Virtual 19th Hole

Braemar’s 16 Man Team has been lighting it up this year.  Under the leadership of former BMC member Bryan Francis, they’ve been overpowering opponents and appear a sure bet to reach the post-season.

The 16 Man Team won this year’s first three regular season matches handily– by scores of 19.5 to 4.5 against Hiawatha, 16 to 8 against Chaska and 15 to 9 against New Prague. Their final match, also against Hiawatha, at Hiawatha, ended in a narrow defeat, 11 to 13, but the result won’t affect  the final standings. That’s not only because Braemar’s won-lost record is best in its division, at 3-1, but also because of a remarkable lead in total points, at 61.5– 17.5 points ahead of second place finishers Chaska, at 44, and Hiawatha, at 36.5.

While the official playoff schedule has not yet been announced, there can be little doubt that Braemar will be competing in the initial playoff series on September 7.

Several players have led the charge for Braemar this year, including Michael Kraft (USGA plus .9), Mike Wangen (USGA plus .4), Cutter Tylia (USGA .5), Steven Kraft (USGA .5), Alex Hintz (USGA .5), Drew Gumlia (USGA 1.3), Ryan Heide (USGA 1.6), John McNaughton (USGA 2.1), and Billy Utter (USGA 2.2).

The playoffs promise some serious excitement and will culminate in a championship match on September 28.  More to come on The Virtual 19^th Hole.

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

8 Man Senior Team, A Level

Congrats to Braemar’s 8 Man Senior Team, A level, led by captain Mike Longman!  For the third year in a row, they’ve made the finals.  Representing the MPGA’s South Division, these uber talented seniors will square off against Keller, representing the North Division, on August 12 for the 8A championship.

On July 29, the 8 Man Team entered the playoffs after an excellent regular season.  And they won their first playoff match by a decisive tally of 8-4 against Bunker Hills. Which sent them to the finals. Braemar’s eight contestants in that match were Tim Smith (USGA 4.1), Mike Kavanaugh (USGA 4.5), Al Montague (USGA 9.0), Mark Paetznick (USGA 4.7), Mike Longman (USGA 4.1), Steve Bloomquist (USGA 4.3), Jeff Roseland (USGA plus .2), and Steve DeVolder (USGA 3.8), each of whom was integral to the team’s success during the regular season.

Reaching the playoffs of course reflected a successful regular season, during which the team compiled 34.5 points, second only to Keller’s 37. Scoring is based on the typical three points for each individual match: 1 for the front, 1 for the back and 1 for the 18. But this year Braemar’s total was based on only five matches, compared to the regularly scheduled six (as played by Keller and other teams).  What happened was that the match which would have been Braemar’s sixth (against Majestic Oaks) got rained out, and then the rescheduled match also got rained out— and by that time the result would not have affected the final standings anyway. So the match was never played.

4 Man Super Senior Team

The MPGA’s 4 Man Super Senior match play competition, for golfers over 70, is now in its second year, after a successful inaugural season last year.  In 2024, Braemar’s 4 Man Team, led by captain Bob Peterson, just missed the playoffs, losing out on a tie breaker.

This year things worked out better, with Braemar finishing with a strong 4-1-1 record, second only to Monticello in regular season play. Integral to Braemar’s success has been the sterling play of Mike Kavanaugh (USGA 4.5), Bill Angel (USGA 5.3), Captain Bob Peterson (USGA 8.9) and John Miller (USGA 9.4).

These top two teams play home and home matches to decide the championship and the winner will be determined based on total points earned over those matches. The first playoff match was held on August 5 at Monticello and ended in a tie. The championship match will be held at Braemar on August 19.  Stay tuned.

8 Man Senior Team, C Level

This year, while they just missed making the playoffs, Braemar fielded for the first time an 8 Man Senior Team, C level (also for golfers over 55). Led by captain John Miller, the team finished the regular season with a 3-3 record, missing out on the playoffs by only one-half point.  Among the inaugural season’s highlights was an impressive shutout against New Prague on July 7, a 12-0 win at Braemar. Playing for Braemar in that match were Bob Peterson, Steve Iselin, Scott Eckes, Matt Filner, Bill Angel, Dick Helde, Randy Krivo and John Miller. Optimism for next year’s 8C season runs high!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

The Virtual 19^th Hole recently reported that longstanding BMC member John Miller has been on a tear this year— shooting his age in June and making a hole-in-one in the same round (following two rounds in which he missed shooting his age by a single stroke). But it turns out that John’s run wasn’t finished there.

Some background for newer BMC members: For years John led a Saturday morning league at Braemar, The Friends of Miller.  This year John took over the captaincy of Braemar’s 8 Man, C level, Team, continuing a long history of leadership in competitive golf. But, after turning 76 earlier this year, John apparently wasn’t satisfied with his past accomplishments. It was on June 24 that John shot his age and aced number 17.

Fast forward to July 15. After spending a long night in the hospital with diverticulitis, and on only two hours’ sleep, John somehow made his morning tee time for Braemar’s 8 Man, C level, match against Gross. But on the range before the match, he must have wondered what the day would hold in store; certainly, there was no reason to think the upcoming round would provide yet another 2025 highlight.  So, after completing 18 holes from the D tees, John would understandably have been satisfied just to walk off the course under his own power. But not only did he do that, he posted another 76, once again shooting his age.

And John hasn’t slowed down since then either, shooting his age again on July 24 with a 75 from Braemar’s N tees.

Congrats, John—and keep it up!

Dick Helde
Editor, The  Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

If you’ve ever played Ridges at Sand Creek, you’ll remember the 14^th hole, a short par 4 (270 to 311 yards, depending on the tee box), played from an elevated tee.  Paddy cake golf? Not quite, thanks to the creek flowing through a deep ravine 20 or so yards short of the steeply elevated green– one that’s about the width of an ironing board. And then there’s the precipitous slope just off the right edge, descending to a copse where the trees are huddled closely enough together so you’re left with nothing if you miss right.  And of course there’s OB just left of the green. No problem going for the green on your drive– just as long as you land the ball squarely on the putting surface; otherwise you’ll likely wind up either in the creek, in the woods or out of bounds.

Because of the distance to the green and the narrow target, golfers routinely lay up off the tee, hitting shots anywhere from 150 to 200 yards, depending on their choice of tees. They then face approach shots of 100 to 140 yards. A difficult two-level green makes par a welcome score for most of us.

But then we have the alternative strategy favored by first year BMC member Andrew Hooyman, whose spontaneous sense of humor and easygoing manner belie his fearless style of play.  Just ask Andrew about number 14: you simply take aim at the green, smash your drive and take your chances from there.  Which, in the BMC’s July Getaway event at the Ridges, is exactly what Andrew did, driving the green from the blue tees and two putting for a ho-hum birdie.  Following the round, Andrew explained that he’d played the hole three times before: the first time he tried to lay up but hit his tee shot into the creek; the second time, eschewing a layup, he went for the green, missed way right into the adjacent fairway and made a miracle birdie from there; and the third time he also went for it but missed left, somehow keeping the ball in bounds and making par. So, seriously, is there really any reason not to go for it? Through adept shot-making, you simply render the unlikely likely.

By the way, Andrew and playing partner Tuyen Thieu won the Getaway by a remarkable five shots, assembling a scintillating final score of ten under.

Great shot, Andrew!  And congrats on an impressive round, Andrew and Tuyen!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

Coming off a year marked by major surgery, longstanding BMC member Marty Weber returned to playing golf this year, grateful to be playing again. With modest expectations and a positive attitude, Marty has been taking the good with the bad, just enjoying his time on the course.  So, little did he know what lay in store for him on July 19, when he teed it up at Dwan in a match against Bob Devereau in the BMC’s Individual Match Play League.

This story begins on Dwan’s first hole, a short par 4 of around 300 yards. Marty started the round with a good drive, leaving 86 yards to the green– perfect for his 54-degree wedge. He hit the shot right at the hole and after two bounces in it went! A deuce, for an eagle.

Having gotten off the blocks so spectacularly, Marty hit another good drive on number two.  Although he was in the rough, he had only 63 yards to the green– but he needed to carry a bunker to go directly at the flagstick. No problem: Marty selected his 58-degree wedge this time and easily lofted the ball over the bunker. Again, he hit it right at the hole. The ball bounced once, hit the flag and dropped straight down and into the hole. Another deuce, another eagle. Back-to-back deuces! Marty completed his round with a solid 71, net 59. No need to ask if he won the match.

Congrats, Marty, on a couple of great shots and a great round!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

On June 24 John Miller made the BMC’s first hole-in-one of the year!  Past BMC aces have been recorded on number 7 (several times) and number 5 (once) but, to the knowledge of The Virtual 19^th Hole, John’s is the first one on number 17.  And not only did he inaugurate 17 with its first BMC ace, he did so in competition, helping Braemar’s 4 Man Over-70 Team win a match against Fox Hollow.  John notes that he recently converted to Titleist AVX balls and has been pleased with the change, most notably on the 8-iron shot he hit at 17 on June 24.  Bearing in mind the leftward slope down from the right of the green, John landed his shot in the right fringe and his trusty AVX took the break perfectly, rolling right into the cup. As it happens, John also shot his age that day (76).

Congrats, John, on a great shot and a great round!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
hgelde,richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

In 2023, longstanding BMC member Richard Black may have assumed that his one-in-a-million shot on 16 would stand the test of time for deploying a Braemar bridge to maximum advantage.  As reported at the time by The Virtual 19^th Hole, Richard’s shanked/ topped approach shot to the green squirted off to the right toward the walking bridge—and rolled right over the bridge and up to the edge of the green.  From there, Richard, whose Tuesday League opponent was understandably shell-shocked,  tied the hole and went on to win the match.

Who would have thought there could ever be a bridge shot to rival that one? 

Fast forward to June 12, 2025, and picture longstanding member Drew Cripps at the second hole, standing on the D tee box, and eyeing his standard bunt driver tee shot. Taking his time over the ball and employing a laser focus, Drew hit his desired low trajectory drive down the right side– but the ball started drifting a bit too much to the right until no one in the foursome could tell if it stayed in the rough or rolled into the hazard.  Or… could Drew have pulled off a Richard Black miracle and rolled the ball safely over the bridge, right over the creek?

As the foursome headed down the fairway toward the bridge, there was still no trace of the ball, so Drew wandered into the rough to continue his search.  Suddenly, the ball came into view– and no one could believe where it wound up. 

Check out the photos below– seeing is believing!  Drew took his drop and finished the hole with a ho-hum bogey.

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

Two months into the official 2025 season, The Age Shooters of the BMC is proud to announce the induction of several members, including three new members and two repeat members.

The new members are:

• John Miller, who, on June 24, at age 76, shot his age on the number from Braemar’s D tees, playing in a 4 Man Over-70 match against Fox Hollow;
• Dan Berend, who, on May 23, at age 78, shot his age on the number, playing at Bunker Hills in a Metro Seniors match against Bunker; and
• Joe O’Neill, who, on July 23, 2024, at age 67, shot a 66 at Dwan (par 68), in a Senior 8 Man match against Dwan. Apologies to Joe for the late reporting of this outstanding round of two under!

The returning members are:

• Bill Angel, who shot his three times this year, including a 74 (at age 74, just before his birthday in June), on May 27, from Braemar’s D tees; a 72 (at age 74) on June 10, at Francis Gross’s combination tees; and a 72 (at age 75, just after his birthday) on June 24 from Braemar’s D tees.  All three rounds came in 4 Man competitions and contributed to Braemar victories against Emerald Greens, Gross and Fox Hollow.
• Jim Peterson, who, at 83, shot an 80 on April 23 from Braemar’s N tees. Jim hit the fairways all day and couldn’t miss a putt from inside 10 feet.  He also shot his age in 2023, when, at age 81, Jim fired an 80 from Braemar’s N tees.

Congrats to these 2025 additions to the Age Shooters of the BMC!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

BMC golfing highlights mark each season—although some more than others.  Take the banner year of 2023, when:

• Two BMC members, Taylor Smith and Drew Cripps, made double eagles at Braemar (each on number 4);
• John Miller and Bill Angel made back-to-back aces on consecutive shots, playing the 12^th hole at Bunker Hills’ West Course; and
• Mike Wangen and Cutter Tyllia both qualified to play in the MGA Players Championship and Mike made the semi-finals in the MGA Mid-Players Championship.

But then every year BMC members shoot their age, make holes-in-one and inspire awe in their wives and children.

So, what about 2025? Based on the three golfers highlighted below, 2025 is fast becoming the year of the Stellar Super Seniors (senior status, of course, being conferred at 55, super senior status at 70).

Consider:

Bill Angel

Bill, who just turned 75 this month, has already shot his age three times this year. Talk about a Stellar Super Senior! So, less than two months into the official 2025 season, Bill has shot 74 at Braemar (from the D tees), on May 27; shot 72 at Francis Gross (from the combination tees), on June 10; and shot 72 at Braemar (from the D tees), on June 24.  All three rounds were instrumental in victories logged by our 4 Man Over-70 traveling team. And, by the way, Bill, at 75, also plays on one of Braemar’s 8 Man Over-55 teams.  His game is a perfect example of what’s possible when you drive the ball well, hit great irons and make putts.

Mike Kavanaugh

Mike turned 70 last year to the delight of the rest of our 4 Man Over-70 Team.  But annihilating opponents in their 70s apparently didn’t quench Mike’s competitive thirst, so he also plays on each of our 8 Man Over-55 traveling teams, giving up 10-15 years on those “junior seniors.”  A consistent contributor on each of those teams, Mike, with a USGA index of 5.1, still plays Braemar’s E tees comfortably, posting a solid 74 from there on May 28. However, he’s been particularly integral to the success of our 4 Man team. On June 10, at Gross, Mike shot 76 from the combination tees in a Braemar victory and on June 24, at Braemar, Mike shot 74 from the D tees to help bring home a win against Fox Hollow.

John Miller

Another member of Braemar’s 4 Man Over-70 Team, as well as of one of Braemar’s 8 Man Over-55 teams, John, at 76, made two remarkable contributions to Braemar’s 4 Man victory on June 24. He shot his age, with a sparkling 76 from Braemar’s D tees, and he punctuated his round with a hole-in-one on number 17.  As a testament to John’s persistence, consider that, in two recent rounds, he had makeable putts on the 18^th hole to shoot his age.  But after missing a 6-footer on June 17 and a 4-footer on June 19, he had to settle each time for a 77.   As the old saying goes, John was due.

Congrats to each of these impressive athletes! At least for these guys, 70 is the new 50 at the BMC.

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

The results of the second-ever BMC quiz are now in— and here are the takeaways:

• Not surprisingly, most guys prefer questions on course knowledge over those tackling the (admittedly somewhat stuffy) rules of golf.
• But at the same time BMC members (or at least those taking the quiz) know the rules and understand how to follow them.

It was probably apparent that several of the questions in the quiz illustrate how, at times, following the rules can seem like adding insult to injury (eg, having to hit out of a divot or a footprint in a bunker).  Yet, BMC members (or at least those taking the quiz) seem to overcome those disappointments and do the right thing.

A word on the topic of divots and footprints: for guys who don’t fix them and rake them, please bear in mind that rule-following golfers get stuck playing out of your divots and footprints! And as for golfers who struggle physically to rake a trap themselves, how about finding a volunteer in your group who’s willing to rake traps for you?

The quiz results overall were excellent, but there were a couple of questions that caused some guys to stub their toes. One of them addressed the embedded ball rules.  To clarify: due to a relatively recent rules change, you now get a free drop from either the fairway or the rough if your ball is embedded in its pitch mark (as opposed to becoming embedded on a bounce). Although the rules allow courses to adopt local rules restricting free drops to fairways, Braemar and most other courses have not done that.

Some guys also struggled over the rule on accidentally kicking your ball on the green.  Again, a relatively recent rule change clarifies that, if you accidentally move your ball on the green, no penalty is incurred. You simply replace the ball in its original position.

Lastly, no one was fooled by the question about hitting the wrong ball.  But few respondents appreciated that, in match play, the penalty is loss of hole, not two strokes. Nevertheless, the question was simply whether there’s a penalty for hitting the wrong ball– it didn’t ask you to specify what the penalty actually is. So, no one got demerits for miscuing on loss of hole.

With all that said, it’s time to announce the winners. First, special kudos go to the three BMC members who scored 100% on the quiz: Tom Klassen, Drew Cripps and Mike Longman. Great work, guys! And Mike Funck’s only misstep was on embedded balls because he cited the former rule, but, to his credit, Mike also recalled that the general rule can be overridden by a local rule, so he gets an honorable mention.

Tom Klassen (our champion from the first quiz) was the first one to ace the second quiz, so Tom is again our champion. Congrats, Tom!  And thanks to each of you who took part.