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Bandera County Courier is published weekly by Gail S. Joiner, 1210 Hackberry St., Bandera, TX 78003. Subscription price $26 per year in Bandera County, TX; $36 per year for other Texas counties; $40 per year out of Texas. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bandera County Courier, P.O. Box 1704, Bandera, TX 78003. Periodicals Postage pending in Bandera, Texas.

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Here's what is in the Golf section of the Courier:

Flying L to host golf tournament March 30	Published March 27, 2008
Good Old Boys Golf League	April 3, 2007 March 27, 2007 March 20, 2007 March 13, 2007 March 6, 2007 Feb. 28, 2007 Feb. 21, 2007 Feb. 14, 2007 Feb. 7, 2007 Jan. 31, 2007 Jan. 24, 2007 Jan. 17, 2007 Jan. 10, 2007
Flying L resident scores hole-in-one	Published Nov. 22, 2007
Flying L tournament Sunday	Published Oct. 25, 2007
Field of 30-plus expected for Flying L tournament	Published Sept. 27, 2007
Flying L golf tournament postponed to Sept. 29-30	Published Sept. 20, 2007
Flying L Club Championship scheduled for Sept. 22-23	Published Sept. 13, 2007
Good Old Boys Golf League	Sept. 27, 2007 Sept. 20, 2007 Sept. 13, 2007 Sept. 6, 2007 Aug. 30, 2007
Flying L Golf tournament Sunday	Published Aug. 23, 2007
Good Old Boys Golf League	Aug. 23, 2007 Aug. 16, 2007 Aug. 9, 2007 Aug. 2, 2007 July 26, 2007 July 19, 2007 July 12, 2007 July 5, 2007 June 28, 2007
Golf tournament Sunday	Published June 21, 2007
Good Old Boys Golf League	June 21, 2007 June 14, 2007 June 7, 2007 May 31, 2007
Golf tournament Sunday at Flying L	Published May 31, 2007
Good Old Boys Golf League	May 24, 2007 May 17, 2007 May 10, 2007 May 3, 2007
Golf articles from early 2007	Golf articles from 2006
Visit the sports Web page	Visit the gun club Web page

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published April 3, 2008    The Good Old Boys Stableford tournament staged at the Flying L course in Bandera at 9 am each Monday (due to change to 8:30 am on April 8) two proximity prizes are awarded for shots closest to the pin on two par three holes.     Statistically, one would think that the hot shots, the low handicappers shooting in the 70s and low 80s consistently, would be walking off each week with their pockets jingling with proximity prize winnings.     Not necessarily so. It seems that in a field of from 40 to 50 golfers playing in the GOB tournament each week, almost anyone with a bit of help from old Lady Luck can turn the trick and collect one of the two $25 awards.     Paul Lemon of Boerne is perfectly capable of getting his tee shot in the vicinity of the flag but even he will tell you that he had Lady Luck riding with him in last week’s affair at the Flying L.     Paul defied the odds by winning both proximity prizes on number seven and the most-difficult 185-yard number 17.     Scoring wise, Tom Gannon of Lakehillls led the pack of 42 shotmakers with an 86 that netted seven points. Tom McGuire of San Antonio came in second with five points from an 87.     Gannon, who practices ardently each day with a practice canvas in his back yard, credited his improved game to leaving his driver in the bag and hitting more three woods.     Jim Birkner of Boerne and Jack Finger of Helotes tied for third place with four points each. Birkner shot a 92 and Finger a 91.     In fourth place were El Partenheimer and Art Wenske, both of Bandera, tied with three points each. Wenske knocked down an 87 and Partenheimer came in with 90.     Dale Felps of Boerne won medalist honors with a neat 77 and David Finger of Fair Oaks was second with an 83.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published March 27, 2008    Maybe the Good Old Boys golfers are learning how to play in the wind.     Last week's usual encounter at the Flying L in Bandera was another of those 20 to 30 miles per hour affairs but quite a number of the Boys were more than equal to the challenge. So many of them bettered their handicap figures that at the end of the day, Stableford tournament points were worth only $3 apiece.     Three tied for first place with a whopping eight points each. They included relative newcomer Tom Hopper of Helotes who posted an 85; Roger Raser of Bandera, 82; and Ray Martel of Bandera, 84.     All alone in second place was the amazing 89-year-old Dr. HC Day of Boerne who checked in with a 96 that earned four points.     There was another tie for third place between Dick Lane of Medina with an 86; Jim Martin of Bandera, 87; and Martin Friske of Bandera, 90. They each earned three points.     And there was still another logjam for fourth place with four linksmen making two points better than their respective handicaps. They included Fritz Houston of Boerne, 88; El Partenheimer of Bandera, 92; Tom Gannon of Lakehills, 93; and Larry Kirk of Medina, 98.     Tom McGuire of San Antonio and Bob Dawson of Bandera won proximity prizes on hole seven and 12, respectively.     Buddy Antwine of Bandera was medalist with the only score in the 70s, a 78. Bob Erfurth of San Antonio fired an 80.     Forty-five players were in the field.

Flying L to host golf tournament March 30 Contributed by Jack Finger Published March 27, 2008    The next tournament to be staged by the Flying L Golf Association will begin at 1:30 pm Sunday, March 30, according to new tournament director Galen Wagner.     The format for the event will be a nine-hole scramble and nine-hole alternate shot.     In their first tournament of the year last week, Ron Mercier emerged in first place with a net 68 and in the women's flight, Louise DeGaugh was tops with a 70.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published March 20, 2008    For the upteenth time this fall and winter season, the Good Old Boys Golf League had to cancel their usual Monday morning tournament due to nasty weather.     That happened again last week when a cold rain appeared just in time to send the Boys back home.     Still, the nice rain that did fall was most welcome for all concerned and the Flying L Guest Ranch course, home of the Good Old Boys, one of the top conditioned courses in the area, should be in fine shape when the weather warms up a bit.     Without results to report from last week, this might be a good time to remind all Hill Country golfers that they are welcome to join up with the Good Old Boys in their Monday morning shootouts.     The GOB play a Stableford tournament format with the player awarded four points for eagle, three for birdies, two for par and one for bogie. Those whose point totals exceed their handicaps automatically win cash prizes. Handicaps are automatically updated each week by computer.     Total coast for the tournament is $33 and that includes tournament entry fee, green fee and cart rental.     Players may make up their own foursomes.     Tournaments are staged at 9 am each Monday at the Flying L Guest Ranch in Bandera. Starting with the tournament April 7, the new starting time will be 8:30 am.     For additional information, those interested may call the Flying L Pro Shop at 800-646-5407.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published March 13, 2008    Weatherman 14, Good Old Boys 0.     That maybe a strange way of putting it, but the vicious wintry blast that was dished out to the Good Old Boys League in last week's Stableford tournament at the Flying L in Bandera resulted in a complete shutout of the entire field of 14 players.     That's right, not a single player could better his handicap in the Stableford tournament that awards golfers points for exceeding their computer generated results of previous tournaments. In fact, not one of the 14 entries could break 90 on this day that featured a rushing norther worsened by chilling temperatures.     The only player who made it home with a bit of prize money was Richard Mims of Medina who won a closest-to-the-pin prize.     Scoring wise, Mel Graf of Helotes was medalist with a 91 followed by Tom Gannon of Lakehills and Art Wenske of Bandera who managed 94s.     Mims and Darrly Brumell of Bandera were in with 95s.     Tournament director Ike Eichelberger announced that the tournament of April 7 will make the return of an 8:30 am starting time for the GOB.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published March 6, 2008    Stableford points rained from the sky like hail stones in last week's Good Old Boys tournament at the Flying L course in Bandera.     The huge field of 52 golfers amassed a grand total of 105 points above their respective handicaps. There were four players in the 70s.     In the Stableford method of scoring, the golfer earns points and cash by bettering atally of his last round. And the more points that are earned by the field, the less the cash payout. In this case, each point was worth only $2.     Phil Williams of San Antonio, a long-time regular in the GOB tournament, led the assault on the course by shooting an 86 that earned a whopping ten points better than his handicap. Williams, who turned 76 last month, in earlier years was a seven-time champion of the Riverside Golf Association in San Antonio.     Fellow San Antonian Bob Erfurt, the ageless 82-year-old wonder, came in second with a 77 that was good for eight points.     Three tied for third place with seven points each. They were Dale Felps of Boerne, tournament medalist with a beautiful 74; Jerry Vallad, also of Boerne, with 83; and George Persyn of Bandera, 90.     Fred Wilson of Castroville and El Partenheimer of Bandera tied for fourth place with six points each. Wilson posted an 87 and Partenheimer an 89.     Mel Graf of Helotes won the proximity prize on hole number seven and David Finger of Fair Oaks Ranch was closest on number 17.     Bob Savage of Boerne was in the 70s with a 76 and Buddy Antwine of Bandera toured in 78.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Feb. 28, 2008    In golf there's an old familiar expression, “He doesn't have a lot of green to work with.” That describes a situation where the golfer is up against a tightly constricted pin with very little space around it to accommodate his approach shot.     Sadly, that expression nowadays also describes the prevailing condition of most other places on the course including the fairways. No, you won't find much green anywhere on the course due to the prolonged drought.     The only saving grace of the dilemma is the fact that shots are rolling along faster and farther than “Big Mama.” That's fine for some but most of the boys would like to see much softer fairways and greens to hit onto and into.     Last week in the Good Old Boys Stableford tournament at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera, Amador Lugo of Bandera cashed in big with his field-leading score of 81 that earned six points better than his handicap. Tied for second place with five points each were David Finger of Fair Oaks Ranch, who had a neat 83; Dru Vinton, Bandera, with an 85; and Fred Luddeke, also of Bandera, 93.     Alone in third place with four points were Garry Hanson of Bandera who buzzed in with a 90.     Jim Birkner of Boerne and David Rech of Bandera tied for fourth place with three points each. Birkner came in with a 93 and Rech had a nifty 88.     Gene Eubank of Bandera and Mel Graf of Helotes won proximity prizes on holes two and 12, respectively. Lugo and Dale Felps of Boerne were co-medalists with 81. Points were worth $7 apiece. Some 49 players were in the field.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Feb. 21, 2008    Jack Finger's golf column will not run this week. His wife, Jurleen, passed away unexpectedly last Monday.     We at the Courier express our sympathy and wish all the best to Jack and his family. We look forward to the resumption of his column at a later date.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Feb. 14, 2008    With beautiful sunshine beaming down on them, the Good Old Boys made the most of the mild weather as they took out all of their frustrations on the Flying L Guest Ranch golf course last week.     It was the first time in more than a month of Mondays for the GOB Golf League to catch a nice day on their usual Monday morning Stableford shootout.     As a result, the course, suffering like most area golf layouts from lack of rainfall, took a virtual beating from a huge turnout of 49 golfers, who clearly enjoyed the day.     Having an especially sweet time of it was lefty Dave Finger of Fair Oaks Ranch who snapped out of a scoring slump with a dandy round of 85 that earned seven points above his handicap figure and first place in the tournament.     A logjam of five entries tied for second place with five points each. Lee Finch of Bandera led that group with an 84; DeWayne Pirtle, Bandera, had an 89; Jim Asher of Boerne, 95; Fred Luddeke, Bandera, 95; and Jack Finger, Helotes, 88.     Three tied for third place including Amador Lugo of Bandera with an 85; Harry Carpenter, Kerrville, 90; and Jerry Vallad of Boerne with a 91.     Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek and Roger Raser of Bandera won proximity prizes on holes number two and 12, respectively.     Bob Savage of Boerne took medalist honors with a great round of 78 and Buddy Antwine of Bandera was one shot off what pace with a 79.     Points paid $4 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Feb. 7, 2008    We’ve all heard that sad old lamentation about fishing on the Texas coast.     “Well, yes, the weather is lousy today – but if you’d been here yesterday, it was great; and they say it’s going to be good again tomorrow. Can you stay?”     That’s been pretty much the story for the Good Old Boys Golf League and their Monday morning Stableford tournament at the Flying L in Bandera.     Last week, it was more of the same for the Boys. A big field of 48 turned out for the tournament after reading and hearing a prediction of mild temperatures and sunshiny weather. What they got was a steady mist shrouded in fog to go with a bone-chilling, 10-to-20 mile an hour wind.     The elements, though, didn’t seem to bother tournament leader Dale Daughtery of San Antonio. Not unlike a dedicated mail carrier, Dale let none of those hindrances keep him from making an appointed round that produced a laudable score of 40 and 41 to total 81. That tally, which netted six points, included birdies on holes number three and 13.     Tied for second place with four points each were Jim Birkner of Boerne and Charley Prokop of Pipe Creek. Birkner shot a 93 and Prokop a 79 that was also good for medalist honors. Buddy Antwine of Bandera posted a nice 80.     Two players tied for third place with three points each. Dwayne Pirtle of Bandera cashed in with a 93 and Doc H.C. Day of Boerne had a 95.     A big logjam for fourth place developed between six shotmakers who scored two points better than their handicaps. They included Richard Leeder of Boerne, 86; Amador Lugo, Bandera, 88; Roger Raser, Bandera, 88; Ron Robinson, Bandera, 90; and Darryl Brummell, Bandera, 92.     Dick Lane of Medina and Maurice Theis of Boerne won proximity prizes on holes seven and 17, respectively. Points were worth $6 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Jan. 31, 2008    As far as the Good Old Boys golfers are concerned, it's been a winter of discontent. In our last communique, we continued to grouse about the adverse weather conditions that have plagued the boys all winter long, so it seems.     We continued to fuss at the Hill Country weatherman and those temperamental gods of golf who have conspired to dish out almost nothing but freezing cold, windy, rainy and/or foggy conditions through December and most of January.     Still, we really ought to know better than to bad mouth the golf gods because the ink was barely dry on last week's report when it came time for the Good Old Boys to tee off again at the Flying L course in Bandera for their weekly Stableford tournament.     That's when the vengeful gods had the last word, if not the last laugh, when they served up a steady sheet of rain to go along with 42 degrees of cold temperature.     Only 20 thick-skinned diehards made it to the first tee, causing Charlie Prokop, subbing for the vacationing tournament director Ike Eichelberger, to note dryly, “Only 20 played but there might have been another 20 who showed up and then went back home to bed.”     Attesting to the inclemency of the situation was the fact that of the 20 competitors who shivered through the day, only two – yes, just two – managed to better their individual handicaps and finish in the money.     The leader of the pack was Paul McKinnon, arefugee from North Dakota getting six weeks of respite down here, who put together a dandy score of 83 that earned all of two points. The other winner was Art Wenske of Bandera who tallied the only other point with a cool 88. With only three points outstanding, the value of each zoomed up to $33 apiece. Like masked thieves in the night, McKinnon and Wenske got out of Dodge with their pockets jingling.     Closest to the pin prizes were won by Darryl Brummell of Ontario and Marshall Patton of Bandera on holes three and 12, respectively. Medalist was Mike Kornmann of Bandera with an 83.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Jan. 24, 2008    Baby, it's been cold outside. More and more this winter you are hearing that lament from golfers who participate in the Stableford tournament, sponsored each Monday by the Good Old Boys League at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     All through December and up to now in January, the Boys have been shuddering and muttering through playing days marred by frost delays as much as an hour and a half and numerous times when they've had to battle cold, windy and misty conditions to say nothing of frost-hardened greens and fairways.     But as Napoleon once said of the Alsatians in his French army, "They grumble but they keep on marching," the Good Old Boys keep bundling up and swinging away.     And you know what? There's an upside to all of that misery. On those inclement days when bones are creaking, hands are numb and the players are virtually immobile from layers and layers of clothing, the production of points by the field is drastically reduced with each point commanding considerably more than usual.     One would think that the many Winter Texans who join up with the GOB each fall to escape their own hometown weather excesses would have a decided advantage over their warmer-blooded natives.     Not really. It seems that they are wont to eschew frigid conditions every bit as much as the locals.     Last week's outing was one of those days we're talking about. The weatherman had promised a warmer day with sunshine and that lured a big field of 44 to sign up.     The sun did shine for awhile but soon disappeared and was replaced by clouds and a bone-chilling wind. The entire field could score no more than 21 points, each of which commanded a hefty $10.     One man who defied the elements completely was Gerald Persyn of Bandera. Persyn ignored the icicles in his bushy beard and came in with a resounding score of 90 that netted five points and first place in the tournament.     Not only that, he also won a few more bucks by being closest to the pin on hole number seven.     Jose Uribe of Medina was second with four points from his 103 and Fritz Houston and David Helmke, both of Boerne, tied for third place with three points each. Houston shot 85 and Helmke 86.     Paul McKinnon of Bandera won the other proximity prize on number 17 and Bob Savage and Dale Felps, both of Boerne, tied for medalist honors with 81.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Jan. 17, 2008    It's amazing what a nice sunshiny day will do for the golfing set. Nippy at first, the day warmed up beautifully and so did most of the 50 entrants in the Good Old Boys Stableford tournament last week at the Flying L course in Bandera.     In the weekly shootout, the big story was Richard Leeder of Boerne. The 77-year-old masonry contractor put together a sparkling round of 82 that earned nine points above his handicap and first place in a huge field of 50 shotmakers.     "I think I have to credit my playing partners for that good round," Leeder said. "They chipped in and bought me a new Burner driver and that sure did help. I had been hooking my old one and I was able to hit the ball a lot straighter."     Richard shot a 40 on this first round despite two double bogies. "I hit all four par 3 greens and that was another big factor," he said.     Leeder wasn't the only Good Old Boy who was basking in the sunshine in this tournament. There were three who tied for second place with eight points each. They included Jim Martin of Bandera, who equaled Leeder's 82; Art Wenske of Bandera, with an 84; and tournament director, Ike Eichelberger of Pipe Creek with an 84.     Another batch of points accrued to third-place finishers Richard Koch and Mike Medina, both of Bandera and both with 87s. Tied for fourth place with five points each were Ron Darby of Lubbock and Tom Gannon of Lakehills. Darby checked in with an 85 and Gannon an 86.     Lanky Dale Felps of Boerne made few mistakes as he toured the Flying L in only 74 strokes for medalist honors. "The guy is amazing," allowed Eichelberger. "I call him 'Mr. Consistency'." Felps won closest to the pin on hole number 12. Sam Martin of Lakehills was closest on hole number 2.     When it comes to consistency, Buddy Antwine of Bandera takes no back seat to anyone, either. Buddy had another 77 last week. He's always in the 70s and low 80s.     Because a whopping 84 points were tallied by the field, points last week cashed in at no more than $3.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Jan. 3, 2008    Let's face it, the game of golf, as difficult and precise as it is, can be a terribly exasperating experience for a lot of folks. Relatively few persons are really good at it.     That would imply then that darned few souls get any kind of pleasure from such a self-flagellating activity. Not so. The key word in that opening sentence was "relatively" and we'd like to take a bit of connotative liberty with that word to make a point.     Having fun at golf is all relative. The pro usually doesn't get a lot of satisfaction from shooting in the high 70s, he gets his jollies from being down in the 60s.     The duffer, pardon, the high handicapper, can achieve exhilaration from breaking 100. It's all relative.     Take 83-year-old Duke Doclos, for example. Duclos — few people know him by his first name of Bernard — for the past 25 years or so has been making the drive from his 65-acre goat ranch in Tarpley to Bandera each Monday morning to play in the Good Old Boys Stableford tournament.     The retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel — he was a gunnery instructor in WWII — teed off in last week's tournament needing to shoot 105 or better to get into the money. At the end of the day he was absolutely thrilled to post a score of 96 that earned a whopping nine points better than his handicap and first place in the field of 38 entrants.     That good showing for him came after a layoff of six weeks during which he was home caring for his wife of 57 years, Georgia.     His infectious sense of humor shone through when he was asked what sort of swing changes he made to cut 10 strokes off his game.     He replied, "Well, I make a swing change every time I take a cut at the ball. But the real reason was, I was able to play the entire round with the same ball. I usually leave a few to the homesteaders living on the Flying L fairways.     Tom Braddock of Bandera snapped out of a slump of his own to claim second place with a good round of 88 that brought in seven points.     Another old timer with a lot of golf-heroics clippings in his scrapbook, 89-yearold Dr. HC Day of Boerne, was elated with a 93 that netted four points and a tie for third place with Hubert Lange of Leon Creek, who shot 96. Buddy Antwine of Bandera claimed medalist honors with a super round of 77.     Charley Prokop of Pipe Creek, who continues to establish himself as one of the top links men in the GOB League, was in with another round in the 70s, 79, good for three points and fourth place.     Closest-to-the-pin prizes were won by Tom McGuire, San Antonio, hole number 7; Art Wenske, Bandera, number 12; and Prokop on number 17. Points were worth $5 each.

Flying L resident scores hole-in-one Published Nov. 22, 2007 Zobedia Rivera    When Zobedia Rivera teed off at the Delaware Springs Golf Course near Marble Falls Wednesday, Nov. 7, she didn't know 13 was about to be her lucky number.     But on that cold day, on the 13th green, the Venezuelan-born Flying L resident took her sand wedge firmly in hand and proceeded to hit a 105-yard hole in one. Her golf buddies Cissy Elkins, Betty Brister and Mary Conley witnessed the event and helped celebrate with Rivera back home in Bandera.     "It was really exciting," said the mother of two. "The ball hit on the edge of the green, took two or three bounces, then in it went."

Flying L tournament Sunday Published Oct. 25, 2007    The next tournament for the Flying L Golf Association is set for 1:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Ron Mercier, FLGA president, said this outing will be a twosome blind draw affair with the teams counting one low score.     After this tournament only three others are on the FLGA docket. They are slated for Nov. 18, Dec. 2 and Dec. 16, all at 12:30 pm at the Flying L.

Field of 30-plus expected for Flying L tournament Published Sept. 27, 2007    A field of between 30 and 35 golfers is expected to compete this weekend in the annual club championship tournament slated Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29-30, by the Flying L Golf Association at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     The members-only tournament will crown champions and runners-up in two flights of both men's and women's divisions.     Play will begin on both days at 12:30 pm with a shotgun start, according to Ron Mercier, club president.     Entry cost will be $60 per person plus green and cart fees.     Cash prizes will be awarded in the Flying L Grill immediately following the tournament.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Sept. 27, 2007    Gerald Persyn, the Bandera horticulturist, was making all the right moves last week. He exploded for eight points above his handicap with a round of 93 in the Good Old Boys League Stableford tournament played at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Persyn started his round needing only seven points to match his handicap strike figure. With his 93, he generated 15 Stableford points, more than double the amount he required to get into the money.     Tied for second place were Bob Savage of Boerne and Phil Williams of San Antonio, who shared the spot with six points each. Savage, a captain in the San Antonio Fire Department, posted a great round of 77 and Williams came in with an 88.     Another Boerne-ite, Larry King, and Fred Luddeke of Bandera were also deadlocked for third place with five points each. King ground out a super round of 78 and Luddeke, playing an improved game himself, carded a 94.     Gene Eubanks of Bandera came in fourth with four points from his round of 86.     Savage claimed medalist honors with his 77 and King was second with 78.     Forty players were in the field and points were worth $4 each.

Flying L golf tournament postponed to Sept. 29-30 Published Sept. 20, 2007    The annual Flying L Golf Association club championship tournament originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23, has been postponed a week to Sept. 29-30, at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     "We just ran into too many conflicts with our entries and the course," explained Ron Mercier, FLGA president. "It should work out better this way," he added.     The members-only, 36-hole stroke play tournament for both men and women will start at 12:30 pm Saturday with a shotgun start. The final 18 holes will be played at 12:30 pm Sunday.     Entry cost for each players will be $60 plus green and cart fees and will offer contestants a chance to win cash prizes for first and second place in the men's and women's divisions.     Prizes will be awarded for closest to the pin.     Players must register in the Flying L Pro Shop.     Call Mercier at 830-966-3740 for more information.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Sept. 20, 2007    The cream rose to the top in last week's Good Old Boys Golf League Stableford Tournament at the Flying L course in Bandera.     Two of the league's top players, Dale Felps of Boerne and Dale Daugherty of San Antonio, topped the field of 45 linksmen as they finished one-two in the weekly shootout.     Felps did little wrong as he compiled a nifty 18-hole score of 74 and Daugherty checked in with a 79. Felps heroics earned five points above his handicap and Daugherty picked up four points. Those were two beautiful rounds of golf when you consider that the Flying L course has toughened up dramatically with the abundance of summer rainfall. Golfers are finding out to their sorrow that if they don't keep their ball in the fairway - in the mowed areas - they'll wind up in the long, wiry Bermuda where it takes a super-human effort to extricate themselves.     Four players tied for third place with three points each. That list included Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek, who continues to blister the golf course, this time with a 79; the two Finger brothers, David and Zack, both with 87s; Jim Birkner of Boerne, 94; and Fritz Houston, Boerne, 90.     Five players tied for fourth place with four points each. Amador Lugo of Bandera shot 84; Roy Rodriguez of Bandera, 88; Fred Wilson of San Antonio, 89; Richard Mims of Medina, 90; and Sam Martin of Lakehills, 93.     Mims and Felps won closest to the pin prizes on holes two and 17, respectively. Points were worth $5 each.

Flying L Club Championship scheduled for Sept. 22-23 Contributed Published Sept. 13, 2007    The Flying L Golf Association will host its annual club championship tournament the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23, at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera. The members-only, 36-hole stroke play tournament will start at 12:30 pm each day.     Championships will be determined in both men's and women's divisions. First and second places will receive cash prizes in two flights in each division.     According to president Ron Mercier, players will be assigned to flights according to their handicaps. From there, however, the contestants will play scratch.     Award presentations will be made in the Flying L's Spike and Spur Grill following Sunday's round.     Entry cost for each players will be $60 plus green and cart fees. Players must register in the Flying L Pro Shop no later than Saturday, Sept. 15.     Call Mercier at 830-966-3740 for more information.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Sept. 13, 2007    Persistent rains last week forced still another cancellation of a Good Old Boys Golf League Stableford tournament slated for the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera. It was one of many washouts suffered this year by the Good Old Boys.     With no tournament results to report, it does present an opportunity for new Flying L Head Professional Mickey Davis to issue a special invitation for Hill Country golfers to link up with the tournament that's played at 8:30 am each Monday morning.     "This kind of tournament -- the Stableford -- offers a fair chance for golfers at all levels of skill to win cash prizes," Davis said.     In the GOB's modified Stableford format, the player receives four points for eagle, three for birdie, two for par and one for boogie. Those whose point total surpass their handicap (which are updated weekly by computer) automatically are in the money.     Players pay no initiation fee but must play three tournaments to get their handicap established. Total cost per player is $31.62 with that amount paying a tournament entry fee of $6 as well as both green and cart fees. Contestants also receive a chance to win two closest-to-the-pin prizes.     New players may make up their own foursomes or be assigned to a group by tournament director Van Whatley, veteran high school coach and educator. "This really is a fun and fair tournament.     The players are actually competing against themselves, not the field. That's why everyone has a good chance to win," said Whatley.     Those interested may call the Flying L Pro Shop at 830-796-8466 for additional information. by Doris Doebbler 830-796-8300.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Sept. 6, 2007    Just when you figure that everything there was to say about Bob Erfurth had been said and written, the 82-year-old phenomenon goes out and creates even more eye-opening, head-shaking feats on the golf course.     Erfurth, onetime football star at Brackenridge High School in San Antonio – vintage ‘40s –has been belittling the Flying L Guest Ranch’s golf course in recent weeks with consistent scores in the 70s, besides making a hole-in-one on the 180-yard No. 17 hole.     In last week’s GOB Stableford Tournament the little guy – he stands no more than five foot six – outdid himself again, this time by shooting an incredible round of one-over-par 73.     Let it be said, sports fans, that the game of golf, even for a loosey-goosey limber young person, is difficult to play well. But as one observer commented wryly, an 82-year-old man doesn’t have much business going out and shooting 73 and making holes-in-one.     Erfurth’s 73 earned 35 points, six above his handicap strike figure of 29. He also won medalist honors with second place going to Dale Felps of Boerne, who shot a respectable 78.     These heroics overshadowed a performance by Gene Eubank, who led the field of 42 players by shooting an 83 that netted nine points above his handicap.     “Well, heck,” bemoaned Eubank, who makes his home near the 15th fairway of the Flying L, “I had been playing so badly that my handicap points were way down – that’s why I was able to score a few points last Monday.”     Two guys named Richard, Leeder of Boerne and Lane of Medina, shared third place with five points each. Leeder carded an 86 and Lane an 87.     Amador Lugo and David Rech won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 2 and 17, respectively. Points were worth $4 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Aug. 30, 2007    It had been awhile since Bob Dawson was counted among the top finishers in a Good Old Boys tournament at the Flying L course in Bandera.     Dawson, 75, of Bandera, took care of that deficiency last week when he topped the field of 44 players by scoring five points above his handicap.     A self-employed oil and gas producer in the Corpus Christi area for many years, Dawson needed to shoot 99 or better to get into the money. He did better than that, touring the rough-tough Flying L layout in 95 strokes that netted 13 points total.     With only 24 points tallied by the 44 entries, points jacked up all the way to $9 apiece.     Tied for second place with three points each were Paul Lemon of Boerne and Art Wenske of Bandera. Lemon shot 92 and Wenske 86.     There was a five-way tie for third place with those players sharing the spot with two points each. Jim Martin of Bandera carded an 85; Richard Mims of Medina, 89; Tom Gannon of Bandera, 90; Jim Birkner, Boerne, 95; and Sam Martin of Lakehills, 93.     Rounding out the point makers were two with a single point each. Amador Lugo of Bandera was in with 86 and Larry McLaughlin of Hondo, 96.     Wenske and Buddy Antwine of Bandera won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 7 and 17, respectively.     And Bob Erfurth, the 82-years-young feller we've been writing about for the past few weeks, was medalist with another less-than-his-age feat of 79.

Flying L Golf tournament Sunday Published Aug. 23, 2007    The Flying L Golf Association will have its next tournament starting at 1:30 pm Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Club president Ron Mercier said this tournament will be an individual low net affair with full handicaps applied.     In the FLGA’s last outing, the team of Charley Prokop, Zoe Rivera, Rick Rector and Bill DeGaugh won first place in the scramble with a 20-under-par score of 52.     Second place went to Gaylon Wagner, Lee Finch, Louise DeGaugh and Jerry Wagner.     Mickey Davis won the closest-to-the-pin prize on hole No. 7.     Twenty players were in the field.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Aug. 23, 2007    A couple of guys named Larry made most of the news in last week’s Stableford tournament conducted by the Good Old Boys Golf League at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Larry Kirk of Medina, after finishing third in last week’s shootout, put together another fine round as he toured the 18 holes in 92 shots. That earned seven points above his handicap and first place in the tournament that featured 45 men in the field.     The other Larry – McLaughlin of Hondo – took second place with five points from a 95. This Larry also won a prize for closest to the pin on the 12th hole.     Seventy-five year-old Phil Williams of San Antonio turned up in the winners’ circle after an absence of several weeks as he checked in with a score of 90 that earned third place with four points above his handicap.     Three players tied for fourth place with three points each. They included Art Wenske of Bandera with 88, Jose Uribe of Medina, 93; and Van Carlson of Bandera, 97.     Ron Robinson of Bandera was the other proximity prize winner with his shot on hole No. 2.     Buddy Antwine of Bandera, Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek and Bob Erfurth of San Antonio shared medalist honors with scores of 80 each.     Last week we extolled the virtues of the 82-year-old Erfurth who shot way under his age with a 77. To prove that our praise of this remarkable guy was not ill-founded, Erfurth went out and shot a hole-in-one on the long 180-yard 17th hole. With that feat came the pot prize of $205 which goes to the ace-maker.     It’s anybody’s guess what this remarkable gent will come up with next.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Aug. 16, 2007    A few birthdays ago I received a card that depicted a very stern-looking woman angrily glaring out at the world defiantly. The caption read, “Old age crept up on Mildred... and then backed off!”     I think of that card now as I prepare to report to you that that amazing youngster, 82-year-old Bob Erfurth, was the medalist again in last week's Good Old Boys Golf League Stableford tournament played at the Flying L course in Bandera.     Erfurth, a San Antonian, who rarely misses a Monday morning outing with the Good Old Boys, with three points above his handicap, had to share first place with two others but his 18-hole score of 77 from scratch once again had folks shaking their heads in disbelief.     Yeah, he shot his age again... and then some. But that's no big deal for this little guy – he stands no more than 5' 6” -- who does that, or comes to it, darn near that every time he tees it up.     Old age may be sneaking up on him but just as it backed off of Mildred, it seems to want no part of Bob Erfurth, either.     Tying Erfurth for first place were Ray Barton of Medina (no spring chicken himself at 68) who filed an 87; and Al Rivera of Bandera, also with an 87.     Another tie developed for second place between Ray Martel, D. Helmke and Jim Martin, each of whom managed two points. Martel shot 86 and Helmke and Martin 87 each.     Larry Kirk of Medina was all alone in third place with a single point from his 99.     Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek, now playing some of the best golf of his Flying L experience, played well again with a nice 82. He and Dick Lane of Medina won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 7 and 17, respectively.     Thirty-six players were in the field and with only a grand total of 16 points registered, they were worth $8 apiece.     And score still one more for the geriatric set. Another ageless wonder, 80-year-old Lee Finch of Bandera, scored his fifth hole-in-one of his career last Wednesday on the Flying L course. The ace was on the 140-yard No. 7 hole where “The Doctor,” as he's nicknamed, plugged it in with an eight iron.     Finch's feat came during a regular Wednesday outing with “The Diehards,” who employ the same tournament format as the Good Old Boys Golf League.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Aug. 9, 2007    The Good Old Boys are still finding the Flying L Guest Ranch golf course a pretty tough nut to crack.     As mentioned in this space several times before, heavy spring rains this year have led to spectacular growth of the course's rough areas this summer.     Where the fairways have been mowed the Boys usually have a nice cushion of grass from which to hit approach shots. But if they stray even slightly off the trimmed areas they'll encounter first four-inch long Bermuda that plays diabolical tricks on shots and after that, longer and shaggier grass and weeds that are next to impossible to get out of.     Truth be known, that's probably the way most golf course owners and greenskeepers like to have it. If the course sets up too easy and is considered a patsy, the better golfers will avoid it.     At any rate, it now takes some pretty good shotmaking to score well on the Flying L. That fact was evident again last week when 28 golfers in the field managed to produce only 16 total points above their respective handicaps.     Don Taylor, a retired district chief of the San Antonio Fire Department, topped the bunch with seven points gleaned from his round of 86. Three points behind him was Jim Asher of Boerne who managed four from a 98.     Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek and Ray Martel of Bandera tied for third place with two points each and Bob Savage of Boerne, still active as a chief in the San Antonio Fire Department, picked up the only other points with a neat 81.     Prokop, a retired professor of psychology from Trinity University, continued his streak of hot shooting with his 78 that was good for medalist honors.     Roy Rodriguez and Jerry Wagner won closest-to-the-pin prizes. Tournament points were worth $8 each.     In last week's communique we forgot to mention an extraordinary feat by Richard Mims of Medina who scored an eagle from more than 100 yards out on the par 5 No. 1 hole. Nice going, Richard.     And one more item: we talked by phone with Ron Darby of Lubbock who reported that his wife, stricken with cancer, is doing much better now. He looks forward to September when the two of them hope to make an extended visit to Bandera.     The affable Darby, a cotton farmer in the Lubbock area, likes to spend long golfing vacations in Bandera and in the process, he's won many friends in the Hill Country.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published Aug. 2, 2007    When it comes to negotiating a golf course, the player with local knowledge, i.e. a close familiarity of the layout, with all of its topographical pitfalls and pratfalls and other idiosyncrasies, usually has a decided advantage over his lesser-informed opponents.     This is especially true of a course like the Flying L Guest Ranch in Bandera, an oak-studded landscape that is scenically beautiful, but at the same time frustrating and befuddling to the unwitting golfer who is confronted by towering oak trees on many of the holes (Nos. 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 leap readily to mind).     Two guys steeped in knowledge about the Flying L were in the lead of last week's Good Old Boys Stableford tournament. Bill DeGaugh, who makes his home only a chip shot from the No. 7 tee box, checked in with with eight points above his handicap for first place. Bill broke out of a weeks-old slump with an 83.     In second place, also with an 83 but three points behind DeGaugh, was Lee Finch of Bandera. An employee of the Flying L for going on 30 years, Finch is said to know the course like the back of his hand.     Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek and Richard Mims of Medina came in tied for third place with three points each. Prokop, a fine long-hitting specimen who had been having putting woes, solved some of those problems with a 79 which also earned him medalist honors. Mims got his three from an 89.     Tied for fourth place with two points each were David Finger of Fair Oaks, 86; Paul Lemon of Boerne, 91; and Maurice Theis, also of Boerne, 88.     Fritz Houston of Boerne and Dale Daugherty of San Antonio won proximity prizes on Nos. 2 and 17, respectively. Thirty-four players were in the field and points were worth $7 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published July 26, 2007    The Good Old Boys were in a sharing mode last week as they ground out their usual Monday morning Stableford tournament at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera. Ties developed in each of the first three places.     Deadlocked in first place were three linksmen with five points each. They included Ray Marcel and Fred Luddeke, both of Bandera, and Jack Finger of Helotes.     Martel picked up his five from an 86, Luddeke was in with a 94 and Finger carded an 83. The twosome of Ike Eichelberger and Amador Lugo tied for second place with four points each. The two also had identical tallies of 82 shots for the 18 holes. Eichelberger resides in Pipe Creek, while Lugo is from Bandera.     In third place with three points each were Fritz Houston of Boerne and Gerald Persyn of Bandera. Houston clocked in with an 88 and Persyn a 94.     Dale Phelps of Boerne won medalist honors with a 78 and also picked up the prize for closest to the pin on hole No. 7. Bob Erfurth of San Antonio was the other proximity winner on hole No. 17.     Thirty-eight players were in the field and points were worth $4 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published July 19, 2007    “Vengeance is mine,” cried the Flying L Guest Ranch golf course during last week's Good Old Boys Stableford tournament.     After weeks of being pounded and humiliated by the Boys' shooting lights out and scoring so many personal points so as to render prize money down to a measly two and three dollars a point, the Bandera golf course stiffened its stance and exacted a dramatic measure of revenge.     Listen to this: on a beautiful day, weatherwise, with little or no wind, only six of the 36 golfers in the field bettered their respective handicaps. Only 11 points were tallied by the entire bunch, which jacked up the worth of the points to a whopping $16 apiece, far and away the most lucrative payoff of the year.     Incredibly, the leadership of the tournament was shared by five players who earned but two points each. They included Buddy Antwine and Larry Upton of Bandera who carded 78 and 79, respectively (with Antwine the medalist).     Ron Mercier of Bandera got his two points from a nice 81. Jack Finger of Helotes came in with 86 and Marshall Patton, also of Bandera, posted a 92. Duke Duclos of Tarpley was the only other point-maker with one from his 101.     Ike Eichelberger and Ray Martel won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes No. 2 and 12, respectively.     What brought on all of this point-making paucity? Most agree it's the tough rough lurking alongside the fairways with grass and reedy weeds that have been growing higher and stronger with every spring rain.     One example: Eichelberger on No. 11 hit a nice, long drive that came to rest in four-inch high Bermuda grass only eight feet off the fairway. On his next shot, the wiry Bermuda tangled with his club, twisting the shot way off line and out of bounds.     “You miss the fairway and you're dead,” he lamented.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published July 12, 2007    It didn't take John Ledford very long to introduce himself to the Good Old Boys Golf League.     One of the newest of the GOB newcomers, Ledford carved out a nifty 18-hole score of 78 to lead the field of 43 golfers in last week's Stableford tournament.     His 78 produced six points above his handicap figure and also earned medalist (best score from scratch) honors.     Buddy Antwine of Bandera almost matched Ledford's tally as he came in with a sterling round of 79. For Buddy, however, his feat earned only two points above his handicap.     Lee Finch of Bandera was in second place with five points from shooting an 81.     Four players tied for third place with four points. They included Mike Kormann of Bandera, who shot a nice 83; Jose Uribe of Medina, 91; and two Boerne-ites, Dr. HC Day with a 96 and Jim Asher with 99.     Ray Martel of Bandera and Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 7 and 12, respectively.     Points were worth $5 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published July 5, 2007    Because of an area-wide junior golf tournament staged at the Flying L Guest Ranch golf course in Bandera, the Good Old Boys Golf League did not have its usual Stableford Golf Tournament last week.     Their schedule will resume next week and Jack Finger's usual results report will follow.     Meanwhile, local golfers are reminded that the Flying L Golf Association will have its July tournament at 1:30 pm, Sunday, July 8, at the Flying L. In the last FLGA outing, Larry Upton captured first place in the low net tournament with a score of 68. Charlie Prokop and Lee Finch tied for second place with 69s, and Van Whatley came in third with a net 70.     The FLGA usually sponsors one tournament each month on Sunday afternoons at 1:30 pm. New members, both male and female, are always welcome and may contact the Flying L pro shop at 800-646-5407 for more information.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published June 28, 2007    It was Larry McLaughlin’s turn to make a little news in last week’s edition of the Good Old Boys Stableford tournament played at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     McLaughlin, 64, former shop owner for Hughes Tool Co. and who makes his home in Hondo, needed 10 points to match his handicap figure... and one point more to get into the money.     Larry did that and much more. Needing to shoot 98 or better for his 10 points, he put together a round of 91 that translated into 17 points, seven above his strike figure. His performance topped a field of 40 contestants.     Another newsmaker was Richard Leader from Boerne. The former masonry contractor cashed in a round of 84 that was good for 24 points, six more than his handicap figure of 18.     Three players tied for third place with four points each. They included Ron Mercier of Bandera with a dandy round of 80; Dick Lane of Medina with 83 and Harry Caylor of Boerne who toured in 82 strokes.     And tied for fourth place were David Finger of Fair Oaks with 84 and Fritz Houston of Boerne, 89.     Phil Williams and Jack Finger won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes No. 2 and 12, respectively.     Mercier and Dale Daugherty of San Antonio tied for medalist honors with 80 short apiece. Points were worth $5 each.

Golf tournament Sunday Published June 21, 2007    An individual low net tournament will be the next outing at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera. The event, sponsored by the Flying L Golf Association, will begin at 1:30 pm Sunday, June 24.     In the club's last tournament played June 3 Louis Dubose and Ron Mercier combined talents to score a net 60 for first place in the affair which featured a blind draw for twosome partners.     Second place went to Louise DeGaugh and Linda Kornmann with a net 61.     In third place were Larry Upton and Dave Kelly at 62 and John Overley and DeWayne Pirtle came in fourth with 63.     Linda Kornmann and Lee Finch won closest to the pin prizes.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published June 21, 2007    The Good Old Boys in their Stableford tournament last week toned down their attack on the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Unlike the previous week when 41 players amassed a grand total of 47 points above their collective handicaps, 46 players in their tournament combined for a total of only 39 points.     And, unlike the event two weeks ago when points were worth only $3 each. Last week's shootout rewarded winners at the rate of $5 per point.     In the GOB Stableford method of scoring, the golfer receives four points for eagle, three for birdie, two for par and one for bogie. Those whose totals exceed their handicap figures, which are updated weekly by computer, automatically receive cash prizes.     In last week's affair Hubert Lange of Leon Valley was the top point-maker with six gleaned from his round of 91. Lange, who will celebrate his 74th birthday this week, is a former Leon Valley councilman.     Tied for second place with five points each were Bob Savage of Boerne and Fred Wilson of San Antonio. Savage put together a beautiful round of 78 and Wilson posted an 82.     Ike Eichelberger of Pipe Creek, one of the staffers in the Flying L pro shop, came in third with four points from an 82.     And three players tied for fourth place with three points. They included Bob Erfurth of San Antonio, the 82-year-old youngster who shot his age again with a 78; Ron Mercier of Bandera, 81; and Tom Braddock of Bandera, 86.     Dale Felps of Boerne, enjoying a superb run of golf these days, was medalist again with a 74. Bill DeGaugh and Larry Upton, both of Bandera, won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 2 and 12, respectively.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published June 14, 2007    Jerry Wagner’s golf swing is an uncomplicated piece of work. It’s a fairly fluid back and forth pendulum motion that many a golf pro might teach a budding linksman.     “You’ve got to hand it to him,” says Marshall Patton, one of Wagner’s playing partners in the weekly Good Old Boys Stableford tournament at the Flying L in Bandera.     “Jerry keeps the game simple. There aren’t many moving parts in that swing of his and boy, when he gets everything together, you don’t want to bet next weeks’ grocery money against him.” Wagner, 68, makes his home near the 15th fairway of the Flying L. He had it all together last week when he set a hot pace in leading the field of 41 in their weekly shootout.     The Michigan native toured the Flying L in only 77 strokes, earning him eight points above his handicap figure. He was also a medalist runner-up to Boerne’s Dale Felps, who had another fine round of 76.     An additional great effort came off the clubs of Medina’s Ray Barton, who shot a nifty 81 that was good for seven points and second place. Gerald Persyn of Bandera came in third, with five points from a 92.     And four players were tied for fourth place with three points each. They included Patton, Roy Rodriguez, and Art Wenske, all of Bandera, who had 86 each; and Joe Uribe of Medina with a 93.     Ray Martel and Dewayne Pirtle, both of Bandera, won closest-to-the-pin prizes. Points were worth $4 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published June 7, 2007    The Flying L Guest Ranch golf course fell victim last week to a veritable onslaught by members of the Good Old Boys Golf League in their weekly Stableford tournament in Bandera.     The natural defenses of the usually tough tree-laden course were mitigated by recent heavy rains tht left fairways soaked and greens in a soft, receptive mode.     On top of that, tournament director Van "Coach" Whatley decreed that conditions warranted a "life, clean and place" concession that really sealed the course's fate.     With all of that going for them, the boys attacked with vengeance. Mike Kornmann of Bandera led the charge as he scored a whopping ten points better than his handicap by shooting a sterling round of 82. Needing only 16 points to match his handicap, Mike gathered in 26 to lead the pack of 33 contestants.     Next came Richard Mims of Medina who netted nine points from his score of 86.     In third place with eight points was Dale Felps of Boerne and his was another story of this tournament. Dale said he couldn't do much wrong in his round as he toured in only 71 strokes. "It was one of those days," he said, "when everything was working right." Felps also claimed medalist honors.     Tom McGuire of San Antonio came in fourth with seven points from a good round of 85. Other big point-makers included Charley Prokop of Pipe Creek, six from a 78; Marshall Patton of Bandera, four from his 86; and Roy Rodriguez of Bandera, also four from an 86.     DeWayne Pirtle of Bandera and David Finger of Fair Oaks won closest-to-the-pin prizes on holes 2 and 12, respectively.     Because so many points were tallied, they were worth only $3 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published May 31, 2007    It seems almost sinful or sacrilegious to wish away or bad mouth the beneficial rainfall which means so much to the economy of the Hill Country and South Texas.     But maybe you'll pardon members of the Good Old Boys Golf League who play a Stableford tournament (weather permitting) at 8:30 am each Monday morning at the Flying L course in Bandera. Almost through the winter and spring of this year, their outings have been tormented, if not canceled, by one element or another – frost, mist, bone-chilling winds, hard rainfall and even fog.     It was more of the same last week when the Boys again were forced by rain squalls to make a swift dash for the clubhouse or their cars after playing only five or six holes.     As one disgusted player remarked while thrusting his clubs back into his car's trunk, “I usually wear sunglasses on sunny days, but I've taken them out of their case only once this whole year.”     The washout (second in the past four weeks) was especially disappointing for Bob Erfurth, the ageless wonder from San Antonio. At 81 plus, Erfurth regularly shoots his age or better. Two weeks ago he turned in a remarkable 76 and last week, before the rain put an end to things, he had already birdied three of the six holes he played.     So again, there are no results to report this week. But it does present an opportunity to reiterate Flying L head professional Jack Eaby's invitation for Hill Country and South Texas golfers to join the Good Old Boys on Monday mornings.     In the Stableford format the golfer receives four points for eagle, three for birdie, two for par and one for bogie. Those whose totals, which are updated weekly by computer, are exceeded automatically win cash prizes.     Tournament cost, besides discounted green and cart fees, is $6. Players may make up their own foursomes. For more information, call the Flying L pro shop at 800-646-5407.

Golf tournament Sunday at Flying L Published May 31, 2007    The Flying L Golf Association will have its next tournament at 1:30 pm Sunday, June 3, at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     Buddy Antwine led a five-person team to victory in the scramble tournament staged at the Flying L Sunday, May 20. The group, which also included Roy Rodriguez, Rich Koch, Luana Pirtle and Jack Finger, blitzed the course for 19 under par.     In second-place with 18 under were Larry Upton, Gene Eubank, Kathy Koch and DeWayne Pirtle. Cissy Elkins won the closest-to-the-pin prize for the ladies and Bobby Dawson won for the men.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published May 24, 2007    It was more of the same for the Good Old Boys in last week's golf outing at Bandera's Flying L Guest Ranch Course.     Following the previous week's assault on the Flying L layout, the Boys took advantage of another perfect day – weatherwise -- to attack the course with fiendish vengeance.     Nineteen of the 46 men entered in the Stableford tournament came away with prize money, but the most triumphant was David Rech of Boerne. Rech, who retired in 2003 from the University of Texas at San Antonio, topped the field with a hefty total of nine points better than his handicap. Needing 18 points to match his current handicap figure, David toured the Flying L in only 81 strokes that earned a grand total of 27 points.     In another remarkable performance Bob Erfurth of San Antonio, the 81-year-old ageless phenom who often shoots his age or better, came in second with eight points from a, get this, 76!     Still more big point totals rained down from the clubs of David Finger of Fair Oaks Ranch and Ray Raymond, the Yancey rancher. Finger, after a slow start, would up with an 82 and Raymond checked in with 86.     Tow other hot players, Harry Caylor of Boerne and J. Ledford of Bandera, tied for fourth place with six points each. Caylor carded an 83 and Ledford 82. Caylor also won one of the closest-to-the-pin prizes on the 12th hole while Amador Lugo of Bandera was closest on No. 7.     Larry Upton of Bandera, apparently not suffering acutely from his back problems, earned medalist honors with a great round of 75. Others in the 70s besides Erfurth, included Dale Felps of Boerne, 79; and Buddy Antine of Bandera, 78.     Points were worth $3 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published May 17, 2007    What a difference a day with a little sunshine makes when it comes to negotiating 18 holes of golf.     Unlike the previous six to eight weeks of rain, drizzle, cold east winds, etcetera, last week's edition of the Good Old Boys Stableford tournament at the Flying L course was met with warmer temperatures and a hint of sunshine here and there.     The Boys responded to the improving weather conditions by shooting lights out and racking up so many Stableford points that they were worth only $3 apiece.     Having most of the fun was Jerry Wagner who makes his home on the 15th fairway of the Flying L. Wagner turned in a beautiful performance, shooting a 79 that earned five points above his handicap. His score was matched by Dale Felps of Boerne, who also carded a 79, for medalist honors.     Still, Wagner would up only in a tie for first place with three others including fellow Banderan Gene Eubanks who notched an 83; Jim Birkner with his five points from a 92; and Ray Barton of Medina, 90.     There was a three-way tie for second place between Ray Raymond of Yancey, Larry Kirk of Medina and Dr. H.C. Day of Boerne. Each had four points, Raymond from a 91, Kirk a 94 and Day, 95.     Tying for third place with three points each were Dale Daugherty of San Antonio, with 81; Amador Lugo, Bandera, 83; and Sam Martin, Lakehills, 92.     And still another tie developed for fourth place as seven players came in with two points each. They included Buddy Antwine of Bandera with a round of 80; Jim Martin, Bandera, 84; Richard Leeder, Boerne, 86; Jack Finger, Helotes, 88; Dick Lane, Medina, 87; Dewayne Pirtle, Bandera, 91; and Hubert Large of Leon Valley, 96.     Birkner and Wagner won closest to the pin prizes of holes 2 and 17, respectively.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published May 10, 2007    In the game of golf there is such a thing as an unplayable lie. That's when the golf ball has come to rest in such an awful position that the golfer can't put any kind of swing to it.     There were a lot of unplayable lies last week when the Good Old Boys Golf League tried to stage their weekly Stableford tournament at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera. Shortly before tee-off time an angry weatherman unleashed a violent trash-moving rainstorm of quantum proportions. In a short time, the Flying L layout was inundated and the Good Old Boys were on their way home.     The rain out was another in a frustratingly long series of uncomfortable (weather-wise) Mondays, the day when the GOB has its usual shortcut. On the other hand the rain did prove to be highly beneficial to the Flying L's fairways and greens which have really perked up since.     But with no tournament results to report, it does present an opportunity to give you a brief update on the condition of a longtime member of the GOB and a good friend of many of the of the Flying L golf habitues.     That would be Charlie Wilson, who about six months ago woke up to discover a huge hump on his neck, under his right ear. The lump turned out to be malignant and Charlie has been taking chemotherapy treatments at Houston's M.D. Anderson Hospital ever since. We talked to him last Saturday.     "Yeah," he said, "but I'm gonna whip this thing, you can be on that. I'm feeling fairly well and I'm due to learn real soon whether or not these treatments are getting the job done."     Wilson, 78, who spent 32 years with the Galveston Independent School District as teacher, vice principal and principal, retired in 1985 and has been a popular figure around the Flying L golf course in the years that followed.     Along with wife, Kay, he chose the Anderson facility for treatment because they have two sons, Mike, 53, and Glen, 50, living there with their families. The joy of being with their children and two great grandchildren make the long trip to Houston each week less arduous.     The prayers and best wishes of their many Hill Country and Flying L friends are with them during these difficult times.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published May 3, 2007    Threatening weather that included a cold drizzle and a lusty norther once again held down attendance at the Good Old Boys Golf League's Stableford tournament last week at the Flying L Guest Ranch course in Bandera.     In the field were only 29 hopefuls but the list included one guy who made his presence known to all. That was Dale Rech of Boerne who topped the field with a round of 87 that earned six points above his handicap figure.     Rech, 58, who retired in 2003 as assistant superintendent of the physical plant for the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, is not totally unfamiliar with being No. 1. David was born on the first day of January, 1949.     Tied for second place with five points each were Hubert Lange of Leon Valley and Art Wenske of Bandera. Lodge, who last week won a closest-to-the-pin prize, continued to improve his game with a 95. Wenske, one of the GOB's steady-eddie performers, came in with an 85.     Three players were tied for third place with two points each. Dale Daugherty of San Antonio shot a nifty 83 that also was good for medalist honors; Richard Leeder, another Boerne-ite, was in with 87; and Jose Uribe of Medina also had two points from his 94.     Tom Braddock of Bandera and Bert Bednarz of Geronimo were in fourth place with a single point each. Braddock carded an 87 and Bednarz a 99.     Charlie Prokop of Pipe Creek and Jack Finger of Helotes won proximity prizes on holes 17 and 2, respectively.     Points were worth $6 each.

Good Old Boys Golf League by Jack Finger Published April 26, 2007    A bone-chilling east wind gusting sometimes up to 30 mph held attendance down and generally played havoc with the scores of Good Old Boys Golf League contestants last week at the Flying L course in Bandera.     Only 42 golfers braved another day of foul weather that has been plaguing the Good Old Boys and their usual Monday morning Stableford outings at the Flying L.     As a result relatively few plus points were recorded and those that were commanded a nice price tag of $9 each.     R.A. "Ike" Eichelberger of Pipe Creek topped the list with five points above his handicap, those generated from his round of 86. Eichelberger, who retired in 1985 as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, is a familiar figure as an assistant in the Flying L pro shop.     Coming in second with four points from a 96 was the former Okie from Muskogee, Okla., Murl Spears, who now makes his home in San Antonio.     Tied for third place with three points each were Dale Felps of Boerne, who shot the best round of the day, a 77; and Hubert Lange of Leon Valley with three points from a 98.     Jack Finger of Helotes and Richard Koch of Bandera tied for fourth place with two points each. Finger came in with 89, Koch a 90.     Dick Lane of Medina won the closest to the pin prize on Hole No. 7.