The Carl Jorgenson Par 27, 2012! Lynbrook Golf Club with family and friends :).

This article was written for the Moose Jaw Express! Enjoy :).

            The Carl Jorgensen par 27 tournament at the Lynbrook Golf and Country  Club never fails to provide a weekend of excitement for all involved! Catering to spectators and competitors alike, this tournament is a relaxed yet often suspenseful weekend of individual par 27 matches. Players face off against each other throughout the weekend, hitting 3 balls each from 150 yard, 100 yard, and 50 yard markers per match. The player with the lowest score moves on. It only takes one loss to be thrown into the B, C or D pool and only one loss on Sunday puts a golfer out of the tournament. Tension rises as golfers get eliminated one by one until the final match on Sunday afternoon around 4:30pm. 

            This year, for only the 2^nd time since his first match at the Carl Jorgenson 12 years ago, Trevor Benson made it to the final match. Although he’d been trying since 2000, Benson, who holds the course record at the Lynbrook, had never managed to win the tournament. Benson speaks to the challenges of this tournament compared to a regular 36-hole weekend tournament: “This tournament puts everyone on a level playing field. It doesn’t matter anymore how far you can hit your driver. You have to be accurate and you have to be able to deal with the nerves and the spectators. It all comes down to the putting in the end.”

            And the end it came down to him and one of his closest friends and defending champion, Jon White. A large crowd gathered at hole #2 to watch the final match unfold. Benson and White joked after the match about how they had spoken on Friday night before the tournament started when Benson said to White through text message “See you in the final.” Jon White remarked after his loss that he’s “Glad I lost to the best golfer I know.” Benson was happy to take the win but said that playing against a close friend helped a lot with the nerves: “It felt just like a regular day on the course because we golf together so much.”

            The winner of the “B” side was Nick Lepine; the “C” side winner was Trevor’s dad, Craig Benson, and the “D” side winner was Mike Keith. Trevor also knocked out several players on the “A” side before earning the win including Ryan Gobeil, Bill McLean, and Leighton Bearchell. 

            The tournament was a huge success and tons of fun. Cash was raised for the Cancer Society through donations, raffles, and a Calcutta on Saturday night. Spectators and golfers had a great weekend and everyone is excited for next year’s Carl Jorgensen to roll around!

Dawn Luhnig - Political Candidate and Public Figure

Shooting with Dawn was definitely a good time!

Though the weather was not co-operating, I knew we could make it work. On what was supposed to be a clear Sunday evening, clouds invaded and hid the beautiful warm light typically brought on by an autumn evening. Rain was threatening and the wind was strong and chilly, but that didn't stop us!

I adapted my lighting and camera settings to suit what nature provided and Dawn toughed it out to get some great shots! She did wonderfully and below is what we came up with. Turned out great if I do say so myself, and Dawn was thrilled with the results! You're beautiful Dawn, don't ever forget it!

Enjoy!

Culture Day at the Western Development Museum!

This article was written for and published by the Moose Jaw Express. I included a few more photos than they did :). Enjoy!

            

           Culture Day 2012 at the Western Development Museum was a hit for all ages! Everyone from the young to the young at heart had a blast during the event on Sunday, September 29^th. The museum was full of visitors of all ages checking out the exhibits for FREE as no admission was charged in celebration of the Canada-wide culture days. Culture days was launched in 2010 and is now the largest ever movement taken on by the arts and cultural community in Canada. It was “conceived in response to the growing recognition that a vibrant arts and cultural sector contributes directly to a healthy and stable society”.

 Along with free admission, guests also got to enjoy free horse and carriage rides as well as being able to interact with a blacksmith on site. Live music emanated from the railway gallery as “Olga and Friends” performed for several hours as everyone perused the exhibits.

                  The museum was in tip-top shape for the tours and the exhibits were wonderful! If you haven’t been there for years, it’s definitely worth going. There is also currently a limited time food exhibit so go see it while you still can! It’s worth noting though, that if there is a perfect time to visit, it’s during culture days. Special guests were stationed all throughout the museum and, along with my 4-year-old nephew, even I got to enjoy the crafts and entertainment. After speaking with quilter, Sophia Randall about her craft, I was taught how to make a doll using just a couple of pieces of fabric and some elastic bands. History tells us that during the depression when funds were scarce, these dolls were made for children to play with during church and at home. For the boys, the craft was a game made with a paper cup, a string, and a button. The goal was to swing the cup and catch the button, which was no easy task!

                  Upon visiting Don Fox, a blacksmith who learned his craft through a series of classes and many years of experimenting, I was able to watch the creation of a leaf pendant (see below) and take it home to wear. After exploring planes, trains, and automobiles as well as making crafts and watching those who are great at their craft, I can definitely say I will be back for Culture Days at the Western Development Museum in years to come. See you there!

Moose Jaw Warriors Home Opener!

            The Moose Jaw Warriors home opener was nothing short of thrilling! 2012 has already brought on so many amazing moments. Mosaic Place was teeming with fans ready to bring it. Armed with Planet Red glow sticks and t-shirts, the fans came out for an intense game full of old-fashioned Moose Jaw perseverance.

            Down 3-0 midway through the game, the tribe fought back with goals by Carter Hansen and Sam Fioretti, but it was Justin Kirsch who tied it up early in the 3^rd period. The game then continued on to an intense overtime, which proved that one mistake can cost you the entire game. It was the Broncos that made a crucial error, hauling Moose Jaw’s Andrew Johnson down on a breakaway leading to a penalty shot. Johnson capitalized on the opportunity and scored the winning goal for a final score of 4-3. Following the game, Johnson received the first star and hardest working warrior titles for his amazing effort throughout the game.

            The score wasn’t the only thing that stood out during this game. There were also some major penalties that led to multiple game suspensions for two players on the Moose Jaw Warriors. Joel Edmundson received a 2-game suspension due to a fighting penalty, a roughing penalty and a game misconduct at the 9:42 mark of the first period. Moose Jaw’s Justin Kirsch, almost immediately after scoring the game-tying goal, received a four game suspension for checking from behind and a game misconduct after hitting Swift Current’s Reece Scarlett. Scarlett was taken off the ice on a stretcher and was taken to Moose Jaw Union Hospital for precautionary measures. Fortunately, Scarlett was fine and later tweeted “Thanks for all the support. I am doing fine. Nothing seriously wrong just beyond stiff and sore. #bebacksoon”.
       All in all, the Warriors 2012 home opener will not soon be forgotten. The energy in Mosaic Place was electric and it is safe to say that Moose Javians have carried their enthusiasm well beyond the confines of the Civic Center. After only one home game, the season promises to be a must-see. You can watch the Warriors again at their next home game! For a complete schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.mjwarriors.ca. Welcome to Planet Red!