Stroman shows Good Old Boys how it's done

Charles Prokop

By Charles Prokop

You don't have to be a great golfer to be a Good Old Boy. In fact, you don't have to be a great golfer to win a Good Old Boys tournament.

Everyone competes against his own average level of play, so a win comes as much from beating yourself as from beating other players.

Tournament champions during the last few months have shot scores as low as 71 and as high as 96. Although the largest number of winners shot in the 80s, more players have taken that first place money home after a round in the 90s than after a round in the 70s. Scores over double bogey don't count against you with the modified Stableford scoring system we use, so one disaster hole doesn't ruin a good round. Of course, all of us Good Old Boys swear that we don't use that double bogey escape hatch very often.

It's easy to become a Good Old Boy, and once you try it a few times you'll see why so many of us make it a regular part of the week. You don't need an official handicap to play.

Just come out to the Flying L for the Monday or Wednesday 8:30 tee time, and after your first three rounds your tournament average will be established. From then on you can take home your share of the prize money. Closest to the hole prizes are yours for the taking from your first day.

On the other hand, Boerne's Walter Stroman is living proof that there's no law against being a great golfer and a Good Old Boy. Walter is a personable guy who sincerely compliments your golf game as he stripes another drive about 50 yards past your best hit of the day. At the last Good Old Boys event he scorched the Flying L course for a one under par 71, taking medalist honors and 7 points. Excellent putting highlighted his four-birdie round. When he missed a green he chipped on and one-putted to save par. As you might guess, he never even thought about needing that double bogey escape clause.

Four players tied for second place with 5-point rounds: Ron Mercier of Vanderpool, and Banderans Roy Rodriguez and Larry Henson, and Paul Lemon of Boerne.

Charlie Thomas of Bandera shot 76 and took closest to the hole honors on numbers 2 and 12. Ted Brown of Bandera was closest on number 7, and Flying L Director of Golf Jeff Hoard took the prize on number 17. There were 37 players in the field and points were worth $3.

• At the recent Flying L Men's Golf Association tournament, director Larry Henson pulled another tournament format out of his book.

Players competed in five-man teams and counted only the two lower scores on each hole. At the end of the day, Ted Brown, Scott Ecke, Robert Lewis, Leroy Brown and Woody Baker came out on top with a team score of 115. They were closely followed by the team of Bobby Salyers, Roy Rodriguez, Ken Dahlberg, Tommy Armstrong, and Doug Hood with 119.