John Lieser's Column is reprinted here courtesy of the St. Cloud Times
After a week of drenching rain, Friday dawned calm, clear and sunny. Aware that a popular golf tournament was being played at GreyStone Golf Club in Sauk Centre, I motored to the boyhood home of 1930 Nobel prize winner Sinclair Lewis to find out why this tournament is a favorite for retired baseball players from the Stearns County League.
The Stearns County League started in 1950 and has baseball teams in 10 small Central Minnesota towns (New Munich, Spring Hill, Roscoe, Farming, Elrosa, Meire Grove, Greenwald, Lake Henry, St. Martin and Richmond) in the county. Baseball is still big in these small farm towns but when advancing age starts to show, the sport these former players take up what farmers called “pasture pool” -- golf.
When I arrived at noon, the 36 teams were already on the course. Standing by the putting green, a player called and said, “Hey Lieser, what are you doing here. I said doing a story on why this tournament is so popular.” He added. “We are short one player, get your clubs and join us.”
Getting to the 10th tee, I was introduced to the other five players -- an oil geologist from Texas named Mike, a convenience store owner from Lino Lakes named Lenny, a construction supervisor from Circle Pines named Tim, a retired math teacher from Montevideo named Dave, and a retired farmer from Paynesville named Steve. And I asked them their last names. They responded in unison: "Lieser!"
It turned out to be a fun-filled six hours of watching errant shots, searching for lost balls, and pleading for putts to fall . The Lake Henry Lieser Team 2 shot a 65 scramble score to lose by six shots to the Richmond Lieser team’s 59.
The scores were immaterial. What made the tournament memorable was the verbal banter among former players who meet once a year to play golf, imbibe a few beers, eat a pork chop dinner, and reminisce, exchange and embellish baseball stories from bygone years.
I learned more about history of the first German immigrants who arrived in Stearns County before the Civil War (Michael and Frances Koller Lieser) than I ever could have from reading lineage or genealogy books.
As for the history of the tournament, it has been played annually on the last Friday in June for 19 years. It has never been canceled due to weather.
The event is a herculean undertaking by former Meire Grove native Dave Schneider, with considerable help from Richmond’s Dave Dols. The 187 golfers present gave both men high praise for the how efficiently the tournament was run.
Moreover, head professional Tim Sanborn and his friendly staff, along with a GreyStone golf course that was in marvelous shape added, to the pleasure for all of the participants.
The event rotates around the county and next year the event will be at Koronis Hills in Paynesville, followed by Albany Golf Club, and then to Rich Spring Golf Club in Cold Spring. For many years, the entry fee has remained at $50.
When the first tournament was played in 1992, it attracted 33 players. Organizers hope to attract 216 next year. From the standpoint of revenue, this event is clearly the most lucrative one-day tournament for all the four clubs. GreyStone was handed a check this year for nearly $7,700.
I was delighted to witness this event, considering that my baseball career ended when Freeport dropped out of the Stearns County League in 1959. Subsequently, my interest turned from baseball to golf.
But a chance to meet people who have the same last surname, to spend six hours getting to know them is what this golf tournament can provide. Camaraderie and friendship among retired baseball players, rather than competition is the main motivation for this annual gathering.
That’s why this tournament is so popular. That’s why it will return to Paynesville on June 29, 2012, for its 20th anniversary.
GOLF NOTES:
Each spring, GolfWeek magazine comes out with its top 10 public courses you can play in Minnesota. Here is the 2011 list
1. Giants Ridge (Quarry), Biwabik
2. Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Tower
3. Jewel GC, Lake City
4. Meadows at Mystic Lake, Prior Lake
5. StoneRidge. Stillwater
6. Deacon’s Lodge, Brainerd
7. Dacotah Ridge, Morton
8. The Classic at Madden’s, Brainerd
9. Rush Creek, Maple Grove
10. Legends Club, Prior Lake
The annual “Collins” senior golf tournament will be contested at the Rich Spring GC on Friday, July 22. This hugely popular event fills quickly so it’s imperative to sign up soon. One must be at least 50 years old. Flights are determined by USGA handicap index. Entry fee is $50 and that fee includes golf, range, prizes and lunch following the golf. To enter call the club at (320) 685-8810 or by e-mail: richspringgolf@mywdo.com.
The St. Cloud Kiwanis Club has been in existence since 1921 and its volunteer members have been active for 90 years in altruistic endeavors that enhance the well-being of the St. Cloud area. Your support is needed as the club will host a golf tournament on Monday, July 25, at the St. Cloud CC. Entry fee is $90 per player and that fee includes golf, cart, and a dinner following the golf.
Registration opens at 11:00 a.m. and the tournament commences with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Contact Art Grachek at (320) 253-4300 or e-mail him: afgrachek@stcloudstate.edu to enter individually or for more details.
If you are into reading about golf as well as playing, here are some books I recently read that might be of interest: Golf Magazine’s “The Best Putting Instruction Book Ever;” “The Timeless Swing,” by Tom Watson with Nick Seitz; “The Art of The Swing” by Stan Utley; “Play Your Best Golf Now,” by Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott with Ron Sirak; “Four Days in July: Tom Watson—The 2009 Open Championship And a Tournament for the Ages," by Jim Huber; and “Golf List Mania,” by Leonard Shapiro & Ed Sherman.
The Sauk Centre CC hosted its annual Father’s Day Shortstop on June 19 and here are the winners:
Championship Flight -- Jordan Priem (-3)
First Flight -- Mike Sunderman
Second Flight -- Dennis Priem
Third Flight -- Jerry Zeimet
Speaking of Father’s Day, all golfers who watched Rory McIlroy overwhelm the field in the U.S. Open can emulate his play in three ways. First, his swing had one supreme ingredient -- exquisite balance throughout. Second is the way he plays the game, showing little emotion. Finally, his pace of play is exemplary. Once he gets over a shot, he plays the shot within 10 seconds of addressing the ball. Players of any age can model their golf with the three visible attributes of this precocious 22-year old golfer.
Albany’s Tim Thelen made his debut on the European senior tour in Germany a stirring success June 17-19. Welshman, Ian Wosnam, the 1991 Masters Champion, shot 66 in the final round to win the Berenberg Bank Master event. Thelen shot 65-74-72--211 to place third and pocket 28,000 Euros, which translates into roughly $37, 800.
In Thelen’s second event, the Van Lanschot Senior Open at The Royal Haagsche Golf & Country at The Hague, Netherlands (last week), he finished tied for second (72-69-71--212) and made $21,250 Euros, or approximately $32,000 American. He has moved up to 22nd on the European Senior Tour money list now, with 59,250 euros to his credit.
If those two showings on the European Senior Tour (the equivalent of $69,800) don’t earn him a sponsor’s exemption in the upcoming 3M Tournament (August 1-7), Minnesota golf fans will be shortchanged.
In a phone call to 3M tournament director, Hollis Cavner, he told me that Thelen is on a short list of eight potential players who will get sponsor exemptions. One of those players is a former U.S. Open champion. I pleaded his case and hope he gets one of the three coveted exemptions.
Spending last Wednesday (June 22) at Wapicada GC during the rainy MGA Men’s Amateur qualifying round reinforced my opinion that from the blue tees, Wapicada is a superb test. Local area golfers who qualified for the 108th State Amateur Championship at White Bear Yacht Club (July 18-20) are the following: Charlie Braniff (71) Robert Bell (71), Daryl Schomer (75), Rick Frieburg (76), and Tyler McMorrow (78). An interesting statistic showed that no golfer broke par (35) on the front nine and only three broke par (37) on the back nine.
Alexandria’s Ben Vangsness shot 107 to win the Koronis Hills shortstop in Paynesville on Sunday. I was playing with St. Cloud CC member Stefan Freeman when he lofted a perfect 9-iron on the 147-yard 13th hole to record the first ace of his golfing career. Kudos! The first flight winner was Gary Nelson.
Koronis Hills course has some construction going on to improve the course. St. Cloud CC head professional Craig Thomsen is a consultant on the renovation. Two of the major projects are a new back tee on the second hole, which will increase the length from 293 yards to 368, and bigger green for the 16th hole.
The Four-Ball tournament at Tianna CC in Walker last weekend was won in a playoff by the team of cousins Joe and Mike Sauer. Their score for 27 holes was 31-35-30--96, and they eagled the first playoff hole to prevail.
Tournaments on tap in the next two weeks are the following:
Saturday: 4th of July Tournament at Monticello CC
Sunday: Mora Shortstop
July 9: Izzy Cup @ The Vintage GC in Staples
Jgl843@charter.net
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