grosbeak?) was led by first time Captain Nick Guerriero. The other contender, Team Raven, was led by wily and battle tested veteran Paul C, the winningest Captain in WACOFF history. Team Grosbeak posted a bogie free 9 under to claim the Trophy from Team Raven by one stroke despite the Blacks putting on an amazing rally and finishing with four straight birdies. The young Captain delivered birdie opportunities to his team all day as an A player should with pin seeking accuracy and incredible shot making. The senior Guerriero contributed primarily by providing four bottles of Jack Daniels Fireball swing oil in key moments. It was a “no stress, no bogies” day for Team Grosbeak. It was noted by the Golf Committee that it was the first time that a team that posted an 8 under 64 did NOT win the event. Congratulations to Nick on his fine debut as a WACOFF A and Captain and to the entire Team Grosbeak who made major and significant contributions to the win, including but not limited to a Joe Mantey solo birdie on #3. The Trophy will return next year for the taking.

SUNDAY: The Monument at Boyne Mountain
As per usual, Sunday has a tendency to separate the players from the posers, as the effect of the weekend’s festivities begin to show. An early and chilly start gave way to sunshine and grinding play, with most of us scrambling to stay in play and avoid horrific numbers, with varying success. Quality will out, and Paul C ran away with A Flight as did Tom Benson and Phil Nielsen in B and C Flight respectively. Congratulations to Marshal on an outstanding performance in D Flight. Well done Henny. The Paramutual winners on Sunday (Tom Benson and young Phil Nielsen) revealed the quality of their games and highlighted the major handicap adjustments that will issue in 2018.
A FLIGHT:
PCoughenour 80/73
DBretz 87/78
GCoughenour 95/81
PNielsen 93/83
NGuerriero 90/93
NPavle 96/83
JStimson 98/85

B FLIGHT:
TomBenson 86/72 (Parimutual Winner)
LMann 95/77
RMoss 92/78
RHardesty 97/79
JCoughenour 96/81
GVoshell 100/82
SCoughenour 100/84

C FLIGHT:
PhNeilsen 95/75 (Parimutual Winner)
JLabarge 100/81
TGuerriero 104/84
PCoughenour 105/85
BCoughenour 110/90

D FLIGHT:
MHyman 107/81
JCoon 106/83
MCoughenour 110/84
JBretz 119/95
JMantey 121/95

We finish with kudos and thanks to all who made the event work. Ron Hardesty for delivering duds that proved the maxim its how you look that counts. To Marshal for performance prizes and Oban, to Joe Mantey for his increasingly competent work on the Friday skins game, to Glenn Coughenour for his masterful management of the paramutual book and a special note of thanks to the Chicago contingent for getting up at 3am to make the 8 hour drive north and for exposing themselves to the Nielsen Honda once more in the name of WACOFF. Finally, and as always, a special and heartfelt thanks to the Golf Committee in the august personage of Paul Coughenour, for his tireless efforts to select the venues, set the Rules, determine the handicaps and pairings/teams, and conferring on all of us the legitimacy and honor of competitions well waged and victories well earned. Nobody does it better.

Check out wacoff.net for pictures and information. An urgent reminder for those of you who have pictures on your phones or elsewhere to please send them to The Committee for posting on our web site. We intend to see each of you next year, venue TBD, but hopefully one that will please all. Stay well and keep the WACOFF spirit alive in the interim.
Yr. Obt Svts
THE COMMITTEE

2016 Crystal Mountain

2016 Wrap Up

There are a few places In Michigan as inspirational and Beautiful to golfers as Arcadia Bluffs on a sun sprinkled fall afternoon and 20 of the WACOFFs were the beneficiaries of this wonderful occurrence for the Thursday game this year. As we made our way through this sometimes grueling, sometimes frustrating but always amazingly beautiful course, most of us could not help but stop at least once on every hole simply to look around and take in the amazing and awesome views of our beloved peninsula in its finest glory. The only thing that outshone the brilliance and beauty of nature on display at Arcadia was the ace deposited into the cup on number 13 by Glenn Coughenour. Those who witnessed it described it as a beautiful arc of a shot that hit the green at just the right spot to curve down and left to the hole. Those who encountered Glenn immediately afterward were concerned that he was having a Redd Foxx moment, clutching his chest like he was having the Big One. Nice job Glenn and congrats on ace #2!

The Stableford competition was well conceived by the Thursday GolfCommittee and resulted in a spirited run for the trophy as the Palmer/Coon team ran away with the CD doubles. The AB flight was awarded to the old standby duo of Paul Coughenour and John Stimson. Palmer/Coon and the young gun duo of Peter Coughenour/Nick Guerriero won the ABCD foursome random draw event. In the meantime, while the 20 bravely faced the stern test of Arcadia Bluffs, Joe Mantey shot a 47 for nine holes at Chestnut Hills nearby to claim both first and last places in the development tour tournament.

The full results are below:

Thursday A/B @ Arcadia Bluffs:

-Paul C 82 BB Stableford Net 44 1st

John S 83

-Neilsen 89 BB Stableford Net 43 2nd

Sam C 95

-Peter C 105 BB Stableford Net 42

Nick G 88

-Glenn C 92 BB Stableford Net 37

Jim C 92

-Dan B 82 BB Stableford Net 42

Nick P 101

Thursday C/D:

-John Coon 102 BB Stableford Net 45 1st

Bob Palmer 92

-Larry Mann 100 BB Stableford Net 40 2nd

Ron Hardesty 97

-Tim G 106 BB Stableford Net 37

Gary Voshell 100

-David H 101 BB Stableford Net 36

Joe Labarge 103-

-Dennis H 102 BB Stableford Net 29

Marshal 126

Thursday Total Winners (Blind Draw): Palmer/Coon (45) + Peter C/Nick G (42) = 87

Joe Mantey 47 Gross for 9 @ Chestnut Hills 1st & Last

Following cocktails generously provided by the hole-in-one star Glenn at Arcadia, the troops made their way to the weekend’s venue, Crystal Mountain Resort. There, they settled into three townhomes conveniently located near each other to face the rigors and challenges of the weekend. While the Crystal Mountain accommodations were not our usual one accommodation for all, all of the facilities were clean, well appointed, comfortable and provided very safe and secure habitat for the WACOFFs for the duration. While there was some initial grumbling from those who find themselves sharing sleeping space with someone they did not necessarily care to share with, all was forgotten and forgiven by the time the drinking and other recreation had ended on Thursday.

To be honest and fair, our experience at Crystal Mountain was a very positive one. The staff was extremely hospitable, friendly, and did all they could to make us feel welcome and at home. From the time of our last visit there in 1991 to today, Crystal Mountain has grown into a small town with a wide variety of activities and accommodations. Suffice to say, we were well taken care of during our stay.

Friday brought fair skies, pleasant temperatures and the opportunity to take on the Mountain Ridge course for the first time in the Friday two best balls event. Although the competition was intense, the team of Jim Coughenour , Larry Mann, Gary Voshell and Dennis Holefca left everyone else in the dust with their six stroke victory. Rumor has it that this performance took place entirely on the backside of the CD contingent, Voshell and Holefca. But isn’t that always the case? The most painful part of the Friday competition was the two hours it took the golf committee to tally the results, during which interregnum the assembled were forced to listen to the same Pavle horse jokes that he has told repeatedly for the past three years. This indignity was exceeded only by the fact that at dinner prior to the awards, those who went through the buffet line early managed to eat all of the crisp from the cherry crisp dessert, leaving only soggy cherries for those who were more community minded. Full Friday results are below:

Friday2 Best Balls:

Jim C 82 Best Ball Total 119 1st

Larry M 92

Gary V 95

Dennis 86

Dan 79 Best Ball Total 125 2nd

Sam C 90

David H 102

John Coon 110

Stimson 88 Best Ball Total 126 3rd

Brown 85

Ron H 95

Tim G 96

Paul C 81 Best Ball Total 129 4th

Nick G 85

John G 118

Andrew 117

Glenn C 95 Best Ball Total 135 5th

Nick P 85

Palmer 95

Marshal 135

Nielsen 89 Best Ball Total 140 6th

Peter C 96

Labarge 101

Mantey 106

Saturday dawned with forbidding skies and an even gloomier forecast. Nevertheless, the six teams began the 26th annual scramble championship with high hopes and the determination to be the next team to have their names inscribed on the trophy for posterity. By hole six, the dreams of all but one team were awash in monsoon rains and wind which pelted and poured upon the players mercilessly. Notwithstanding the borderline unplayable weather, the boys persevered, at one point being the only players left on the course (other than the intrepid cart girls, who in the service of WACOFF never abandoned their post or duty), and outlasted all that the weather threw at them. Indeed, conditions became so bad that Captain Stimson of Team Yellowish was forced to bribe some of his teammates with rewards of cheap trinkets and forgotten paraphernalia found in his golf bag to stay on the course and finish the game. The only significant casualty seemed to be Joe Mantey, who was taken to the ER immediately following the round to be treated for exposure and failure to dress properly.

In the end, Team Orangeish, (aka Team Fireball) captained by Jim Coughenour and ably staffed by Sam Coughenour, Joe LaBarge and Tim Guerrero, claimed the trophy with a bogey-free 6 under par performance. Without a doubt these were the most punishing conditions in which the Scramble Championship has been contested in all 26 years. Team Fireball was propelled to victory through the wind, wet and cold by the nourishing and warming tonic of a bottle of Fireball cinnamon whiskey. Or at least three of them were, as it was determined bythose three that Guerriero should be denied any access to drink during the round so as not to jeopardize his unGuerriero-like goodperformance. The full Scramble Championship results are below:

Saturday Scramble @ Mountain Ridge/Crystal Mt.

Orangish (Jim C, Sam C, Joe L , Tim G) 66 1st

Yellowest (Stimson, Peter C, Palmer, Holefca) 68 2nd

Yellowish (Bretz, Nick G, RHardesty, Mantey) 68 3rd

Orangest (Glenn C, Mann, John G, D Hardesty) 69 4th

Yellowy (Nielsen, Pavle, Voshell, Baran) 70 5th

Orangey (Paul C, Brown, Coon, Hyman) 72 6th

Saturday evening was highlighted by the Deke Memorial ceremony, ably presented by John Stimson in his usual loving and sensitive manner. The tidbit of the day though was that Deke was a star high school quarterback back in the day and his team played against the young but always volatile Gary Voshell, who in a star turn intercepted three passes on that memorable Friday evening in southwest Michigan. Precocious even as a teenager that Gary.

The club toss was assigned to and convincingly executed by Peter Coughenour, with distance and ferocity not matched since the famous downhill toss at Otsego Club retrieved by Dave Dell.

The Sunday contestants were met with sunshine, blue skies and perhaps the most unforgiving opening hole in the history of Sunday events. The starter could not give anyone any decent advice other than a friendly “hit it straight 200 yards and you’ll be fine”. Few of the boyz were able to execute on that advice. The intraflight competitions were well played, with no real surprises other than the breakout performance of young Nicolas Guerriero in the B Flight. Shooting a personal best 78, Guerriero captured the B Flight as well as the AB paramutual by a wide margin. As Glenn Coughenour noted, perhaps an A player was born on Sunday. The remaining results from Sunday are below:

The 2016 Individual Flight Champions:

A D Bretz in a tiebreaker w/P Coughenour 87 Gross Net 77

B Nick Guerriero 78 Gross Net 62

C Ron Hardesty92 Gross Net 70

D Dennis Holefca 95 Gross Net 72

Paramutual Results

AB Champion Nick Guerriero Net 62

$94 Pot. All to Nick Pavle on a $2 Bet 100%.

CD Champion Ron Hardesty Net 70

$74 Pot.

D Bretz bet $10 50%

R Hardesty bet $3 30%

D Hardesty bet $2 20%

Once again, several of you have been instrumental in pulling this annual event together, and the collective acknowledgement of your peers is the small but important compensation for your efforts. Ron H as costumer extraordinaire, with the togs this year getting generally good reviews all around (particularly the construction crew orange worn by the Paul C team) and the hats universally hailed as the best ever. Even Bretz wore his until it rained. John and David for their curation and delivery of the archives each year, and kudos to Voshell for coughing up the infamous lost Minnie Mouse doll. A treasured keepsake never to be lost again. David H for obtaining the common bar supply, in which a modicum of a dent was made. Try harder next time guys or else David is just going to keep taking it home for himself. Marshal Hyman and Joe Mantey for performance prizes (wine courtesy of the Cheese Lady), Glenn C for paramutuel duty and Joe Mantey for skins collection. Finally and with great reverence for all they do, Paul C and the Golf Committee for the handicapping, pairings, course and game selections, and for making the most prescient and helpful call in the history of WACOFF in his last minute decision to go to the whites on Saturday. That’s why we pay you the big bucks Paulie!

The Committee considers the 26th Annual not only complete, but a complete success. The Boyz gathered and played, the sun shone and the rain fell, drinks were drunk and meals were shared, jokes and stories were told, kudos and prizes awarded and received, friendships refreshed and reinvigorated, new faces and old joined the pantheon of past and present WACOFFs, and altogether from every perspective a fine time was had by all. Let’s do it again next year.

YR. OBT. SVTS.

THE COMMITTEE

2015 Spider Lake

WACOFF 2015 Wrap Up

After doing this for 25 years, one might surmise that the Wacoffs would perhaps grow jaded, tired, bored or otherwise disinterested in our annual ritual. After all, how many times can we see the same old faces, play the same games, repeat the same rituals, hear and tell the same stories and suffer the same all too familiar consequences of wayward behavior and sleep deprivation? The answer, it seems,is again and again, as by all accounts the 25th Annual Wacoff Invitational Scramble and Gentlemen’s Retreat was as welcomed, energized and enjoyed by the faithful as much if not more than any of the previous 24.

The weekend began with the promise of a bucket list golf experience at the remote locale of The Kingsley Club. 19 of the faithful (a Thursday record) mustered for another go at this challenging and vexing track. We were warmly greeted and instructed by the club pro David Plassman who seemed genuinely tickled to see us. We did our best to at least create the façade of capable and competent golfers as we trudged and limped our way up and down the fairways and green complexes. All in all, a marvelous treat for all who attended. The results of the Thursday two man Stableford completion:

Moss (90)/Voshell (93) 29 Stableford Points 1st

Glenn (89)/David (104) 27 2nd

Bretz (83)/Keys (109) 24 3rd

Joe L (98)/Nick (100) 23

Sam C (88)/Ron H (101) 23

Jim C (86)/Dick M (91) 23

John S (86)/Marshal (116) 22

Palmer (102)/Voshell (93) 20

Paul C (80)/John Coon (112) 19

Nielsen (92)/Tim (105) 16

Dinner was a loud and raucous affair at a local roadhouse called Peegeos, nota great culinary experience but welcomed nonetheless after a long day of travel and too many strokes.

The 25th Invitational welcomed 28 boyz this year, the most since 2008, highlighted by the return of our resident muse and poet, Barry Goldman, and the bookend appearance of Dick Mullendore, present at the 1991 Wacoff-Hyman Golf Thing and biding his time until coming back to sandbag us all in 2015. Dennis Donahue brought his Irish lawyer BS after a long absence and Andrew Baran finally got medical clearance from his cardiologist, orthopedist, radiologist, internist, chiropractor and shaman to return and escaped unharmed. We added two delightful newcomers to the young guns group, Sam Coughenour, spawn of Glenn (will the Wacoff soon be all Coughenours, all the time?), and Jim Bretz, sole male heir of Dan.

Whatever our disappointment in the food Thursday night, it was soon and forever forgotten as we began to experience the amazing and plentiful offerings of our visiting chef, James Hardesty of the Green Frog Tavern in Bellingham WA. Drafted by Dad Ron to attend to our gastronomic needs this year, James and his wonderful companion/assistant/muse/girlfriend Elissa showered the boyz with a never ending offering of outstanding and amazing delights, including but certainly not limited to homemade bagels, cheese grits, brisket, ribs and pork butt all lovingly and skillfully prepared by James (in a smoker he towed to Spider Lake behind his trusty steed Fancy), pancakes with bourbon syrup, more cheese grits, jalapeno poppers, and sauces and dressings to cover them all. It was universally agreed that the boyz ate more, ate better and ate with more gusto this year than any of the past 24. Indeed, watching the likes of Larry Mann and Dennis Holefca (and others) attack the buffet line with the intensity of jihadists seeking the proverbial 27 virgins in heaven, warmed the hearts of all of us who thought overindulgent eating was a thing of the past. Thank you James, you have spoiled us forever. And thank you Elissa for being a perfect den mother, picking up after us, listening to our bullshit stories and generally being a mench.

Friday at the Bear started wet and ended windy. Notwithstanding the lack of meteorological cooperation, the play was spirited and intense. So intense in fact that the scoring rules eluded some of the teams more focused on their play than their scorecard, leading to an announced winner that did not actually win. In the end, it was the dark horse foursome of James Coughenour, Sam Coughenour, John Coon and T. Guerriero who took the Four Man Cap and Floor Best Balls match. The overall results are as follows:

J. Coughenour 137

S. Coughenour

J. Coon

Tim G

P. Coughenour 138

N. Guerriero

D. Holefca

M. Hyman

J. Stimson 140

R. Hardesty

J. Labarge

D. Hardesty

D.Bretz 143

Peter Coughenour

R. Palmer

J. Mantey

R. Moss 143

L. Mann

D. Donahue

K. Foster

P. Nielsen 154

N. Pavle

G. Voshel

B. Goldman

G. Coughenour 181

D. Mullendore

M. Keys

A. Baran

Saturday’s 25th Annual Wacoff Invitational Scramble Championship showcased the many talents and capabilities of this intrepid band. Notwithstanding that within 2 minutes of the end of Friday’s round on the Bear the usual carping and grumbling about playing the Scramble from the blue tees began, the Golf Committee wisely chose to stick to the original plan on Saturday and from the blues we did drive. A glorious late summer sun filled day followed, and a spectacular Scramble unfolded. The results:

Glenn/SamC/Donahue/Mantey 33/36* = 69

Bretz/RonH/Voshell/JimmyB __/__** = 69 [Card missing]

Moss/Pavle/Labarge/Baran 34/36 = 70

Stimson/NickG/Keys/TimG 35/36 = 71

PaulC/Peter/Coon/Goldman 32/40 = 72

JimC/Mann/Holefca/DavidH 39/35 = 74

Nielson/DickM/Palmer/Hyman 36/41 = 77

*Birdie 3 on Hole 18 to win tiebreaker

** Bogie 5 on Hole 18 to lose tiebreaker

For the fifth time (two of which were first place ties lost by tiebreaker), D. Bretz and crew finished in second place. A new Scramble record of sorts was set by Nielsen and team, relieving Moss, Labarge, Voshel and Hyman of the burden of their twenty four year reign as highest Scramble score ever. Also noteworthy was the respectable finish by the Paul Coughenour team, despite the 3rd tee debilitating injury to their D player on the 3rd tee, purportedly requiring Barry to be carried to and placed upon each tee in order to hit for the remainder of the round. Otherwise a close and competitive Scramble, with plenty of highlights, especially on 18, where the title was won. Congratulations to Glenn, son Sam, Dennis and Joe on a smart and well played round.

Sunday left 22 to brave the morning dew and experience another Pure Michigan late summer day. The Wolverine tested all, and flight victories went to the following:

A Flight

Stimson 84 – 15 = Net 69 1st*

Bretz 84 – 12 = Net 72

Paul C 82 – 7 = Net 75

Glenn C 88 – 13 = Net 75

Jim C 90 – 14 = Net 76

Nielsen 89 – 10 = Net 79

Moss 94 – 12 = Net 82

B Flight

Nick G 92 – 18 = Net 74 1st

Peter C 94 – 18 = Net 76

Pavle 93 – 16 = Net 77

Mann 102 – 17 = Net 84

Ron H 103 – 18 = Net 85

C Flight

Voshell 91 – 21 = Net 71 1st

Keys 103 – 20 = Net 83

Coon 108 – 21 = Net 87

D Flight

Jimmy B 99 – 28 = Net 71 1st**

Tim G 98 – 24 = Net 74

Hardesty 98 – 24 = Net 74

Marshal 107 – 28 = Net 79

Mantey 106 – 27 = Net 79

*A/B Paramutuel Winner

**C/D Paramutuel Winner on Tiebreaker (6/4 on Hole 18 vs 6/5)

It’s a fair statement that the 2015 was near perfection. The golf was challenging, the lodging perfect, the food indescribably good. Some other moments and memories of the 25th are also worth noting, in no particular order:

-The appointment of the “Infallible Audit Committee” to render desperately needed oversight and assistance to the Friday Skins Sub Committee Chairman Joe Mantey, who actually delivered accurate result, albeit a day late.

-The cavalier abandonment on Sunday morning of the Scramble Trophy, the most cherished icon of WACOFF, at Spider Lake by the winning captain, only to be saved by the aforementioned James Hardesty who selflessly delivered our chalice to Grand Traverse rather than leave it to the cleaning ladies to recycle.

-The marvelous presentation of the Benediction by its author (and, we were reminded, the copyright holder ), Barry Goldman, in true call and response Detroit preacher man fashion on Saturday evening.

-The tribute to Deke, with kind and warm words from several, on Saturday, not diminished even by the flacid club toss by Mr. Goldman, working injured.

-25 consecutive appearances at Wacoff by Paul Coughenour, Guerriero, Stimson, Palmer, D. Hardesty and Voshell. 24 by Bretz, Hyman and Labarge. 23 by Nielsen and Mantey. God bless them all.

-The amazing ball markers designed by Ron Hardesty and having a heft and weight appropriately reflecting the subject on their face.

-The generosity of Marshal and Bob Palmer in providing beautiful 25th anniversary edition logoedProVi balls for everyone. You guys!

-The sight of the James Hardesty smoker, sitting in front of Spider Lake in all its sooty and smoky glory, looking for all the world like a steam locomotive at the station.

-Shooting stars or space junk, whatever it was, reminding the boyz on the beach what a wild and wonderful universe we live in.

-The enthusiasm of youth and new blood mingling with the aged and infirm, and everyone coming out a bit wiser and a bit younger.

Thanks to the usual suspects for their tireless efforts: John and David H on the archives, a wonderful testament to our history and traditions; to Ron H for the sporty shirts and caps, Callaway treats and the ball markers previously mentioned; Marshal H for the performance prizes; Joe and the Infallible Audit Committee for Friday skins; Glenn C for the always interesting and sometimes remunerative Parimutuel betting on Sunday; Voshell for looking as good as he does as old as he is, and lastly to our sainted Golf Committee Chair, Paul C, who bears the brunt of the complaints and bitching, but steers us unerringly on golf’s true path. We love you Paul.

This missive will be posted on wacoff.net along with what pictures The Committee possesses. Please send ALL of your pictures of whatever nature or source from the weekend to The Committee at wacoffcommittee@yahoo.com.

The Committee now retires to deliberate and plan for the 26th Annual. A southwesterrn Michigan location would be very desirable for many reasons, but it depends on availability of suitable lodging and golf. If any of you have any suggestions/ideas/local knowledge in that regard, please pass on to The Committee.

Until next year, we remain

YrObtSvts

THE COMMITTEE

2014-Tullymore

2014 Wrap-Up

Boyz

The 24th is complete and once again the WACOFF's showed why this remains the most important and anticipated golf event of the year. The attendees enjoyed outstanding weather, challenging competition, plentiful stimulants (both natural and distilled from one plant source or another), and the special and delightful opportunity to rekindle and build upon the friendships and camaraderie that has been the hallmark of this group for 24+ years. This year there appeared th next generation of WACOFFs, and everyone was pleased to welcome the next generation of the Coughenour family golf dynasty, Peter Coughenour, and the heir to the Guerriero D throne, Nicolas Guerriero, to our annual event. More about these two later.

Tullymore is famous in WACOFF circles for great golf and great mattresses, not necessarily in that order. The arrival of our merry band at Tullymore Lodge Thursday evening was an excuse for excessive indulgence in a variety of bad habits, and put most of the group on the DL for Friday morning golf, save for Messrs Palmer, Voshel and Stimson, who bravely carried the flag for the rest of the gang at 7am at St. Ives. Well done men. Other notable happenings over the weekend included the birthday celebration of our senior statesman, the newly retired Larry Mann, who always brings youthful and well schooled enthusiasm to his golf game and to this event. Marshal Hyman rediscovered the subtle magic of Strohs beer on Saturday afternoon, allowing himself the indulgence of an afternoon liquid buzz that delighted all onlookers. Erstwhile entrepreneur Joe Mantey found himself in a deep funk contemplating the myriad of things that can go wrong with a start up cheese shop, so much so that he managed to miss dinner on Saturday. He was well taken care of by the charitable ministrations of Dennis Holefca who brought him a doggie bag to savor. Our young newbies Peter and Nick comported themselves as gentlemen throughout the weekend and seemed politely but genuinely amused by the timid attempts of the boomer generation to "party". The Committee is pleased that this experimental passing of the torch went well. The Michigan-Notre Dame game was a bust, but that sad fact did not keep the Wolverine faithful from an exercise in self-flagellation to the bitter end. It was also wonderful to see John Coon back and in fine fettle after major reconstruction on almost every part of his lower extremities. He also played pretty damn well for being sidelined for almost 2 years.

The Callaway Company once again stepped up as a product sponsor of the Invitational, sending nifty towels to complement the hats from last year. Pretty soon full iron sets will be handed out on the first tee Friday. The well-stocked bar was attacked with a gusto that surprised The Committee, resulting in the fewest number of non-empty bottles that had to be rescued on Sunday morning for several years. Well done boys. Who says getting old is a sobering experience?

The weekend competitions began with an outstanding Thursday Game, conceived, organized and staged by the Thursday Chairman Emeritus, Randy Moss. The rain ended 20 minutes before tee time, leaving Pilgrims Run at the mercy of the 16 who attended, and the competition was fierce. An unprecedented 3 way tie for first produced a winning team after tie-breaker in the person of the Chairman himself and his very fashionable partner, Gary Voshel.

The competition on Friday in the four man Cap and Floor best ball tourney was intense, with any number of teams in the hunt up through at least the third hole. In the end, it was a two stroke victory by Glenn C and company, abetted primarily by the complete collapse of the Nielsen team on the 18th hole after a stellar 17 holes. The Committee has not had a reliable report on the circumstances surrounding the failure of the Moss/Stimson team to deliver an acceptable card, but it perhaps signals the onset of early dementia. Perhaps it is a Chicago thing, but it may be necessary to provide a walk along scorekeeper to these guys in the future.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

GCoughenour/DHolefca/DHardesty/JCoon 131

Nielsen/RonHardesty/Voshell/ TGuerriero 133

PCoughenour/LMann/PeterCough/ Mantey 143

Bretz/Pavle/Keys/Hyman 152

Moss/Stimson/Palmer/ NGuerriero Incomplete scorecard

Saturday dawned clear, sunny and bright and from a weather and course conditions perspective turned into one of the most delightful WACOFF Scramble days that many of the long time participants could remember.The Tullymore course presented as a jewel in the late summer sun, and the 24th Scramble Championship was overtaken by forces never before seen or experienced in the long and storied history of the event. Powered by the 310 yard drives and 275 yard fairway woods onto the green offered up by young bucks Peter C and Nicolas G, old hands Glenn Coughenour and Nick Pavle guided their team to a record-shattering finish of -12 under in the 2014 Invitational. Blowing away the previous scoring record and establishing a new benchmark that may never be bested, Team Pine put together 12 birdies and an eagle to run away with what otherwise would have been a tightly contested event amongst the also-rans. After opening with 5 straight birdies, it was simply a matter of laughing all the way to the winners circle. The good news in this rout is that at least three other teams were playing under the illusion that they were in the hunt, so the day was enjoyable despite the fact that it was all over after the front nine. Congratulations to Team Pine on a memorable and terrific day. The Committee will assure that the handicapping system takes this performance into account in the years to come.

The final results in the 24th ANNUAL WACOFF SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP:

Tullymore [Blue Tees: 6210 Yards] 2014

HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 out 101112131415161718 in score

PAR 5 4 4 3 3 4 3 5 4 35 4 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 5 37 72

GCoughenour/Pavle/PeteCough/NGuerriero 4 3 3 2 2 4 4 4 3 29 3 4 2 3 5 3 4 3 4 31 60 PINE

Moss/Holefca/Voshell/Coon 5 4 3 3 2 5 3 5 4 34 4 3 3 4 4 3 4 3 5 33 67 BLUE

Bretz/Mann/DHardesty/Guerriero 4 4 3 4 3 4 3 5 4 34 3 4 3 4 4 3 4 3 5 33 67 TEAL

PNielsen/Stimson/Keys/Mantey 5 5 3 2 3 4 3 5 3 33 4 3 3 6 4 3 5 3 4 35 68 MAR

PCoughenour/RHardesty/Palmer/Hyman 4 4 4 3 4 4 2 4 4 33 4 4 3 6 4 3 5 4 5 38 71 BLK

Sunday's individual competition at St. Ives brought out some fine performances from several players, less notable from others. Joe Mantey turned in a remarkable 96 to win the D flight , while Ron Hardesty carded a 91 to steal the B class. Paul Coughenour returned to form to cement his status as the iron horse of WACOFF in winning the A Flight. David Hardesty completed the Sunday Hardesty Sweep by winning C Flight by a mile.

Sunday Results [St. Ives: A/B Blue Tees (6247 Yards); C/D White Tees 5707 Yards)

A Flight

P Coughenour 83 - 7 = 76 1ST

D Bretz 87 - 9 = 78

P Nielsen 88 - 9 = 79

R Moss 104 - 13 = 91

G Coughenour W/D

B Flight

R Hardesty 91 - 17 = 74 1ST

N Pavle 93 - 15 = 78

D Holefca 97 - 17 = 80

L Mann 98 - 17 = 81

J. Stimson 99 - 15 = 84

C Flight

D Hardesty 90 - 20 = 70 1ST

Pete Coughenour 100 - 19 = 81

Voshell 102 - 19 = 83

Keys 105 - 20 = 85

Palmer W/D

D Flight
Joe Mantey 96 - 26 = 70 1ST
Tim G. 99 - 24 = 75

M. Hyman 105 - 27 = 78

J. Coon 100 - 21 = 80
N. Guerriero 102 - 22 = 80

As usual, this event takes work, planning, persistence, money and luck. To that end, The Committee wishes to thank all those who contributed to the 24th, including but not limited to Ron Hardesty for the outstanding apparel and the Callaway towels, John Stimson and David Hardesty for their continued stewardship of the archives and museum, Marshal (Fire Brewed) Hyman for his precision management of the performance awards, Joe Mantey for running the first error free Friday skins game in 20 years, Randy Moss for the aforementioned Thursday festivities, and last but never least, Paul Coughenour for his outstanding oversight and presentation of the competition events. PWC, you are and always will be the best at what you do for WACOff.

All in all a great 24th, with anticipation rapidly rising for the 25th in 2015. Consensus sentiment points to Northport or Spider Lake as the venue, and The Committee is hard at work putting the myriad pieces of the puzzle together to make it an extraordinary event. It is incumbent upon each of you to put aside all other matters and attend on September 10-13, 2015. Put the dates in indelible ink on your calendar now.

Until then, stay warm, stay loose and keep your heads down.

YrObtSvts

The Committee

2013-Otsego Club

September 16, 2013

Gentlemen

Age has its benefits and its burdens, and with the wisdom and peace that purportedly come from entering our post mid-life years also comes the reality that we don't recover from our leisure activities with the same bounce and energy that we once did. And while the 23rd was marked by the usual corporeal indulgences by the faithful, The Committee did note that most everyone seemed determined to slip off to horizontal slumberness before the stroke of midnight each night. (The only exception being the Friday late night trotting out of Left Right Center hosted by Joe LaBarge which kept some of you up a bit later). Notwithstanding the relative moderation however, most of us are still feeling the effects of sleep deprivation, excessive consumption of various substances, and several five hour + rounds golf, even now a week later. But that is a good thing, as it suggests that we indeed pushed ourselves beyond our day to day limits, and by all accounts had some fun doing so.

Highlights and lowlights from the 23rd are many, but here a few that The Committee found notable:

-A new course for Thursday, Treetops Traditions, and the turnout of 16 to play. Has Thursday become the new Friday for Wacoff?

-The return of Dave Dell after too many years, commemorated by the Dave Dell Memorial Ski Hill Run on Saturday night. The hardest $100 bet he ever won.

-The ever-changing and eclectic music selections arising from the Sound Dock as one WACOFF after another plugged their playlists in for all to hear.

-Joe Mantey and the Skins Game: It seemed to go well, but then we learned that Joe was reduced to the role of announcer only, having delegated the actual work to those with basic math skills.

-The elevation of the Invitational to an event worthy of national corporate sponsorship, as Callaway Golf showered us with complimentary hats, all through the dogged perseverance of R. Hardesty. (See attached pic-look for it soon in Callaway advertising)

-Our first taste of "beersicles", produced by Joe Mantey's fundamental misunderstanding of the effect of freezing temperatures on liquid.

-An outstanding display of fine Michigan late summer weather, marred only slightly by the brief appearance of (very playable) rain drops on Saturday am.

-The comfort of the Hilltop Lodge and its environs, allowing for pleasant interludes both indoors and out.

-Not having to drive anywhere from Friday morning to Sunday morning (unless like Guerriero you had to hustle back to Traditions on Friday am to find the six iron he left in the woods off of the 18th fairway on Thursday afternoon. It was still there.)

-Watching and listening to Voshel trying desperately to convince anyone to trade their black WACOFF wind shirt for his blue one, because blue is NOT in his wardrobe color scheme. Keys finally gave in out of sheer exhaustion from the pressure.

- The art of the Trophy Inscription being elevated to a new and erudite level by the 2012 champions. EE Cummings rules!

- For those who took a moment to peruse the Archives, particularly the Fobs and Baubles department, the depth and breadth of the collection is astounding. Positively Smithsonian-esque.

-Bulldog Captain J. Coughenour deteminedly plotting out every drive, every shot and every putt for each member of Team Bulldog on Friday night prior to teeing off in the Scramble. It goes to show that a plan well made is a plan.

-Joe LaBarge reading the Benediction as if he was seeing it for the first time ever.

-Shirts with piping (were we wearing them inside out perchance?) and embroidered wind shirts to die for. A tour de force by Ron and the Shirts, Hats, Fobs and Baubles Sub-Committee. Warning: Due to severe over-budget issues, next year we are limited to used tees from Marsh Ridge and plastic Top Flite visors.

-The Golf Committee ceding a portion of its hard won but always benevolently exercised dictatorial powers to the great unwashed by allowing not only a vote but a debate on the selection of tees for the Scramble Championship. A heady exercise in democratic ideals to be sure and perhaps a natural outcome of the Friday mixed tee game. But didn't we learn anything from Iraq or the Arab Spring? Nation building (and letting WACOFFs vote on anything) is a road to hell.

-And, finally, an unprecedented post-event reversal of the award of the WACOFF Trophy for 2013. Read below for details.

While there are undoubtedly many more moments and memories, The Committee will leave it to the rest of you to offer your own tales and tattles. Please do.

As for the competitions, here's the breakdown.

FRIDAY

The Friday round was an outstanding concoction by the Golf Committee, pitting all of us against each other and the many variables of The Tribute. You have to go back to the early days of Mickey Ball to find a Friday game that engaged the boyz so fully and with such enthusiasm. The team talk about tactical approaches, shot analysis and strategic options that went into that round was unprecedented. The movement from black tees to red over the course of the round was a perfect recipe for team play. Everyone had a story about a fantastic shot, a great hole, an amazing moment at some point during their round. Lets do it again.

The Friday results:

FIRST 6: A/D

Bretz/Guerriero20

Paul C/Hyman27

Nielsen/Keys27

Jim C/Mantey 28

Glenn/Dell30

FIRST 6: B/C

Voshell/Pavle23

LaBarge/Palmer24

Mann/DHardesty25

Holefca/RHardesty29

Stimson/Snyder30

SECOND 6: A/C

Paul C/RHardesty23

Glenn C/DHardesty24

Bretz/Voshell25

Jim C/Snyder25

Nielsen/Palmer25

SECOND 6: B/D

LaBarge/Keys23

Stimson/Mantey24

Tim G/Pavle25

Holefca/Hyman26

Mann/Dell29

THIRD 6: A/B

Jim C/Stimson18

Paul C/Holefca19

Nielsen/LaBarge19

Bretz/Pavle22

Glenn C/Mann23

THIRD 6: C/D

Voshell/Guerriero14

Palmer/Keys17

Snyder/Mantey17

DHardesty/Dell19

RHardesty/Hyman22

FRIDAY 4 MAN TEAM GAME:
Bretz/Pavle/Voshell/Guerriero 129

Nielsen/LaBarge/Palmer/Keys 135

JimC/Stimson/Snyder/Mantey 142

PaulC/Holefca/RHardesty/Hyman 146

Glenn C/Mann/DHardesty/Dell 150

SCRAMBLE

For the first time in history of the WACOFF, The Committee is required to overturn an award of the WACOFF Trophy due to an error in communication of the outcome. First, a recap of the event: The 23rd Annual Scramble Championship took us back to The Tribute, having seen it from all angles but the blue tees, which were the overwhelming voting favorite of the assembled. Rain greeted the boyz for a period on the front nine, but never enough to unduly influence the play or the outcome. The course played fair but tough, with early success turning sour for some, and no team taking a commanding lead into the turn, or at the end as it turned out. With all teams finishing within 3 strokes, the match resulted in a tie between Team Bear and Team Badger. At this point, The Golf Committee announced that Team Badger (P. Coughenour, L. Mann, G. Voshell and J. Mantey) as the winners after a scorecard look back to Hole 13. The ever alert Captain Bretz of Team Bear ( D. Bretz, J. LaBarge, Jerry Snider, M. Keyes) looked at the presentation sheet and noticed that it showed Team Badger with the last bogie on 13, thereby rendering Team Bear the winner. The Golf Committee, despite having correctly named the winner but now faced with the evidence of the presentation sheet, acknowledged the seeming obviousness of the point and awarded the Trophy to Team Bear. Much celebration and giddiness ensued and life moved on for all.

However, in the routine review of materials provided to The Committee post-event and in preparation of this missive, it was determined that the official scorecards submitted by the respective Captains Badger and Bear did not match the score sheet presented on Saturday evening to the boyz. Indeed, two scores had been erroneously transposed in the transfer to the event results sheet, resulting in the incorrect attribution of the Hole 13 bogie to Team Badger, when it rightfully and accurately belonged to Team Bear.

As a result, the 2013 Wacoff Scramble Champions are TEAM BADGER rather than TEAM BEAR. It was a simple and honest mistake, and blame lies only in the human imperfections we all share. To be sure, this was the most even match in 23 years, and going back to Hole 13 to break the tie was unprecedented. However, as is the rule in golf at any level, the official scorecards turned in by the Captains are the complete, final and only relevant record. The erroneous naming of TEAM BEAR as Champions is simply that, erroneous.

This chapter must end with all due respect and apologies to TEAM BEAR, and with sincere belated congratulations and kudos to TEAM BADGER.

The Captains should now confer and determine next steps in terms of handing over the Trophy and related matters.

The final and official overall results for the 23rd Annual Scramble Championship:

PCoughenour/LMann/Voshell/Mantey 69

Bretz/LaBarge/Jerry Snyder/Keys 69

JCoughenour/Holefca/Palmer/Dell 71

PNielsen/Pavle/DHardesty/Hyman 71

GCoughenour/Stimson/RHardesty/TimG 72

SUNDAY

Sunday dawned clear and crisp, and a beautiful morning on the Masterpiece awaited the boyz. Despite some dropouts who either thought the Detroit Lions were more interesting or perhaps were suffering from spousal abandonment guilt, the matches were competitive and spirited. The Sunday results were:

Sunday Results [Treetops Masterpiece: Blue Tees (6377 Yards)

A Flight

G Coughenour 82/69

B Flight

D Holefca 91/75

C Flight

G Voshell 91/72

D Flight

M. Keys 97/75

Finally, The Committee thanks those who make it worthwhile for all of us: Ron H as the Wizard of Wardrobe, the Sultan of Style, David H and John S as the Admirals of the Archives, David H as the Lord of the Liquor (who enticed a sponsor back this year to supply the wonderful multi-tiered booze display of which we partook), Marshal H as President of Performance Prizes, Joe M as Supervisor of Skins, Glenn and James C as Poobahs of the Parimutuel, John S as Thursday Committee chair, and last, not least, and for all the reasons that count, Paul C as the Guru of Golf, the Chief of Competition, the High Priest of Handicap, the Icon of Integrity. You all are the best and sometimes even the brightest. If any of you took pictures that capture any of the finest moments of the 23rd,The COmmittee would be grateful to receive copies to make sure our Archives are complete.

The 23rd Annual goes into the archives as another successful event primarily because of the simple fact that we gathered, played, drank, ate, smoked, talked, argued, laughed, dissed, joked and rekindled our friendships and memories. May it ever be thus.

Until 2014, we remain

Yr.Obt.Svts

THE COMMITTEE

2012-Otsego Club

2012 has been referred to by certain WACOFF pundits as “the best ever”. While The Committee is loathe to wade into those deep and uncharted waters, it is immensely satisfied with all that took place in the environs of the Otsego Club in early September 2012. There may be substance to the claim, however, for at the very least WACOFF 2012 brought a multitude of uniquely WACOFFIAN experiences and events:

A long awaited and well –earned first triumph for a devoted and patient Captain;

Ron H fighting through an inexplicable and frustrating injury and displaying True Grit in the aftermath;

Early fall Michigan sunshine and blue skies with leaves just starting to turn;

Unstopping rain, wind and cold as can also happen in Michigan in early fall;

The amazing (and amazingly debilitating) power of “Sneaky Pete”;

The opportunity to savor “the best IPA in the world”;

The best Manhattans not made in Manhattan;

The serene quiet of a single sleeping room;

The cacophony of the sleeping bear cave of Coon and Mann;

The al fresco recitation of “All Time Top 10” Wacoff Moments on Saturday afternoon;

The “bromance” of Gary and Marshal in their Dick and Laura Petry beds;

Dan and Paul C pulling out all the stops to create a euchre dynasty which just wouldn’t hold;

Joe Mantey fucking up Friday skins for the 22d year in a row;

The full throated chorus of aging boomers singing what words they knew to “Born to Run” as the music filled the room;

The Benediction. The Trophy. The Boyz.

All of this and more does a Wacoff make.

The Committee is pleased that WACOFF revisited the outstanding offerings of Gaylord golf, having been absent for many years. Starting with the Thursday game, attended by 80% of the 2012 contingent, the golf was first rate, fun, interesting and The Golf Committee strung together perhaps the best weekend rota of courses we have enjoyed in our 22 years. It was a joy to return to Black Forest in the sunshine (almost) and temperatures above 40. It was as interesting and challenging as we remembered but immensely enjoyable when you weren’t wearing three layers of clothes and winter gloves. The Tribute passed everyone’s “great course” test, even while it was being played in a downpour which rendered the day gray, windy and eventually cold for some. That kudos could be heard from everyone even under such conditions is a testament to the course. We will be back. The Masterpiece and Fazio at Treetops were both top tracks, living up to their reputation for both beauty and playability.

Competitively, 2012 will always and only be remembered as the year Dan Bretz stopped being the best player never to win a WACOFF. Michelson’s first major at the Masters was a minor event compared to the importance of what happened on the Treetops Masterpiece Saturday, September 8, 2012 to Team Dog. The aforementioned Mr. Bretz, ably assisted by the affable and fortunately well playing group of Nick Pavle, Gary Voshel and Marshal Hyman, turned in a bogey-free 5 under capped by a tie-breaking birdie on 18 to assure victory over the hard charging and hot back 9 Team Tiger, led by Jim Coughenour with Stimson, Coon and Hardesty. A bogie on 18 sealed their fate.

The Committee has participated in some and witnessed all of Captain Bretz’s 20 previous attempts to obtain his place on the Trophy, and it was wonderfully pleasurable to see his euphoria upon finally scaling this mountain. By the way, The Committee is informed that Bretz found a ball on Sunday at Treetops that said "It's a dog eat camel world." Dan’s observation was, "I don't know what that means, but I know it's important." Indeed. Good on ya Dan.

Larry Mann, its your turn.

The final results for the 2012 WACOFF SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Dog 66 [birdie 4 on 18 wins cardoff vs. bogey 6]

2. Tiger 66

3. Rat 69

4. Ox 70 [birdie 4 on 18 wins cardoff vs. par 5]

5. Rabbit 70 (Gimpy Ron had all his drives in on front 9 we are informed)

Friday winners, first 6 holes, Mann/D. Hardesty, Net 21, three other net 21's tied for first, Mann/Hardesty won with birdie 2 on 6th hole. (There were also three net 23's).

2nd 6 holes, Holefca/D. Hardesty won with a net 23; there were 4 net 24's, so again a close race.

The final six holes were won by Stimson/Voshell with a net 21, Tim G and Glenn had net 22.

The overall winners were P. Coughenour/D. Holefca/L. Mann/ D. Hardesty with a net 139. Glenn,Tim G, John and Gary had a net 140, so an extremely close contest.

The Golf Committee exercised great compassion by choosing to NOT disqualify the team of Bretz/Keyes/Moss/Coon who turned in a card on Friday only 19 shots off their actual score, despite pre-marked cards specifically noting "NET" scores were to be tabulated. You can lead a horse to water…..

Sunday scores:
A Flight:

P Coughenour 75/67

G Coughenour 88/76

D Bretz 86/77

P Nielsen 86/78*

J Coughenour 97/84

B Flight

J Stimson 89/75

R Moss 89/76

N Pavle 92/78

Holefca 97/79

C Flight

G Voshell 96/76

R Hardesty 99/78

D Flight

D Hardesty 102/80

M Keys 104/82

J Mantey 110/85

Marshal 122/96

The Committee was very pleased with the lodging and gathering facilities at the Otsego Club. The Hilltop Lodge was an outstanding accommodation. The food was more than satisfying and we seemed to be able to go about our necessary business without interference. The Committee has booked an encore trip for 2013. Your input is expected but not necessarily welcomed.

A great event takes a lot of work, planning and worrying over things that someone needs to worry about, and in no particular order The Committee acknowledges those who did exactly those things for us this year:

Ron Hardesty once again elevated us to our usual sartorial heights with sharp looking shirts and a bauble to die for. It will be a “keeper” for sure. Well done and thanks Ron. Take care of that leg.

David Hardesty and John Stimson continue to curate our archive. Their loving preservation of our history will assure that when it is donated to the Smithsonian upon the death of the last WACOFF, it will be presentable and clean. Also, to John for the “Deke reminiscence” this year. Best club toss ever Paul Nielsen.

Marshal Hyman suffers the fate of having to be in the last group each Friday and Saturday so he can minister to his responsibilities as Performance Prize Person. Thanks Marsh. Friday it was not only long but also cold and wet. Paul Nielsen ran a Thursday game with a scoring system that left most of us without any idea of where we stood during the competition, thus making it quite a relaxing and fun event. The fact that it literally took him 3.5 hours afterward to compile the scores and results (Winners: Pavle, Holefca, Guerriero, Voshel) is fucking crazy. Thursday is yours forever Paul.

Joe Mantey for Friday skins. You were perfect Joe. We can’t imagine anyone else ever performing this task. Nominated for life. Thanks for the great IPA in the cool keg too.

The Golf Committee chaired by Paul C once again delivered an outstanding menu of courses, events and results. The inspired choice (made before the event) to play from the white tees on Friday made what might have been a long, wet, cold slog into a very playabe round. He is all knowing and all seeing. All that is WACOFF Golf we owe to Paul.

Perhaps it was the “best Wacoff ever”, or perhaps that appellation belongs to another time and another place (1998 at Northport? 2002 at Khardomah? 2007 Spider Lake? Yarrow 2004? Others?) But does it really matter? Every Wacoff presents the opportunity to gather again, play golf, drink and smoke too much, break bread together, tell stories and jokes, remember old times and catch up on current events, and remind ourselves of the staying power and precious importance of good friends. In The Committee’s view, every WACOFF is the best ever, just because we do it.

Thanks Boyz.

See you all next year.

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 6-8, 2013, OTSEGO LODGE.

YR.OBT.SVTS
THE COMMITTEE

2011-Tullymore

The Commitee has misplaced or lost photos from the 2011 Invitational, so if any WACOFFs have any pics or other items to contribute to this page,please forward to the Committee at your earliest convenience.

September 28, 2011

Gentlemen

The Committee must begin this year's wrap up with an explanation for the rather tardy appearance of same. Immediately upon the conclusion of the Twenty First, The Committee's liaison found himself on a plane to London but without the laptop computer which is a virtual appendage of the poor boy. As a result, he was cut off from his data, his thesaurus, and his ability to copy pithy phrases from others with actual writing talent. He is now reunited with his machine and is now able to meet his obligations to The Committee.

The Twenty First goes into the books as a memorable event for numerous reasons. The Thursday Committee got things off to a roaring start with a dozen early birds enjoying the splendor of Pilgrims Run followed by a night of debauchery and karaoke in some nameless Mecosta County roadhouse. Friday morning found most of the tribe sleeping it off until the main event began. Thanks to SuperLawyer Dan Bretz for the leadership on this.

The weekend attendance, at 20, was the lowest in 10 years, but numerous Wacoffs observed that the smaller number contributed to an intimacy and ability to converse and interact at a volume and pace that was comfortable, expansive and gentle. Whilst those regulars who had various excuses for non-attendance were certainly missed (at least their financial contributions), it was a veteran and able group, with no shortage of character and class.

The facilities at Tullymore were grand and spacious, reminiscent of Northport and Spider Lake. Comfortable bedrooms (with OUTSTANDING mattresses sparking unexpected and universal acclamation), spacious public areas with the usual required accoutrement' including a hot tub in which Mann and Coon took indecent liberties with the jets. The food was serviceable, although missing the deft touch of class and sophistication of Chef Holefca. Friday night at the Lodge was a hoot, with Marshal "BB" Hyman reminding everyone of the surprises awaiting those who mix their intoxicants. The boyz actually kept up a fair approximation of party animals until after the midnight hour, and that is always a heart warming sight. There seems to be unanimous consent that the Lodge at Tullymore fills the WACOFF bill, and it will undoubtedly be placed upon the permanent rota.

As usual, the Golf Committee designed and staged outstanding and invigorating competitive events. The Friday 4 Man 666 /Two Man Alternate Shot/Net Kick Ass Roller Derby Open, once everyone figured out how it was actually supposed to work, was a blast to play. Once a rhythm was established, the competitive and strategic options began to appear and multiply. Simply stated, it was a hell of a lot more fun than it looked on paper. The Bretz team (Dan, Larry Mann, John Coon and Guerriero) dominated the event, winning the overall and two of the three Nassaus. A great addition to the WACOFF competition repertoire! Tip of the Week from the Bretz Foursome: Change carts when you change partners!!

The Twenty First WACOFF Scramble Championship was played on a beautiful and challenging Tullymore course. Tullymore, in its debut appearance as a venue for the Scramble Championship was widely hailed as an outstanding test of golf, a marvelous example of the integration of golf and terrain, and a course with soul. Some complained about playing from the blacks at 7200 yds (not even the tips mind you, another 300 yds further back!) but after being sternly reminded of the true purpose and nature of the Championship, quickly realized the heresy of their views.

The Scramble Championship results were notable for several reasons. One, another (9th?) victory for the master, Paul Coughenour. Two, a first victory and appearance on the Trophy for John Coon. Three, the largest margin of victory in Scramble Championship history. Four, four of the five teams were within one stroke at the turn and all were still legitimately in the hunt. Five, a three birdie (16, 17and 18) finish. Six, and finally, perhaps the greatest collective sandbagging job in the history of the event. Nothing but stories of bad shots, lame and limping golfers, horrible breaks, ineffective A player, bad tempers and other horrors. We ought to know better by now, but Paul is a master of the sandbag. Congratulations to Team Dream (On), Paul Coughenour, Dennis Holefca, John Coon and Marshal Hyman. A -7 finish, FOUR strokes ahead of the nearest competitor.

The Deke Shoot-Out was fun for some, not so much for others it seems. Congrats to the winner. Who was that?

Saturday is followed by Sunday every year, and the individual events proceeded without participation by 20% of the field, withdrawing in favor of home, health and other pursuits. All CD players no doubt. Nevertheless, a great day and good conditions led to more surprises. Larry Mann ran away with the AB paramutuel with a serviceable 88 net 70, chased by the A flight winners, Glen and Paul at net 74s. The CD paramutuel saw Ron Hardesty shoot the best round he has had in many a year at 93 net 70, chased by C flight winner Gary V at net 72. Beautiful day, beautiful course, and not so far away from home at that.

The boys are lucky to have the opportunity to knock around with each other every year, and may it long continue. The Committee hastens to add its thanks and gratitude to the many whose efforts make this event worth attending: D. Bretz-Thursday Game. D. Hardesty-Photos, photo albums, Shirts and Bar. R. Hardesty, Shirts and Hats and other things. M. Hyman-Performance Prizes. J. Stimson-the always impressive and ever growing Wacoff Archive and the Shoot Out. P. Nielsen-The Shootout. G and J Coughenour- Parimutuel Betting. D. Holefca-Culinary Inspiration, and P. Coughenour, the God of Golf, Lord of the Links, His Highness of Handicap. We collectively thank each of you for all you do and hope that you will do it again next year.

Planning for 2012 is under way, and suggestions are welcome. Be safe and be well.

YrObtSvts
THE COMMITTEE

2010-Garland

2010

Gentlemen

Just when The Committee began to feel a bit jaded about it all, thinking that it was too much trouble, too much work, not enough return on effort expended, something like the 20th Annual comes along and reminds us why we do this to ourselves and each other every fall. It was, in The Committee's humble estimation, a wonderful event, some might even say magical, but then we would know they had spent too much time with Joe LaBarge or Jerry Snyder.

Attendance at 28 was beyond initial expectations and composed of all veterans. Everyone was excited to welcome back the now privately engaged S. Pruss after a notable absence occasioned by his civic responsibilities. The return of Mr. Grumpy (sorry, I mean Adams) and Mr. DiDonato for their second try was also welcome and appreciated. It seemed the long trip North to new and untested courses and lodgings did little to deter the tribe from signing up.

As for those courses, the Thursday opener at Forest Dunes was a stunner, with sand, pines, bentgrass and waste areas doing their best to make it feel like we were somewhere in the Carolinas. A testament to the attraction of this course was the fact that 20 boyz decided to come early. The Forest Dunes experience was marred only by the sight of so many of us wandering the waste areas, looking forlorn and lost, wondering how we got there in the first place and wondering if we had the game to get out. A wonderful golf experience and thanks to Chairman Moss of the Thursday Committee for making it happen.

The Garland courses were, in the judgment of The Committee, playable, fair, beautiful for the most part, and offered a wide variety of challenges, from the white tees on Friday on Monarch to the tips on Saturday on Fountains. We saw deer, bald eagles, cute drink cart ladies, some rain, some wind, some beautiful Northern Michigan sunshine, and generally were well served by the golf gods Friday-Sunday. Some (who shall remain nameless) complained that playing from the tips as we did Saturday is punitive, and, depending on who was doing the complaining it was because either (a) too long for the poor C and D players who can't hit the ball more than 125 yards (although we did not hear this from any C or D player) or (b) did not allow the highly skilled and serious golfers (who?) to "play their whole bag" or (c ) required all long iron or fairway wood/hybrid shots into the greens which was "really hard". In response, and in full and unequivocal defense of the Golf Committee, The Committee can only respond that those of you who feel this way should stop whining, recall why the Scramble Championship is as worthy a prize as it is, and focus on the fact that the Scramble Championship played from the tips is a true and revealing test of all the golf virtues that WACOFF stands for: Creativity in strategy and shot making, resilience in the face of adversity, inspirational and effective leadership, cooperation and collaboration amongst team members, and remembering when it is time to order the Bloody Marys. Those who master these skills deserve to have their name on the Trophy.

Kudos and congratulations to the winners of the competition events, some expected some not so expected:

Friday Two Man Best Ball AB D. Harding D. Holefca

Friday Two Man Best Ball CD: M. Keyes and S. Pruss

Friday Four Man Three Ball- P. Coughenour, C. Brown, R. Palmer, T. Guerriero

SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP:
JIM COUGHENOUR, JOE LABARGE, RICK DIDONATO, TIM GUERRIERO 68 (by a shot over PCoughenour and company, who could have stolen this with a par on 18)

Sunday A- Tim Adams

Sunday B- JF Stimson (funniest guy at WACOFF)

Sunday C- Gary Voshel (by tiebreaker over R. DiDonato)

Sunday D- Tim Guerriero

Sunday AB Parimutuel-J. F. Stimson Sunday CD Parimutuel- Gary Voshel

　As for lodging and related events, the boyz seemed to be quite taken with the Hills of Lakeview, particularly the namesake view and the overall ambience of the place. The food was quite pleasant, particularly the filet mignon with Holefca Morel Sauce on Saturday night. The main complaint heard was that the facility did not have ESPN to satisfy the NCAA football junkies amongst us. The Committee will pledge to not overlook that necessity in the future. The Committee feels badly that some were relegated to housing at Garland (see: Attendance greater than expectations above), but they seemed to survive well enough, and were most likely happy to have an excuse to leave early Saturday night to sleep.

As for extracurriculars, The Committee notes that this year's version of the Shootout, whilst not particularly drawing the fevered attention of the throng due to competing with the last five minutes of Michigan-Notre Dame game, was actually a blast to watch. Who would have bet that of approx. 50 balls shot to a reasonably large landing area 110 yards downhill from an elevated tee, most using wedges and 9 irons, only about 6 balls actually hit the mark? See item (c) above in relation to the Scramble and "let me hit my short irons to the green". When it comes to golf gentlemen, it seems we are definitely getting older, not better! The Deke Memorial club toss was also a tour de force, Paul C using the elevated tee for all it is worth. He got the club closer to the green than 50% of the balls that were hit!

The sentimental moment of the event was probably the WACOFF XX video presentation. It seemed to catch the spirit and history of the thing without being too over the top, and the boyz seemed to appreciate the years and history we have together. For the 25th, The Committee will hire Scorcese to do a full length docu-drama.

All in all, time well spent, company well kept, humor well enjoyed, games well played and words well spoken. A happy and productive (as you choose to define it) year ahead to you all, till next we gather.

YrObtSvts

THE COMMITTEE

2009-Yarrow

2009

Gentlemen

Having closed the book (financially and figuratively) on the Nineteenth Annual, The Committee now pauses to reflect on the latest gathering of the feckless and fearless. The reports received from our far flung brothers thus far suggest it was well received, notwithstanding the usual complaints emanating from the usual corners.

This year, Mother Nature smiled upon the faithful, showering the boyz in sunshine and pleasantness, which seemed to be contagious. Smiles, warm feelings and a general sense of well being pervaded the entire event. The Committee will take as much credit for the blue skies and pleasant temperatures as you will give it, recognizing that such hubris will undoubtedly bite us in the ass some cold rainy day in the future.

Our gathering was smaller this year by design, 24 instead of the 32 we have welcomed in the past several years, and in many ways was the better for it. The pace and tempo of the event seemed less hectic (notwithstanding the frenzy created on Friday by moving up the tee times one hour) and the interaction amongst the troops more relaxed. The Committee was particularly pleased to see that the rigorous itinerary set out for the clan was generally adhered to without any MIA's or late arrivals at the tee. Well done to all. Our two newbies, Rick DiDonato and Tim Adams, proved themselves hale and hearty companions, able gamesmen, and a welcome addition to the clan. We hope you will return.

The competition events and the courses, starting with Angels Crossing on Thursday, Yarrow Friday and Saturday, Stonehedge South on Sunday, were superb. The return to Mickey Ball on Friday was a retro treat, made all the more memorable by the fact that only one in six teams managed to keep the little bastard through 18 holes. The winning Mickey foursome of Stimson, Mann, Voshel and Guerriero husbanded their charge around Yarrow with the protective ardor of a heart transplant delivery team sheparding its cargo to an expectant donee. The headliner in back to back rounds on Yarrow on Friday and Saturday was Gary Voshel, winning the CD two man best ball on Friday (with the aforementioned Guerriero) with a sizzling net 62, and then going on to achieve WACOFF immortality on Saturday by teaming up with Team Prius Blue (P. Coughenour, J. Labarge and M Hyman in support) to win the honor of etching his name on the Scramble Championship trophy for the first and only time in 19 years. The tears he shed on Saturday night at the awards presentation reflected the emotional grip that victory in the Scramble Championship has on everyone. Gary also won the honor of the Dekam club toss at the Shootout, managing to move the 4 iron almost 8 yards in front of the tee. Time to man up and get a decent club throwing technique Gary. In winning the Nineteenth SCRAMBLE CHAMPIONSHIP, Team Prius Blue savaged the field, bringing all 7005 yards of the Yarrow layout to its knees with a phenomenal 4 under total. Well done. Too bad you all looked so silly in baby blue. We withhold comment on the dwindling number of folks whose names have yet to appear on the Trophy, saying only that 20 years should be time enough.

The Committee was impressed with the celebratory fervor which pervaded the event, particularly on Friday night when most of the boyz seemed to work hard at showing they still had the will, if not the actual ability, to imbibe vast amounts of intoxicants of one form or another, play cards late into the night and be incredibly concerned about the whereabouts of Joe LaBarge. No one seemed to work as hard at it as D. Hardesty and John Coon, and that much was evident to their Virgin White teammates on Saturday morning when Hardesty couldn't talk and Coon couldn't walk for the first eight holes of the Scramble. Sharing our venue with others as we did at Yarrow increases the risk of unplanned interaction, as the bleacher bums sitting in the Adirondack circle Friday night witnessed when some of the boyz on the second floor were accosted by wandering wedding guests of the female persuasion, whose attention seemed to be inordinately an inexplicaby focused on our boy Palmer. "Hey Bob, call me" was the watchword of the evening. The Committee is pleased to report that Bob was steadfast in his resistance to temptation.

As usual in this space, The Committee needs to pay homage to those whose contributions were critical to the event, inspirational to the boyz, or otherwise worthy of mention. The Thursday Committee in the person of John Stimson began the weekend with a bang, selecting a fantastic venue, and organizing the most memorable Thursday dinner/cocktail hours ever at the Stimson family estate on Gull Lake. Swimming, campfire, steaks grilled to perfection by Dan Bretz, and the warm hospitality of Sister Sue will not soon be forgotten. Mr. Stimson also gets Committee kudos for his outstanding presentation of the WACOFF Archive, each year adding to a collection that The Committee is sure will one day end up in the Smithsonian.

The Shirts, Hats, Fobs and Baubles Sub-Committee, chaired by Ron (he of the new slow swing) Hardesty outdid itself this year, with beautiful (save for Prius Blue) Ping shirts and hats that looked good on all, even Dan Bretz. Well done RH. Marshal Hyman did his usual workmanlike job on performance prizes, and in the process provided plenty of liquid lubricant to be shared amongst the crowd. David Hardesty brought the photo albums and managed against all odds to obtain a group pic on Saturday at the Shootout. Thanks to Jim Coughenour for his efficient and competent management of the parimutuel window, he being the only bettor on the Sunday D winner, Ron Wolf. How much did that pay James? A nod also to Joe Mantey for demonstrating that a candidate for public office does not need to have organizational or arithmetic skills in order to be entrusted with responsibility, he just needs to show up. Joe, The Committee is going to keep assigning skins to you until you dazzle us with your computational and oratorical skills.

Paul Nielsen picked up the Shootout baton from the missing Chuck Brown, and produced a most entertaining and efficient incarnation of that event. The competition was fierce, ending only when J. Coughenour banged his 138 yd tee shot off the stick in the final round, leaving a three footer, handily holed and allowing JC and Dr. Keys to claim triumph. Thanks and well done Paul.

Finally, a deep bow and humble thanks by The Committee to the Golf Committee, chaired by our own Paul "Hootie" Coughenour, which once again conceived, organized, led and put on a series of events over the weekend which makes this the best damn outing in the world. You are the best, and The Committee and all the boyz acclaim your creativity, integrity and love of the game.

In closing, The Committee reminds the reader that next year brings the Twentieth Annual, certainly a milestone in the history of the WACOFF and our collective bond. Some suggestions have been forthcoming from the faithful, and if you still have an opinion or thought you wish to register, please do so sooner rather than later as the planning wheels are already turning at WACOFF Central. Whatever it brings, and wherever it is, don't miss it. Until then, we remain,

YrObtSvts
THE COMMITTEE

2008-Spider Lake

2008

The 18th Annual heads for the sunset (or the remnants of Hurricane Ike, as it were) and the WACOFF’s are now largely back to the real world (except for Coon, who left the real world 20 years ago and Joe Mantey, who was never in it) from which we make our annual escape. It was a fine weekend despite the lousy weather, but we suffered our first ever rain out of a competitive round. Oh, the humanity! The Committee severely chastised Guerriero for the decision on Sunday to call the match, making it known that his manhood had obviously failed him, and it was more than suggested that the Patton like qualities that got Guerriero this gig in the first place had deserted him at the moment of truth. Truth be told, the WACOFF’s didn’t want to get wet Sunday, and by God why should they? Untold number of marriages were given a true shot at redemption due to early returns on Sunday……a silver lining if there ever was one.

The Scramble Championship was fiercely contested, with three or four teams in a position to win as late as 16. Paul Nielsen dragged his mustard clad Team Snead to victory, capably aided by Glenn Coughenour, (playing his home course!) Joe LaBarge and Marshal Hyman. A run to the finish that took them past Paul Coughenour ’s Team Player, who booted their day long lead with a bogey on the very tough uphill par 4 16th . Kudos also to Messrs Brown, Mann and Voshel of Team Bobby Jones, who as a threesome ran with the big dogs and finished just a stroke out. It is duly noted here that the Nielsen team, having led off the Championship, was virtually untouched by the rain which set in around 1pm or so, leaving the back of the field to struggle through up to 9 holes of shit. However, before some disappointed WACOFF’s use this random weather event as an excuse for their team’s less than glorious finish, it should be noted that Team Player was at the back of the pack and managed to stay in it until the end. Its all about karma.

The work of the Golf Committee this year was challenging in that there were several players who were either new (welcome, Kevin Thomson) or had not attended in 10 years (the rest of the Jackson crowd, Jim Guerriero, Bill Worth and Gary Skinner, and, by the way, welcome back). This uncertainty and lack of history combined with last minute drop outs and no-shows and consequent re-shuffling of the pairings deck led to concerns about the overall fairness of the resulting teams etc. The results however once again vindicated the insightfulness and wisdom of the Golf Committee, with all competitions resulting in competitive excitement and no runaway winners (or losers). Another tip of the Voshel Gangol cap to Paul C for his fine work. The King lives and reigns.

The weekend was otherwise enjoyable, with a great Thursday game at a tough (and liquorless) Lockenheath course up the road, a grueling Friday challenge at Wolverine, with some pretty scary scores from some reputedly good golfers. The Spider Lake retreat proved as welcoming and comfortable as we remembered, its full glory and potential unfortunately beaten down by Ike. The boyz played well together indoors though (despite the pall cast by the ugly Michigan performance against ND) and struck out to other more educational and exciting venues such as the casino and the Holiday Inn to assuage their disappointment at not going tubing.

Thanks and hugs to:

Ron H and his SUB committee (Stimson and D Hardesty) for very snazzy shirts, cool divot tools and for his arrangement of the massage therapy, mistaken by some passersby as a beached whale rescue attempt, to David H for booze, cameras, photo archives (please bring up to date, thank you) and not getting anyone too pissed off at you this year, to Stimson for the Thursday game (we were very happy that Chicago decided to get up a bit early and attend, we know how hard it must be but only because you whined about it so much, poor boyz), the very impressive and ever growing archives, remembrance of Deke, and for your many and unheralded contributions to the karma of it all, to Glenn C for the beer (get your money back Glenn,we really tried to drink it but it wouldn’t come out), the aborted pari-mutuel, and for his able and exemplary fill in for brother Paul on the Scramble Championship presentation Saturday night, to Jim C for hauling his boat up against all weather odds, help on the pari-mutuel, and for guiding Mantey through the intricacies of skins mathematics, to Mantey for the longest skins game calculation in the annals of the sport, over 24 hours and it still was wrong, but that is why we love you Joe. The job is yours until you get it right. to Marshal H for prizes and benediction, and for a competitive tour de force as the winner both Friday (with Jerry Snyder in CD) and in the Scramble. Sorry the weather cost you the triple crown. to Joe LaBarge, for sharing his best stuff with us.

Thanks mostly though to all the boyz for your participation, dedication, enthusiasm and willingness to show up and pay whatever you are told to pay. It makes it all worthwhile in the end.

Next year comes too slowly, but plans are underway and we will likely be returning to Yarrow, probably the weekend after Labor Day, September 4-6, 2009. Compliments, donations, random and gushing expressions of gratitude and praise, and other similar type communications are always welcomed by the Committee. Suggestions and questions, constructive or otherwise, are best kept to yourself.

See you at the 19th Annual.

YrObtSvts.

THE COMMITTEE

2007-Spider Lake

2007

Gentlemens,

The Committee hopes each and all of you arrived safely back to the real world Sunday, (Or perhaps Monday in some cases) notwithstanding the damage (perhaps irreparable, in certain cases) that many of you seemed to have done to your bodies and brains the previous three days.

The Seventeenth Annual is history, and it ranks among the best ever in the view of many. Several notable milestones were achieved this year. EVERY man at the Sixteenth returned for the Seventeenth, a WACOFF first. This prompted the need to increase the field to 32 attendees, a WACOFF record. The highest attendance ever (20) for the Thursday game, with six more showing up that night for dinner. One for the record books in terms of participation.

Other important milestones arose on the course, with the most magnificent being John Stimson's first WACOFF Scramble Championship after 17 years of effort. Led to a -7 victory by the irrepressible Ken Kohler, Mouth to the Stars, Team Black came from behind on the back nine to best the Paul Coughenour Maroons (with Pavle, Coon and Hyman), who held a one stroke lead at -8 after 15. A dramatic tie breaker left the Maroons in second and a win for the aforementioned Kohler and Stimson, along with Dynamite Dave Dell and Mr. Coachable, Joe Mantey. Congratulations to Team Black on the victory, to Ken for his first captain's victory, to John for spanking that monkee, and to Joe and Dell for repeat appearances on the winners’ podium. Some of you are still jacking that Scramble monkee off, you know who you are, and everyone else does too. Next year?

The rest of the golf was amazing, starting with the Thursday game at Kingsley Club. The combination of a tight, up and down, gorse, heather and bunker infested track with a 30 mile an hour gale wind (in the face on every tee) was likened to a military assault in the mountains of Afghanistan. The tone was set by the first group off the tee when Ron Hardesty found himself lying 7 barely 200 yards down the fairway. It was a brutal afternoon, yet most of the boyz found the course challenging and interesting, and rose to the occasion. The brutality of Thursday was followed by the misery of Friday at Sundance. Add rain to the Kingsley mix above, and the Wacoff dedication to golf becomes legend. Congrats to the two man best ball winners (AB- Schatko/Jon Snyder) CD (Keys/Pruss) and to the four man team winners: Schatko/Snyder/Luton/Dell.

Stimson was on a roll Saturday, bringing home the Deke Shootout with his partner No. 12, Ron Hardesty. Well done.

The Spider Lake Retreat proved to be all and everything The Committee hoped it would be, providing a fantastic base from which to launch our assaults on the links of Grand Traverse County. Great location, comfortable and dare I say opulent accommodations, along with the privacy and exclusivity which brings out the best in our boyz. The food turned out amazingly well after a last minute scramble to put it together and the shuffleboard was sublime.

The lake and beach was the place to be on Saturday afternoon, with Jim Coughenour, Lord of the Waves, taking all sorts of brave and intrepid WAcOFF's for the ride of their lives behind his beautiful Mastecraft. It took The Committee until today to get over the nightmare vision of John Stimson coursing over the waves of Spider Lake, sitting on his ass with his face and feet forward and his crotch totally exposed to every spin, turn and wave that Jimmy could throw at him from the cockpit of the Mastercraft. He survived, but a lot of WACOFF nuts still ache from watching. Visually, the winner of the least likely tube rider contest was Moss, who, between his faux Armani bathing suit and post ride "tubed" hair looked like a freak (or a serial killer, don't know which). Thanks to Jim C for adding a whole new excitement and entertainment to the Saturday afternoon drinking time of the peanut gallery at the beach.

Some other notable remnants of The Committee's bleary and shaky memory of the event:

In case no one noticed, Joe Mantey was dressed by his wife this year, who evidently had tired of his rather tattered approach to his sartorial self. If you don't believe or remember, check out the picture of his Sunday garb on the web.

The outstanding hospitality we enjoyed at each of the golf venues, particularly the Kingsley Club and The Bear and Wolverine. The only exception to this seemed to be Jim Coughenour, who was nearly kicked out of Kingsley for wearing his hat in the clubhouse (Jim, what were you thinking?!!) and managed to get crosswise with what everyone else agreed were the nicest group of course marshals ever at The Bear. We know it wasn't you Jim.

The wonderful smile and presence of Skip Pruss, back after five years, but only to mysteriously disappear after 24 hours. Is it us, Skip?

The scene Saturday on the beach, loungers, swimmers, boaters, tubers, drinkers, smokers, nappers, and every other thing going on a sun splashed, picture perfect late summer day in Northern Michigan. Hard to beat that karma. My vote for best slice of the weekend, marred only by: The complete and utter failure of Jerry Snyder to put ONE frisbee toss in the proper place for Guerriero to demonstrate his Olympic calibre skills at "raft leaping", forcing him to have to dive low each time and incur the catcalls and insults of the aforementioned crowd in the cheap seats on the beach.

The insistence of most WACOFFs on parking their car immediately in front of the building rather than walk 100 feet to the parking lot, causing gridlock each morning. This is why global warming is real.

Playing with Marshal on "automatic" with that hybrid 2 iron off the tee on Sunday, 220+ yards down the middle every time with your eyes closed on almost every hole. You rule, Marsh.

Finally, recognition and thanks to all who contributed to the Seventeenth, in no particular order:

Hardesty Brothers on Shirts, Faubs and Bobbles (Ron H, Chair). Great job again this year. Are the sacks for use by the Michigan fans for face hiding?

David H and John Stimson for Archives, lovingly maintained and splendidly displayed.

David H for the sponsored bar, upon which much carnage and damage was wrought. Well done David and boyz.

Marshal H for performance prizes, all of which seemed to go to John Coon and Paul Coughenour this year.

Glenn Coughenour for many important things, including the use (and let’s hope not forfeiture as a result) of his membership at Grand Traverse to get us on the Bear and Wolverine at incredibly good rates, his ability to find last minute local substitutes on Friday to save the integrity of the games, and for bringing the cold keg of Heinekens to Spider Lake. We didn't finish it but Glenn said it was light enough to carry by himself at the end.

Jim Coughenour for towing his boat all the way up there and entertaining the hell out of us on Saturday afternoon. To the bookend Coughenour brothers for the well run parimutuel for Sunday.

To D Bretz for multiple duties this year, including organization of the Thursday game at Kingsley Club, and for his tour de force as Master of Ceremonies after Friday dinner when the regular palooka couldn't make it. Well done, Dan, and the job is yours.

Here The Committee would normally thank Joe Mantey for the Skins game on Friday, but The Committee is informed that he totally fucked it up so fuggetaboudit. I guess being an economics professor doesn't translate into running simple mathematical games.

Finally, a tip of the brim and a load of thanks and hugs to the Golf Committee in the indomitable person of Paul Coughenour, assisted this year by John Stimson and Dan Bretz, for bringing us the courses and competitions that give us something to talk about when we are drinking. Great courses, great games and great competition guys. Can we have some more please???

The Committee believes Spider Lake deserves a curtain call and we will be returning next year. A proposal has been made to alter the WACOFF format, having it begin on Thursday afternoon, with the Scramble Championship on Saturday, with golf Sunday optional. Sort of a reverse of the current set up that has Thursday golf optional. This addresses one of the issues most often raised when we travel to Northern Michigan, the long travel time home for some our more important and influential attendees. Somewhat uncharacteristically, The Committee is interested in your feedback on this idea, but don't wait too long to provide it as decisions will be made in the next several weeks.

Until Next Year

YrObtSvts
THE COMMITTEE

2006-St. Ives

2006

The Committee apologizes for the delay in the post-event wrap up but The Committee has required more than the usual 24 hour recovery period this year. Perhaps it was the Speyburn single malt, perhaps it was the lack of any meaningful sleep for two days, perhaps it was post traumatic stress disorder arising from the horror of witnessing Guerriero's golf game dissolving into pure shit. No matter, The Committee is fit once again. The Sixteenth Invitational was outstanding in all respects, despite the premature taste of autumn in the form of wind, rain and cold. Those of you who thought to bring something other than shorts and golf shirts managed to survive well enough. St. Ives and Tullymore provided a suitable challenge to the boyz, notwithstanding certain players' inability to differentiate between white and blue on Sunday.

The Scramble Championship was as exciting as they come. Congratulations to Team Dopey, captained by the inimitable C. Brown, and staffed by Holefca, LaBarge and Hardesty, who emerged from a 3 way tie at 17 to take home the cherished chalice with a par on 18, thus banishing Bretz and his underachieving Team Doc (Pavle, R Hardesty and the aforementioned living nightmare of golf) to yet another disappointment, despite his best chance to win in several years. Team Grumpy (Paul Coughenour, Jerry Snyder, Dell and Baran) faltered on the back nine and could not hold on to the big lead they had at the turn, despite needing only a par on 18 to tie. Such is life, but The Committee is always pleased to add a new captain's name to the winners list.

The weekend was punctuated by some wonderful moments, some of which The Committee feels compelled to catalogue here. WACOFF is nourished each year by the appearance of new blood and new faces, whose presence always serves to remind the rest of us why we keep coming back. Messrs Ken Kohler (Shootout Winner!!!) and Keith Schatko were a welcome and first rate addition to our motley group. Many happy returns to both of them.

Speaking of the Shootout, it was a gas! Between Jim Coughenour gaming the rules to ruthlessly advance against the field, Dennis Holefca desperately seeking a golf cart to avoid the tortuous walk from tee to green, Larry Mann barking at the assemblage from his imperious vantage point above the green, and Chuck Brown managing the action with the efficiency of a Japanese auto plant, all the elements for a great competition were packed into sixty minutes of pure golf. Congratulations to Ken and Dr. M Keys on a great Shootout win, despite every tee shot by Kohler being in the shit.

The emotional peak of the weekend came Friday evening with the premier of the soon to be released WACOFF music video, produced by the Hardesty Brothers and Lynne DeLeuw. As the video played, the mood in the room went from initial cynicism, to laughter, to enjoyment to wild enthusiasm. The resulting standing ovation was the first in WACOFF history as far as The Committee can recall. Well done Ron, David and Lynne. Copies will be available for a modest fee.

Thanks and a tip of The Committee's cap to the Ron and David H and John Stimson for the great work on the shirts, hats and fobs, both real and imperfect. Thanks also to David H for assembling the Committee bar and the Archive, Dennis H for menu consultation, Marshal H on performance prizes, Joe Mantey for skins, Glenn and Jim C for paramutuel, Chuck B for Shootout, Dan Bretz for the Thursday Game, and as always to the doctor of divot, the poobah of putting, the Sultan of Swing, P. Coughenour for all things golf. Special thanks to John Stimson for providing insight, commentary and the feel of a televised golf event via his wandering presence on each course over the weekend. Bravo to all for your contributions.

Plans for next year are well underway. The Committee thanks all of you for your myriad suggestions, comments, opinions and observations, and will try to remember to consider them going forward. If you are disappointed in the outcome, it can only be because you lack imagination.

YrObtSvts
THE COMMITTEE

2005-Yarrow

*********************

2005

Gentlemen:

From all reports the recently concluded Fifteenth Annual Invitational was a winner. Fabulous weather, old friends and new, challenging golf, palatable food and copious amounts of ale with which to wash it down, all infused with an energy level reminiscent of our lost youth. Perhaps it was the fact that the Thursday golfers didn't blow their collective energy wad on the first night, perhaps it was the comfort of returning to a familiar place, perhaps it was the revitalizing effect of having a few new participants, but in any event the spirit, enthusiasm and energy which has always been the hallmark of the WACOFF experience was omnipresent. Whatever it was, it was great to see, feel, hear and taste.

Some noteworthy events on and off the course deserve mention: Paul Nielsen is forging his own mini-dynasty of sorts to challenge the Coughenour clan, leading his Egret team (Pavle, LaBarge and Baran) to victory in the Scramble Championship, his second in three years. That Egret was successful should come as no surprise to anyone who saw Nielsen playing Friday where he broke his own WACOFF record for low gross by pounding Stonehedge South with a 74. We were told that the Scramble victory was fueled by a private beverage cart, the proprietor of which was paid by Labarge to ignore the other teams on the course. The strategy clearly worked, and despite vocal after match complaints by the Jay team, The Committee was not able to identify any Rule of Golf which was breached by Egret. Congratulations to Team Egret and particularly to Nick Pavle for capturing gold in his rookie WACOFF appearance and to Andrew for finally getting his name on the Cup after 15 years (and winning the Long Drive as well!). Bretz and Stimson can only sigh and hope for next year. The Committee was especially proud (and hopefully Guerriero managed to channel our sense of pride on Saturday night after dinner) of the virtually bogey free thrashing all seven teams gave to Yarrow from the tips on Saturday. By their nature WACOFF's love to whine and complain at every opportunity, but the intensity and resoluteness displayed by all the teams in the face of every one of the 7005 Yarrow yards played Saturday (and for the later groups some fiercesome wind) bought all of you some time in heaven. Well done to all.

The Saturday shootout was a beer fueled blast (you all emptied the half keg which was brought to No. 6 tee in less than 35 minutes!). It was a pleasure to watch Marshal carry Paul C on his broad shoulders to victory with some clutch putting under pressure. (And there is no pressure like having to hole a 5 footer in front of 27 drunk smart asses sitting around the green dissing everything that moves). Move over Brad Faxon. Full results, statistics and pix will find their way to wacoff.org soon and you can spend the winter either basking in your glory or replaying the shots that should have been but weren't. Either way, some good memories were carved this weekend. Thanks to all the Sub-Committees for their assistance and dedication, including Ron and David Hardesty (Shirts, Poetry, Photos), Randy Moss (Thursday), Chuck Brown (ShootOut), Marshal Hyman (Prizes), John Stimson (Archives), Joe Mantey (Skins), Jim Coughenour and Dennis Holefca (Parimutuel) and last but certainly first in our hearts and swings, Paul Coughenour (Golf and Competition). You guys are the heart and soul of the whole operation.

The Committee is already hard at work on the Sixteenth. Consideration is being given to the dates for next year, with the only certainty being that we will NOT do another August weekend and we will NOT do Yarrow. The choices seem to be either a return to the traditional September date (first weekend after Labor Day) in Michigan or maybe a May trip somewhere south. If you have a preference or suggestion, let The Committee know soon. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be of service to you boyz. May we shine for years to come.

Yr.Obt.Svts.

THE COMMITTEE

2004-Yarrow

2004

BOYZ

After 14 years, it's Coughenours 11, everyone else 3. And the Paul of the species has 7 of the 11. And don't let anyone tell you this is a bad thing. In the opinion of The Committee, the Scramble Championship is won by those who chase it the hardest, not those who might look good on paper or think they should win because the C's have won it too often. No way baby! Tiger winning the Masters by 12 doesn't compare to the overwhelming force of Team Envy in setting a new WACOFF Scramble record at 63. Bravo, Team Envy. You have seen the rest of the results, and congratulations to all the winners in every category and competition. The drug testing results will be communicated shortly.

The Committee is pleased to learn that so many of you have recognized the pragmatic realities of growing old and are devoting yourselves to a more healthful and less rigorous lifestyle, including getting plenty of sleep on weekends and carefully monitoring your intake of liquid calories and carbohydrates. If fact, judging by the energy level at Yarrow at 11pm on Friday night, The Committee was worried that perhaps a sleepover was too much for some of you and perhaps next year we should stay closer to home so as to allow for a good nights sleep and ready access to the medicine cabinet. Perhaps 9 holes at Warren Valley and a coney dog then off to bed?? To further this positive trend, next year The Committee will arrange for an earlier and shorter dinner and program so those of you who need 12 hours of sleep a night can get started right away. Jon Snyder will be leading meditative yoga at sunrise on Friday morning and after Scramble on Saturday Joe Labarge will teach a seminar on using a positive Christian mental attitude to alter your unhealthy lifestyle .

However, The Committee did notice that this devotion to a healthful and prudent lifestyle reflected itself on the golf course, as many of you enjoyed some outstanding rounds. The overall scores were as low as ever recorded at WACOFF. The Golf Committee once again deserves high accolades and praise for the course selection, competition set up and overall ambience on the links this year. This extends also to the Shoot Out Sub-Committee, which brought a wonderfully fresh competition and entertainment to our stable of things to do while not drinking. Well done, Chuck Brown, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

On the softer side, The Committee experienced several magical moments this weekend (as the old and feeble tend to do as their brains atrophy), none of which include either the limo ride or the lesbians on parade wrestling match on Thursday, the telling of which The Committee will leave to eyewitnesses. In no particular order: (1) The long post round scene on the deck overlooking the 18th at Yarrow on both Friday and Saturday was the essence of WACOFF golf, with those trying valiantly to finish their round below suffering endless insults and indignities at the hands of the finishers above. It seems we were out assholed by the group behind us, but I am sure we can put on a better show next year. (2) The Stimson rememberance of Deke put a lump in more than one throat. Words and emotion that can only come from a true friend. Thanks for helping us say goodbye, John. (3) Standing on an elevated tee at Yarrow at noon on Saturday, with the sun shining and looking around the course and seeing only the 28 of us, the Seven Deadly Sins come to life, with the course to ourselves, bright as peacocks. Could have been a Beatles song. (4) Hearing the amazing roar from the tee on Saturday that we unmistakably, undeniably and instantly knew meant that someone had aced the hole. When it turned out to be Labarge, it only made it more larger than life. Thanks for the drinks Joe! Will anyone else get one before you get your third? (5) The Bretz recovery shot in the shootout final round, stiff to the pin, after Palmer put it deep in 18 inches of grass on a side hill 60 yards short of the green, and the crash of Raymond/Donahue in the face of the sheer magnificence of that shot. I saw the lie. It was a fine golf shot. (6) The sight and sounds of some old friends who stayed away too long. Very happy to see Harding, Donahue, Raymond, Coon and Duneske again. See you next year??

All in all, a good 14th edition. The Committee thanks the many who contributed, including the inimitable Ron Hardesty for the shirts, cool towels, great hats, and Invocation (but need to rethink this color contest concept, we didn't get it), but most of all for his enthusiastic exuberance for all things WACOFF; John Stimson for the ever growing archival collection (which was actually displayed quite dramatically this year if anyone noticed); David Hardesty for soliciting sponsorship to pay for the beer keg (which you guys drank almost 1/4 of; aren't you proud?!) and for his unrelenting but always annoying quest to take the group picture which despite all our bitching will end up a proud possession for all of us (if we ever get a copy); Joe Mantey for handling the skins (you can't keep the $ Joe); Glenn Coughenour for his professional, calm and bookie like management of the paramutuel; Marshal Hyman for the performance prizes (no booze next year, Marsh, it's insulting to this crowd); Randy Moss for the Thursday Game which he somehow managed to NOT attend. However, The Committee is informed that it was a great success. And to Andrew, The Committee will be making a donation to the American Red Cross in your name to support emergency trauma treatment centers in rural areas near the WACOFF tournament, just in case.

Thanks boyz. See you next year.

THE COMMITTEE

2003-Khardomah

2003

In the aftermath of the Holefca/Mantey juggernaut which swept through the Thirteenth like a Humvee heading for Baghdad, the faithful are left to ponder life's many mysteries. Is there life on the trophy after Coughenour? Is shoulder surgery the swing cure we are all looking for? What is the magic that improbably turns Mantey into the winningest participant in the storied history of The Invitational? Can John Snyder drink any more than he did on Saturday? Will Dan Bretz ever find the true path to enlightenment and victory in the Scramble Championship? Did Michael Keys intend to do great bodily harm to Andrew with his shanked wedge, or was it merely the fulfillment of Andrew's manifest destiny to sustain injury on the golf course whenever possible? Only time and a return next year can hope to answer these and the other imponderables which arise during our annual bacchanal.

The Committee is pleased to have had the opportunity to bear witness to the above items, and is particularly excited to offer its congratulations to Team Bunting, led by the steady and steadfast Paul Nielsen, who brings home the trophy for the first time in his storied WACOFF captaincy. Of course, The Committee would be remiss if it did not mention that Team Bunting had the benefit of the Holefca/Mantey combination, one of the most formidable in WACOFF memory. Hats off to Joe and Dennis and the rest of the winners over the weekend. (The aforementioned Joe and Dennis (Friday Chapman Stableford), Bunting (Scramble), and on Sunday Paul Nielsen (A), Jerry Snyder (B and Paramutuel AB winner), Dave Dell (C), Joe LaBarge (D and CD paramutuel winner). This winner's list should convince us all that anyone can be a winner at the WACOFF. Come back next year for your turn.

As usual, the seemingly effortless presentation of golf, lodging, beverages, archives, food, wardrobe, statistics, camaraderie, and betting was made possible only through the selfless dedication of many, including in no particular order, David Hardesty (archives and photos and verbal shyness), John Stimson (archives, shirts, hats, fobs and baubles and the best C player in the A flight), Ron Hardesty (shirts, hats, fobs, baubles, and WACOFF poet laureate), Dennis Holefca (fine food and graciousness in victory), Glenn Coughenour (paramutuel and great golf shoes), John Snyder (skins and his quiet, meditative demeanor when inebriated), Jerry Snyder (patience and a willingness to overlook the perceived shortcomings of others), Marshal Hyman (performance awards and fun guy to golf with); Joe LaBarge (generosity with commodities in great demand), Joe Mantey (innovation in inhalation devices), Randy Moss (for Thursday and for wanting always to play golf anywhere and anytime), Mike Brazen (for being a great last minute substitute and taker of no shit from the Snyder boys) and last but certainly not least, Paul Coughenour (the high priest of WACOFF golf). On behalf of all the attendees, thank you to all. I am sure there are other things which we should be thankful for, and The Committee looks to the faithful to duly record same for posterity.

Final results for all Thirteenth Annual events and pictures (read:evidence) will be posted on WACOFF.ORG in the next week or so. Stay tuned to that site for all the news that’s fit to post.

Finally, we discussed the need for a change of date for next year to accommodate those lucky WACOFFians working at the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills. At the moment, and subject to availability of venue, the choices seem to be either the weekend before Labor Day (August 27-29, 2004) or three weeks after Labor Day (September 24-26, 2004). If you have a view or conflict on either of these dates, let The Committee know sooner rather than later, as the final decision will be made before the end of this month. Your feedback and ideas are always welcomed, albeit ignored.

Stay well.

YrObtSvts.
THE COMMITTEE

2002-Khardomah

2002

The Committee, having now enjoyed sleep and pain relievers in sufficient quantities to restore something resembling normal cognitive functions, wishes to extend its thanks and congratulations to all who organized, plotted, planned and, most of all, participated in the 2002 Invitational. By all measures and accounts it was a spectacular success, and made more so by the astounding weather, the "new" venue and the introduction of French golf games to the competition.

The Khardhomah succeeded in winning over our hearts, despite having to compete with great memories of Northport Lodge. The Committee is genuinely pleased to see and confirm what it knew to be true all along, that it is the WACOFFs, not the place, that make this a truly singular event. I think next year we will just do the whole thing in Joe LaBarge's motor home and save a few bucks.

The golf was superb. Thursday is rapidly becoming de rigeur for the weekend, and The Committee thanks Randall Moss for his continuing enthusiasm and abilities as Chairman of the Thursday Committee. Long may he reign!

Friday's change up from Mickey was welcomed by most if not all of the posse, if for no other reason than the speed of play picked up immeasurably. While some will miss Mickey, and all have fond memories of flying the Mick into the water on the 3rd hole or some equally auspicious disaster, the Golf Committee did a superb job in conceiving and executing the change. Their creativity and courage (yes, courage) has moved WACOFF golf to the next level. Vive la Golf Committee!

Food and drink were once again organized to a spectacular result by Dennis Holefca and David Hardesty, respectively. Believing that food and drink are the heart and soul of why we chisel WACOFF weekend into our calendars, The Committee is ever grateful for their fine work. We expect Dennis to be back next year, stronger than ever and replete with new menu ideas. David has been reenergized by the news that some people actually notice what they are drinking and have offered some good suggestions to enhance the quality and diversity of our liquor selections. Kudos also to John Stimson of the Hats, Shirts, Fobs and Baubles Committee for his untiring pursuit of good taste and good looks in our WACOFF regalia. The Fobs and Baubles sub-Committee, chaired by the ever-ready Ron Hardesty, was responsible for the inscribed divot tools, which also coincidentally bore the name of someone else to whom Ron must owe a lot of money. And to think these could have been collectors items! Many others to thank, including our Archivist David H (who suffers mightily in his never ending quest for the 'group picture), Marshal H for the Performance Prizes, Ron H and Jim C for the paramutuel game, Dennis D for Sunday skins, and last but not least The Committee's muse, conscience and resident aesthete, Paul Coughenour, without whom the WACOFF Invitational would wither and fade to complacency.

The Committee stands in awe of the weekends winners, in solidarity with the also-rans, and in fear of what might happen if someone other than a Coughenour does not win the Championship soon. Several of those wannabees whose names need not be mentioned may be driven to therapy, unseasonably heavy drug use, or, worse, golf lessons. Oh God of Golf, deliver them from this fate. Thanks to all, please give your feedback to The Committee on venue, golf, time, place, who not to invite back, how to get Dekam to play A golf (or even B golf) other than on Sunday and anything else that comes to mind. Volunteers are always welcome and your suggestions and help always appreciated. Until Next Year

YrObtSvt

The Committee

2001-Northport

2001

While WACOFF amazingly escaped the rain bullet this year (Sunday's spit didn't count, despite the premature rush to rainsuits on the part of unnamed players), we could not escape the Coughenour cruise missile as Brother Glenn led Team Blanc to an impressive (Wind? What wind?) victory in the 2001 Invitational. The -7 performance was an unprecedented third straight victory for Captain Glenn. A truly remarkable feat and attributable in no small part to Doctor Glenn's ability to monitor and maintain his team's alcohol intake over a 5 hour event. Well done, Team Blanc. Preserve and protect that trophy, as it is bigger than all of us.

That annoying (and annoyed) loud noise you hear is the sound of grinding teeth emanating from Detroit and Chicago. The suggestion has been made that in order to allow the pack of "A" players who have yet to win a Scramble Championship any chance to break the Coughenour dynasty, The Golf Committee will need to put Bretz, Nielsen, Brown and Stimson all on one team. OK, but who gets to be captain?

Congratulations also go to:

Mickey Ball winners (Bretz, Lord, Pruss and Baran) in a tough competition. The Committee wishes to thank all the Captains for their dignified and gracious understanding and acceptance of and willing compliance with the 5 minute search rule. Roberto Vincenzo would have been proud.

Flight Championship Winners on Sunday:

A: John Stimson 85/71 (tie with James C w/ tie breaker going to John based on 18th hole par)

B: Randy Moss 86/71 (Watch out, Moss is angling for an A spot)

C: Jerry Snyder 82/58 (The Golf Committee is not infallible, and this is Exhibit A. Get ready to play up Jerry. Great round.)

D: Tim Guerriero 94/67 (Given time, a monkee with a piano will eventually play a little Beethoven. Tim sends his apologies to all who found him insufferable in the wake)

Paramutual Winners were John Stimson (AB) and Jerry Snyder (CD).

If you think you are owed skin money or paramutual money because you left early, think again. In the view of some of the more malevolent members of The Committee, you actually should be deprived since you were too damn anxious to leave before the event concluded. Cooler heads have prevailed (at least for now) and you can collect your winnings if you call or write Paul Coughenour.

The Committee once again thanks all who made the event possible and enjoyable, including Dennis Holefca on food, David Hardesty and John Stimson on The Archive (if any of you find those cameras we gave out, please return them to David Hardesty for posterity), Barry Goldman on spirituality, David Hardesty on The Bar, Marshal Hyman on the competition prizes, Dennis Donahue and Dan Bretz on skins, Skip Pruss and John Stimson on matters sartorial, Ron Hardesty and Joe Mantey on Friday paramutual and to James Coughenour for stepping in and saving the Sunday paramutual from neglect and abandonment. A big hug to Paul Coughenour, our Golf Chairman, for his continued hard work, inspiration and support of all that is special about WACOFF. UDAMAN!

In other noteworthy events, Chuck Brown gets the Bretz Rules Trophy for his discerning and erudite dissertation on the unplayable lie rule. Ron Hardesty gets the Diarrhea of the Mouth Award for the 729 e-mails regarding the Friday paramutuel. Skip Pruss and Joe Mantey get the Navigator Award for being alone amongst the group to not find their way to Mistwood on Sunday on time. Jerry Snyder gets Sandbagger of the Decade (duh!). Team Vulcan gets the Ugliest Shirt Color Award (very tough competition this year). Guerriero gets the Do As I Say, Not As I Say award for moving up the tee times on Friday in spite of all printed instructions to the contrary. And last, but not least, Randy Moss gets the Golfers Anonymous Award (hello, my name is Randy and I am a golfer) for getting up at 7am Friday morning to play golf, looking out the window and deciding to go back to bed. Huge leap forward in Randy's therapy. Now, if only Nielsen and Stimson could admit they have a disease and seek help. The Committee is pleased to accept further award nominations as the WACOFF's may deem fit.

Next year brings what next year brings, but if anyone has ideas, suggestions, comments, complaints or offers of invaluable and inspired assistance, please let The Committee know, preferably in writing. Unlike other dictatorships, The Committee occasionally seeks the views of the masses and sometimes finds its collective muse in the voice of the proletariat.

As of this writing, WACOFF 2002 will return to Northport, September 6-8, 2002 unless the mood (or composition) of The Committee changes. See you then. Don't be late.

Yr.Obt Svts

THE COMMITTEE

2000-Northport

2000

The Committee, having reviewed the evidence and record before it, and now finally recovering from the onslaught of Glenlivet (on the rocks, water back, thank you) on Saturday night, can now pronounce the Tenth Annual an unqualified success. Once again the WACOFF's have demonstrated that aging gracefully, interacting with dignity and living life in moderation are virtues that are readily abandoned in the proper environment. The Committee is pleased to have played a small role in enabling all of you to demonstrate your most unappealing personal character traits.

Congratulations to the Scramble Champions, Team Sage (Glenn Coughenour, Dennis Donahue, Skip Pruss and Dave Dell) for the second year in a row (and for the fourth time overall) captained by the steady hand of Glenn Coughenour. Do we smell a home court advantage here? Please take care of our trophy. Nuff said.

The Committee wishes to acknowledge the significant contributions made by some of our colleagues to the success of his year's event. Many thanks go to, in no particular order:

Joe Mantey: The very cool 10 year memorial flasks (and the chutzpah moment of the WACOFF when, having failed to pony up for skins in advance of the Sunday round, tried to get in after finishing his career best round Sunday afternoon);

Dennis Holefca: The food was superb and sublime, and the sight of Dennis in the kitchen carving meat made the whole thing feel like Thanksgiving at Grandma's. You are re-elected Dennis.

Marshal Hyman: Prizes. It doesn't matter that no one paid attention to the winners or your presentation, Marsh. Dave Dell did, and it’s the thought that counts. I hope that you forced Bretz to keep his Executive Chipper Net.

Skip Pruss: The shirts and hats were the best, and the color choices sublime. Never has so much been said about the relative merits of pique cotton vs. cotton mesh, and never has so little of what was said been of any value. Thanks for the big effort, Skip.

David Hardesty and John Stimson: Archives and Wacoff Museum: It is our collective history which forms the continuing basis for the incredible bonds amongst this group, and nobody has a deeper appreciation for that truth than John and David. Great job and great presentation. David is also responsible for our sponsored bar, which we all know is a labor of love.

Barry Goldman: The wordsmith and poet laureate of the WACOFF. Thanks for sharing the 10th with us and for your special words on Saturday. Paul will be happy to give you a lesson if you want to rejoin the combat on the links.

Paul Nielsen, a/k/a Senor Tequila: The excellence of the margarita mix was exceeded only by the vast quantities available. An encore is definitely called for.

Glenn Coughenour: As our in-house bookie, Glenn makes the task of recording and paying out on the paramutuel seem easy. Thanks Glenn for what is a thankless task.

Randy Moss and Joe Labarge: The Thursday Committee rallied their faculties (a herculean task to be sure) to put on what by all accounts was a fantastic Thursday event. You guys get the job next year too. (St Ives??)

Dan Bretz: For his recording and tabulating assistance on Friday and Sunday, but most importantly, for inspiring an unprecedented, and largely uninformed, yet enthusiastic debate on the Rules of Golf, which debate taxed most of our analytical and ethical capabilities to the point of neuron failure.

And last, but certainly not least, on behalf of all the WACOFF's the Committee extends its grateful appreciation for the continuing inspiration and dedication of Paul Coughenour, our Golf Committee Chairman, who through his love for all that is wonderful and insane about the game of golf has made our competitions as fun and memorable as they are. Don’t ever leave us Paul.

Mark your calendars now for September 7-9, 2001 at Northport. You can even send your check now if you want to assure special handicap and pairing treatment by The Committee. Have a great winter and keep in touch.

YrObtSvts

THE COMMITTEE

1999-Northport

1999

The Committee extends its appreciation and thanks to all of you who made the 1999 Invitational a truly spectacular event. The golf was wet but enthusiastic, the food sublime, the company unsurpassed and the beer unrelenting.

Despite the temptation to fly our flock south to Myrtle Beach for the 10th Annual (or Anal), the clear consensus and desire amongst the WACOFFs is to return for yet another go at the Northport Bay Retreat next year. The Committee will do its best to secure the venue, and each of you should mark the dates on your calendars now: Friday, September 8, 2000 through Sunday September 10, 2000.

Invitations and requests for dough will go out early next year. In the meantime, if any of you have any ideas for energizing our outing, suggestions for how it could be improved, or if you are interested in taking on any of the administrative and planning duties that weigh so heavily on the Committee each year, your ideas and participation are welcome. Dennis Holefca has graciously volunteered (been drafted) to assist in the food planning for next year, an offer that is gratefully accepted. Additional volunteers in the area of prizes, presentations, bar and munchie planning etc are sought and welcome.

Congratulations to the winners, Team Coughenour (sans Paul). The Committee admonishes each of you to treat the trophy as you would your child (except for beating it with a rubber hose)and return it for presentation to the next winners in as good as shape as it was given to you (Snider's bar disaster notwithstanding).

Congratulations also to the Flight Winners on Sunday:

A: Dan Bretz - Mike Dekam

B: Bill Worth - Bob Palmer

C: Jon Snider - Dave Dell

D: Joe Mantey - Tim Guerriero

Lots of $$ changed hands in the skins and paramutuel betting, and The Golf Chairman will be in touch with those of who have yet to collect your money.

Thanks again and see you next year.

YrObtSvts

The Committee

1998-Northport

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1997-Marsh Ridge

l

1996-Gull Lake

1995-Gull Lake

1994-Sugar Loaf

The Commitee has misplaced or lost photos from the 1994 Invitational, so if any WACOFFs have any pics or other items to contribute to this page,please forward to the Committee at your earliest convenience.

2018 Hop and Vine

2017 Boyne Mountain

2016 Crystal Mountain

2015 Spider Lake

2014-Tullymore

2013-Otsego Club

2012-Otsego Club

2011-Tullymore

2010-Garland

2009-Yarrow

2008-Spider Lake

2007-Spider Lake

2006-St. Ives

2005-Yarrow

2004-Yarrow

2003-Khardomah

2002-Khardomah

2001-Northport

2000-Northport

1999-Northport

1998-Northport

1997-Marsh Ridge

1996-Gull Lake

1995-Gull Lake

1994-Sugar Loaf

1993-Marsh Ridge

1992-Marsh Ridge

1991-Crystal Mountain