By Jim Davis
Winter golf can be tricky north of the Mason/Dixon. In fact, given changing climate patterns, winter golf in the south can now be iffy during the cold and grey months. That does not halt the intrepid hickory golfer, though. There are many who brave the chill and will look for snow-free days for a brisk game.
Such is the case with several Wisconsin golfers who form the Copper Cup Clan and this year joined in a 15-year-old golf outing in Illinois called the Eskimo Open organized by the Cog Hill Golf Course in Lemont, lll. and usually played on the first Sunday in January. Of the 124 participants this year, six were our hickory heroes.
Tee times began at 7 a.m. off both nines. The hickory men were in the final group and so played as a sixsome. The temperature hovered around 40 degrees and the winds were a breezy 12-15 mph.
Jim Koss, a member of the Wisconsin Hickory Golfers, said the six Copper Cup players joined in this year as part of his continuing efforts “to increase participation among the regional events that are not competitive, but fun, with the intent to bring new players aboard.”
Much of their support is focused on the Illinois Honorable Company of Hickory Golfers, organized by Denny Lane and Jeff Browning. Lane and Browning annually host a hickory golf “blast” to open and close the golf season. This year, the six Copper Cuppers showed up for the Eskimo Open.
A copper shot glass is this clan’s symbol. “Wee nips, both toxic and non-toxic, are shared on the first tee and at the turn,” Koss says. “And, truth be told, anywhere or anytime between.”
Koss says he purchased the copper cups on eBay hunting and takes responsibility for creating the clan. “Some of us drink non-toxic and our beverage of choice has been Ginger Beer,” he says. “We taste and evaluate/rate various brands.”
As for the Eskimo Open, says Koss, Cog Hill was in fabulous mid-winter shape with greens estimated as 9 on the stimpmeter.
“Our clan opted to play ready golf and enjoyed a terrific round of camaraderie,” Koss said. “We completed the round at 3:15 p.m. and were warmly welcomed in the dining room… possibly because the staff simply wanted to serve us and go home. We turned in our card, ordered our beverage of choice and savored a bowl of chili. All for $49.”
Prizes were awarded to low net and to low net with the Peoria handicap.*
Within the Copper Cup Clan, Tom Delaney and Jim Koss tied for low net with Tom Kerckhove a stroke behind. In the Peoria competition, Tom Delaney was the champ, with Kerckhove a shot behind and Dan Norstedt in third.
Undaunted by the weather, and fueled by wee nips of many kinds, the Copper Cups have declared a new annual event.
“As General Ken Holtz already has a ‘hickory in the desert’ event each year (the Arizona Desert Hickory Championship), we decided that we shall meet once a year for a ‘Hickory in The Snow’ event,” Koss said. “This shall be a must-play and must-experience hickory golf outing.”
To earn your copper cup, set your calendar for Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. Hickory tee times will start at 10 a.m. for the second annual Hickory In the Snow (snow or no), according to Koss.
“With due respect to Mark Twain, it’s a good walk unspoiled,” Koss said. “Of course, gas carts were available this year, so we rode.”
*As defined by Koss, Peoria is a standard handicap system when official handicaps are not required. Someone selects six holes, three from each nine. One par 3, one par 4 and one par 5. Maximum score of double bogey. Sum x 3 results in the handicap.
The copper cup, this Midwest group’s symbol of modern hickory golf’s most enduring feature – fellowship.
Jim Koss launches a drive in the 2019 Eskimo Open.
Copper Cup Clan, from left, Tom Delaney, Aras Biskis, Marius Kucinas, Dan Norstedt, Tom Kerckhove. and Jim Koss.