Final Trip Details

Looking forward to the 27th annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Here are some final trip details for this year's participants.

1. Package price is $337.20. Your deposit should have already been accepted by the resort so your remaining balance would be $227.20.

2. Package includes three nights lodging in the Lakewood Shores 2-bedroom suites, breakfast Monday and Tuesday, unlimited golf Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, full use of the practice area, full complimentary use of the Wee Links par 3 course located right outside our lodging. The two complimentary breakfasts include taxes but do not include beverage or gratuity. Breakfast Sunday morning is not included, but available in the onsite restaurant. Our lodging has kitchens if you choose to sleep in and enjoy breakfast in your room.

3. Tee times, competitive format, and courses are as follows:

Ryder Cup-style competition. Each competitive match is worth one (1) point. Team with the most points at the end declared the tournament winner.

Sunday - The Gailes (all day)
a) 7:30am - modified  shotgun start*
2-man best ball (match play)

b)  12:30-1:30pm afternoon tee times
2-man best ball (stroke play)

Monday - Blackshire (all day)
a) Morning tee times start at 7:40am
2-man best ball (match play)

b) Afternoon tee times start at 1:30pm
2-man scramble (handicapped)

Tuesday - The Gailes
-Morning tee times start at 8:40am**
-Singles (match play)

*Lakewood Shores has another outing Sunday and the only way they could get us in and around is with a modified shotgun start. It's not ideal but it will work. Everyone will start at 7:30am and on a different hole of The Gailes. Also note that are afternoon tee times are tight, but with everyone starting at the same time, theoretically we will all be done at the same time. Making the turn should work, but there will be very little time for lunch in between. Not ideal, but we'll make it work.

**The later start is traditional and is done in order to allow a) tired bodies just a wee bit more sleep the last night, and b) to allow some breathing room for checking out of rooms in the morning of the last day.

5. Teams and Pairings

Teams have already been selected. Pairings will also be pre-selected prior to the tournament through at least Sunday's matches. This is being done to save time and create efficiency. The fact that we have only 23 players does create some match scheduling difficulties, but we  have worked through these before. We'll go over all this prior to the tournament.

4. Lunch and supper is not included in the package. We typically all end up at a local restaurant each evening for supper.

5. The Gathering. Please plan to meet as a large group for a bit on Saturday night in one of the condos. This has become a nice little pre-tournament gathering where we greet each other, welcome the rookies, pick the pairings for matches, and go over other tournament details. We'll start around 9-9:30pm and try to wrap by 10-10:30pm. It's important to not miss this. Please do your best to be on time.

If you have any questions, please call or text Mark Rice. New cell number is 616-826-8232.

See you in a few days.

2014 James E. Vos Memorial Invitational Teams Announced

Oscoda, MI--The tournament committee today announced the teams for the 26th playing of the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational, now just days away.

The executive committee made the decision to select the teams in advance to save time and create event efficiency. The committee did consider randomly picking teams on Saturday evening before the tourney, as we have done before, drawing names out of hat. Picking teams creates a tremendous gathering event on the eve of first round. Excitement builds as everyone watches and wonders on which team they will land. Randomly picking teams that evening is also time consuming and, given the higher than expected participants in this year's event, the tournament committee made its decision to select teams in advance. 

Care was taken to pair family members and to keep rookies on the same team as those who brought them, while also putting people on teams that haven't traditionally been teammates in the Grand Haven vs. The World format. Care was also taken to match as evenly as possible overall team handicaps and the handicaps of A-level and B-level participants. 

The only wrinkle this year is we have twenty-three participants, not 24. That means one team will be comprised of twelve players and the other, eleven. This does complicate things all the way around but the tournament has experienced this before and has developed a suitable work around. It's not ideal and, unfortunately, one team had to end up with eleven.

Nuff said.

Herewith the teams for the 2014 James E. Vos Memorial Inviational.

Team A/Handicap (final name tbd; see below)
Mark Rice, +10

Rodg Rice, +27

Jeff Stuk, +17

Ken Terpstra, +14
Cam Van Koevering, +14
Don Van Zee, Jr. +18 (rookie)
Don Van Zee, +12
Jack Vos, +20
Jon Vos, +13
Sam Vos, +7
Bob Warners, +20
Jim Warners, +18

Team B/Handicap (final name tbd; see below)
Jim Baker, +19
Chris Grek, +15
John Mulder, +24
Mark Ochsankehl, +7
Dan Rosema, +10
Dave Tanis, +17
Dirk Tanis, +18 (rookie)
Jeff Tanis, +13
Owen Tanis, +21
Dan Vander Wal, +11
Kyle Vander Wal, +11

Team names will be selected at the Wednesday evening Gathering event (approx. 9:30pm Saturday evening, details to follow in another post). It is a tournament tradition the reigning MVP retains the right to select his team's name between either the Fairway Finders or the Recovery Shots. We will wait to see what Dan Vander Wal chooses.

To save time and create efficiency, the executive committee will also develop in advance the pairings for Sunday's and possibly Monday morning's matchups. Stay tuned for further details.

And Then There Were Three: Papa Vander Wal Wins Third Career MVP

Oscoda, MI--Dan Vander Wal has been named the 2013 Stroke Saver Trophy winner--his third career MVP award. Vander Wal joins the elite group of Dirk Van Zee and Jon Vos as the tournaments only three-time winners. Dan won his first MVP in 2002, sharing the Stroke Saver Trophy with his brother Nick, and then winning it outright in 2009.

The decision was fairly easy. Dan went 5-0 for the weekend and was the only player all week and on either team to go undefeated. Challenging Dan, but coming up just short was Chris Grek who went 4-1 losing just his first match and going undefeated the rest of the way.

That Vander Wal won the award while sandbagging, I mean, while raising his handicap index by two points (from +9 to +11) is even more impressive. His scores weren't spectacular, going 87-88-85-82, but as has been exhibited regularly in this tournament, it's not how you play but how well you play with your partners that matters. And, that he did.

Paired with younger and better looking brother, Nick, in the first round, the Vander Wal's won a close match, winning 1-up against bulldog Rodg Rice and Mike "John Daly" Posby. Paired with Don Van Zee, Dan faced Rodg Rice again in round two, this time handily beating him and son, Mark Rice, by three-strokes in the afternoon 2-man stroke play event.

Day two was easy for Papa Vander Wal and he won both matches going away, paired with Doc Mulder and beating two titans: Jon Vos and Dan Tanis 5&4 in the morning 2-man match play event. In the afternoon scramble event, Dan was paired with Brian Van Hall and given a 5-stroke deficit (based on handicaps) against another seemingly tough team of Dave Tanis and 2-time MVP Ken Terpstra. The match see-sawed back and forth until the terrible and wacky 10th hole at The Chief Golf Club. There Vander Wal/Van Hall birdied to Tanis/Terpstra's double-bogey, making up three quick strokes and never looking back. They won going away, shooting 69 in the scramble format, erasing the 5-stroke deficit and winning by five more.

Dan's toughest match was his last. Paired against the ever-tough Jack Vos and giving Jack 600 yards and seven strokes, the war was waged. Jack got down early, going triple-bogey, triple-bogey, bogey and suddenly digging himself in a -3 hole. After matching pars on the fourth hole, Jack battled right back, winning the next three holes to level the match through eight holes. Back and forth it went with Jack going up +2 through 10. It would be his largest and last lead of the match. Vander Wal quickly won 11, 12, 13, and 14 to go up +2. Ever the fighter, Jack sunk his teeth in and didn't let go, getting the match to -1 through 17 and a chance to tie if he won the tricky 18th. He pared it...but so did Dan, winning the singles match 1-up and securing the 2014 Stroke Saver Trophy.

Dan is a well-loved and long-time participant in the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Well played, Papa Vander Wal. Well-played.

2014 Rooming List Announced

Oscoda, MI--The tournament committee today announced the rooming list for 27th annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Participants in the 2014 tournament will be staying in the resort's two-bedroom condos adjacent to the 18-hole Wee Links par 3 course. Each unit features two bedrooms with twin beds, full kitchens and sitting areas. Use of the Wee Links is complimentary to resort guests.

http://www.lakewoodshores.com/resort.htm

Herewith the rooms and participants assigned. The condo numbers above each set of names do not correspond to actual condo numbers at the resort.

Condo 1

Mark Rice

Rodger Rice

Dan Vander Wal

Kyle Vander Wal

Condo 2

Jack Vos

Sam Vos

Cam Van Koevering

Jon Vos

Condo 3

Dave Tanis

Jeff Tanis

Owen Tanis

Dirk Tanis

Condo 4

John Mulder

Dan Rosema

Chris Grek

Mark Ochsankehl

Condo 5

Jim Warners

Bob Warners

Ken Terpstra

Jeff Stuk

Condo 6

Don Van Zee

Don Van Zee, Jr.

Jim Baker

Sandbag City: 2014 Handicaps Announced

Byron Center, MI--In what could only be suspected as player sandbagging, the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational executive committee announced the handicaps and tee positions for the participants of the 2014 tournament. With very few exceptions every player in the field went up, based on last year's tournament play at Hawks Eye and The Chief.

Topping the list and tied for low handicap are Sam Vos and Mark Ox, both at +7, and both bucking the trend, lowering their handicaps by -1 from last year's starting handcaps.

Mark "Payne" Ox

Sam "Bubba" Vos

Their +7's came in vastly different styles. Sam, considered the more swashbuckling, Bubba Waston-aggressive young gun of the two, shot an amazingly consistent 80-81-80-81 to reach his +7. The more classic swinging Payne Stewart-like Mark Ox was less consistent but went consistently lower as the week wore on, shooting 82-85-79-76.

No other player save these two is in single digits and, with the exception of Mark Rice (+10) and Jim Baker (+19) every other player's handicap index went up.

Leading the sandbagging coming into this year's tourney is Cam Van Koevering and Kyle Vander Wal. Cam's +14 is a full five (5) strokes higher than last year with Kyle sandbagging right behind at +11, four strokes higher than last year. Kyle was the model of inconsistency going 88-83-91-79 while Cam pretty much decided to go all in for the higher handicap and shoot a cool set of 90's pretty much every time out.

Cam "SB" VK

Kyle "SB" VW

Apparently, the family Vander Wal had this little charade planned all along. Not to be left out, Papa Vander Wal averaged 86 for the tournament last year nudging his handicap up two strokes to a cool +11.

Papa Vander Wal

The scariest increase comes in the higher bracket. Rodg Rice, one of the tallest of timbers in the tournement also went up two more strokes sending his handicap to an exceptionally scary +27. The tournament executive committee is considering a manual adjustment down to Rodg's handicap as some of the tournament's participants have claimed they will boycott the tournament if they have to play against Rodg at a +27! No one, repeat, no one, wants to take on the Senior Rice carding a +27.

+27...ya, right.

All this sets up for a terrific 2014 tournament. Indexes are below. Tees indicate tee played in the 2012 tournament to achieve the current handicap index. Rookie handicaps are estimated as are the tees from which they play.

Name,  Tee, Index
Jim Baker, White, +19
Chris Grek, White, +15
John Mulder, White, +24
Mark Ox, Blue, +7
Mark Rice, Blue, +10
Rodg Rice, White, +27
Dan Rosema, Blue, +13
Jeff Stuk, White, +17
Dave Tanis, White, +17
Dirk Tanis, White, +18
Jeff Tanis, White, +13
Owen Tanis, White, +21
Ken Terpstra, White, +14
Cam Van Koevering, Blue, +14
Don Van Zee, White, +12
Don Van Zee, Jr., White, +18
Dan Vander Wal, Blue, +11
Kyle Vander Wal, Blue, +11
Jack Vos, White, +20
Jon Vos, Blue, +13
Sam Vos, Blue, +7
Bob Warners, Blue, +20
Jim Warners, White, +18

And Then There Were...23

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Invitational tournament committee today announced the 2014 tournament will boast yet another father-son combination. Following the footsteps of Jack Vos, Dan Vander Wal, Rodger Rice, Dave Tanis, Jeff Tanis, and so many others in the tournament's grand history, the youth movement continues and a new order begins when Don Van Zee, uh, now Don Sr., brings his son, Donovan Van Zee, Jr.

Dyno-mite Van Zee, Sr.

That's right. The one and only, Dynomite Van Zee is bringing Dynomite, Jr. According to tournament reconnaissance, the young Van Zee is a twenty-eight year old southpaw. The lad began playing golf when he was twelve and plays to about a 20-22 handicap index. Welcome Don Jr.!

With the addition of Don Jr., the tournament is almost to capacity and will close at a cap of twenty-for participants. Anyone interested in filling the last spot should contact the tournament executive committee.

The tournament is only three weeks away. Please pay attention to the website for future news and information on teams and pairings which will be made in advance due to the larger than anticipated number of participants in the 2014 tournament.