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golf

    PLAYING THROUGH

    The Swinging Sisters Are Good on the Green

    A foursome’s fun and fierce style fits the spirit of the Eastham Golf Tournament

    By

    EASTHAM — Susan Everett, Carol Aro, Eileen Miller, and Dawn Skiba finished each other’s sentences. This tendency, like their golf games, evolved over their four-decades-long friendship, their strengths and foibles becoming complementary on the course and off.

    After a decade of competing together as the “Swinging Sisters” in the annual Eastham Golf Tournament, this year the foursome won’t be the same. Aro died of cancer in December.

    The original swinging sisters, from left: the late Carol Aro, with Dawn Skiba, Susan Everett, and Eileen Miller. (Photo courtesy Eileen Miller)

    To round out the group this year, Miller’s niece Kristen Blue will drive down from Plymouth on Sept. 12 to the Captain’s Golf Course in Brewster, where the 18-hole tournament will be held.

    Her teammates hope Blue will be strong off the tee. Everett and Aro were always the straight shooters. Miller is consistent. And Skiba isn’t afraid to take a chance. The foursome were all decent putters.

    “When Dawn hits it well, we don’t have to go again because we play best ball,” says Everett.

    “Best ball” means that the lowest individual score on each hole is used as the team score. This allows for a range of skills.

    “It’s a little bit of pressure on me,” says Skiba. “If Eileen or I go off into the woods, we use their ball.”

    This year’s foursome will be playing with Aro in mind. They might even be hoping for a little otherworldly assistance this time around.

    When Aro was sick, the women took turns visiting her. Skiba, who has been chasing an elusive hole-in-one for years, wanted to make sure Aro was part of it if and when she eventually sank one.

    “If I get a really good drive,” Skiba says she asked Aro, “could you help me on the hole-in-one?” Aro kept her eyes shut, but Skiba says she grinned big in response. Skiba took it as a thumbs-up.

    This could be Skiba’s year — or not. The friends will come out swinging in style either way.

    “It’s a good cause, we get exercise, and we have a great time,” says Miller.

    The tournament raises money for nursing, college, and trade-school scholarships for Eastham residents as well as other philanthropic and community-focused initiatives of the Eastham Chamber of Commerce, like the local emergency fund. All golfers play in foursomes; registration costs $150 per person.

    “We’re not there to be the best,” adds Miller. “We’re just having a day away from everything else to play golf and then go out for a little dinner.”

    “Our chance of winning is close to nil,” says Skiba, noting that the event is not split by skill or gender.

    Dawn Skiba lines up a shot at Captain’s Golf Course in Brewster, where the Eastham Golf Tournament is played. (Photo courtesy Eileen Miller)

    The Eastham Golf Tournament is an amateur event, and most like it that way, even if the recent aeration of the course has added some frustration for the regulars who play five or six times a week.

    But the Swinging Sisters are happy to just get out on the course together. During the summer, with work and grandchildren and the go-go rhythms of warm days, the women don’t have much opportunity to play together.

    They will be among the few women in the tournament. Miller estimates that only 10 or 12 women will sign up. That’s compared to over 100 men, Everett adds.

    After completing 18 holes, the women typically carpool to the Elks Lodge in Eastham for the awards ceremony, a raffle, a dinner of lobster or roast beef, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Nongolfers can join this part of the event for $45.

    A few times, the Swinging Sisters have “won” last place. But no matter. Almost every year they have also won the “Best Dressed” award for their matching shirts, khaki trousers, and accessories.

    “Eileen is our master,” says Skiba. “She goes online and orders us all shirts.” The shirts are usually some interpretative take on traditional floral design purchased from a boutique in Florida, where Miller spends part of the winter.

    “Sometimes, I make them silly hats or earrings or bracelets,” adds Miller.

    “Nobody can compete with us,” says Everett.

    “They’ve tried,” says Miller.

    “But they haven’t succeeded,” says Everett.

    After the tournament and before the weather turns, the women hope to go to Chatham Seaside Links to play nine holes, as they have done many times before. Walking the course, golf clubs in tow in pull carts, makes for a leisurely afternoon, urged on by the promise of clam chowder at the Chatham Squire.

    With the Swinging Sisters’ “best ball” approach, course obstacles — sand pits, water hazards, even trees — won’t detract from the experience. Backed up by Everett’s aim, Miller’s consistency, and Aro’s guidance, Skiba will power up a drive.

    “I’ve got nothing to lose,” says Skiba. “The other three will take care of me.”

    Only a Game

    The event: Eastham Golf Tournament & Awards Banquet
    The time: Thursday, Sept. 12, tournament at noon; dinner at 6 p.m.
    The place: Captain’s Golf Course, 1000 Freeman’s Way, Brewster and Elks Lodge, 10 McKoy Road, Eastham
    The cost: $150; $45 for the awards dinner only; register at easthamchamber.com

    ON COURSE

    St. Aubin’s Game Is Calm, Cool, and Surprisingly Tough

    ‘You get a lot of patience out of this sport’

    By

    BREWSTER — Max St. Aubin stood on the putting green at The Captains Golf Course here wearing a black Nauset High hoodie and matching cap, his hair exploding outward and upwards from the back. Working on getting his ball to start on line, he’d stuck two tees in the ground, a gate for his putt to pass safely through. His team, meanwhile, was out on the course playing against Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.

    Nauset sophomore Max St. Aubin watches his tee shot at Eastward Ho! in Chatham. (Photos by Allen Gunn)

    It was the first time the Nauset sophomore, who had been the number two and number three player before this match, had been left out of the lineup this season. “I’ve learned that I’m not going to shoot well every match, and I’m going to have bad days,” he said, “but you’ve just got to bounce back.”

    St. Aubin, who lives in Brewster, posted a career-best even-par 36 in the Warriors’ win over Martha’s Vineyard on Sept. 19, two shots clear of teammate Jack Martin. He turned in a 78 in an 18-hole round at the Vineyard Golf Club High School Invitational, where he helped the four-man Nauset team place fourth overall in a field that included the 2021 MIAA Division 2 state champions from Bishop Stang. He has hovered around a 41 average this season, his worst 9-hole score being a 49 at Cape Cod Academy.

    “Max has been the surprise of the season so far,” said Nauset boys golf head coach Brian Hicks.

    St. Aubin plays a challenging approach shot on the par-5 5th hole.

    Having seen Martin’s success as a freshman, Hicks is not new to surprises from his team. On the Vineyard, St. Aubin played in the same group as Bishop Stang senior Matthew Costello, who is a UConn commit. “To be able to be in those situations and to perform well, it speaks to his toughness,” Hicks said. “He showed that he can maybe be one of those kids that helps us make the leap.”

    St. Aubin doesn’t show a lot of emotion out on the golf course — nor in an interview. He parses his words and seems barely to have a pulse. In his first varsity match, he stuck a shot from 130 yards out to about three feet from the pin at the difficult dogleg par-4 4th hole at the Captains Port Course. Nice shot. He shrugged his shoulders and then proceeded to roll in the birdie putt.

    On the team’s trip to the Vineyard, Hicks said, he finally saw St. Aubin get really excited about his performance: “He knew he had done a great job.”

    In spite of his affect, St. Aubin’s game shows flashes of brilliance. He plays with a ton of confidence — especially considering he has just started to get into golf over the last 12 months.

    In that time, St. Aubin has played a lot of golf.

    “It’s relaxing,” he says with his usual nonchalance. “It’s a sport where you can just go out and have fun. You can slow things down. You get a lot of patience out of this sport, and I never really had that before.”

    “You can slow things down” on the golf course, says St. Aubin.

    St. Aubin’s older brother, Seamus, was on Nauset teams that were state finalists in 2019 and 2021. Max hopes to help the Warriors maintain that level of play and even eclipse it by winning the program’s first South Sectional Championship since 2016.

    That’s a lot of pressure, he allowed. “But I’m happy to grow with this team,” he said.

    For now, it’s patience. Next on the tee.

    GOLF

    Nauset Sophomore Will Forgo $10,000 Hole-in-One Prize

    By

    BREWSTER — Nauset sophomore Jack Martin was the first person in Martha White Memorial Tournament history to sink a hole-in-one. It happened on Saturday, May 6, when he aced the par-3 second hole at the Captains Golf Course’s Starboard course.

    The perfect shot entitled Martin to a $10,000 cash prize — but he won’t see a dollar of the money.

    An NCAA rule states that, if Martin were to accept the money, he would lose his amateur status, which would make him ineligible for any level of college golf. He and his mother, Debora, were on the phone all day Monday trying to find a solution. There isn’t one.

    “It’s not worth risking,” said Martin somberly. He is chasing a prize worth far more than $10,000: a collegiate golf scholarship could be worth more than $18,000 per season. Martin is coming off a year when he finished tied for 11th at the MIAA Division 2 State Championship as an individual.

    “I want to play in college,” he said. “Every time I go out on the golf course, it’s working towards getting better and trying to make it to the highest level I can reach.”

    Nauset sophomore Jack Martin displays his hole-in-one ball at Captains Golf Course, which hosted the 25th Annual Martha White Memorial Tournament on May 6. He is flanked by Ben Mayhew and Jacob Everson to the left and Owen White to the right. (Photo by Allen Gunn)

    Martin, 16, hit a “chippy and relaxed” 8 iron toward the back pin location, which played at 172 yards from the blue tees and was placed as far back as it could be without being illegal. His ball flew over the flag, checked, and then spun back to the hole before dropping. He didn’t immediately know that it went in.

    “No [expletive] way,” he said to teammate Ben Mayhew. The two, along with teammates Jacob Everson and Owen White, dropped their clubs and sprinted for the green. The four golfers, who had all dressed in red à la Tiger Woods, screamed the entire way.

    “You never know when or under what circumstances a hole-in-one is going to happen,” said Martin. “I woke up on six hours of sleep thinking it’s going to be a long day.” He also racked up victories on Saturday in the closest-to-the-pin and longest drive challenges.

    The Nauset foursome went on to place first overall, shooting a combined 11-under 61 to win the charity tournament on a tiebreaker. The Martha White Memorial, which was celebrating its 25th edition, raises money for scholarships for Nauset, Monomoy, and Cape Tech students and is named in honor of Martha White, whose grandson, coincidentally, was playing on Martin’s team.

    “It’s a tournament the Cape really needs because it’s super expensive for families to live here,” said Martin. “For the event to help kids go to college, I think it’s special and I applaud the White family for doing it.”

    Martin has a way of making the best of any situation. Right before sinking his second-ever ace, he realized that he didn’t have a tee in his pocket. Instead of returning to his bag, he dropped a ball on the early-season sandy tee box, went through his normal routine, and hit one of the best shots of his life.

    He admits it hurts — he won’t be able to buy his dad’s car — but for Martin there’s no price tag on the memory. “I just had a lot of fun that day,” he said. “It’ll be a memory I’ll always have and to be able to look back on that will be the best part.”

    GOLF LESSON

    Getting More Distance off the Tee

    PGA professional Gregg Richbourg says it’s all about ‘mindset’

    By

    The likes of PGA Tour professionals Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Champ have amateur golfers wanting to gain distance off the tee. And while these athletes have put in countless hours of practice and are gifted with the bodies and tools to produce consistency in their golf swings, the average golfer can make a few simple adjustments in his setup to send his drives longer.

    According to the United States Golf Association and Royal and Ancient insight reports, the average distance off the tee for amateur golfers is around 216 yards for men and 148 yards for women. Compare that to pro distances, which range from 280 to 320 yards. You can improve your driving distance — but keep your expectations in check.

    Gregg Richbourg, a PGA professional and director of instruction at the Cape Cod National Golf Club in Brewster, has simplified it to three easy-to-follow steps that should increase your confidence on the tee with the driver and pinch a few extra yards for you.

    “It boils down to mindset,” says Gregg, who has been teaching for 10 years and was the 2016 Cape Cod PGA Player of the Year and 2018 Teacher of the Year. “You must resist the temptation to hit the ball harder. That only leads to tightness in the muscles, which limits mobility and causes the club to slow down into impact. Instead, focus on trying to make a larger turn on the backswing and follow through. This will provide the largest arc possible and accelerate the club properly through the ball.”

    Address the ball with a wide and balanced position, with the trail shoulder lower than the lead shoulder. (Photos by Allen Gunn)

    Gregg’s advice starts with the setup. The golfer should always ensure that he has a wide and balanced address position, with the trail shoulder lower than the lead shoulder — this means you are setting up for launch.

    On the backswing, make a full rotation, with the left shoulder under the chin.

    On the backswing, make a full rotation by getting the left shoulder under the chin, and, from a front-on view, the right shoulder should be completely hidden behind the head. The club, meanwhile, will hang well above the head.

    Make a full rotation through the ball.

    It’s important to then make a full rotation through the ball. When the swing is completed, the right shoulder should be closer to the target than the left while the chest will rotate to the left of the target. All the golfer’s weight will finish on the lead leg and the right foot will be up on its toe.

    When the swing is completed, the right shoulder should be closer to the target than the left.

    Gregg demonstrates a drill where he holds the club across his chest, parallel with the ground. He makes a full turn away from the ball so that the tip of the grip is pointing down towards the ground before rotating to a high finish.

    “Remember, to hit it farther, make your swing bigger, not more violent,” adds Gregg. “Grip it and rip it.”

    GOLF

    Jack Martin, 14, Envisions Great Shots

    Nauset freshman qualifies for the New England Championship

    By

    EASTHAM — Before this fall’s high school golf season started, Nauset freshman Jack Martin had never heard of the New England Championship. On Monday, the 14-year-old was the only member of the Nauset golf team to compete in the tournament at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Safe to say, he knows all about it now.

    When Martin was six years old, his grandmother signed him up for a First Tee youth golf program at the Bayberry Hills Golf Course in his hometown of Yarmouth. He hasn’t put down the clubs since.

    His dad bought him his first set the next year, and Martin started playing competitively in the fifth or sixth grade, he says.

    Martin joined the Nauset golf team this year — a team that went 14-4 through the regular season and finished second in the Division 2 South Sectionals. Nauset earned a spot in the state finals, where the team finished 11th.

    Most teams at this level rely on upperclassmen for leadership. Their strength and experience is needed. But Martin helped pace the boys golf team all season long.

    Jack Martin likes golf because it’s a sport that “will never be easy on you.” (Photo courtesy Jack Martin)

    Going into it, “I didn’t really know much about high school golf,” Martin says. “I didn’t really know anyone.” He did know one thing, though: “I wanted to help the team.”

    Martin played more often during the 2020 pandemic year than he had before. And as he did, he says, his confidence grew. It didn’t hurt that he was practicing five days a week.

    Martin and senior Cooper Guiliano were the clear leaders of the team this year. Martin shot just four over par at the state finals to finish in the middle of the pack, but tied for first at the sectional tournament, where he shot just one over par.

    “One over is my best round,” he says. “I was really happy with how my teammates played. A couple guys stepped it up. I had a really good confidence boost there, and I think I hit three bad shots on the day.”

    There are days like that in this fickle sport. And days that are not.

    “You’re playing against yourself — you have to beat out your mind or beat out the course,” Martin says. He explains that he envisions each shot before hitting the ball. He decides, he says, whether he wants to play a draw, or cut, or set a target in the fairway. “You have to take it one shot at a time and don’t have a score in your head before the round,” he says. “See where your swing takes you.”

    The sport also requires finesse, a smooth swing, and, on long holes, the strength to smack the ball as far as one can.

    Martin is competing with other high schoolers who are 15, 16, 17, or sometimes 18 years old. At this age, there can be a significant gap in size between a 14-year-old and a 17- or 18-year-old. But Martin has shown he can swing with the best of them.

    And he is strategic. “Off the tee, I’m pretty strong at keeping it in play,” he says. “I’ve been really confident around my short game. I practice that a lot.”

    Martin finished tied for 25th at the New England Championship this week. It wasn’t the best result, but he has every intention of returning.

    “I’ve set some pretty high expectations for myself,” he says.

    What he enjoys about golf is the very thing that some would-be players can’t stand. “I like that some days everything can be working and the next day it all crumbles,” Martin says. “It’s a sport you always have to work at. It will never be easy on you.”

    GOLF

    At a Scramble, Varied Strengths Come Into Play

    The Eastham Chamber’s Tourney brings people together for fun and charity

    By

    EASTHAM — Thunder and rain filled the morning of Thursday, Sept. 16, leaving participants in the annual Eastham Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament wondering if it would go on as scheduled that day.

    But New England weather did what it does, and by noon the skies had cleared, and the Captains Golf Course in Brewster was ready to welcome teams to the 21st edition of the Chamber’s annual tourney.

    Golf tournaments can go one of two ways. Some are competitive, with players there to hone their skills. Others, this one included, are designed to be fun. Proceeds from the event benefit a few local causes: the Betty Fleming Nursing Scholarship, Eastham Resident College Scholarships and Tradesman Toolship, and the Neighbors-in-Need Fund for emergency assistance.

    Left to right: Jake McGrath, Ryan Fitzgerald, Irene McGrath, and Steve Schweikhart.

    The match was a scramble, with foursomes teeing off from different holes at the start. Captains has two 18-hole courses, one called Port and the other Starboard. My team teed off from hole 13 on Port, and this being my first time participating in a golf tournament of any kind, I couldn’t help feeling superstitious about that.

    But I was steadied by good teammates. With me was my friend Jake McGrath, and an Eastham couple, Steve Schweikhart and Irene McGrath (who is not related to Jake).

    Steve and Irene, from Hudson Lake, N.Y., recently moved to Eastham, and were tournament first-timers, but they knew the course because they’re members at Captains. Jake and I had played the course a few times, too, so we were all pretty familiar with how to approach each hole.

    In a scramble, each person in the group of four tees off, then the group chooses the best shot of the four and all hit their second shots from there. The player whose drive was best goes first on that second shot. Then, the three other players are allowed to drop a ball within a golf club’s length from the original ball’s lie and hit their second shots, and so on through each hole.

    We all had different strengths. Jake could hit a long ball off the tee, so we relied on him for distance. Steve had pinpoint accuracy hitting his irons from the fairway onto, or right in front of, the green. Irene hit the ball consistently straight from anywhere on the course, so if all else failed we knew we could rely on her shot to keep us centered. Her approach shots close to the hole were also solid.

    Left to right: Scott Bemiss, John McCarthy, Shawn DeLude, and Ken Taber.

    I’m a competitive person by nature and felt a little disappointed in my inconsistent play. But I came through on putting. While everyone else was better at getting us to the hole, I sunk a few birdie and par putts to finish off their work.

    At the end of the day, our team shot a combined 75 — three over par. Not too shabby.

    Part of the fun was watching other groups come in. Community members, local business owners, and visitors mingle at this tournament. Ken Taber, who owns the Fairway Restaurant and Hole in One Bakery and Coffee Shop with his wife, Erica, brought a friend from New York, and those two partnered with Shawn DeLude, who runs Nauset Disposal, and Nauset Regional High School boys basketball coach John McCarthy.

    There were prizes for longest drive, closest to the pin, or a hole in one. Steve had a near miss on the $10,000 cash hole-in-one hole. He put the ball within a few feet of the cup. We were told it was the closest shot of the day.

    Left to right: Aaron Burns, Gary Burns, Matt Burns, and Steve Burns. Gary and Steve are twins; Aaron, Steve’s son, is an Orleans firefighter, and Steve is a retired firefighter. (Photos Ryan Fitzgerald)

    After the tournament came dinner and a raffle at the Elks Lodge. There were about 50 people at dinner; more had played in the tournament. It was a good way to meet people like Aaron Burns and his father Steve, and Matt Burns and his father Gary. The two fathers are twins, and the foursome has been playing in the tournament as a team for several years.

    The golf tourney is a great way for a young person who has made the not-so-easy decision to return to the Cape after college to feel connected to the community. My hope for next year’s tournament is not so much about my drives — it’s that next year I won’t still be the youngest participant on the course.

    MULLIGANS

    Thwarting Par at Eastham’s Devilish Cedar Bank Links

    A brief history of a marshy golf course that gobbled up balls and hosted clambakes

    By

    EASTHAM — Resting beneath the National Seashore’s Salt Pond Visitor Center is what used to be the ninth hole of the Cedar Bank Links golf course. The Eastham Town Hall sits atop the 12th hole, and the other 16 have been buried under the dunes and marshes rimming the pond and the Nauset Inlet. Willow Shire, who owns a place neighboring the old, white-chimneyed clubhouse, points out traces of bunkers, now carpeted by grasses and shrubs. The concrete rollers that once smoothed the greens remain in the high grass.

    GOLF

    Annual Eastham Tourney Is Back This Year

    By

    EASTHAM — The annual Eastham Golf Tournament, which raises funds for scholarships and other community programs, returns next week after a one-year hiatus, the chamber of commerce has announced. The event takes place at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster on Thursday, Sept. 16, with registration at noon and the shotgun start at 1 p.m. Golfers can arrange their own foursomes or ask to join others.

    An awards banquet with lobster and prime rib will follow at 6 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 10 McKoy Road, Eastham. The $125 entry includes greens fees, golf cart, and the banquet; for the banquet only, the price is $35. Prizes and a raffle are part of the program.

    It is the Eastham chamber’s only fundraising event of the year. The beneficiaries include the Betty Fleming Nursing Scholarship, awards for local undergraduates, a service trades “toolship,” Neighbors in Need, and various community events.

    For more information, contact Jim Russo, director of the chamber of commerce: [email protected].

    ON THE LINKS

    155 Hours of Golf. 9,845 to Go.

    Practice might not make perfect, but maybe it’s what makes the game

    By

    There’s a so-called rule, popularized by Malcom Gladwell in his bestseller Outliers: The Story of Success, that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. The rule has been debunked by many who’ve studied it. All that practice, it turns out, is not necessarily the way to become great at something.

    I don’t believe in the 10,000-hour rule for all activities, but I think it might be true for golf.

    I played at 12 different courses last year, with the average round lasting about five hours, so that’s 60 hours. At a few courses, I played multiple times. Figuring those rounds in, that would boost my practice time estimate to around 150 hours last year.

    When I picked up my clubs last year, I hadn’t played at all for seven or eight years. For the sake of clean data, I think it’s best I count the summer of 2020 as my starting point.

    The writer lines up his tee shot on the 9th hole at Chequessett in Wellfleet. (Photo Crash Pechukas-Simonian)

    Last month, I went out again for the first time this year, and I feel like those 150 hours, plus a few more played to date, have made me only a few iotas better than I was when I started.

    I’ve never played a harder sport.

    Basketball was the first sport I loved, and it came naturally to me. Of course, I practiced plenty and continued to improve as I got older, but as a kid playing basketball, it was easy to feel a step ahead of everyone else my age.

    Mentally, this is a very different challenge. I’m picking up golf later in life. I’m 25. And I’m finding it hard to compare myself to others. There are people my age who’ve put in a lot more hours than I have. And there are many much older than me who are still scoring better and better. It’s taking me longer to improve at this sport than any other I’ve played.

    I’ve also never been more addicted to a sport.

    Golf has me itching to play any free time that I have. I’m even passing up opportunities to play basketball to go golfing. That’s a statement I would never have thought of making just a few years ago.

    The pandemic changed my sports habits. Pickup basketball was nonexistent for a while, and I had to find new ways to exercise instead of going to the gym. At first, I thought this new sport was just going to be for fun, a stopgap. But over the course of one summer, things changed. Golf became a serious competitive sport that I’m now obsessing over.

    I’m not sure what it is exactly that has me feeling this way. Maybe it’s because golf offers so many chances at redemption. I’m watching videos. I’m going to the driving range to try and improve my swing. When I’m on the course, I’m trying to stay in a healthy mental state and focus solely on the club head hitting the ball.

    I used to think of golf as a boring, elitist old man’s game. It probably didn’t help that when I was 13, I spent a summer as a caddie at a private course in Brewster called Cape Cod National Golf Club.

    Unlike with most sports, in golf each arena you play in is different from the last. Basketball courts, baseball diamonds, and football fields offer the same playing surface, just in a different location. But each golf course is uniquely designed with different challenges that force you to think critically about your game on each hole.

    Golf skills seem to progress in parts. At this point, I am somewhat comfortable with putting and hitting fairway irons. Other parts of the game, like driving the ball off the tee or finessing a shot onto the green from a short distance, not so much.

    By the end of summer, I calculate I’ll have tacked on another couple hundred hours. Thus begins my pursuit of 10,000 hours of lifetime golf practice.

    I’ll report back, but, right now, I have to catch my tee time.

    BURNING BRIGHT

    ‘Tiger’: How Not to Wish Upon a Star

    A golfer’s injury inspires reflection

    By

    There is a certain tier of athletes I like to classify as “one-namers.” That means they’re recognizable by their first or last name only.

    LeBron, Brady, Jordan, Serena, Babe, and Gretzky are a few that come to mind. Oh, and Tiger.

    I recently watched a two-part documentary on HBO Max with a one-name title — Tiger. It delves into the life of golfer Tiger Woods. I watched it after it was reported on Feb. 23 that Tiger was in a serious car accident.

    When I first heard of the accident, I hoped Tiger would survive. Thoughts of Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash last year, came to mind, and I didn’t want another megastar athlete of my generation to experience such an early and tragic death.

    Other questions surfaced as well. Did Tiger suffer another relapse? Was he driving under the influence? Will he ever golf again?

    These are questions that people who know Tiger’s history couldn’t help but contemplate.

    Soon after the accident, it was reported that he had emerged from the wreck alive but suffered serious injuries to his right leg that required surgery. I put the story aside for a few days. I then watched the documentary and had a lot to reflect on.

    Last summer, the 10-part documentary The Last Dance gave a behind-the-scenes look at Michael Jordan’s illustrious basketball career with the Chicago Bulls.

    After watching it for the full eight-plus hours, I understood how Jordan was so successful, but I didn’t know anything more about him as a person than I did before I started.

    But after three hours of watching Tiger, I feel as if I truly learned about the person he is. I learned how he came to be Tiger.

    Earl Woods cared for his son Tiger deeply but viewed him almost as a savior or mythical figure, not as a son who needed ordinary parenting. Yes, Tiger was a golf prodigy. But his parents focused so much on his golf training, they forgot — or neglected — to help him grow into a healthy adult.

    He was thrust into the spotlight as a child, completely unprepared for the fame that his extraordinary talent brought. His father was militant about his golf training. There was so much emphasis on his game that everything else was pushed aside.

    Tiger quickly became the best golfer the world had ever seen. He had a lot of innocence when he was young, but that side of him vanished as he grew older and focused solely on winning tournaments. When things became too much for him, he delved into a different part of himself, which led to sex addiction, drugs, and poor life choices. His emotionally deprived upbringing made it impossible for him to succeed socially as he had professionally.

    Fans and media members pounced on Tiger’s downfall. They trashed him and made him out to be a villain, then switched gears and cheered him on when he came back to golf a year or so later. Why? Because he had become a performer again.

    Tiger made bad decisions, but the documentary made me realize how we, as a society, treat every megastar who comes along. We love to watch the rise of these athletes but, ultimately, feed on their demise so we can take them down to being mere mortals. We then wait for their rise out of the depths to cheer them on once again in the sports arena. But we never forget their faults.

    It’s as if they’re not human — that the sole purpose of their ups and downs is to entertain us.

    I felt selfish for even wondering whether I’d be able to watch Tiger golf again after his accident. Online comments mocked his addiction history.

    We hold athletes close to us, as if we know them, so when they struggle with addiction or experience a downfall, we should not bask in their misjudgments or wonder whether they’ll ever entertain us again. We should, instead, hope for and encourage them to improve as human beings.

    Let’s enjoy greatness when it’s here, while recognizing the humanity in all of us. The “one-namers” won’t live forever.

    NO CONTACT

    Fall Sports to Play in Two Seasons

    Football, cheerleading, and volleyball competition is pushed to February

    By

    EASTHAM — Nauset fall sports will be a completely different game this year.

    The Cape & Islands League Executive Board voted last week to allow boys golf, cross country, boys soccer, girls soccer, and field hockey to compete in the Fall I season, which will take place from Sept. 21 to Nov. 20.

    The board also voted to move football, cheerleading, and volleyball competition to the “Fall II” season, beginning on Feb. 22 and continuing through April 25.

    On Aug. 19, the Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) presented its modified high school sports season for 2020-21 that includes the two separate fall seasons.

    “The recommendations before us may not meet everyone’s expectations, but they provide a real opportunity for our students to take part in high school athletics for the first time in months,” MIAA President Jeff Granatino said in a statement.

    Nauset Regional High football players, here huddled in a photo taken last year, won’t be able to huddle again until at least February, during the newly approved “Fall II” season. (Photo Ryan Fitzgerald)

    The hope is that, by pushing football, cheerleading, and volleyball to the second fall season, competition in those close contact sports will be possible when February rolls around. And although soccer, golf, field hockey, and cross country will be played this fall, there will be some unusual limitations.

    The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released safety protocols for sports in July, which ranked sports in categories of “low,” “moderate,” or “high” risk. The category determines which of four levels of practice or play teams can look forward to.

    Level 1 includes individual or socially distanced group activities (no-contact workouts, aerobic conditioning, individual skill work, drills). Level 2 includes competitive practices (intra-team or group games, contact drills, and scrimmages). Level 3 includes competitions (inter-team games, meets, matches, races, etc.). Level 4 includes outdoor tournaments.

    Cross country and golf are “low risk” sports and can compete in all levels of play, while soccer and field hockey are “moderate risk” sports and eligible for Level 3 play, as long as certain modifications can be enforced.

    Players will have to adapt to these new rules. Cross-country runners will have staggered starts. In soccer, eliminating throw-ins, headers, and physical contact completely changes the game. Field hockey will not allow physical contact among players either, which is a normal part of the game. All players will be required to wear masks.

    Nauset Athletic Director John Mattson released information specific to Nauset Regional High School on Twitter last week.

    Even though Nauset football is scheduled for the Fall II season, the team will still participate in practice sessions, beginning Sept. 28 for two or three days a week, which can include only individual or socially distanced group activities. Cheerleading and volleyball will not attempt practice sessions until the Fall II season.

    Most teams will play 8 to 10 games, and each sport will have a league tournament at the end of the regular season, according to Mattson. Practice schedules and transportation guidelines are still being finalized. A virtual parent and athlete preseason meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.

    Mattson said in a statement that the health and safety of student athletes was the top priority. He added that “despite the glaring sport modifications, shortened season, and other challenges, we are excited to offer a fall sports program at Nauset Regional High School.”

    FAIRWAYS

    Golf Holds New Appeal and Old Lessons

    Playing regularly reveals more about the game, and life

    By

    Early on in the coronavirus “quarantine,” many people began new hobbies and activities, or revived old ones that they hadn’t participated in for years. Some people have exercised more or in new ways. Others took up sewing. I heard collecting baseball cards has been resurrected.

    A few friends and I, most of us in our 20s, have found something new — at least, new to us. We are playing golf consistently this summer for the first time in our lives. The experience is changing our view of the sport.

    In early spring, when courses were still closed, I spoke to a few avid players who admitted they were sneaking onto fairways to hit a few balls. At the time, I wondered what it would be like to want to play golf badly enough to get on the wrong side of the law.

    I got my first and only set of golf clubs when I was a teenager. My neighbor was an avid golfer and sold a set of his clubs to me at a yard sale for just $20. It was a generous deal, considering how expensive a decent set of clubs can be. But I had not used those clubs in at least six years when, this May, a couple of friends told me they were going golfing.

    Golf courses were among the first public areas to reopen in Massachusetts. As it turned out, here was one of the safest sports around, perfect for this pandemic because you can stay six feet apart throughout the game.

    “I took up golf as one of the few socially distant activities, and it turns out I like it,” said Crash Pechukas Simonian, one of the friends I’ve been playing with. He bought a membership at Chequessett in Wellfleet, where he lives, at the beginning of the summer and has been playing consistently.

    Nick Taber of Eastham tees off at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster. (Photo Ryan Fitzgerald)

    Nick Taber, a friend from Eastham, told me he has long enjoyed golf, “but it has always been a challenge to get on the course more than a couple times a year.” Now he makes the time to play regularly.

    So, I brought those clubs up from the basement, dusted them off and hit the links.

    My first game was bad. I had forgotten how hard golf actually is. It is not like riding a bike, it turns out.

    And I cannot blame the clubs. Although I hadn’t used them in years, they are still as good as new. It’s a mix-and-match bag that includes a Callaway driver and Top Flite putter. But the truth is, you really don’t need new clubs to play well.

    What it takes is persistence. Since that first game in May, I’ve continued to play almost every weekend this summer, and it’s taken me until now to feel comfortable with my swing. I’m still inconsistent.

    The sport requires consistency like no other I’ve played. And you have to keep at it for 18 holes. Shoot well for the first few holes and that’s good, but if the next few don’t go as well, your score starts to climb. Then you start to overthink the game.

    In basketball, even when I’m not on my game, there are times I can make the last two shots of the day for a win. When I miss a layup, I can rely on my teammates to hold their own and keep us in it. In golf, you’re your own team.

    “Something I love about golf,” Wellfleet’s Declan Mahedy-Carter told me, “is you can play completely alone. Nothing beats a round with your buddies, but if you were the last person on Earth you could still play nine holes.”

    In a time when travel is impossible, we’ve toured the Cape, playing Highland Links in Truro, Chequessett in Wellfleet, and courses in Brewster, Dennis, Yarmouth, Bourne, and Hyannis. It’s been a chance to appreciate some beautiful landscapes. And it’s fascinating to see how different courses are structured.

    Captains in Brewster is tucked away in the woods; Highland is on a cliff overlooking the ocean, while Chequessett is in marshy territory, with a few panoramic views of Wellfleet Harbor.

    Every one of them is set up to accommodate players’ need to keep safely distanced.

    My friends and I used to think golf was an old man’s game. But we are all 25 and we’re seeing lots of younger people playing. We’re seeing many women playing, too, often mothers and daughters together. One group of friends plays with a dad along.

    Maybe parents understand that golf offers “teaching moments.” It seems to be just about as enjoyable as it is frustrating. You can shoot the best you ever have on one hole and then take eight shots to get to the pin on the next hole. But maybe it’s making us see life differently.

    “I feel lucky to take in the fresh air and beautiful vistas at Chequessett, so even on the days when I can’t hit the ball straight, it’s still a success,” Pechukas-Simonian said. “There have been plenty of those days for all of us. Whether the round has gone well or badly, we keep going out.”

    GOING GREEN

    Fore! Golf Is Back

    Gov. Baker reopens golf courses with guidelines

    By

    Golfers can rejoice, as their green canvases have reopened. Gov. Charlie Baker announced on May 7 that golf courses, which had previously been required to close, could begin reopening across the state under certain guidelines.

    Since golf courses are still considered nonessential businesses, the only staff allowed on the premises are security and maintenance personnel, and they must wear face coverings. Caddies are not permitted.

    Highland Links in Truro
    A golfer lines up a putt on the 8th green at Highland Links in Truro on Monday afternoon. He wouldn’t give his name, saying he had skipped work-from-home duties and didn’t want to be recognized. (Photo Ryan Fitzgerald)

    Golfers must maintain social distancing and stay at least six feet apart. Groups are restricted to no more than four players. They must bring their own clubs, and either carry their own bags or use pull carts. The state is allowing the use of golf carts only for those with disabilities, and they must be cleaned and sanitized after each use.

    Course facilities such as the clubhouse, golf shop, restaurant, bag room, and locker room must remain closed.

    The full list of rules can be found at massgolf.org/play/safeplayguidelines/. All golf courses and golfers must abide by the state guidelines, but individual courses may enforce additional standards if they so choose.

    The Captains Golf Course in Brewster opened to members on May 8, Highland Links in Truro opened to the public on May 10, and the Chequessett Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet opened its nine-hole course on May 12 to members and will be open to the public starting May 18. Captains does not have a public opening date yet.

    “We’re glad we’re open,” said Jim Rondeau of Highland Links. Rondeau was managing the course on Monday. “We’re glad to see our old friends.”

    Highland Links, Truro
    Truro residents Mark Wisotzky, Carl Brotman, Fran Johnson, and Darrell Shed finish up a round at Highland Links. (Photo Nancy Bloom)

    There were a few groups of golfers out on the links on Monday afternoon before it began raining. For players, masks are encouraged but not required, and most golfers seen Monday were not wearing them while playing. Since social distancing is a natural part of the game, players were able to keep more than six feet apart with relative ease.

    “Personally, I haven’t golfed with more than four people at a time,” said Mike Warren of Orleans, adding that social distancing is not a problem for him. He is a frequent local golfer and happy to be able to get back on the course.

    Warren believes that courses could have been open the whole time. “If people were playing safely, practicing distancing, and not in big groups, I think it could have worked out fine,” he said. “They could have set up tee times maybe a half hour apart to be extra safe.”

    Reservations are required at the three local courses and payment must be made online. Practice facilities remain closed, and tee times are 15 minutes apart. According to state guidelines, flagsticks must remain in the holes, and hole liners must be raised so picking a ball out of the hole by hand doesn’t occur.

    Rondeau said that there’s no timeline set in stone for phasing everything back at Highland, which is considered the oldest links course in the U.S., having been founded in 1892. It is located in the Cape Cod National Seashore.

    “We’ll go by the governor, the town, and the Seashore — whatever they say, we’ll do,” Rondeau said.

    Mark O’Brien, director of operations at Captains, had previously told the Independent that he expected the phased approach to resuming golf operations that is being instituted now.

    “We are formulating plans and will work with the various town departments to make sure we are providing a safe environment,” O’Brien said.

    If you choose to play, be sure to visit the course website for specific guidelines and to make a reservation (Captains: captainsgolfcourse.com; Highland Links: highlandlinkscapecod.com; Chequessett: chequessettclub.com).

     

     

    MISSING LINKS

    Local Golfers Impatiently Wait to Tee Off

    Will courses open after May 18?

    By

    Teeing off at Highland Links
    Sarah Towne of Wellfleet tees off at the ninth hole at Truro’s Highland Links on Easter Sunday. (Photo Nancy Bloom)

    Golf has always been a game of patience. During the coronavirus crisis, it still is, but in a different sense: local golf courses have been closed since Gov. Charlie Baker’s shutdown of nonessential businesses on March 24 and will remain closed until at least May 18.

    “When it does resume, it will most likely be in phases,” said Mark O’Brien, director of operations at the Captains Golf Course in Brewster, via email. The course is owned and operated by the town.

    Those phases could include allowing course members only at first, a limit on the number of people on the course, or a limit on the capacity at the restaurant or pro shop.

    Early on in the closure, some golfers were spotted teeing off at local courses.

    “We have had a handful of people park on a street adjacent to the course and come onto the property, but the police department has been placing fliers on these vehicles informing them that this is not allowed, and that has pretty much taken care of the problem,” O’Brien said.

    Captains has blockades at the entrances to all its facilities, and signs informing people that they need to stay out. Email blasts were sent to members, and the course’s website makes it clear that it’s temporarily closed.

    “Thankfully, people have been respecting these directives,” O’Brien said. “We all know that the golfers want to get out there, but it’s all being done to keep our community safe.”

    Highland Links in Truro and the Chequessett Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet also remain closed, with website alerts to stay off the courses until further notice. The Links is operated by Johnson Golf Management in Harwich, which did not respond to phone calls or emails. Barbara Boone, Chequessett’s general manager and director of golf, also did not respond.

    Mass Golf and the “allied golf organizations of New England/Northeast” created the web page massgolf.org/covid19 to serve as a resource for golf courses and individual golfers during the pandemic. The group has lobbied for courses to safely reopen.

    So far, Connecticut and Rhode Island have allowed golf to reconvene under specific guidelines and restrictions, according to massgolf.org.

    Massachusetts is among eight states that won’t allow golf to be played and that have no announced re-opening date, though course maintenance is permitted.

    Golf is a socially distant game by nature. Whether it’s played in a group or individually, golfers don’t need to be near one another. The closest they might get is riding in a cart. Most regular players have their own clubs, though rental clubs are offered at some courses.

    Darren Wotherspoon of Wellfleet is an avid golfer and a Captains member. “Personally, subjectively, yeah, I think we can play golf,” he said. “But what precedent does that set? If we can play golf, then can we play tennis?”

    Wotherspoon thinks that when courses re-open, their pro shops and restaurants would need to stay closed. Fees could be paid online or by phone. He suggested that golfers not use carts and walk the course instead.

    “I love walking,” said Wotherspoon. But “there’s an issue of the elder population that plays, which is a big population around here. That kind of makes it hard for them.”

    The financial impact the closure has had on both private and municipal courses could be significant.

    “Our original revenue projections for the last quarter of our fiscal year, April to June, were approximately $1.5 million,” O’Brien said. “We expect that these revenues will be reduced by at least half.”

    He expects the course will have a deficit for the year. Six golf events have been canceled through June, though two were rebooked for later in the year. Smaller reservations have been canceled, and some rebooked, as well.

    O’Brien said he expects membership to be off but is uncertain by how much: “It’s hard to say where we will end up.”

    And so, for now, golf remains a game of patience.

     

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