Dad's Championship Match Write up...

Solien survives Blake for Senior’s championship
This time, T.L. Solien didn’t let his opportunity to win his first Pine to Palm Senior’s championship slip away — although the Golf Gods may not have been working in his favor.
By: Brian Wierima, DL-Online

This time, T.L. Solien didn’t let his opportunity to win his first Pine to Palm Senior’s championship slip away — although the Golf Gods may not have been working in his favor.

Solien survived some amazing shots by his Senior’s championship match counterpart William Blake of Detroit Lakes, to land his much-coveted Pine to Palm title with a 2 and 1 victory.

But it wasn’t easy.

“I felt like maybe the spirits was with the other guy,” Solien said of Blake.

The reasoning was due to five spectacular shots by Blake, which included three putts over 50 feet and two chip-ins for birdies.

“The big thing, though, those shots never put me down,” Solien said. “I was able to overcome them and not get behind.”

Consistency and a steady game in which Solien never gave away any holes was the key to his success for a one-under par score on the day.

Solien was able to take advantage of Blake’s mistakes — in the form of two bogeys — which included match-clinching par putts on 16 and 17.

Blake made one of his 50-plus feet putts on 14 for birdie to pull the score back to even and the duo halved 15 after both fell into trouble with bogeys — the only hole which had both golfers shoot one-over on.

Blake’s big shots were not as demoralizing as they could have been, Solien said.

“None of those shots put (Blake) ahead,” said Solien, who is an artist and professor at the University of Wisconsin.

Solien missed out on his first Senior’s championship in 2007, when he lost to Barnesville’s Jim Bergeson in the title match 3 and 2.

In that match, Solien said nerves played a big part in his defeat.

“I was pretty calm this time,” he said. “I was steady all week and for the entire (match play) tournament, I was playing even par. I kept it clean and had only one double bogey on the week and about a three to four birdie average in each round.”

Solien shot a four-over par 75 as his qualifying score, while Blake won medalist honors with a one-over 72.

Solien defeated defending champion Joe Sauer 4 and 2 after making six birdies in the match, then proceeded to down Paudie O’Connor of Las Vegas, Nev., 1-up in 19 holes and Detroit Lakes’ Bill Hawkins 4 and 3 in the semifinals.

“It feels great to win,” Solien said. “I never was a factor in Championship Flight play and never won a match (in the Championship tournament).

“Now, in the Senior’s, I’m starting to beat those same guys. This is the only competitive tournament I play in and I play only one recreational round a week. This makes up for everything.”

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I'd like to present to you.... The 2009 Pine to Palm Senior Champion T.L. Solien!!!!!!!!! Way to go dad! Great playing, I couldn't be any prouder! I don't have many details or pictures from the match... so there will be a more detailed championship post to come... Just wanted to say congrats! I love you pops!

Pops rolls into the finals

Dad has kept it going all week... He's making birdies like no ones business, take down opponents on the daily. After defeating the defending champ, he was 1 down going into the last in his next match, won the hole and won the first hole of the playoff after knocking it on a par 5 in two and making birdie. Yesterday it was pouring rain and he grinded out a victory after being 4 up thru 5... Now he's into the championship, he just needs to stick to his game and not get too nervous. Good luck pops... We need a champ in the family!

Pine to Palm

Pine to Palm week is one of the best of the year, one of the weeks that I truly miss very much. Every summer growing up was based around the tournament in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.. I read last night that it is the largest field of any tourney in the nation. Its not even the tourney that makes it so special, its the entire week of being with the family and spending time at a cabin on a lake..sitting out by the fire all night laughing. I grew up caddying for my father, idolizing the many college golfers from around the nation that made the trip... You can't play in the tourney until your 16, so I couldn't wait until my first year.. I don't remember how I fared, but I'm pretty sure I did alright, the year after that I was done after 1 round of trying to qualify for Championship flight... Anyways, I've made the Champ flight twice and shot a great 68 to make the cut my last year... unless they add a professional division, I won't ever play in it again, which sucks...but part of the deal... I just want to make an effort in the future to spend a couple days at the lake with my family each summer.

With the tourney under way my dad is completing in the senior division, my uncle in the Mid-Am division and 3 of my friends from college playing in Championship Flight... My dad shot 75 in qualifying and then had to get through a playoff to get the 16th seed and face the defending champion. He ended up playing lights out and winning easily 4 & 2, he was 4 under at that point and was pouring in biridie..Pops is dangerous when his putter gets hot... My uncle shot 76 in qualifying and won his first match 4 & 3.... The Wisco boys did real well in qualifying, all making the cut and pouring it at least one score in the 60's... All 3 of them advanced to the 2nd round and will play 36 today if they continue to advance. I talked to them a couple nights ago and they were hanging out with my family at the outdoor tiki bar that they set up outside the clubhouse... I would have done anything to be there.

Best of luck to everyone!!!! Keep it rolling...

LEGIT

He's going to be the real deal... I suggest you hang in until the 4:36 mark.......WOW

Camp Willow...

ohhh this post could be endless... Camp Willow is the summer camp program at Willowbend which runs 4 days a week for almost 2 months...The kids do Tennis, Fitness, Swimming and Golf, so they go from activity to activity and are usually pretty tired, wet or hot. Most of the kids we deal with are between the ages of 3-10, The Pee Wee's who we have for 30 mins.. are like 3-5 years old..keeping those kids focused for more than 45secs is a treat.. luckily we usually don't have more than 8 of that age at a time, so it's kind of a nice way to break yourself in for a day of juniors. We stick to just putting with the small kids, and mostly just trying to have fun "playing" golf and learning a little about how to hold the club and putt. Lots of frog catching and going for rides in the carts.. The next group is of kids from 4-10 years old, we have this bundle of kids for an hour... The tough part about this is that this is usually the largest of the groups and also the worst ages. The girls want to only be with the girls, and lots of times just want to socialize or do girl things. The boys just want to impress their friends and break rules... I'd say we usually get around 12-22 kids for this group... that week with 22 kids and this last week with 17, have been wicked painful... an hour with them seems like an eternity. The last group is the All Sports... We have them at the end of their days, for 1 hour and 45 minutes! It is quite possibly the worst playing ever to have the golf portion, 1-be the longest and 2-be at the end of their days... the kids are supposed to be advanced in some athletic way and be able to keep up with everything all day. Mostly these kids are just slightly older and don't want to be called "Camp" kids anymore, they want to be in the All Sports Academy, the ages for this still start out damn young at like 6 and top out at 12 or so... Some days I just want to go sit in the cart and take deep breaths, other days I want to scream, and most days I just laugh....I'd say there is 1 out of 3 days of camp a week that the kids really get to me, and I don't enjoy it... overall, I enjoy 85% of the kids and love teaching them golf, although I don't get paid nearly enough or fairly..but it is what it is, and I can't change that.. so I make a point out of sitting back sometimes and just really enjoying it with the kids.. I end up having a lot of fun, and being a goof as always... but always find myself say "DON't... STOP... HEY Knock it off...." quite often. Junior lessons are always interesting, and so rewarding when you see a kid even make the slightest improvement, it's such a gratifying feeling...


I'M SURE YOU LOOKED AT THE PICTURE ABOVE, HOW CUTE ARE THESE KIDS!?!?!?!? THESE ARE A FEW OF THE PEE WEE GROUP THAT I WAS WORKING WITH TODAY... I WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE CUZ THOSE 3 IN THE MIDDLE WERE HUGGING, BUT INSTEAD EVERYONE HAD TO GET IN.... GRAHAM IS THE BLONDE IN THE MIDDLE, HE IS MY FAVORITE OF THE SUMMER, HE'S DEF THE CUTEST LITTLE KID AND SO FUN TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH...GREATEST LAUGH AND ALWAYS SAYS STUFF AND THEN LAUGHS UNCONTROLABLELY.... NOW LOOK AGAIN AT THIS PICTURE, IS IT JUST ME OR IS GRAHAM ENJOYING THIS CLUB WILLOW JUST A LITTLE TOO MUCH.... SHIT WHAT A STUD...HAHA

New T'Wolves Coach? Yaaaaa Digggg....

It's going to be a steal if we can get this guy to be our new coach.... Plus he has soooo much style with those sick glasses? Yaaaa digggg?