Presented by Subway!

It all started on a cool Iowa morning as we were heading West from Carroll on U.S. Highway 30. It was 5 AM and the four of us were answering a call from Subway team sponsor - Subway Mike Gute to fly to the Subway compound in Las Crues, New Mexico to discuss strategy that could help his Subway team compete in the Carroll Country Club Men's Supper League. 2008 Bud Light MVP Mike Schulz, 2009 Bud Light MVP Steve Sinnard, Long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz and Your Bud Light team captain Mike Franey arrived at the El Paso Airport and proceeded the five minutes to the Butterfield Trail Golf Club to start our journey. At the Butterfield Trail Golf Club we met Mark "Crazy" O'Leary, Tator Tot Tim Gute, Subway Mike and El Paso Texas' Subway Dave "Chopper" Gute. Eighteen holes ensued on the fairways and greens of the Butterfield Trail Golf Club followed by a delicious brisket dinner at the home of Dave and Tina Gute. Our forty mile drive to the Subway compound seem longer as us early morning travelers were fading fast.

A good night sleep was just what the doctor ordered and in the morning we awoke to the sun rising over the Somona Ranch Golf Course - which would become our home for the next four days. As the opening round of the The 2009 Las Cruces International Players Annual National Open Invitational Tournament of Champions Masters Tour Championship Charity Classic
Memorial Legends Grand Slam Event of the Year Final Shoot Out in the Desert
at Sonoma Ranch World Cup Challenge presented by Subway approached all the golfers started one of several daily traditions.....breakfast buritos at the Sunset Grill.

Lots can happen in four days! We met great people like Head Golf Professional Justin Dahrling and all of his staff who treated us great, Rios and Taylor, Dede(our fine beer cart driver), B.T., Eric, Simon and a little fella that we simply called "Z". Z provided the four members of Your Bud Light team a place to stay and the humor that would break most people's ribs. Z also gave our friend Crazy a new nickname " el tigre loco" -meaning one crazy tiger. We played four days of golf at the beautiful Sonoma Ranch Golf Course and only retired to the patio at the Sunset Grill(another daily tradition) when Mother Nature turned out the lights. The Sunset Grill was this little establishment with a small kitchen where the food was fit for kings(or in this case the back to back champions of the CCC Supper League)! Long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz had the incredible Beef Wellington back to back nights and then followed it up with his favorite cheese burger on Saturday night. Others enjoyed pasta, steak and tuna all that were recommended by our new friends.

Oh I just brought it up.....the only blemish of the whole trip......a four hour block of time on Saturday's midday! As we gathered in Subway Mike's living room thoughts of a Big Ten title and a National Championship in the Rose Bowl danced in our heads. As Ricky Stanzi lay motionless in the North end zone of Kinnick Stadium you could have heard a pin drop in that Las Crues, New Mexico living room. The leader of our black and gold was down. That game did not turn out like we wanted but we had to carry on because we had a tee time at Sonoma Ranch. The black and gold might have lost on the field that day but I wore my black and gold shirt into battle. Subway Mike and myself were facing off against against long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz and 2009 Bud Light MVP Steve Sinnard. It was a rematch of day two when Subway Mike and I carved up the so called "Dream Team" like a twenty pound butterball turkey at Thanksgiving. This day would be considered a draw and left all that money that we collect on day two in our pockets. The "Dream Team" labeled Saturday as moving day but they forgot to call Car Wash Todd to line up the moving trucks. The sweet taste of victory!

Thank you Subway Mike! Thanks to Dave and Tina Gute, everyone at the Sonoma Ranch Golf Course, all the nice people that we met and our main man Z!

Fairways and greens to all!

Bud Light Championship Captain
Mike Franey

Oh by the way more discussion is needed and no decisions were made concerning the Subway golf team!

IN KIRK WE TRUST!

My mother in law Caryl Dukes sent me an email the other day because she worried that she did not receive my blog any longer. Never fear MeMa you are still a subscriber and you are going to love this post!
On a drizzly Iowa October night as a few of us left the wedding reception at the Arcadia American Legion to gather around the bar at the Front Street Station in down town Arcadia to watch our beloved Black and Gold mount a last second drive it soon became apparent that we were watching history in the making! As Marvin McNutt caught the pass from Ricky Stanzi the bar erupted and started to celebrate the Hawkeye's 8th victory of the season. I have to admit that I was a little worried about the outcome but never gave up the hope. In the words of the greatest voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes....I Love it....I Love it....I Love it!

The Official University of YOUR Back to Back Supper league Championship Bud Light team is in uncharted territories. A #4 BCS ranking was released on Sunday evening! The three teams above us are not too bad either.....Florida, Alabama and Texas! I received several text messages shortly after the game and many of them just contained one simple but powerful word....WOW! It's great to be a Hawkeye! In the famous words of Carroll Cycle Center's team Captain Terry Ruchti "It's our(he ussually says "your" but it fits better with "our".) time enjoy the ride!

Bud One Jim Auen's Iowa State Cyclones stole a victory away from long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz's turnover prone Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday! Congratulations to the Cyclones.

In other news worthy items...........

• Happy birthday wishes this past Sunday to my father-in-law Phil Dukes!
• Congratulations to Bud One Jim Auen on his recent marriage. What a great event! This creates a split household as Deb is a Big Red fan. Well at least one of them were happy on Saturday.

Have a great week!

Mike Franey

2008 and 2009 Supper league championship captain

Craig Mertz wins 2009 Bill Franey Open and Wyatt Haukap cards hole in one!

Craig Mertz of Carroll shot a 27 hole total of two under par 106 to win the 4th Annual Bill Franey Open at the Raccoon Valley Golf Course in Jefferson on Sunday by one stroke over Scott Quandt of Mt. Carmel. Mertz also won the inaugural Bill Franey Open in 2006. Defending champion Wade Pettitt and 2007 champion Mike Eckerman were not in the field this year.
The tournament named after Bill Franey, father of Mike Franey of Carroll who passed away in May of 2006 attracted 24 Carroll golfers in the 56 player field. The tournament was formerly known as the Al Hoy Memorial where Bill Franey served as the tournament director for 25 years. In 2006 the Board of Directors of the golf course renamed the tournament the Bill Franey Open. Proceeds from the tournament support a scholarship given annually to a student training to be an electric lineman at Northwest Community College in Sheldon. Franey was a lineman for the Midland Power Coop in Jefferson for 31 years and served as line superintendent for another 10 years.
All golfers played 18 holes then the low 16 players qualified for a final championship nine. Adam Pick won the final nine medalist honors with a 2 under par 34.
Other Carroll golfers in the championship flight included Adam Pick 110, Pat “Spanky” Vollstedt 110, Kevin Vollstedt, formerly from Manning 114, Joe Pick 115, Lonny Lehrkamp 115, Andy Bernholtz 115, Steve “Cuda” Quandt 116 and Wyatt Haukap with a 117. Haukap recorded a hole in one on hole #5.
Terry Ruchti was second in the first flight with a 79. Others in the first flight were Steve Sinnard 81, Paul Tigges 81, Tom Duff 82, former Carroll resident John Dukes 83, Tom Dentlinger 84 and Andy Reiman 84. Dave Nelson was 4th in the second flight with an 87. Other scores in the 2nd flight were Bruce Pettitt 87, Jay Drees 89, Joe Hinners 89 and Mike Franey 90. Mike McDermott won the third flight with a 92 and Steve “Hans” Auen was second with a 92. Others in the 3rd flight were former Carroll resident Mark Cuddy 93, Jason Scranton 101 and Tom Snyder 110.

A big thanks to the Carroll girls for coming over and supporting all the golfers!

Back to Back Carroll Country Club Supper League Champions!

Your Bud Light team entered the championship match against Macke Motors with a since of determination knowing that with a good performance they would be rewarded a second straight Carroll Country Club Supper League Championship. It was evident that the match had meaning when a cart carrying Macke Motors team sponsor Gus Macke and the Supper league veteran Ken Ebner pulled up to the first tee as the clock struck 5:30. Your entire Bud Light team was informed that Macke Motors had won a Supper league championship every decade since the 60's. Welllllll this publisher is pleased to annouce that they will have to wait another year as 2009 is the year of Your Bud Light team.



The matches were set a week ago, the trash talking was over and there we stood ready to do battle. The first foursome would be 2008 Bud Light MVP Mike Schulz and your publisher Mike Franey against Captain Carpet Randy Bierl and Uncle Grandpa Bruce Pettitt. The night started slow for the 2008 MVP as he lost the first three holes to Bierl. Schulz would rebound with the help of a couple 12 ounces of swing oil provided by our great sponsor. In the end Schulz beat Bierl 11 to 7. Captain Mike Franey capitalized on several Uncle Grandpa Bruce's mistakes and topped Pettitt 13 to 7.



News of what was going on in the second match came via the Macke - Ebner Express. With the club championship success over the weekend by Steve Sinnard and long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz your Captain voiced his concerns on Sunday about preventing "tournament hangover" syndrome in the championship match. The most beautiful words to flow into your Captain's ears were heard as the two pulled their E-Z-GO golf cart up to the East side of the #9 green! "No Tournament Hangover in this cart" they proclaim. The duo started fast as a sprinkling of birdies and an eagle appeared on the card. Long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz shot an stellar 5 under par 32 while Car Wash Todd Pettitt shot a 1 under par 36. A match that saw Pettit challenge Mertz down the stretch ended with a 11 to 7 Mertz win! Steve Sinnard eagled #2 on his way to a 2 under par 35 and took the wings away from Flying Bob Raue. Raue was limping a little after an over the weekend water sking mishap. One has to wonder how big the risk was to go sking before a historical Supper match. Rumors surfaced last evening about the possibility of Raue joining the Macke Motors senior league team!



Overall it was just what Super Doc McCoy would have persribed, a little swing oil for the 2008 MVP, great performances from Sinnard and Mertz and your publisher taking advantage of some mistakes. A 48 to 24 win over the Tiger Woods division champion put smiles on all the faces of Bud Light nation.



I would like to thank our fine team sponsor Jim, Troy, and Steve Auen of The Ike Auen Distributing Company, all of the loyal supporters of this report and the Carroll Country Club for making 2009 a Championship year to remember!



Other news worthy items.........................

• Happy birthday wishes to Troy and Hans Auen!


• Happy birthday wishes to Kyle Atkinson.


• Congratulations to Johnny Beiter for his handicap club championship!


• Congrats to the head oil jobber Roger 'Chico' Kanne for his 56 in senior league on Tuesday!


• Way to go Eric Neu for beating Stiffstick's Captain Frank Comito on #15. I bet it made good chatter around the Neu, Minnich, Comito and Neu water cooler!


• Just a report reminder Fall League will start soon so get your partner and sign up! Odds makers have named Papa Joe Pick and Junk Yard Dog Cuda Quandt as the favorites. This publisher and Steve Sinnard are ready to take care of them.


• Congrats to Stiffsticks for beating Carroll Cycle Center for 3rd and Utilicom for beating Community Oil Company for 5th.


• Long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz was low gross, Mark Thomsen was low net and Walsh Motors were low net team on the front nine.


• The new 50 year old Terry Ruchti was closest to the pin on #8 and also shot an even par 37.


• Congrats to Pete Collison for nailing the longest putt.


• Congrats to Carroll Country Club head pro and general manager Nick Schon for his 3 under 31 on the back nine. Rick Kasperbauer and Ryan Milligan tied for low net and the La-z-boys were low net team. Twenty time Carroll City Champion Mike "Jewels" Eckerman and Paul Tigges were closest to the pin on #17. Welcome to the club staff Paul!

That is a wrap for the 2009 Carroll Country Club Supper league! Your Bud Light team are champions! The wheels are already in motion for 2010! The year of the 3 peat! The 2009 Bud Light MVP will be announced soon!

Fairways and greens to all! This Bud's for You!

2008 and 2009 Supper league championship captain

Mike Franey

Championship Tuesday!

Bud Light vs. Macke Motors

A season that started on April 28th comes to an end tonight with a show down for the ages. Your Bud Light team will take on Macke Motors.

Making the call to the 1st tee for your Zach Johnson division will be long time subscriber, top local amateur, highly successful and more veteran golfer Craig Mertz who finished second in this weekends Carroll Country Club tourney, Steve Sinnard who finished fourth in the club tourney, 2008 Bud Light MVP Mike Schulz and your Captain Mike Franey. Bud Two Troy Auen and Bud Three Steve "Hans" Auen are off for championship night.

Reports coming out of the car wash on U.S. Highway 30 have placed the Motors line up as Car Wash Todd Pettitt, Uncle Grandpa Bruce Pettitt, Flying Bob Raue and Captain Randy Bierl.

Supper league historians have given Your Bud Light team a slight edge in the match. Your Bud Light team is averaging 38.80 points per week and Macke Motors is averaging 38.13. It is sure to be a Classic Supper League Championship match.

In other news worthy items..........

• Happy 50th birthday wishes go out to Carroll Cycle Center team captain Terry Ruchti
• Happy birthday wishes on Wednesday for Troy Auen and Steve "Hans" Auen
• Congratulations to Tom Duff for winning the Cleveland Cup in a 19 hole match last night with Frank Comito
• A big thank you to Nick Schon, beer cart Brenda Stickrod, Head Bar Keeper Jason Scranton and Ray Wampler for a very successful Club Championship

Fairway and greens to all!

Championship Supper league captain

Mike Franey

Your Bud Light team wins the Zach Johnson division and Macke Motors wins the Tiger Woods division!

The stage is officially set for next week's championship match between your Bud Light team and Macke Motors. Tuesday August 25th will be the day that your Bud Light attempts to do something that has not been accomplished in the history of the Carroll Country Club.....back to back Supper league championships! The media hype has already started with requests from major networks like ESPN, Fox Sports and Carroll Broadcasting. Aviation expert Flying Bob Raue has been put on retainer by your publisher to monitor the air space above the Carroll Country Club for next Tuesday's event. Papa Joe Pick has been appointed as the security advisor along with his side kick the junk yard dog! This night will certainly be the first big challenge for new golf professional and general manager Nick Schon. Head Bar keeper Jason Scranton will be in charge of the hospitality tents and Brenda Stickrod will have a well stocked beer cart.

Macke Motors are certainly riding into the championship match with a lot of momentum as they arose out of a week 17 dead heat with seven others to claim the divisional title. Car Wash Todd Pettitt was the week 17 MVP for the motors beating Tony Feldman 13 to 5. Flying Bob Raue collected 11 points and Grandpa Uncle Bruce and Hyvee Store director Joel Flug each earned 10 points in the victory. Randy Bierl was riding the week 17 bench and spending the night with wife Jane on her birthday but has promised to play in the championship match if requested. Team sponsor Gus Macke was unavailable for comment this morning and one has to wonder if he will make his 2009 debut in the championship match.

Leaking oil like a Jeff Gordon blown engine your Bud Light team milked their 19 point lead and scored a season low 27 points against a hot Kerps team. The Carroll Cycle Center posed a threat last night only to come up a slim 5 points short. The ole postman Gary Stark walked over your Captain beating him on the last hole, a well handicapped Ken Ebner took care of Steve Sinnard and Steve "Hans" Auen ran into a Rick Grote buzz saw. The only winner was Mike Schulz who took care of Mike Loehr. Steve Sinnard has taken over the Bud Light MVP lead from Steve Auen with Captain Mike Franey in a close third.


Other news worthy items............

• Happy birthday wishes go out to the Judge Eric Neu and Jane Bierl
• Club Championship weekend with a calcutta auction on Friday at 7!
• Congratulations to Carroll Country Club President Randy Hockom for his closest to the pin on 17 and longest putt on 18.
• Congrats to Kyle Atkinson for low gross and Jay Drees and Wade Wilkie for low net.

Look for special coverage of the championship match this week. That is a wrap for week 17 with your Bud Light team winning a second straight league divisional title. Have a great week!

2009 Zach Johnson Championship Captain

Mike Franey

Final week before playoffs....Duff and Comito into Cleveland Cup finals!

This is what we all have been waiting for! It’s week 17 where your Bud Light team puts the exclamation point on a divisional championship. For the final night of the regular season your Bud Light team will take on Subway Mike’s Kerps squad and in championship form will tee off the #1 tee of the Carroll Country Club. Making the call to the tee tonight will be 2008 MVP Mike Schulz, 2009 MVP front runner Steve “Hans” Auen, Steve Sinnard and Captain Mike Franey.

Over in the Tiger Woods division is where the real battle is brewing! Stiffsticks are the current leader by two over Macke Motors. The sticks play Bud One Jim Auen’s La-z-boys and the motors play Byron’s Boyz. Subway and Carroll Eye Clinic are tied for third just 1 point behind Macke Motors and 3 points behind the Stiffsticks. The soggy subs play Chico Kanne’s oil jobbers of Community Oil Company and the Carroll Eye Clinic play Miller Lite. Only 4 points out of the lead is Utilicom who play Commercial Savings Bank. The match of the night to watch will be the Carroll Country Club who are only 7 points out of the lead and they tee it up against Scott Kanne’s Broadband Bandits. A big night from the clubbers could vault them right into a championship. Seven out of the 12 teams in the Tiger Woods division are only 10 points out of the lead. This publisher will have extended coverage along with post match reactions from all of the matches.

Other news worthy items……….
· The 2009 Bill Franey Open will be contested Sunday August 30 at the Raccoon Valley Golf Course in Jefferson. Sign up is now going on!
· Tom Duff defeated Captain Mike Franey and Frank Comito defeated Todd Kanne in the Cleveland Cup on Saturday to advance into the championship match.
· This Saturday and Sunday is the Carroll Country Club Championship along with a player auction on Friday night at 7. Sign up in the Pro shop!

That is a wrap for the Week 17 preview. A lot could happen tonight at the Carroll Country Club. Have a great day!


Fairways and greens to all!


2008 Championship Supper league Captain


Mike Franey