This just in! John has posted his odds for MB09. Place your bets now. 1. Jeff 2-1 (You just can't ignore Jeff's dominance over the years in the early tournaments (MB and the Lobsterfest)) 2. Vince 3-1 (18.2 index...gets two strokes on some holes, will be a team best ball lottery pick) 3. Steve 4-1 (Lowest handicap for a reason, if he keeps the ball in play off the tee, will be a major contender.) 4. John 5-1 (Handicap is finally right, but the fear of houses on the golf courses could be all she wrote...other than a check for the window) 5. Base 6-1 (Whiskey bent and hell bound, hit the ball very well at the dome....) 6. Kern 7-1 (His machine gun approach to practice and his mad skills around the green could pay off big) 7. Rich 7-1 (No longer has the big handicap, will need to make putts and curb the mother nature) 8. Tom 8-1 (Still counting rounds from 2007, a little Woodford might help shake the rust, as well as some other things..)

Finishing Order and Room Selections 1. John Kempton, 299, +11, Master Bedroom 2. Richard Jenks, 301, +13, The other downstairs bedroom 3. Tom Kirk, 310, +22, Top of stairs with semi-private shitter 4. Steve Hawley, 316, +28, South street front, private shitter 5. Jeff McCorkle, 319, +31, North street front, private shitter 6. Scott Basinger, 323, +35, Poolside suite (pool table, that is) 7. Vince Resor, 337, +59, Room with door 8. Scott Kern, 341, +63, Nemo Suite

Ocean Boulevard Villas will host the CMGC again in 2008 after spectacular reviews in 2007. Everyone in their own bedroom, ample space for all, fabulous kitchen, large balcony, covered parking, elevator, hot tub, grill, good location (the link is a map) and a fair price. In place of 2008's eBay auction for first choice of rooms, the order of finish from 2008 dictated the selection order for 2009. John posted the lowest net total in 2008 and selected the master bedroom, Richard choose the other downstairs room, and so on. While less dramatic than the auction format from last year, it is far simpler and puts a premium back on playing well. The table at right shows the selections. Site statistics confirm that our draft was second only to the 2008 NFL draft. Nice job guys.

There will be a few new wrinkles to the wagering that everyone should be aware of. The entry fee will remain at $50 for 2009. Each day will have a EMIAD Best Ball with no repeat winners. Ties will be decided on the course by a sudden death playoff when allowed, and by regression from the 18th hole when not possible. Each day there will be a closest to the pin winner on each par 3. Unpaid par 3s will be paid to the last par 3 winner. There will be a 72 hole skins competition handicapped at 80% with unpaid carryovers being being paid to the last skin winner. And think hard about picking up before playing out a hole. If you take an X, you get 8th choice in 2010. Most Xs gets last choice, ties are broken by the remaining net score. Fortunately none of the rooms are losers.

The 2009 Myrtle Beach tour kicks off Friday at Brunswick Plantation where we are scheduled to play the Magnolia and Dogwood nines. The Magnolia Golf Course is reminiscent of the links of Scotland. The water holes test your skill, and the heavily mounded and bunkered holes are tough, but reachable. The Dogwood Golf Course meanders along the waters of the Caw Caw Run among hardwood trees. The wide-open design presents scenic landscapes and allows each golfer the opportunity to hit every club in the bag.

Glen Dornoch is a unanimously requested repeat course from a couple years ago. The awards it has received are impressive: Top 22 Courses in South Carolina, Golf World, October 2008. Top 20 Course in South Carolina, Top 10 in Myrtle Beach, Golf Magazine, September 2008. Top Ten Course in South Carolina, Zagat's 2008 America's Top Golf Courses. Places to Play and 4 1/2 Star Rating, Golf Digest 2005. Top 25 Courses in South Carolina, Golf Digest 1998. Top 10 Courses in Myrtle Beach, Golf Digest 1997. Clyde Johnston designed a winner that welcomed its first players in September of 1996. The 270-acre site is blessed with a dense stand of oaks, pines, and magnolias. Coastal golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area are usually rather flat but this site has several natural 35-foot elevation changes, which slope down to South Carolina's most beautiful stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Hopefully we are all sufficiently acclimated by the time we reach day three and play The Dunes Club. This classic golf course was built in 1948 and is recognized as one of Robert Trent Jones finest designs; far better we hope than Waterway Hills. Since its inception, The Dunes Club has proved to be a world class course, offering the best in golf and member services. Jones changed the original course design in 1976 with modifications to holes 3, 4, 11, 15, and 18. Each hole has its own descriptive name to give golfers an idea of what to expect before they tee off. Waterloo”, hole 13, is the signature hole of the Dunes Course. Famous worldwide, is a legendary hole where Lake Singleton comes into play. “Waterloo” has received every accolade and award as one of the greatest golf holes in the world.

Our final MB09 round takes us north to Woodland Valley. We played this course from the senior tees several years ago shortly after it opened. Fortunately they have revised their scorecard and we are now playing from the right set of tees. Woodland Valley Country Club is set in the lowcountry woodlands just outside of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The golf course is a modern Russell Breeden design. Woodland Valley is a Par 72 layout measuring 6405 yards from the blue tees. Breeden has strategically placed bunkers and lakes to allow for a fun and challenging round of golf. Woodland Valley is the first course, in the Myrtle Beach area, to feature Jensen Ultra Dwarf greens. Should be a good test for the final day.

After nearly two decades of planning and packing you'd think it would be pretty rote by now, but new airline rules like pay per bag mean rethinking your luggage. My plan is to load virtually everything into the Sarcophagus and carry the rest in a small carry-on. Don't forget the TSA's rules for what can go on the plane. Of course the drivers are free of that burden and are deciding whether or not to take gaming consoles and Crock Pots. There are pros and cons of each. My flight leaves Columbus at 7:00 am and that puts us on the Grand Strand in plenty of time for a practice round if Mother Nature cooperates. See you there.

I moved the 2008 Recap Edition down here for now; enjoy!

Yes, it has been quite a year; one which marked the passing of an era. Gone are the carefree days of 10-6 shifts, never-missed weekly Golf Meetings, rounds missed only when courses are closed and a near-complete dedication to golf. In their place resides a far different yet equally attractive life. It is a life both filled with family and consumed by career development. It is a stage of life when many give up the game altogether in recognition of the many other priorities. So far few CMGC members have fallen completely off the map, although some have grown scarce on weekend mornings. Among the changes are those found on these pages. The CMGC Website was once updated religiously with minutes from every Golf Meeting and tournament updates the morning after the event. Today the CMGC is proud to publish an annual review page. The Recap Edition not only highlights the events of the 2008 CMGC season, but also previews the first big events of 2009: The North Coast Golf Show and Myrtle Beach 18. Enjoy!

John Kempton won the 17th annual classic. There was good coordination on the trip with all flying into Wilmington. Myrtle Beach 2008 began with flight delays in Philly, but everyone arrived safely. A doom and gloom forecast rearranged the schedule so we played the day 1 course, The Thistle, on arrival day and a belated practice round at Azalea Sands on Friday. World Tour was a unanimous favorite. Next was Prestwick and we finished at Farmstead.	After a close vote, Buck Ridge hosted the 2008 Lobsterfest. Steve Hawley won the tournament after a tight round featuring numerous lead swaps among Steve, Vince, Jeff and Richard. Steve parred the last 5 holes and won comfortably. Vince was close until hitting a windmill. Course handicaps for Buck Ridge: Steve = 9 Jeff = 11 John = 13 Vince = 15 Scott K = 16 Scott B = 18 Rich = 18
Few courses offer the challenge golfers face at Players Club. We think Scott K won, but no one can recall for sure. Steve offered the following odds for the 2008 Challenge. 4-1 Vid, playing well and getting a load of shots 6-1 Vince, course is wide open and taylored to his game 8-1 Jeff, Hitting it straight and putting fairly well 10-1 Steve, loves the course; usually doomed to someone playing well 12-1 John, depends on how many clubs ty steals 14-1 Bass, has the game but mulch back has cost him some rounds	The Bob Harris Memorial at The Phoenix came down to a playoff after Jeff and Steve tied through 18 holes. Steve won by a stroke after a 2 hole playoff.
Ed Hawley Bachelor Open. Whiskey and alot of food for a good cause. The A Team (Vince, Scott K, Tom, and Jeff) had fun but finished out of the money. Things started ominously when Tom shanked his driver into his own golf cart. The team of Base, Steve, and Ed didn't do any better.	The 2008 Club Championship returned to Champions. Jeff McCorkle took the overnight lead with a 79 on Saturday and held on with an 89 on the second day to win by 2 strokes over Scott B. Steve, Tom, and Scott K rounded out the final group and all were nearly in a dead heat through 15. Jeff parred 16 and 17 to regain a lead and bogeyed 18 to secure the win.