Class News

Golf Outing April 16, 2004

The annual golf outing for our class took place on April 16, 2004 at the Yale Golf Course. Participants were Tony Lee (the organizer), Sam Francis, Don Crabtree, John Evans, Butch Hetherington, Jim Thompson, Chris Getman and Bill Galvin.

Chris Getman wrote up the event. See his write-up below. But first, since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are seven. Pictures, that is. Tony Lee was the photographer, and therefore is nowhere to be seen.

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And now, for something completely different (from the pen of Chris Getman) ...

April 16th was warm and pleasant, a great day for golf. Two foursomes of stalwart classmates gathered at the Yale Golf course for the annual round of BS and prevarication. Showing the flag as a tune up for the reunion were John Evans, Butch Hetherington, Don Crabtree, Bill Galvin, Sam Francis, Jim Thompson, Ugh Lee and yours truly. After the usual disclaimers about handicaps and the "this is my first time out" excuses, it was decided to take an intellectual approach to selecting the teams. As Butch Hetherington and yours truly were the only pure intellectuals at the gathering, both being members of Deke, it was decided that we should be the captains. Hetherington, by acclamation, was dubbed captain of the "Ugly Squad" a combined reference to both his teammates' physical stature and the quality of their golf, while I headed up the "Slickers," a similar dual reference. There was a huge debate about whether Ugh Lee should be on the Slickers, but after an exchange of cash and future considerations from next year's event, he was reluctantly chosen. Sam Francis, by dint of his graduation from a flat top to a rug, was a unanimous choice, and John Evans filled in our need for some right handed relief.

We had placed a polygraph on the second tee, and sure enough Galvin, after hitting his drive off the first tee three hundred yards down the middle after proclaiming him to be in the low twenties flunked forthwith. Francis, who claimed to be a thirty, also failed after scoring a pair of fives on the first two holes. He later justified himself. Jim Thompson, showed a card which proclaimed himself to be a twenty-nine, but raised some eyebrows by producing the only birdie of the day for that team. Ugh Lee nailed two for our team. Everyone else was true to form and played roughly consistently with his announced handicap.

Because the course was wet, we all walked. Walking is clearly the best way to enjoy the wonderful Yale experience. Our format was to use the two best balls, and, after Francis contributed on the first three holes, to require that each team use one player's score at least four times. Sam came through again with a par on fifteen, so we knew that the rules committee would be able to adjust the score in case it proved necessary on the nineteenth hole.

That didn't prove to be necessary as the Slickers prevailed on the front nine, the back nine and overall without any administrative assistance. Because the bar was closed when we finished, the awards were presented in the parking lot before Sam and Bill had to depart for other obligations. Galvin received the "rookie of the year" award as well as a lug nut after his wheels fell off. The newly wed Thompson received a tool repair kit, and, true to form, Lee was awarded the longest gimme putt.

The highlight of the afternoon came when Crabtree went to take a shower and tried to get his clothes from Hetherington's car. No one could find the keys, until shortly before a call was placed to AAA, they were found on the roof. Butch then left to pick up his son Boomer to join us at dinner taking Crabtree's shoes with him.

Upon arriving at the restaurant Don tried to enter in his bare feet, but was informed by the maitre'd that that policy had been eliminated in 1976. He ended up wearing his golf cleats. The six remaining golfers plus Boomer had a nice dinner, talking about many things including the upcoming reunion. We all agreed that an annual golf outing, even in a reunion year, is something we should vigorously try to preserve. Evans then tried to leave without paying, but ended up accepting a discounted cash payment from the rest of us in exchange for putting some miles on his Visa.

When I got home, I realized the Don "The Yard Sale" Crabtree had left his golf clothes in my car. I had thought that a raccoon had died under the back seat, and I couldn't figure out why the dogs ran away when I showed up. In any case, a while later the phone rang and a chagrined Crabtree asked for directions to our house. The bag had been left outside in an attempt to protect our newly painted walls. While I'm told that the bag ate a hole in Hetherington's trunk, I'm glad to report that everyone made it home safely and is eagerly awaiting next year's outing.