Last Update: 02-16-2024 (gmm)

2024 - WELCOME 2024! WE GOT OUR FIRST ROUND OF GOLF AT CINDER RIDGE IN EARLY FEB. I HAD MY 120,000TH CAREER SHOT (AND 3,000TH CAREER SHOT AT CINDER RIDGE).

2023 - IN OCTOBER, WE LEARNED ABOUT THE PASSING OF ONE OF OUR GREAT ZOO SOFTBALL PLAYERS, JOE RUGGIERO (OUR CHAMPIONSHIP LEFT-FIELDER) ANG AWESOME GUY. ANOTHER GREAT PERSON/FRIEND GONE WAY TOO SOON! HE JOINED DELOS, BARRY, SARGE AND TOM P IN ZOO HEAVEN! ON A MUCH LESS IMPORTANT (GOLF) NOTE, I FINALLY PARRED ALL THE HOLES 1-18 THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2020... OTHERWISE, NOT A GREAT GOLF SEASON, BUT A FEW NICE ROUNDS, INCLUDING HUGHES CREEK (94) THAT WAS VERY FUN TO PLAY AGAIN... I MADE MY LONGEST PUTT EVER (65-FOOTER FOR BIRDIE) THAT DAY...

2022 - I NEVER DID PAR THE 1ST HOLE FOR 2022, AND THE CLUBS ARE CLEANED AND IN THE BASEMENT. NOT MY BEST YEAR OF GOLF, BUT I DID SNEAK IN A (WHERE'S IT BEEN) "90" AT THE LINKS OF CARILLON ON 9-15-22. I MISSED A 20-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT FOR '89' (JUST TO THE LEFT), BUT I DID FINALLY PAR THE GAUNTLET 18TH THERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. I ALSO HAD A VERY FUN 9-HOLE ROUND WITH 2 OF MY NOW FORMER CO-WORKERS, ANDREA, AMANDA (AND BRYAN), WHO MISSED A HOLE IN ONE BY LESS THAN A FOOT ON #6. AMANDA AND ANDREA HAD NEVER PLAYED 'REAL GOLF' BEFORE AND BOTH DID VERY WELL (INCLUDING GREAT DRIVES ON #9 ESPECIALLY), AND SOME SAND TRAP WIZARDRY, THAT WAS EYE-DEFYING...

2021 - FIVE YEARS AGO (JAN 5TH), WE LOST OUR BELOVED HOLLY GIRL (THE SWEETEST, AND A VERY ATHLETIC ONE-BOUNCE BALL-CATCHER GIRL DOG, EVER)... WE MISS HER, GYPSY AND HAPPY DOG, EVERY DAY! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 GOLF YEARS, I DIDN'T PAR ALL THE HOLES. #10 GOT ME, BUT WE DID SURVIVE ANOTHER YEAR OF COVID! SADLY THOUGH, WE LOST OUR LONG-TIME SOFTBALL/BASKETBALL TEAMMATE AND FRIEND, TOM "SARGE" O'DONNELL TO A YEAR-LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER, AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS (MARTY KUH) AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW (BILL ANDERSON) TO UN-EXPLAINABLE SUICIDES...

2020 - WHERE DO WE START? STAY SAFE EVERYONE! NOT MANY GOLF HIGHLIGHTS, I HIT A FLAGSTICK ON A PAR 3 IN JANUARY, AND LIPPED OUT A BIRDIE PUTT IN FEBRUARY (STILL SEARCHING FOR THAT FIRST JAN/FEB CAREER BIRDIE)! IT TOOK TIL NOVEMBER, BUT I PARRED ALL THE HOLES 1-18 FOR THE 20TH YEAR IN A ROW! ONLY 4 BIRDIES (ALL CHIPS INS, ODDLY)... I PARRED MY 1500TH DIFFERENT HOLE (GLOBALLY) OUT OF 4241 PLAYED, KINDA FUN...

2019 - SOLID GOLF SEASON (INCLUDING BREAKING MY ALL-TIME RECORDS FOR BIRDIES IN A YEAR (13)... SADLY, THOUGH, WE LOST ANOTHER LEGEND! WE'LL MISS MY INCREDIBLE FATHER-IN-LAW, DONALD 'THE DUCK' MILES, FOREVER!

2018 - PRAYERS TO MY LONG-TIME FRIEND LYNNE, FROM DR. MORRIS' OFFICE, WHO'S BATTLING CANCER... SHE BATTLED THROUGH 2021/2022, WITH GREAT STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE.

2017 - OUR UN-NAMED FISH TURNED '27' ON NOV 9TH. PLAYED MY 100,000TH CAREER RECORDED SHOT WITH RICH IN INDIANA... 90 (TWICE) AND 92 ARE MY BEST SO FAR THIS YEAR. 118 PARS AND 3 BIRDIES ON THE BOARD ALREADY...

2016 - R.I.P. ANOTHER FRIEND LENORA, 93, AFTER WE LOST MARTY'S SISTER, GLORIA KUH 2 WEEKS AGO! IN JAN. 2016, WE LOST OUR DEAR SWEET HOLLY GIRL! SHE LIVED 13+ YEARS, AND WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPEND 12.5 YEARS WITH HER (THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIFE)!!! WE'LL LOVE AND MISS HER FOREVER!!! WE WERE FORTUNATE TO ADOPT WINNIE, A 3-YEAR OLD AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG MIX, WHO'S DOING GREAT, WITH RINGO TOO! GOT 105 PARS (1-05 WE LOST HOLLY), FOR THE TENTH YEAR IN A ROW, WHICH WAS A CHALLENGE AFTER MISSING SIX WEEKS OF GOLF WITH A STRAINED SHOULDER, AND GOING THRU PT REHAB...

2015 - SHOT CAREER-BEST '83' AT COYOTE RUN ON 9-24 W/ RICH, JIM, GORDON, AND ED (ON FRONT 9 ONLY)! HAD 2 BIRDIES, 8 PARS, 4 BOGEYS, 2 DOUBLES AND 2 TRIPLES!!! I WAS 'ON IN REGULATION' ON '10 HOLES', ANOTHER CAREER BEST! FINISHED WITH 12 BIRDIES (TIED FOR MY ALL-TIME HIGH IN ONE SEASON)!

2014 - BROUGHT ARIZONA CARDINALS OUR 4TH VICTORY IN 4 GAMES IN ARIZONA, WHEN DETROIT WENT DOWN 14-6. SHOT SEASON-ENDING '99' AT CAVE CREEK G.C.! THE TENTH HOLE THERE WAS MY 4,000TH 'DIFFERENT HOLE PLAYED' FOR MY CAREER! ENDED SEASON WITH 33.93 PUTTING AVERAGE (MY BEST YEAR EVER)! AS JIM A NOTED, THANKS TO MY DRIVER FOR SO MANY GREAT CHIPS LEADING TO ONE-PUTTS! SHOT 87 AT COYOTE RUN AND 88 AT OAK KNOLL IN INDIANA IN AUGUST AND 86 AT THE MEADOWS (WITH A '9' ON A PAR 5, INCLUDING A DOUBLE-HIT CHIP) IN LATE OCTOBER! MY '72' AT SILVER LAKES ROLLING HILLS IN EARLY NOVEMBER WAS MY SECOND BEST '18' EVER (THOUGH PAR 58). MAY 16th WAS THE TEN (10) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY HOLE-IN-ONE IN ITASCA! 7 BIRDIES FOR THE YEAR!

2013 - WE ADOPTED RINGO IN NOVEMBER! PARRED MY LAST HOLE OF THE YEAR TO GET 100 PARS (OR BETTER) FOR THE 7TH YEAR IN A ROW! ALSO PARRED THE FIRST HOLE OF 2013! WE LOST OUR GYPSY-GIRL ON 07-12-13. WE'LL MISS HER EVERY DAY AND LOVE HER FOREVER! SHE THEN HELPED ME GET A BIRDIE ON 8-15-13 (364 DAYS AFTER MY LAST BIRDIE). TEE-OFF TIME WAS 07:12 (SHE DIED ON 07/12) AT FOX VALLEY IN AURORA. DRAINED A 12-FOOTER, WITH HELP ON THE READ FROM STEVE AND WALLY (AND GORDON NOT HELPING)! PLAYED MY 14,000TH CAREER HOLE THERE (BOGEYED IT)! ONLY 4 BIRDIES FOR THE YEAR! CONGRATS BLACKHAWKS ON STANLEY CUP #5...

2012 - DIDN'T PLAY GREAT GOLF, BUT ALL GOALS ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE YEAR, ONE '88' AT OAK KNOLL IN INDIANA, AND 'FINALLY' BIRDIED AN OFFICIAL 18TH HOLE. I'M ADDING PLAYING AN 'X' CITY (XENIA, OHIO), GETTING AN ALBATROSS TO MY WISH-LIST NOW. SIX BIRDIES, TWO OF WHICH WERE HISTORIC: THE FIRST BEING MY 100TH ALL-TIME BIRDIE (FINALLY) IN A '92' ROUND AT CARILLON BLUE (ONLY HOLE I'VE PLAYED TWICE AND BIRDIED TWICE AND IS NOW RETIRED WITH MY HOLE IN ONE HOLE)! FINALLY PARRED THE 7TH HOLE (CHIP-IN-PAR) AT WILLOW RUN GOLF COURSE IN MOKENA, TO HAVE ALL THE HOLES PARRED THERE NOW!

2011 - PARRED LAST TWO HOLES OF THE YEAR (3 OF LAST 4) AND ENDED 2011 WITH MY ALL-TIME BEST '67' ON A PAR '58' COURSE (SILVER LAKES-ROLLING HILLS)! 8 PARS AND MY 100TH ALL-TIME BIRDIE OR BETTER!!! YES! 1,000 DIFFERENT HOLES PARRED! NOS. 997-999 ON GOLF ROAD, AND NO. 1,000 AT SEVEN BRIDGES, TENTH HOLE (FORMERLY #1), A PAR 5, SURROUNDED BY WATER! HAD TO USE THE NEW 'PING' PUTTER TO GET IT DONE, FINALLY!!! FINISHED 32ND IN FANTASY GOLF OUT OF 970 PLAYERS NATIONWIDE... (BETTER THAN 55TH LAST YEAR)... PARRED NUMBER '#11' AT CINDER RIDGE, SO I'VE PARRED ALL THE HOLES THERE NOW, A 'FIRST' FOR AN 18-HOLE COURSE (AND MY FAVORITE LOCAL COURSE, ODDLY)...

MAY 2011 - TWO OF LAST FOUR ROUNDS WERE UNDER '90', WITH A JUST GOOD ENOUGH '89' AT THE MEADOWS WITH ED AND JIM (DESPITE 4 3-PUTTS) AND A BLISTERING '88' AT CARILLON (DESPITE 2 3-PUTTS) WITH ED/WALLY.

OCTOBER 2010 - TURNED 'DOUBLE 25' ON HALLOWEEN-GOLFED TUCKAWAY WITH SIX CLOSE FRIENDS!

AUGUST 2010 - PLAYED COYOTE RUN W/ MALTY, AND SHOT 40 - 48 = 88, WITH BACK TO BACK BIRDIES (SECOND TIME EVER), BOTH 3-5 FOOTERS! THREE SEVENS ON THE BACK, BUT TWO THREES!

JUNE 2010 - CONGRATS BLACKHAWKS ON STANLEY CUP #4! AS TO GOLF, FINALLY A SPARKLING 38-47 = 85 AT MEADOWS OF BLUE ISLAND, SPLIT SUNDAY/MONDAY. I WAS 'PLUS ONE' AFTER 7 HOLES, WHEN THE RAIN CAME ('PLUS THREE' AFTER NINE THAT DAY)...

NOV 2009 - SADAHARU OH'S RECORD IS TOAST! 873 IS REALITY, AFTER I BROKE THE RECORD ON 6TH HOLE AT OLD OAK, THEN EVEN PARRED 'NINE' AT WILLOW RUN FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, BY NAILING A 22-FOOT PUTT, WITH AUTHORITY!

JULY 2009 - SOLID 98 (WITH FIVE MORE PARS) AT 'EAGLEWOOD' RESORT, WHERE I HAD THE 'ACE' IN 2004. CRAZY DAY, WHERE A BUG FLEW IN ED'S EYE, PAUL ALMOST HIT A MOVING GOLF CART WITH A 'LINE DRIVE ROCKET', THEN I ALMOST HIT ED/PAUL WTTH A 'PRACTICE SWING' WHEREIN I HIT THE BALL ACCIDENTLY... GOT PICTURES OF 'THE HOLE', BUT DIDN'T PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM...

MAY 2009 - PARRED NO. 1 AT GRAYSTONE, MEANING I'VE FINALLY PARRED (OR BETTER) ALL THE HOLES AT A COURSE.

FEB 2009 - GREAT JOB ARIZONA CARDINALS - YOU ALMOST SHOCKED THE WORLD IN THE 2008/2009 SUPER BOWL!

OCT 2008 - PLAYED 10,000TH CAREER RECORDED HOLE AT CANTIGNY WITH "SKO".

JULY 2008-SHOT 30 AT PAR 27 NICKOL KNOLL, WITH MARTY 'MALTY FALKER' KUH...7 PARS AND 1 3-PUTT BOGEY AFTER A DOUBLE BOGEY ON THE FIRST HOLE, THAT I ALMOST CHIPPED IN (FOR PAR).

JUNE 2008-SHOT 93 AT A REALLY TOUGH CINDER RIDGE WITH 4 PARS...MY FAVORITE LOCAL COURSE.

MAY 2008-SHOT 87 AT COYOTE RUN FOR MY FIFTH CAREER TIME UNDER 90...THREE OF WHICH ARE WITH ED 'BEST MAN AT MY WEDDING RECEPTION ON THE SAME LAND' DALEY...

04-24-08-SHOT 84 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AT WOODRUFF IN JOLIET...WITH 6 PARS...WITH ED 'ARE YOU SURE IT'S NOT A TOUGH COURSE' DALEY...

04-06-08-SHOT 78 FOR 18 HOLES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER (THOUGH 12 PAR 3'S) IN THE 70'S AT SHAMROCK G.C. IN KANKAKEE...WITH 4 PARS...WITH GORDO WHO SHOT 80 !!!

MARCH 2008-WE LOST A LEGEND...FRANK 'CHIEF' ZIMMERMAN (OUR LONG-TIME FAMILY MEMBER AND SO MUCH MORE) AT AGE 97.9...R.I.P. OUR FRIEND, YOU'VE MORE THAN EARNED THE REST AND OUR ETERNAL LOVE!

09-02-07-SHOT CAREER BEST 85 AT LONGWOOD IN CRETE, WITH 4 PARS AND 1 BIRDIE, WITH GORDON 'GORDO' SMITH AND HIS BROTHER DOUG, BUT NOT HIS OTHER BROTHER DOUG!

04-01-07-IT'S IN THE HOLE, PART 3! 110 YDS OUT, 8-IRON, AND IN FOR BIRDIE...11TH HOLE AT KANKAKEE ELKS...PALM SUNDAY-WITH RONNIE 'DOG' RE AND 'SUPER DAVE' LINDSEY!

10-20-06-I PLAYED THE MECCA OF GOLF (ST. ANDREW'S OLD COURSE)!!! WHAT A FEELING! COULD'VE SCORED BETTER, BUT THE SMILE NEVER LEFT MY FACE. ON 18, BEING A LEFTY, I FORGOT TO CROSS THE FAMOUS 'SWILCAN BRIDGE' !!!

08-19-05-IT'S IN THE HOLE, PART 2! FROM 152 YDS AT SILVER LAKE SOUTH, 12TH HOLE! LONGEST BIRDIE IN RIDDLER HISTORY (AFTER LONG SEARCH BEHIND THE GREEN) WITH ED 'IT CAN'T BE, BUT I'LL CHECK, WOW, IT'S IN THE HOLE' DALEY!

07-28-05-SHOT 89 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AT COYOTE RUN IN FLOSSMOOR...WITH 6 PARS AND 1 BIRDIE...WITH ED 'WHO VERIFIED MY SCORECARD' DALEY...

05-16-04---IT'S IN THE HOLE FOR AN ACE! FROM 91 YDS. AWAY, 2 BOUNCES AND IN, AT DORAL EAGLEWOOD IN ITASCA WITH WALLY 'HOW DO I TOP THAT' WOODS! AMAZING!

R.I.P. HOLLY, GYPSY, CHANCE, HAPPY DOG, MR Z, JAKE, SHANE, AND MARTY'S DOG LADY! WE'LL LOVE / MISS YOU GUYS FOREVER !!! THEY ARE NOW ALL TOGETHER IN DOG HEAVEN!

THE LEGEND OF HAPPY DOG: I'm sure you knew our dog, Happy. He was, still is, and ALWAYS WILL BE very popular. He has a lot of friends, namely Edna and Don, Diane, Bill, Laura and Matt, Marty and Mary, Mike and Mary, Dick and Sue, Alina, Ed, Rich, Jim M, Dan, George, Jim A, and Jessie, not to mention his human parents (that's us, Jenny and Gary) and Frank, Kelsie-dog, and Grandma (his eternal friend). It's hard to believe the little guy is gone almost 11 years already, with Grandma (Anna) Skoots in heaven.

When we first brought him home, we thought we had our work cut out for us. He was 59 lbs, when he should have been between 25 and 35 pounds. We quickly put him on a crash diet, and he got down to 32 lbs. (much better). Our other major challenge was that we had just moved into our newly built house, so we had no landscaping. Our front and back yards were all dirt and especially muddy, since it was January. When we took him outside, he would come back in full of mud. So, until we got landscaping, we kept him mostly in the kitchen. We had to use a gate to keep him in there. He used to try and bite his way out of the gate. The first couple nights, he accepted it, but after that, he starting howling during the night, since he was used to sleeping upstairs next to Grandma's bed, and now he was all alone in the kitchen. After one night, we brought him up with us (mud or no mud). But, it was all worth it, since Happy Dog was the best BOY DOG either one of us has ever known, and we've both known lots of cool dogs (Shane, Jake, Lady, Chief, Kelsey, Jessie, Mr. Z, etc.) and even Rascal and Tiger, the cats, who represented his only 2 foes (except for 2 visiting neighbor dogs).

THE LEGEND OF HOLLY G: When you meet Holly (formerly known as Chase), you will know right away how special she is. When we first visited the shelter, we had no intention of getting any kind of German Shepherd, but when Jan at Chicago Heights suggested we meet her, we figured it couldn't hurt to just meet her. She started throwing herself on us right away, and we knew pretty much right away, it was meant to be. She was originally with a family that was moving out of state and couldn't keep her, so LUCKY US. She graduated from Dog School in Frankfort, IL and would have easily been awarded 'Valedogtarian'. She's turned out to be a GREAT DOG. She loves to take things, especially shoes and run around the house with them, wanting us to CHASE her, hence probably how she got her previous name. Her FAVORITE SPORT is playing BALL, and catching it on ONE BOUNCE, and ONE BOUNCE ONLY. She's AWESOME! She had several dog friends, namely Jessie, Bryn, Chance, Bear, Bella, her sister Gypsy, and her brother Ringo. WE'LL LOVE AND HONOR HER MEMORY FOREVER...

THE LEGEND OF GYPSY G: She and Holly did not get along when they first met at Jen's school, but they soon realized, they'd need each other and became friends quickly! She turned into a wonderful dog! She loved her yard, her various beds, and even her house during the long workdays. We're very proud of her! She hadn't had any OLD friends for dinner lately! She LOVED her BELLY RUBS and giving SLEEPY-TONGUE KISSES GOOD NIGHT! SADLY, she passed away on 7-12-13, but she'll LIVE ON FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS!

THE LEGEND OF RINGO THE KID: WHAT A LITTLE CHARACTER! HE LOVES HIS ANTLERS, SQUEAKY TOYS, CHASING BRYN NEXT DOOR, AND PLAYING WITH HOLLY GIRL, AND NOW WINNIE!

THE LEGEND OF WINNIE: SHE'S A SWEET YET POWERFUL WORKING CLASS DOG, VERY FUN...

2017 GOLF AVERAGE IS: 99.78 WITH 4,091 SHOTS FOR 738 HOLES, WITH A BEST OF 90 TWICE), AND A WORST OF 113, WITH 118 PARS AND 3 BIRDIES... I HAVE 'NOW' BIRDIED ALL THE HOLES 1-18 CAREER. I HAVE ALSO NOW GOLFED ALL LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, and ALL CITY LETTERS EXCEPT: X. I HAVE PARRED OR BETTER ALL 18 HOLES AT CINDER RIDGE AND ALL NINE HOLES AT GRAYSTONE G.C. IN TINLEY PARK (NOW CLOSED), WILLOW RUN IN MOKENA, AND SILVER LAKE (ROLLING HILLS), THE ONLY COURSES I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THAT FEAT!

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