A swinging good time

ELGIN – The stretch of gravel running from the Bowes Creek clubhouse out to the golf course looked like Randall Road at rush hour — during the peak of construction season.

But instead of grumpy 9-to-5’ers encased bumper-to-bumper in their Corollas and Civics, the lane was packed with golf carts, each driven by happy couples who couldn’t wait to get to the green.

Those in the back of the line waited as the carts in front of them joined the parade, laughing and cracking jokes to each other.

“That’s the one that drives fast in our neighborhood!” one golfer said after a cart accelerated toward the course.

These 46 golfers were excited to begin this season’s Couples Golf Tournament, held at Bowes Creek Country Club in Elgin, on September 16.

The Couples Tournament has its roots in Edgewater’s Men’s and Women’s Golf Leagues, both started several years ago by resident Casey Halenski. The tournament is played twice every year, once in fall and once in spring. Membership has grown steadily since the first event, and this fall’s installment boasted the largest turnout of all.

This year also marked the first time the tournament was held at Bowes Creek. In previous years it has been held at courses like Randall Oaks in Carpentersville and St. Andrew’s in West Chicago.

Though the event is called a tournament, it is the fun and camaraderie – not the competition – that keeps golfers coming back. There are no prizes, unless a golfer considers everyone meeting up at Porter’s Pub after the game to be one.

“The rules are, there are no rules,” John Sacksteder, one of the tournament’s organizers, said.

Golfers are free to move through the course at their own pace and play a game that fits with their style and skill level. The tournament began with a shotgun start – which had players tee off at different holes to help ensure the game’s flow.

Still, the event can also be a chance for couples to work on their games together.

“My husband packed extra balls for when I shoot it in the water,” Lauren Fosbinder, golfing with her husband Christ, said.

Socializing aside, some members have their own goals when it comes to the tournament. Golfer Cal Stoney named his right away:

“Not getting injured,” he said.

His wife, Judy, also jumped in, saying her goal was “getting over the gunk” – her word for the prairie grass that grows all around the course.

Whether or not the golfers made it over the gunk that day, whether their scores were high or low, the joy of playing together likely lasted all nine holes and then some.

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