2016 Final Trip Details

Gaylord, MI--Looking forward to the 29th annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Here are some final trip details for this year's participants.

1. Package price is $387. Your $100 deposit should have already been accepted by the resort so your remaining balance would be $287.

2. Package includes three nights lodging in standard rooms (2 double beds) at the Inn at Treetops, five rounds of golf, taxes, and full use of the practice area.

In addition, I have secured the Alpine Room in the Inn for all three nights. The Alpine room seats about 20 people. It includes a table and chairs, several sofas, a mini-fridge, and a flatscreen TV. The Alpine room will be available to any of our group who wants to use it during our stay. We will meet there Wednesday night (see The Gathering, below) to meet everyone, hand out scorecards, and answer any questions. We will also have a pizza dinner catered in to that room either Thursday night or Friday night.

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.

Thursday, June 9
Morning - Jones Masterpiece
8:25am-9:22am - 2-man best ball (match play)

Afternoon - Smith Tradition*
3:00pm-3:50pm - 2-man scramble (stroke play)
*Note: the Smith Tradition is located at Treetops North, about 5 miles north of main resort and the Inn where we are staying.

Friday, June 10
Morning - Fazio Premier*
9:00am-9:50am - 2-man best ball (match play)

Afternoon - Fazio Premier*
3:00pm-3:50pm - 2-man best ball (stroke play)
*Note: Fazio Premier is located at Treetops North, about 5 miles north of the main resort.

Saturday, June 11
Morning - Jones Masterpiece
10:20am-11:17am - Singles (match play)

Let me just say these tee times are NOT ideal. Treetops will be very busy and these were the best times we could get on the courses we wanted. The good news is we do not have any early morning starts. The bad news is we will get finished playing golf very late on Thursday and Friday evening and on Saturday. For that reason we are catering in pizza to the Alpine room on one of the nights--either Thursday or Friday. The pizza will be there waiting for us when we get to the Alpine room.

4. Team Pairings, Matches, and Team Names

Teams and pairings have already been selected and sent to you. This is being done to save time and create efficiency. The reigning MVP (Thom Anema) selects his team's name (either Recovery Shots or Fairway Finders) at the Wednesday night Gathering. Scorecards for day one of the tournament will be handed on Wednesday night. Every evening, the next day's scorecards will be handed out.

Food is not included in the package this year. As I said, either Thursday or Friday night we'll have pizza catered in to the Alpine Room. The other nights we typically all end up at a local restaurant for supper in Gaylord. There are also several restaurants/bars on property, just a short walk from our hotel rooms, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

5. Wednesday Golf, Hotel Check-In, and The Gathering

Wednesday is a non-tournament day. We have secured six tee times on Threetops par 3 course (located at Treetops North) from 3:00pm-3:50pm at a rate of $28 per player. Pay in the Treetops North pro shop. These are first come, first serve. Please try and fill up a foursome if you are going to play during this time period. I suspect most of the golfers on the trip will try to take advantage of playing Threetops.

Check-in is officially not until 5pm. However, I am told we are welcome to call the front desk at 989-732-6711 on the way up and if your rooms are clean and vacant, you are welcome to check in early.

The Gathering. If you are able, please plan to meet as a large group for a bit on Wednesday night in the Alpine room. This has become a nice little pre-tournament gathering where we greet each other, welcome the rookies, go over the pairings for matches, and go over other tournament details. We'll start around 9:00pm and try to wrap by 9:30pm. 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!

2016 Rooming List Announced

Gaylord, MI--The tournament committee today announced the rooming list for 29th annual James E. Vos Memorial Invitational. Participants in the 2016 tournament will be staying in standard 2-person guest rooms at the Inn at Treetops Resort. Note: there are two main lodging facilities on the resort's main property complex: the Inn and the Lodge. The Inn, where we are staying, is older of the two lodging complexes and is located closer to the restaurant. A link to the the property map is below.

Treetops Property Map

Herewith the rooms and participants assigned. The numbers assigned to each grouping are not actual room numbers. If you wish to switch room assignments from what is below, work that out directly with the resort staff.

Room 1
Mark Rice
Rodger Rice

Room 2
Thom Anema
Dick Anema

Room 3
Jack Vos
Sam Vos

Room 4
John Mulder
Ben Rosema

Room 5
Dan Rosema
J.D. Rosema

Room 6
Dave Tanis
Jack Tanis

Room 7
Owen Tanis
Dirk Tanis

Room 8
Donovan Van Zee, Jr.
Kellen VanDreumel

Room 9
Jon Vos
Jim Vos

Room 10
Jim Warners
Bob Warners

Room 11
Tony Vroon
Jeff Tanis

Room 12
Don Van Zee
Jim Baker

2016 James E. Vos Memorial Invitational Tournament Teams Announced

Gaylord, MI--The tournament executive committee today announced the teams for the 29th playing of the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational, now just a few weeks away. The executive committee made the decision to select the teams in advance to save time and create event efficiency in what will be a very busy weekend with tight schedules.

Like last year, and in what is becoming a kinder gentler version of The Hatfield's vs. McCoy's, families will face off against families. This year, the Rice's, Anema's, Tanis', and Van Zee's will tee it up against the Rosema's, Vos', and Warners. Both teams have additional "adopted sons" to round out them out and even the competition. In tallying up each participants handicap index, only two strokes separate the two teams. All that adds up to what should be another tightly contested tournament.

Herewith the teams for the 2016 James E. Vos Memorial Invitational.

Team A/Handicap (final team name tbd; see below)
Anema, Dick, +24 
Anema, Thom, +15 
Rice, Mark, +13 
Rice, Rodger, +19 
Tanis, Dave, +10
Tanis, Dirk, +10 
Tanis, Jack, +16 
Tanis, Jeff, +7 
Tanis, Owen, +16 
Van Zee, Don, +10 
Van Zee, Jr., Donovan +20 

Vandreumel, Kellen, +10 

Team B/Handicap (final name tbd; see below)
Baker, Jim, +12 
Mulder, John, +20 
Rosema, Ben, +19 
Rosema, Dan, +11 
Rosema, J.D., +17 
Vos, Jack, +14 
Vos, Jim, +12 
Vos, Jon, +11 
Vos, Sam, +5 
Vroon, Tony, +19 
Warners, Bob, +18 

Warners, Jim, +15 

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 reigning MVP, Thom Anema, chooses.

To save time and create efficiency, the executive committee will also develop in advance the pairings for the entire tournament. Stay tuned for further details.

Trending Down Again: 2016 Handicaps and Tees Assignments Announced

Gaylord MI--Continuing last year's downward trend in handicaps, almost every player's handicap went down for the second year in a row. Clearly, the courses in last year's Homestead rotation agreed with the players.

Leading the charge with the greatest year-over-year differentials were Jim Baker, Dick Anema, Owen Tanis, and Dirk Tanis.

Jim Baker played spectacular golf and blistered the field and his 2015 handicap, going 89-88-88-84 for an 87 average, lowering his handicap index a full -9 strokes from +21 to +12! The tournament archivists are checking the history books, but feel fairly certain that is an all time record. Congratulations Jim Baker!

Close on his heels were two young bucks and the tallest timber of the tournament, Richard Anema.

The drop in Dick's handicap may have been bolstered by the fact that his handicap index entering the 2015 tournament was based his 2012 scores. The 2012 tournament was held at Garland Resort. The Garland tracks were tough on everyone. Nonetheless, Dick played superb golf in 2015, lowering his scoring average from 110 (2012) to 102, and dropping his index a full seven strokes from +31 to +24.

The Tanis' always seem to make headlines. Last year it was Jeff and Dave sending their 2015 handicap indexes downward significantly. This year, it's young guns, Owen and Dirk.

Both lowered their handicap indexes impressively (-7). Dirk from +17 to +10; Owen from +23 to +16. Taking nothing away from Dirk, but Owen gets special mention for not only playing great golf, but also for being his 2015 team's points leader. Owen was a rock in 2015 winning or halving every match he played, amassing an individual 2015 record of 4 1/2 - 1/2. If Owen's team had held on to win the 2015 tournament, he would have made a strong case for MVP. Sadly for him, they did not.

Tournament co-founder, Mark Rice, continued his index schizophrenia. His fellow teammates always wonder which Mark is going to show up.

The last three years his index has ping-ponged +12 to +18 to +13 entering the 2016 tournament. Just call him, Sybil. Perfect. That sets him up another year of high scores. I'm sure his teammates can't wait!

All this sets up for a terrific 2016 tournament. Indexes are below and tee assignments are below. Tees assignment indicate tee played in the tournament to achieve the current handicap index. Rookie handicaps are estimated.

Name, Tee, Index
Dick Anema, Gold, +24
Thom Anema, Blue, +15
Jim Baker, White, +12
John Mulder, White, +20
Mark Rice, Blue, +13
Rodg Rice, Gold, +19
Ben Rosema (R), Blue, +19
Dan Rosema, Blue, +11
J.D. Rosema, Blue, +17
Dave Tanis, White, +10
Dirk Tanis, Gold, +10
Jack Tanis, White, +16
Jeff Tanis, White, +7
Owen Tanis, White, +16
Kellen Van Dreumell (R), Blue, +10
Don Van Zee, White, +10
Donovan Van Zee, Jr., +20
Jack Vos, White, +14
Jim Vos, Blue, +12
Jon Vos, Blue, +11
Sam Vos, Blue, +5
Tony Vroon, White, +19
Bob Warners, White, +18
Jim Warners, White, +15

Full House

Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Sr. Memorial Invitational executive committee officially announced today the 2016 tournament is full. Twenty-four participants will play in this year's tournament, being held for the fourth time in its twenty-nine year history at Treetops Resort, on June 8-11.

This year's field will again include a healthy mix of our tall-timbers of age and wisdom, their now aging kids, our now growing segment of fearless youth, and the always welcome new rookies.

The committee welcomes back for the second consecutive year, the ageless Dick Anema and his son, and tournament co-founder, Thom. The Anema's are the most geographically distant participants, hailing from Denver, CO. Thom has been coming to the tournament since it's inception in 1988. Dick joined in the tournament's third  year: 1990.

Families have always been part of the tournament and this year is no different. The 2016 tournament will feature no less than five Tanis', four Vos', and four Mulder/Rosema's. All five Tanis' from the 2015 tournament are back: Tall-Timber Dave, son Jeff, grandsons Owen and Dirk, and brother Jack who returns for his sophomore stint after being a rookie in 2015. Welcome Tanis'!

Not to be outdone, Doc John Mulder keeps adding step-sons to the tournament and is now up to three. Dan Rosema has been with the tournament since 2012. J.D. joined in 2015 and will return. The tournament now welcomes Ben Rosema to the 2016 tourney. Ben will be one of the tournament's rookies.

The Vos family has been part of the tournament's history and tradition since its founding year in 1988. Jack Vos is one of the tournament's co-founders as was his late father and the tournament's namesake, James E. Vos. Joining Jack are his son Sam, part of the tournament's youth movement, and Jack's brother and long time participant, Jon Vos, who's first tournament was 1994.

Additionally, the committee heartily welcomes back Jim Vos, Jr.! Jim was a regular during the tournament's early years, last playing in 1998. Jim is a high school teacher and the school's calendar often conflicts with the tournament's early June dates. Not this year.

The Grand Haven contingent continues to represent, and represent well. Don "Dynamite" Van Zee has been with the tournament since 1994. He returns along with Jim Warners ('99), Bob Warners ('01), and Jim Baker ('11). The committee was thrilled to receive the commitment of young Donovan Van Zee, Jr. Donovan was a rookie in 2014. Joining Donovan Jr. will be his friend and rookie, Kellen Van Dreumel. Welcome Kellen!

Rounding out the field are tournament co-founder Mark Rice, his father and Tall Timber, Rodger Rice, and the famously good humored, fun-loving, long-time friend of the tournament, Tony Vroon.

Sadly, the 2016 playing of the James E. Vos Memorial Invitational will be without several friends and familiar faces. Dan and Kyle Vander Wal both have unavoidable commitments and are not able to attend this year. Dan joined the tournament in 1996 and has not missed a year since. Kyle joined in 2010 and fit so well it feels like he has been with tournament since the early days. The 2016 tournament will also be without Chris Grek, Mark Ochsankehl, Steve Elenbaas, Ken Terpstra, Brian Van Hall, Mark Vandenberge, Phil Vandenberge, Jeff Stuk, John Topliff, and so many more. We will miss them all.

Herewith, the complete field for the 29th annual James E. Vos Sr. Memorial Invitational.

Anema, Dick

Anema, Thom

Baker, Jim

Mulder, John

Rice, Mark

Rice, Rodger

Rosema, Ben

Rosema, Dan

Rosema, JD

Tanis, Dave

Tanis, Dirk

Tanis, Jack

Tanis, Jeff

Tanis, Owen

Van Zee, Donovan

Van Zee, Jr., Donovan

VanDreumel, Kellen

Vos, Jack

Vos, Jim

Vos, Jon

Vos, Sam

Vroon, Tony

Warners, Jim

Warners, Robert