From: Scott Woods <nittanylion96@hotmail.com>

Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 1:50 PM

To: Dan Hoelke; Eric A. Drossner; danhoelke@hotmail.com; Paul S. Rovner; Scott

Subject: MBBC XVII Trip Report

The year between the 16th and 17th Myrtle Beach Birdie Champiuonships seemed to take forever...  In that year, the best thing to happen was that Stormin' Jake Hoelke was born.  Perhaps the worst thing that happened was the Penn State football team was slammed with heavy sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but still managed a great season under new head coach Bill O'Brien.  Toward the end of 2012, the time finally came to discuss dates for the trip and the lineup.  Defending Champion Paul Rovner announced that his champion's selection was Bald Head Island, an intriguing choice that presented some significant logistical issues.  There were some discussions about flying into Wilmington and staying overnight, with the prospect of having Pokey Sticks being a significant factor.  There was talk of playing The Big Cat courses.  There was also a suggestion that the MBBC start and finish at the group's favorite course, Barefoot Love.  After some lengthy back and forth, we were finally able to agree on the dates and lineup.  Paul Rovner through a bit aof a monkey wrench in the works a few weeks after the dates had been confirmed, when he realized that one of his daughter's had a dance recital that weekend, but that dates would stay.  Once the dates and lineup were confirmed, there was little, if any preparation for the MBBC.  Woods played a week prior in Cancun at his sister-in-law's wedding, which was thought to be a major advantage, although that did not really prove true.  All of the players played only once or twice in the weeks/months leading up to the MBBC.  Drossner and Rovner originally booked a flight to Myrtle Beach through Washington, D.C. prompting Woods to book his flight on the same flight out of D.C.  However, the airline suddenly cancelled the flight out of Philly and rebooked Rovner and Drossner on a flight through Charlotte, where they would hook-up with Dan Hoelke.  Woods had his flight out of D.C. moved up about an hour.  While he would forget it a few months later, Eric Drossner booked the rental car through U-Save.

Despite the lack of preparation, there was, as usual, a great deal of excitement and anticipation for the 2013 MBBC.  All of the players woke up around the same time for their respective flights to Myrtle Beach.  Woods would be the first to arrive, since his flight from Washington, D.C. was direct.  Woods arrived at approximately 10:30 a.m. to discover a new terminal in Myrtle Beach.  Drossner, Rovner, and Hoelke arrived shortly before noon.  Disaster struck Dan Hoelke immediately upon his arrival, when he realized that his bags did not make it to Myrtle Beach.  He was told that his bags should arrive on the next flight from Charlotte due to land shortly before 2:00.  Always flexible, the group agreed to push back their tee time at Barefoot Love to approximately 3:00 p.m., go get lunch and wait for Hoelke's bags to arrive.  The group picked up their rental van.  While loading the car, there was some discussion about avoiding any head injuries like the one suffered by Hoelke in 2012, when he was hit int he end when some was closing the back gate.  Despite these discussions, Drossner still managed to smack himself in the head with the headrest of the rear seats as he tried to lower them.  The group was able to get all of their bags into the back without any problem.  They then went to lunch at Burger King and then returned to the airport where Hoelke's bags arrived as promised, and the crisis was averted.  (Scott Woods is now the only player who has not had his bags/clubs fail to arrive in Myrtle Beach.)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the 2013 schedule was the decision to open the tournament at Barefoot Love.  The drive to the opening round was made even more painful by the fact that the draw bridge at the entrance to the Barefoot Complex was up.  The foursome arrived shortly before their tee time and were sent off almost immediately in beautiful weather conditions (low 80's).  Because of the group's familiarity with the Love course and the birdieability of the first 4 holes, the over/under for the group's first birdie had been set at 4.5.  The group did not have to wait long for the first birde, as Eric Drossner struck on the Par 5 second.  Drossner was just short of the green in 2 shots, but played only a fair chip shot leaving himself an 8 footer for birdie, which he promptly drained.  Efforts at the Par 4 4th hole were somewhat disappointing.  The pin was tucked in the back of the green, no one was able to reach the green, and there were no legitimate birdie opportunities.  Perhaps even more frustrating was the fact that once again the group was unable to birdie the seemingly easy Par 4 6th hole.  The group was visited by the most attractive cart gilr they've seen in quite some time, and Woods and Hoelke decided to start drinking.  Shortly thereafter, Scott Woods would record the group's second birdie on the Par 5 8th hole.  Woods approach to the undulating green found a hill and trickled back down the hill to approximately 4 feet, and he made the putt thanks largely to an assist from Paul Rovner, who put his ball on the green directly behind Woods.  Lightening struck twice on the 100-yard, Par 3 11th hole.  Hoelke hit his tee shot close with Drossenr not too far outside of him.  Drossner made his putt on top of Hoelke for his second birdie Hoelke maintained his composure and drained his biride as well.  Efforts on the second favorite hole, the Par 5 13th hole were also somewhat disappointing.  Woods managaed to get relatively close to the green in 2, but his chip to the green was terrible, and he was only able to make par.  From that point, the group seemed to tire from the long day and it appeared that there would not be any more birdies.  However, Scott Woods mustered up one more unexpected dagger ont he Par 5 18th hole.  Woods found the green with his approach shot, but was still 20 feet away.  However, he hit a solid putt for the birdie to close the round and tie Drossner atop the leaderboard.  After the opening round the scoreboard read:  Drossner - 2, Woods - 2, Hoelke - 1, Rovner - 0.   

The group piled back in the minivan and made the quick drive to the Resort Vacation headquarters to check in and pick up their keys.  Woods ran into CVS to pick up and 18-pack of beer (which for the first time in MBBC would actually get finished!!)  The group headed to the room and rediscovered why staying at Barefoot is the way to go.  Facetiming family back home and quick showers were in order followed by a cab drive to Broadway made a bit longer by a motorcycle accident on the main road.  Since the Penguins were in the playoffs. the group decided to go back to The Tilted Kilt to watch the game despite only a faiur experience there last year.  Allison, our rather tall waitress was adequate, although some (Paul) were not impressed with the food.  Surprise, surprise, the group made their way over to Crocodile Rocks and found seats on the rail in the balcony.  The north vs. south generated some laughs and disbelief at the money being thrown around to hear Yankee Doodle Dandy or Dixie.  The group stayed until 12:30 and then checked in at Revolutions hoping to see Ericka.  There was a girl at the bar who looked a little like her, but it clearly was not her.  Paul asked another bartender and asked where Ericka was, and, sure enough, it was actually her.  Dan Hoelke grabbed her for the traditional picture, which only confirmed that it was her, and the group headed home, relatively early and relatively sober.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

The foursome woke relatively easily for their quick trip to Grande Dunes.  Grande Dunes is under new ownership and seems to have lost some of its luster.  The GPS on the carts were gone, and the course did not seem as "pristine" as in years past.  The starter is also using the same tired joke about getting bloody marys on the course.  After hitting some balls on the range, the group was first off the front nine.  Grande Dunes would prove to be the group's most "frustrating" round in approximately 5 years.  There were only a handful of birdie opportunities, mostly by Eric Drossner.  Rovner had a decent look on the difficult Par 3 8th hole, but could not drain the putt.  Drossner also had some decent looks that he could not convert.  Woods and Hoelke did not really have a legitimate looks for biride.  The group was once again frustrated by the double-teeing, as they playted the front 9 too quickly and ended up behind 2 groups on the tee.  They were given yardage books by the starter for their frustration.  Efforts on the 17th hole were a joke as 3 drives found the water, and Woods' drive found the weeds.  Woods was able to keep it in play but did not have a birdie opportunity.  It was thought that 18 was not a birdie opportunity, but it appears some tress have been cleared out, and Woods and Drossner actually had decent looks to try and salvage the group's consecutive courses birdied streak.  Both chances went begging and group's streak would end at 38.  The general consensus was that Grande Dunes was not what it used to be, and there was some suggestion that the group would not return next year...  Lunch was very good in the Grande Dunes clubhouse.

After lunch, the group made the fairly long trek to Long Bay.  Other then the fact that it had not been birdied the last time it had been played, there was some confusion as to how exactly it had gotten on the schedule.  Long Bay was the only course not included as part of the package, meaning the players would have to pay for it themsleves when they arrived.  They had not actually scheduled a tee time and there was some thought in using an online tee time service.  But, the group didn't follow through until the day of the round.  They called and scheduled the tee time around a "tournament" that was going on there as well.  When they arrived, they were suprised to learn that the "walk-up" rate was $88.00 and the pro shop guy was not very flexible in offering any other rates.  The group "relaxed" while Drossner contacted the package provider to see if they could provide any assistance.  They package provider was able to provide a significantly reduced rate of $45.00, and the group was sent off the back 9.  The wait seemed to be worth it as the course was in much better shape then this writer could remember.  It did not take long for the group to start a new consecutive courses birdied streak, as Eric Drossner found the mark on the first (10th) hole.  Drossner hit his approach to about 8 feet and drained the birdie.  Drossner was not satisfied with that as struck again on the Par 4 12th hole.  Throw in pars on 11 and 13, and Drossner was 2 under after 4 holes, and appeared to be on his way to an historic round.  Drossner would cool down a bit after his torrid start and finish with an 85.  Dan Hoelke finally got back on track with a birdie on the Par 4 6th hole.  Despite playing a dreadful round with a score of 111, Paul Rovner would finish the round in style with a birdie on the group's 18th hole (the 9th).  After not being birdied the previous year, Long Bay jumped to a tie for third place for most birdies on a course by the group in 1 day with 4.  The scoreboard after Day 2 was:  Drossner - 4, Woods - 2, Hoelke - 2, Rovner - 1.

Day 2 traditions were maintained.  The group went to the grocery store to pick up essentials including donuts, chips, Gatorade, Coke, milk, cereal and candy.  Droz struggled witht he self checkout machine.  The grocery store was out of Power Ball lottery tickets, so Woods and Rovner went to eh gas station to buy $40 worth of tickets.  The agreement was that if they won, they would buy 4 houses next to each other on one of the courses.  Rovner went into the grocery store to buy the tickets but there are some who think he just pocketed the money, since the tickets have never been seen.  Someone in Florida won anyway...  After the grocery store, the group got pizza at the Barefoot Pub.  There was a debate as to the number of pies that should be bought, with 3 winning out and actually proving to come in handy ont he final day.  Lights were out fairly early in preparation for LONG Day 3.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

The group woke obscenely early to begin Day 3.  They had a 45 minute ride to the first round at River's Edge.  Eric Drossner had selected River's Edge as the champion's selection several years prior, but because of maintenance and scheduling issues, it had not yet been played.  The group was also anxious to get back to it, since it had also not been birdied the last time it had been played.  River's Edge proved to be a difficult, gorgeous course reminiscent of Tidewater.  They were the first group off the front 9.  Dan Hoelke broke out the IPad to record tee shots on the beautiful Par 3 5th hole, which was an absolute disappointment.   Once again, Eric Drossner was the first to mark, as he found the range on the Par 4 6th hole.  The Par 5 9th hole was a difficult 3 shotter with the wind blowing strong.  A frustrated Woods sank numerous balls in the drink on his third shot in an effort to make a shot.  Woods didn't count all of those strokes, or his 102 would have been considerably higher.  Dan Hoelke stayed alive in the race for the MBBC title by striking on the Par 3 15th hole.  At the halfway mark, the scorebopard was:  Drossner - 5, Hoelke - 3, Woods - 2, Rovner - 1.

The group had a 3:00 tee time at Bald Head Island, but would need to catch the 2:00 ferry.  They made the trip in about 45 minutes and caught the 1:00 ferry.  They actually had to "check" their bags for the ferry.  The ferry ride took about 20 minutes and the group was taken fromt he ferry terminal to the golf course by golf cart.  They had lunch at a nice restaurant across from the golf course.  After lunch, they sat and relaxed for a little while before heading out for the hottest round of the trip.  Bald Head Island is a semi-exclusive course with Bill Cowher as a member.  The course turned out to be nice, but very difficult with rock hard greens.  The promised views of the ocean were few and far between.  The majority of the foursome struggled on the course, as the scores reflect, with only Drossner playing fairly well.  It appeared that a birdie would not come, but Eric Drossner struck again on the Par 5 11th hole.  Drossner got greenside in 2 shots, hit a decent chip and drained the short putt for his 6th birdie of the trip.  Drossner would close out the round with another birdie ont he Par 4 18th hole.  The scoreboard after 5 rounds was:  Drossner - 7, Hoelke - 3, Woods - 2, Rovner - 1.    

The players did not finish quick enough to catch the tram for the 7:30 ferry.  So, they were forced to wait another hour or so.  They grabbed milkshakes/ice cream at a nearby restaurant and debated where to have dinner.  The original plan had called for Outback, but all agreed that Outback was not in the cards and would be pushed back to the next night.  The players were taken to the ferry terminal where they were eaten alive by bugs waiting for the ferry.  The ferry ride was uneventful, and they loaded back intot he mini-van for the long journey home.  The group stopped at Taco Bell for dinner and were not back to the room until about 10:30.  The Penguins blew a late lead and then lost to Ottawa in overtime, but would eventually win the series to move on the the Eastern Conference finals against Boston.

Monday, May 20, 2013

The players awoke on Day 4 to overcast skies and the serious threat of rain throughout the day.  The first round of the day was at Barefoot Dye, a course that had not been played for many years.  The expectation of elevated greens and railroad ties were... incorrect.  The group was the first off the front nine.  Woods and Rovner struggled, while Hoelke and Drossner played fairly well.  Woods could not even manage to hit a green.  The group zipped around the front nine, and once again, slammed into double-teeing.  The group waited on the 10th tee for approximately 20 minutes before finally starting a long slow back 9.  Heavy rains came on the 11th tee, but eventually cleared up.  Once again, it appeared that a birdie would elude the group.  But despite not managing to hit any greens, Woods scored a miraculous birdie on the Par 3 17th hole.  Woods was well off the green and faced a difficult chip, which somehow trickled intot he hole for the birdie.  The scoreboard after 6 rounds was:  Drossner - 7, Hoelke - 3, Woods - 3, Rovner - 1.

The players headed to Martins for balls and then the traditional mid-Barefoot lunch at TGIFridays.  Nicole, their idiot waitress, served the usual orders of lemonade, coke, unsweetened iced tea, cheesburgers, etc.  The group then headed back tot he room, where Woods and Rovner crashed for an hour or so.  Weather becamew a major factor as steady rain began just before the group headed out for their afternoon round.  Drossner called the course and confirmed that they were still open.  There was a brief discussion about whether or not to play, and the group headed back to Barefoot for the afternoon round at Fazio.  Woods and Hoelke decided that drinking was in order and took the remainder of the 18 pack with them to the course, a brilliant decision that needs to be repeated int he future.  The round started in fairly heavy rain, but the rain let up after a few holes, and the rest of the round was very comfortable.  History was made on the Par 3 3rd hole, when Woods managed to sink a short birdie putt.  It became the first hol;e in MBBC history that has been birdied by all of the players.  Dan Hoelke chipped in on top of Woods for birdie on the same hole.  Despite some relatively good play including an impressive 81 from Drossner there were no other birdies recorded.  Woods had decent chances on the yet-to-be-birdied Par 4 14th and Par 3 16th holes, but failed to convert.  The penultimate round closed with the scoreboard as follows:  Drossner - 7, Hoelke - 4, Woods - 4, Rovner - 1.  While the final round was being played at Love, the general consensus was the Drossner had wrapped up the title and the only drama was whether or not the group could set a new record fro total birdies.

The players headed back tot he room to shower and then went to Outback.  They probably went to the wrong Outback, but it worked out.  Rovner forgot a coupon that he had brought with him specifically for the trip, but the manager agreed to honor the coupon sight unseen.  The group also saved money by purchasing a gift card with a bonus credit.  Several months prior, there had been discussion of going bowling while in Myrtle Beach.  Some suggested that it was unlikely to happen, but despite getting very sleepy from full bellies, the group managed to rally and head to the bowling alley for 3 games.  Drossner and Hoelke were clearly the best of the group with Drossner suddenly coming to life after appearing ont he verge of passing out in the restaruant.  Rovner sucked and admitted how much he hates bowling.  Scores were as follows:

Game 1                
Droz - 161
Dan - 137
Scott - 115
Paul - 77      

Game 2
Droz - 165
Dan - 145
Scott - 133
Paul - 105

Game 3
Dan - 189
Droz - 167
Scott - 167
Paul - 101

Dan had the high score, but Drossner is believed to be the Myrtle Beach Strike Champion.  It's unknown if t-shirts will be made.  Any suggestion of going out were shot down by Drossner who wanted to go to bed.  The group headed home and were in bed by 11:30.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The final round was back at Barefoot Love.  Once again, the group was the first off the front 9 and once again they would slam into a back up on the back 9 thanks to double teeing and wet conditions. As with the first round, some expected a barrage of birdies for the final round, but it was not to be.  Paul Rovner set the tone for a potential barrage on the 1st hole by chipping in, but there would be no birdies thereafter.  Once again, efforts on the Par 4, 4th hole were pretty dismal.  Once again, the group was left frustrated by their failure to birdie the Par 4 6th hole.  The Par 5 13th hole presented some birdie opportunities for Woods and Drossner, but neither were able to convert.  The res tof the round was fairly brutal including the 18th hole, which was backed up with as many as 5 groups spread out on the hole.  It took the group nearly 30 minutes to play the final hole of the MBBC. 

There was some concern about not getting to the airport on time, created mostly by Drossner's incorrect belief that you had to check-in within an hour of your flight.  (It's apparently only 45 minutes, a fact he discovered on his phone as the group arrived at the airport).  Everyone showered and ate leftover pizza.  Woods dropped the players off at the airtport and then returned the rental car without filling up the tank.  The guy checking the car in then proceeded to lock the keys in the car, so Woods left to head to the airport.  Drossner, Hoelke and Rovner grabbed lunch #2 at Steak & Shake in the airport.  Other flights were delayed because of thunderstorms in the area, but the group's flight to Charlotte was on time.  On the flight, Woods and Hoelke listened to some guy behind them tell some hot girls french phrases for their trip to Paris.  Woods butted in on a couple of occasions with some funny jokes, but apparently those jokes were not appreciated by the guy.  Charlotte airport was shut down whent he group landed, so the plane could not go to the gate and they sat on the tarmac for approximately 20 minutes.  Rovner and Drossner had to run to their flight, but everyone was held up by an unknown "emergency" in the terminal.  Everyone made their flights and made it home without incident.

-  As of the writing of this report, Eric Drossner has not yet announced the site of the opening round of the 2014 MBBC, but oddsmakers have established the little-known Aberdeen Country Club as the early favorite.
-  There have been some "suggestions" regarding reducing the number of rounds from 8 to 7.  This suggestion was initally scoffed at, but this writer is slowly coming around ont he suggestion, although not in the foreseeable future.  It will happen.  It's just a question of when.
-  While nothing is set in stone, it appears Grande Dunes may be bounced from next year's schedule.  There was a push to put The Big Cats ont he schedule this year, so I assume they may be under consideration for 2014.  I also assume the alternating years of playing True Blue and Caledonia will be undder consideration as well.
-  While we are still 3 years away, some thought needs to be put into where MBBC XX will be held.  It appears Arizona is the favorite, since some prices can be controlled, with Vegas a longshot due to its outrageous prices.  Timing of Arizona is going to be critical...