Dear JustGolfers,
The time has come to end the JustGolf tournaments. It was a
very enjoyable and satisfying chapter in my life (and I hope yours), filled
with fun times, occasional excitement, and good friends. But I am now about to become
a first-time grandmother, which will shift my priorities, as I’m sure many of
you can well imagine and understand.
Founding and running JustGolf was a noble experiment. I
believe that it proved that tournaments can be run fairly (observing the Rules
of Golf), and reasonably (not hitting anyone too hard in the wallet). The job
comes with many hours of preparation, hours I was happy to contribute in the
past but may not be available to me in the future.
However, this is not all about my changing situation. The
past couple of years have shown a steady decline in participation, as our
population ages and interests turn elsewhere. This is fine and natural –
peoples’ lives move on.
Depending on my circumstances and your interest, I may run a
farewell tournament at Linwood in September, or perhaps make it an annual
event. I will make that decision in the summer.
I cannot leave without expressing my deep and heartfelt
gratitude to Gail Davies, whose support, ideas, dedication, and volunteer work
as the JustGolf registrar were indispensable to me. Thanks also to my husband,
Allen, who was always available for consultation (perhaps just his bad luck
that we live in the same house!), and graciously and patiently posted scores. And
finally, thanks to my good friend and mentor, Jack Sharkey, who was always available
to start, register, ranger, provide support, and share ideas.
It has been my pleasure to know all of you through the years,
and I sincerely hope our paths cross from time to time in the future. May the
golf gods smile on all your future rounds.
Warm regards,
Linda
