I’ve been reading through the website and the comment about the Gross Invitational in the "Old Scorecard, Old Clubhouse" article triggered a memory for me.
The Gross Invitational was the first tournament I ever played. It was so long ago that I don't recall the exact year, but I was still playing some of my old "Patty Bergs". I was probably in 8th or 9th grade in about 1962. I think I read about the tournament on the sports page of the paper and there was nothing about age requirements or anything that would make me ineligible to play. We lived out in Minnetonka but my dad let me sign up and dropped me off on his way to work in St Paul.
The only thing I had going at that age was my love of the game but zero experience playing in a golf event. I was the youngest, smallest person there. When I signed in I got a few quizzical looks and I'm sure a number of “I hope he's not paired with me” glances from the guys nearby.
I held my own for the first part of the day averaging bogies and doubles but on about the 8th hole it started raining. Remember the old leather grips? By the 13th hole we were all soaked. The bag, filling with water, the rain jacket, no longer waterproof, the grips slippery, made getting from tee to green a nightmare. No one quit. We finished. I shot somewhere in the 120's and actually got quite a few “attaboys" and we settled into the clubhouse trying to warm up.
There was an awards presentation. I may have — no probably did — win the highest score award. There were door prizes. As the pile of donated prizes shrunk, my name came up — a quart of Bourbon. I guess the Tournament committee did not want to get in trouble and gave the booze to the next guy. I don't remember what I got instead. I was still so cold and wet I could have used a sip or two.
I remember, if not the names and faces, the guys in my foursome. They were encouraging, friendly, patient, funny and never made me feel like I wasn't part of the group and didn't belong. I really was too young for the tournament but the way golfers typically encourage other golfers made my day.
And now after all these years I'm joining the Gross Men's Club for the first time.
A bunch of my golf buddies are already at Gross: Steve D., Roger B, Steve L, Bill O — probably some others — and my U of M 4-Ball partner Bill Decker is joining.