James E. Vos Tourney: Blizzard of 1990

For its first three years the James E. Vos Memorial Tournament has traditionally been held the first full week after the week of Memorial Day, around June 8-10. A little known bit of history is the first three years saw the tournament played in mid-May to take advantage of ultra-cheap golf rates.

That all ended in 1990--the year of the blizzard.

In three short years the tournament had grown from four people, to eight, to now, twelve in 1990. That year we said, "goodbye" to one-timer, John Anema, but welcomed five new tournament invitees: Steve Elenbaas (coming from Detroit), Tom Buteyn, Jeff Tanis, Dave Tanis, and Dick Anema (see picture above). Returning were founders Rice, Vos, Anema, and Vos, Sr; and second year invitees John Spoelhof, Steve Spoelhof, and Rice Sr. With the exception of Tom Buteyn, all have been regulars in the JEV tourney for many years.

Scheduled to be held Thursday night through Saturday morning, May 10-12, and contested over three Boyne courses-Heather, Ross (newly opened) and the Boyne Mountain's Alpine course, and with a whopping cost of $183.50 for three rounds, two nights lodging, breakfast, dinner, and taxes, the price represented a significant increase over the innaugural year's $121.

This was also the year the trip began to expand its golf days. While the official event didn't begin until Thursday evening, players began take additional time off and playing extra rounds leading up to the tournament. Such was the case for seven of the twelve golfers: Vos', Anema's, Rice's, and Tom Buteyn, all who chose to play 18 holes at Antrim Dells Thursday afternoon as a warm up to the tournament.

Little did they know what awaited them.

Thursday morning began bright and clear, but a tad on the chilly side. Nice enough for golf and three junior Rice, Vos, and Anema chose to play an early morning round at Chase Hammond with Tony Vroon--a future JEV Tourney participant.

Joined in the afternoon by the Senior's, and Buteyn, they made the track north in sunny weather. By Cadillac things began to turn. A slow mist began, turning to a light rain. Upon arriving and Antrim Dells, and without the assistance of Dopplar Radar, they checked in and decided to play on--a big mistake.

Rain began more heavily by hole #2, the temperature dropped, and by the fourth hole, snow was falling. By the sixth hole it wasn't just falling, it was falling rapidly, and the wind picked up. Snow began collecting on the fairways, and by the 9th hole the players were putting through snow at which point they decided to call it a day.

The snow continued in buckets through the evening. Safely at Boyne Highlands, and joined by the rest of the tournament participants, they all decided to go for an after-dinner swim in the outdoor heated pool---pelted by the falling snow.

SIX INCHES fell that night causing a, ahem, slight delay in the next morning's tee times. Thankfuly, Friday morning dawned bright and sunny, but with six inches of new snow on the ground, The Heather course was far from playable, and the long wait begin. Breakfast, followed by another swim, followed by a Boyne Lodge hallway putting contest, and still the snow had not melted.

Thankfully, with a bright sun and warming temps, the snow finally abated enough by 2pm to make the Heather semi-playable. There was still snow in the bunkers. But the tournament prevailed, and the players played on, thankful they could get at least one round in on Friday.

The above picture is from that memorable, early JEV Tourney. You'll note from the picture the elder Anema is wearing a Calvin College sweatshirt. It happens to be Mark Rice's. The reason for that is Dick Anema, coming from Colorado, assumed warm temps and brought nothing but short sleeve shirts. He's lucky he brought a sole pair of paints. Every other items was shorts.

And so the Blizzard of 1990 shortened the event but created a lasting memory. Saturday's final round at Boyne Mountain's Alpine course went off without a hint of snow.

Other pictures of this event supposedly still exist, but have not yet surfaced. If you have any, please send them on to me.