1815 Windy Vw 1004 S Grove Ave
San Antonio, TX 78260-7204 Barrington, IL 60010-5025
Dear Mr Milligan,
I don't believe I have ever taken the time to thank you for all the incredible opportunities you gave to me to caddie at Barrington Hills CC, and to caddie for you, Andy North, Byron Nelson, and (at the risk of omitting some very special people), Stu Phansteihl, George Bard, Charles Race, Dan (and Peter) Donahue, James Wagner, Al Mott, John McLaughlin, Carl Evans, Chuck Meroni, Larry Grelle, Jack Lageshulte, Carl Owen, Hank Phansteihl, Jimmy Dodson, Ivan Bowen, Mr O'Laughlin, Fran Stahr, Scott Starr, Mitch Duffy, Ned Schiewe, Hooper White, Dr Lyman Smith, Mr Ylvsaker, Mr Hunter, Mr. O'Neill, Al Doty, Luke Carroll, Mr Skampfer, the Glantz's, and all of these wonderful gentlemen's wives, and to caddie in such illustrious company as that of Hubby Habjan (whom I would caddie for again at Medinah – my first loop there! In 1986), Jack Fleck, and Ed Moehling. And all this kind of fell into my lap that summer of 1965, when I had my first BHCC loop, for my pastor, Art Knudsen, on a Wednesday, in one of those 5-somes that you were so thoughtful to put together and play with the less-golfing talented membership. Plus getting to know Joey Aiuppa and Gene Mendoza, my first surrogate father figure!
The consideration and thoughtfulness of the membership at BHCC in going that extra mile to try and arrange for me to get an Evans Scholarship after my sophomore year when the financial requirements were made less srtringent is almost mind-boggling. You'll be pleased to know that my God Father, my Uncle Floyd (my dad's youngest brother) also a caddie, remarried a woman who won the Midlothian CC Woman's club championship more than 20 times!, joined Midlothian (where he had caddied as a youngster) and became VERY active in the Western Golf Association, with Midlothian sending more than 100 caddies to college on an Evans Scholarship. Ironically, (but not surprisingly), when Floyd went into Mayo for the balloon angioplasty, his medical attending physician was an Evans Scholar. Knowing he was in good hands was very reassuring to Floyd, and helped him recover remarkably well.
My dad's older brother, Jim Ganzer, was also severly afflicted with the addition to golf, and was a member at Riveria Country Club for 40+ years. Dad and I played there back in 1983, the year dad retired from high school teaching, and I “retired” from the corporate world. We played with the character actor David Wayne, and a man who had belonged to BHCC – his name, then, when we played with him was Silver, BUT, when he belonged to BHCC, back in the '40s, his name was Silverstein, and he had the distinction of competing with Chuck Race for the club championship back in the 40's, one year. Mr Race told me that Mr Silver was the first Jewish member at BHCC! A far more progressive place than Medinah, which did not admit its first Jewish member (Bob Verdi) until after the 1975 U.S. Open, won by Jack Nicklaus in an 18-hole playoff against John Mahaffey. They wanted more favorable press for their course than they had gotten in '75.
I met John Mahaffey while following an incredible threesome on a Wednesday practice round at Butler National: Jim Thorpe and Scott Hoch were the other two players. What John told me was this: “What most people don't remember is that I hit 16 of 18 greens that day.”
No, sir, I did not remember that! What a spectacular round of ball striking, BUT, I would daresay it did not hold a candle to the round played by Scott Stahr versus Mitch Duffy in the 1985 BHCC men's club chamionship where Scott hit the first 23 greens in regulation, and shot something like five under on the first 18 to hold but a 3-up lead.
As you told them both after Scott eventually prevailed (and Mitch, to his credit, for he was quite a competitor), “Gentlemen, that's the best golf this course has EVER seen in its club championship.”
Another thing, no one ever held it against me (they ought not to have anyway – nonetheless, it was certainly a live possibility) that dad never dropped his criminal charges against A.C. Buehler's grandson, the one who, with his brother, was shooting bullets over the heads of the players teeing off at Thunderbird on the 16th tee (they probably could not even see us teeing off at number 6).
Quick post script to that story (and it is indicative of the kind of competitor my father once was – I swear he was the single most focused golfer I ever saw): After the trial was over, and the judge gave the kid probation, with the admonition that: “If you appear before me again in the next 12 months, you WILL go to Cook County jail,” dad had a Thunderbird Wednesday night match against the kid's father. Dad birdied four of the first five holes en route to shooting a 31 on the then back nine. He never came CLOSE to that number again (I once shot 32, but on the front, ho hum 42-32, 74 the hard way). He went home feeling much better about his pursuit of the criminal charges, and was satisfied with the judge's ruling. He didn't the kid to be severly punished – just wanted him to learn an important lesson about when and where to shoot rifles.
The most amazing thing has happened to me this year. My handicap index has been as low as plus 6.3, a mere 13 strokes better than my previous life time best! The secret is to play 36 holes a day, every day, unless there is more than one inch of snow on the ground. Playing in 35 mph winds, with sleet and a light snow covering, where double bogey is damn near a great score, and if you hit just one solid shot a hole, the day is a triumph is the secret. Plus, when you play 108 holes in a day (as happened only once), and are so tired that you put 80% of your weight on your back foot, set your grip in a “reverse C” position (so you look perfect settintg up – for a left-handed golfer), and then take it back slowly, constant grip pressure, eye on back edge of ball until it departs, complete the back swing, you find yourself magically hitting the tee ball 40 yards farther than you have in 20 years, and 25 yards farther with the irons. You hit this massively high straight shots, that go straighter (with any club in the bag) than you can hit your putter. THEN, if you really want to get experimental, put 65% of your weight forward on your left leg, keep your hands about as low as they can comfortably go, and swing on a 45º to 60º plane, you can hit these incredible HARD, controlled draws that seem to roll forever. The rest of my swing is pretty much the one that you always had, good arm extension, relaxed muscles, joints, etc, through out, and suddenly, you're not even playing the same game any more! What you've done is accomplish a full weight transfer AT ADDRESS! And then all you need to do is swing the damn club!
Hope this letter finds you and your family and loved ones in good health, hanging out with healthy people, and enjoying life, as the Good Lord intended us all to do (playing golf, making music, and treating our fellow humans with respect).
Your faithful Caddie – INJUN
p.s. When you next see him, please be sure and say “hi” to Andy North from me. Every Western Open I ever watched, any time I saw Andy, he spotted me, and ALWAYS said, “Hey! Injun! You stayin' out of trouble?” Insightful question, considering that I never went through my teen-aged rebellion until I was aged 33-59; too late to be redeemed!
I'm so damned proud of the man, who, at age 17 had more presence of mind and focus than Tiger Woods ever dreamt of. Case in point – coming from four down with five to play at Crystal Lake CC to defeat Bob (the jerk) Augustine. Now, that was one match where I remember EVERY shot, every swing that Andy took from 14 through 18, and the first hole (playoff hole) too. Too bad you couldn't have been there to see him do it yourself. I do believe you would have almost wept from pride and joy!
ADDENDUM: I knew if I thought about a little bit, some of the other names of members would come to me: Don Ross, Dick Chambers, Mr Sullivan (and his oh-so-talented golfing son), Clarence McFeeley, Julian Hansen, Tiny Welsh, amd Mr MacFarland have come quickly to mind. Did not mean to overlook a one of them.
Then too, your professional staff was always top-notch: Dick Demitros (my favorite assistant pro of them all), Al Yates (very close in 2nd place, tied with Freddy Gonzalez and Tom Babb) and even Craig Bohemer, who “corrupted” me one afternoon after shooting a horrifying 55 on the front nine at Hinsdale CC, saying, “damn it, Injun, let's go to the track,” where he placed bets for me – I won – and fed me cigarettes and beer, and then played poker with me and Gene Mendoza in the men's locker room, WHERE, the bastard, losing his fat ass in poker to me, started anteing $5 after I forced him to promise to take me home at 8:30, to break even – good lesson for a 15-year old degenerate caddie to learn – trust no one, 'specially not an assistant pro married to a former Miss South Carolina; and fold early, even if the bastard is bluffing). It's very nice to see the tradition of top notch country club pros attending to the members at BHCC continues, with Mark Esler, a long-time family friend from the days of golfing with my father, Jim Michael, and Bud Farman at Biltmore CC. Got to watch Mark caddie for his son in this year's Illinois Open at Hawthorn Woods. The most incredible nine holes of ball striking by a three-some I've ever seen – with the young Kenney and Eric Meierdirks {on his bag was my own all-time favorite golf personality, probably most people's too – Greg Kunkel}. Esler had it under 8' for birdie seven times in the first nine, Kenney had it under 12' seven times, and, tee to green managed the best played round of golf I've ever seen – albeit only for nine holes – following these guidelines:
1. Always take the most direct route from tee to green;
2. If a driver puts you at risk of a penalty, use some other club to tee off
Kenney shot 2 under; Esler 1 under; Eric had some problems, I think he was one over. But, Good Lord in Heaven, they didn't miss more than four greens in the nine holes between them!
Follow up on how some of your caddies have fared in adulthood (adultery for one in particular, George Harris, who shall remain nameless):
Glenn Spiller – happily married 35+ years, first marriage, great kids, works in the public works department somewhere in CA
John Feit – beloved fireman in Barrington, rescued my mom twice from a TIA and a stroke on the 9-1-1 emergency call.
George Harris – attorney, represented Hugo Chavez – now living with a member of one of South America's leading families – married and divorced at least three times.
Mark Ganzer – after stumbling around, gave up a very lucrative career in the insurance bidness, where he learned to count the sick, the dead, and to raise the premium rates on the aged and infirm, and to design and price manipulative products to be sold by the unscrupulous to the unwary – returned to loopin' and lovin' it (humbly serving man- and woman-kind). Free lance writer, poet, blogger, recording musician, fund-raiser, published author, and lover, always, of the game of golf, and all the responsibilities being a lover of the game has attendant to it.
You, sir, were so very important to our emerging from the world of teen-aged stupidity to the world of the well-healed adult. You taught us there is always SOMETHING to do, even for a caddie who doesn't necessarily get a loop – cigarette butts to police, ranges to pick, clubs to be washed, etc. You were instrumental in us growing (sooner for some than others) into productive citizens. Again, sir, you have my undying gratitude.
With love to all of you reading (and hopefully enjoying this)
Mark
