Noel Nash
I’m not a good golfer. In fact, I’m not even a good golf-cart driver.
This is notable only because playing golf has been a significant part of my career. I oversaw golf coverage for The Dallas Morning News, including the “Texas Two-Step” of the Byron Nelson Classic and The Colonial. I played those courses on “media day” each year. As publisher of The Chronicle, business-related golf events are critical parts of relationship-building.
Still, this past Thursday was a glorious day at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Springfield, where the Joint Chamber Golf Classic was played. Other than hoping to see the drink carts more frequently, it couldn’t have been a better day.
I played with Robert Baguio, one of The Chronicle’s sales reps, and we were teamed with Jim and Kim Arscott of Berkshire Hathaway. Jim was the star of our group; it was a bit ironic when Jim whacked the $20 “money ball” into a great abyss on our sixth hole. Had we finished the round with the ball – no certainty, of course – we would have been in the drawing for a gift.
Vonnie Mikkelsen, CEO of the Springfield Chamber, other officials and the crew at Pine Ridge created an atmosphere of fun and safety. There was no post-event gathering, and masks were worn as appropriate. Other than that, it was life on the links as we’ve always known it.
It was comforting to see Rick Dancer on site, too. His videos and storytelling on Facebook lend both a sense of import and normalcy.
It turns out the top three teams in the tournament were all local banks. Hmm.
As The Chronicle opens a new office in Springfield this week – a small, weekly newspaper expanding – we feel like we’ve just won the “longest-drive” contest.
