5th Annual Saul Shootout for The George Cup: October 17, 2015

[Wade Whitehead]

The 5th Annual Saul Shootout for The George Cup V will be contested at Ballyhack Golf Club on Saturday, October 17, 2015.  Attendees are invited to stay and play from Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18.

The George Cup has been held by a [sort of] long line of [sort of] prestigious champions, including:
     2011 Jason Williams
     2012 Andy Hughes
     2013 Kevin Lynch
     2014 Tommy Williamsen

As you may recall, 2014 runner-up Jim Sherma is enjoying the fruits of Tommy's victory as an honorary Ballyhack member this year.  I hear he's already making arrangements to visit with friends this spring!

Twelve on-site rooms will be available for Friday and Saturday night.  Entry to this year's event will be paid through a flat fee, which will cover golf and food (plus lodging for those staying on-site).  More details, including a registration link, will be announced later.

I hope our former participants - and any additional GCAers who are interested in seeing Ballyhack surrounded by spectacular fall colors - will consider the opportunity.

Thanks very much.

WW

[Chris DeNigris]

Did they move Yom Kippur to that weekend?

[Wade Whitehead]

Chris: I expect Andy to dominate, don't you?

WW

[Brian Finn]

I want to participate this year. Please count me in! 

[Jim Sherma]

I am in for October! This year I plan on doing one spot better. Please put me down for lodging on site.

I made it down in December and am heading back with a crew from Hershey in a few weeks. I would love to host some GCA guys in the summer although I do not have the dates planned yet. If there are folks that would like to be kept in the loop as I figure out the schedule please IM me so that I can include you in the planning emails.

[Scott Weersing]

I am in. I am looking forward to the great fall colors that we will have at this time of the year.

Last year, we had great 20 mph winds! We had a hard time hitting the par 3, no. 13 with 3 woods or drivers.

[Chris DeNigris]

Chris: I expect Andy to dominate, don't you?

WW

Wade- I think Andy will be back with a vengeance- a mensch possessed.

[Andrew Bernstein]

I am new to GCA (or old, depending if you give me credit for my participation in the late 90s), but would love to join.

[Kevin Lynch]

Going to be pushing the marital harmony boundaries keeping my perfect attendance alive.  Have a trip scheduled to Bandon on October 25th (50th Birthday for Ron M) and my anniversary is October 18th.

But the wife knows how much the George Cup means to me, so you can count me in to reclaim my precious trophy and return it to its appropriate level of adoration.  I sense the poor thing is being taken for granted by Tommy W, as I've yet to see a single picture of any George Cup adventures. By this time in last year's reign, the Cup had visited Niagara Falls, paraded down Bourbon Street, taken photo opportunities with the Payne Stewart Statue at Pinehurst and rested on the Pine Crest Inn mantle next to Donald Ross.

[Wade Whitehead]

Kevin:

The George Cup was probably exhausted.

I'll bet Tommy is counseling it out of a year of revelry and immorality.

Really hope you can make it.  Would it help if I had the tournament committee pen a letter?

WW

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Count me in, would like to stay onsite as well.

[Andy Hughes]

Kevin, as the Challenge Belt was retired after Tommy Morris won the Open 3 years in a row, so I was 'retired' by the George Cup Committee after thoroughly decimating the field.  It seems my ban has been lifted so your odds of reclaiming your (asterisk) trophy are slim (PS That's a helluva October you have lined up!)

Is it true Chris D. has stolen my lovely George Cup bottle that Wade had made for former champions?

[Wade Whitehead]

Andy: Does this mean you're in?

And please don't tell me you never got your milk jug.

WW

[Kevin Lynch]

Wade / Andy,

I believe Andy's milk jug was entrusted with Chris, assuming they'd get together at some point. But I did send Andy a picture of it - so he has that going for him. 

Re: Andy's "retirement" by the committee - I suspect the exclusion was motivated by his use of a cheater putting method rather than concern over his talent domination.  I'm looking forward to the chance to settle it on the course this fall.

[Bill_McBride]

Wade, please put me down as a strong maybe interested in staying on site.  Love the fire pit with a good single malt. 

Aren't you worried about the terrible weather we had for the Dixie Cup over approximately the same dates a couple of years ago?   I really got burned by that schedule.   Lester warned me but oh no, I wouldn't listen!

[Wade Whitehead]

Gents:

Believe it or not, I claimed earliest available fall dates.  Virginia Tech home football games, a couple of member events, and fall aerification conspired to push us a couple of weeks later than some might like.

I wanted to give the ground time to recover from being punched and I wanted all three cottages to be available for my guests.  October 17 it is!

WW

[Chris DeNigris]

Wade- I'm in like Finn.

I'd like to stay onsite- preferably in the goat hut.

Don't know nuttin about any milk bottle??  Especially if it's for Andy.

Kevin- how would you rank your October events in order of importance/significance?

Bill- hope you can make it- historically we suffer from firepit apathy- we need to fix that.

[Kevin Lynch]

I'm optimistic about the weather.  That Dixie Cup was a few weeks later  (10/29), and we had great luck this same weekend in 2012. 

Chris - I hope you're kidding (or having a senior moment) about the Milk Bottle Trophy, unless we sent it along with JWill.  Looked at our e-mails from Saturday night and the plan was to send it your way.

October is loaded with significant events, with wife's B-Day (10th), Anniversary (18th) and work deadlines (15th).  Those are all huge, but I'm not losing my perfect attendance at the Shootout, and the Mrs. is on board.  The Bandon Trip has been in the works for several years, so that's a go.

[Jonathan Mallard]

I told Wade that I'm planning on attending again as well.

It's a great event and a lot of fun.

[Unless someone new wants my spot.]

[Chris DeNigris]

Relax- I still have the precious little milk jug.      I'm going to make the official presentation to Andy whenever I see him next - he's declined a few recent golf invites- citing "family priorities" (how lame).  Turns out it was waaaay harder than I thought to change the etching on that thing.  It's still in one piece but anyone he shows it to will wonder who Chrndy DeNughes is.

[Andy Hughes]

Andy: Does this mean you're in?

And please don't tell me you never got your milk jug.

WW

In!  Staying onsite please--someone has to make sure Kevin staggers back to the correct cottage

[Andy Hughes]

Did they move Yom Kippur to that weekend?

You're a bad, bad man...

[Tommy Williamsen]

Going to be pushing the marital harmony boundaries keeping my perfect attendance alive.  Have a trip scheduled to Bandon on October 25th (50th Birthday for Ron M) and my anniversary is October 18th.

But the wife knows how much the George Cup means to me, so you can count me in to reclaim my precious trophy and return it to its appropriate level of adoration.  I sense the poor thing is being taken for granted by Tommy W, as I've yet to see a single picture of any George Cup adventures. By this time in last year's reign, the Cup had visited Niagara Falls, paraded down Bourbon Street, taken photo opportunities with the Payne Stewart Statue at Pinehurst and rested on the Pine Crest Inn mantle next to Donald Ross.

Kevin the George Cup is safe, albeit a bit cold.

[Tim Pitner]

Thanks, Wade, I will definitely try to make it.  It's a great event, despite the unwieldy name.

[Wade Whitehead]

Tim: Originally, it was

The Visa Saul Shootout for The George Cup presented by MasterCard

but I couldn't secure the necessary agreements.

WW