AC-X, Spring 2003
"Serenity"
"The Woods Resort" in Hedgesville, WV was so accomodating last year that we returned for 2003, sans Paul who was struck down by severe tendonitis and received absentee scores for bowling and golf.
The Summary? Tom, Kevin, and Derek arrived on Sunday June 8 and played three rounds consecutive days on the scenic, but quite soggy Mountain View course. Who would have guessed they would end up in the exact accommodations as last year? Tom dominated all three rounds and breezed to the lion's share of golf points. Kevin again took tennis, though he was pushed to a tiebreaker to retain that trophy. Derek displayed strong hoops skills and surprisingly good keggling (with house ball and shoes). When all the points were tallied, Tom came out on top by the second closest margin in ACUP history - less than a point over 2nd place Derek.
Day 1, Sunday: We arrived in plenty of time for our 1 pm tee time and were able to get off early. Tom's strong front 9 held up and he breezed to a 5 stroke net victory, securing (formally) the master bedroom Kevin and Derek had (precognitively?) delegated to him. After dinner in the on-site pub, the three began the hoops competition outside, then moved indoors as daylight waned, only to be evicted promptly at 9 pm with more shots pending. Derek held a lead, but the competition would not be completed until day 2. Standings at the end of day 1: none.
Day 2, Monday: This was an extremely full day. After a filling bacon-and-eggs breakfast at the townhouse, our trio again showed up in plenty of time for their 9 am tee time, but were asked to take on a fourth player. Tom again got off to a quick lead and was never threatened during the round, while Derek and Kevin struggled to maintain composure with the "guest" player present. On hole 14, Derek pushed his tee shot far right, into the back yard of a fairway home, where it tricked up to the concrete slab of the residence. As the foursome departed the tee box, a housecoat-cladden "Grumpy Old Woman" emerged from the house, strutted to the ball, snatched it quickly and jammed it into her pocket. Apparently her realtor never explained what a golf course was. Tom played a great -1 net round, while the others were merely happy they hadn't used any foul language, as Tom revealed that our 4th was a former minister... Paul's absentee score was good for second in stroke play!
After snacking a bit back at the house, it was off to Martinsburg (WV), home of Pikeside Bowl, where the ACUP crew would use handicaps for the first time. Since Derek forgot his equipment, he picked up a house ball with the name "LEW" inscribed on it, as well as a pair of smelly rental shoes. Tom bowled a nice 181 in game one, but Derek finished with an improbable 211, taking net as well as gross. He took games two and three also, while Tom and "absentee" Paul tied for game four. Derek took the first place trophy.
The guys had a GREAT dinner at the Martinsburg Ruby Tuesday's, where Happy Hour prices were in full effect (2 for 1!). Satiated, they returned to The Woods and completed the hoops competition, where Derek held on to his lead. Tennis was up next, and they opted to remain outdoors where they were pleasantly surprised to learn the courts were lit by coin-operated timers. Kevin and Tom faced off in the first match, while Derek tracked down quarters. Kevin's solid ACUP play continued and he downed Tom in two sets. Owing to the humidity, Derek and Kevin played a "split" match, with Kevin taking the first set 6-0. Then Tom and Derek played their full match fairly evenly, with Derek winning in two sets. Then, a cooled-down and tightened-up Kevin returned to the courts and dropped the second set to Derek 6-2, forcing a tiebreaker, which Kevin won easily to take the tennis trophy. Tired, but with the lucrative match-play golf still remaining, it was back to the house for beer and munchies. Standings at the end of Day 2: Derek 25, Tom 21.5, Kevin 20, Paul 10.5.
Day 3, Tuesday: Rising early for massive cheese omelettes, but getting the benefit of a late checkout, the guys showed up at the course just before tee-time where they met an anxious starter who had been looking for them earlier. Unbeknownst to the crew, a Lady's League was playing that morning. The linksters raced to hole one and quickly got off, only to catch the "feminine" group in front of them very quickly -- who proceeded to play the rest of the round v e r y s l o w l y. Tom again played consistently, finishing with the low net round a third time, and when Derek failed to sink his six foot put on the final hole, Tom secured his first ACUP title! Final Standings: Tom 31.17, Derek 30.33, Kevin 25.17, Paul 13.33.
ACUP XI will be held at Carroll Valley Resort (Fairfield, PA) in summer 2004.
