Unmasters – Moments

The Unmasters featured some incredible golfers.  Some played well – others poorly.  Over twenty-five years dozens of different men engaged  in the competition. We all brought our families or significant others.  Some joined us for a year and never returned.  Others played year after year.

Rick “Rowdy” Lane founded the Unmasters.  JB and  I played in the greatest number.  Rick sought greener pastures and new challenges, while I made the arrangements to carry on the tradition.

Our twenty-five years produced a plethora of memorable moments.   Here are a few.

The South Wind

Our group of golfers and their families stayed at a resort called The South Wind.  Our original stay took place in the spring of 1981.  We returned there for over twenty years.  We booked our stay for one Unmasters before the one we were playing ended.

The original South Wind was a beach front condo resort with an on site restaurant, pool, putting green, shuffle board court and basketball hoop.   Ruth and I could have purchased a condo during our first visit for $52,000.  We didn’t have $50 to spare so we passed on the opportunity.

The amenities changed over the years but we returned year after year because we liked the “feel” of the resort.  We met two men during our first trip, Charles and John Henry, who became a part of the reason for our return.  They took care of the grounds, helped to tote luggage, and served as bartenders for the welcome “happy hour” that the South Wind hosted.   John Henry moved on to other employment, but Charles stayed and grew older with us.

The South Wind was sold to another developer in the early 2000’s.  We stayed during one of the final weeks that the original building stood.  After learning of the plans to teardown the old to put up the new, Ruth bought a new set of silverware to swap out with an original set that featured a bamboo design.  We use that set in our Florida home.  She also spoke to Charles and he allowed her to remove the condo identification number “409” from our final stay.  The South Wind was demolished within ten days of our final visit and the new South Wind was built.

There are two condos for sale today at the South Wind.  One can be purchased for $439,000 while the second ocean-facing condo can be purchased for $639,900.   Makes me wish that I had more that $50 in 1981.

John Henry 

During one of our stays we had an odd number of participants in the Unmasters.   The odd number was filled either  by other non-Unmaster golfers assigned by the respective golf course or we played with an odd number.

John Henry had moved on from the South Wind and was working as the manager of one of the many local restaurants.  We ate at the restaurant one evening and after reminiscing for a time, we invited John Henry to join our group for a day.   After some coaxing, he accepted.

John Henry joined us the next day.  He partnered  with one of our senior members, Buck, and rode in a golf cart with him.  While we thought nothing of having a black golfing companion, the folks at the golf course were surprised to see John Henry become a part of a group of white guys from Michigan.

As we set out towards the first hole, a group of black workers blocked the path that led to the hole.  They allowed the white members of our group to proceed but interfered with the passage of Buck and John Henry.   John Henry said nothing, but Buck told the workers to “step aside”.   “My friend and I have eighteen holes to play and we’re up.”

They complied with Buck’s directive.

Playing with Girls

The largest group of golfers that we had over our many years was ten.  Having ten required us to play as a two-some at least once during our stay.   We rotated the two-some and had them tee off last.  Rick and I were the two-some when we played Marsh Harbour in the Calabash area of North Carolina.

We always tried to get out early so that we could spend time with our families in the afternoon.  On this particular morning Rick noted that some women were unloading their cars as we were unloading ours.

“They’re not letting women play this early in the day, are they?”  Rick was facing the guys when he asked the question.  What he didn’t know was one of the “about to be playing women” was standing right behind him.

She said, “Yes, they are.”

Marsh Harbour, like most of the MB courses, had players tee off from both the 1st and 10th tee.  This allowed for the most number of rounds each day.  On this day our groups were teeing off  on number 10, a 410 yard parr four.  Like all of the other days, our two-some of Rick and I teed off last.

As we prepared to hit our first shot on our opening hole, the group of woman who Rick had inquired about in the parking lot pulled up behind us.  We took a few practice swings to get loose while our two foursomes teed off.

When it was our turn on the tee, Rick pulled a four iron from his bag and gave it a swing or two.

“Rick, this hole is 410 yards.  Why are you using an iron?”

He gave a quick reverse nod of his head towards the women and said, “I gotta get off this tee safely.”  He proceeded to duck hook his opening shot about twenty-five yards without reaching the fairway.

I hit my opening drive and drove up so that he could hit his second shot.

“Keep driving.”

“Your ball’s right here.”

Rick looked straight ahead and spoke from the corner of his mouth, “Keep driving.   I’m not hitting a shot from here with those ladies behind us.”

I drove forward and he dropped a second ball near my drive.  As I was preparing to hit my second shot, a ball came flying in from behind.  Rick’s “women” were hitting into us.

Rick and I played as quickly as we could.  The women never let up.  They hit whenever they were ready, and we sought safety from their constant barrage throughout the remainder of our round.  Rick and I  took turns watching for incoming golf balls while our playing companion swung his club.

In all the rounds that I played with Rick, and there have been many, I never heard him speak about woman golfers again.

TBC