There are all sorts of golf events featuring corporate sponsors, charity outings, and other diversions during the fall season. One resourceful individual makes a decent living scheduling these things (involving more than 2,000 rounds of golf) at nearly 30 area courses. At the other end of the spectrum is a remarkable captain’s choice event that’s involved four cousins for exactly 40 years.

It was held October 2–4 at Meadowlands in Winston-Salem, Oak Hollow in High Point and Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Three different courses over three days.

The winning team gets to choose the location for the next year (after considerable bickering). They produce a Cousins Tournament annual newsletter, including the 2009 version in full color, and an assortment of trophies or plaques over the years. Who are these guys?

Mike Davis is an avid golfer and an even more gifted graphic designer who heads up Graphic Imprints in Candler. Paul Sluder lives in Winston-Salem where he is vice president of financial solutions for a major credit union. Gary Sluder is a Nationwide insurance agent based in McConnells, South Carolina, and Danny Smith is president/CEO of Skydive Carolina in Welcome.

In 1998, a violent thunderstorm drenched the tournament course and vacated the fairways, except for these guys. Wearing 89-cent rain gear from Wal-Mart, they completed all 18 holes looking like Godzilla- sized yellow zip-lock bags.

At one time, the winning team received a foot-high trophy that featured a very miniature green and a sand trap. It disappeared. Now they battle over a mundane plaque showing that Danny and Paul have won eight times since 2001.

This year the margin was three holes, even though the vanquished twosome closed the gap to one hole at Grandover East in Greensboro. The wagers have varied over the years but never the intensity. Of course, the losers pay for the championship dinner.

Gather all your golf-crazed relatives and start your own cousins tournament. Should be fun.

The Battle of the Smokies

Now for some shocking news. It took place in early August, but it has taken this long for me to summon the nerve to report on my own “crowning achievement.” I was one of 12 golf journalists invited to be on the North Carolina team in the annual competition against our counterparts from Tennessee in the Battle of the Smokies at Mount Mitchell Golf Club. Those rascals from up North had won the Ryder Cup-style matches the two previous years. Craig Distl, the sharp young event promoter, didn’t realize I would be the oldest competitor on our team—by a mile.

Tom Horan of Asheville clinched the victory with a par on the 18th hole while celebrating his 56th birthday. But a much older teammate actually contributed 2.5 points and nearly beat the best golfer on the other team, with the help of a beneficial handicap.

I will accept your congratulations. Either send money or buy me a cane.

A Worthy Bike Hike

PGA member Brett Miller of Fletcher is biking 462 miles across North Carolina to sup- port Folds of Honor Foundation which helps educate and train the widows and children of our fallen soldiers facing a very challenging future. He is asking golf fans to support the cause by sending donations to Folds of Honor Foundation at MMA, Inc. (101 French Broad Lane, Fletcher, NC 28732). You can track his progress to Ocean Isle Beach at carolinas.pga.com.

Links to the Links

How do you measure up? The National Golf Foundation reports that 53% of all serious golfers shoot between 90 and 109. Only 29% break 100. Furthermore, there are 15,979 courses in the U.S. but only 2,469 are municipal amid 11,637 public venues. But the entire economic impact of golf is just short of $76 billion per year.

Chuck Werle is a longtime golf lover who is always in pursuit of a better game. He is a principal for Carolina Image Builders, a local public relations company, and can be reached by calling 828.299.0813.