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!
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!
