The summer of free golf comes to an end September 22nd; well maybe not free but it was certainly cheap. Legends Resort offered up summer deals back in June for its ‘Loyal Member’s’, those card carrying ones eligible to receive two beers, breakfast and lunch with every round played.  The deal almost looked too good to be real. We dissected the summer deal for any hidden clauses or secret disclaimers but could find none. Back in June, all we had to do was pay up front, $139 per person and be granted the privilege of playing unlimited golf, any day of the week, including weekends and holidays, providing we secured our tee times at 2 PM or later.  Right we figured, just how difficult was it going to be to reserve a descent tee time. We agonized over paying up front, thinking we’d be placed at the back of the line when it came getting the ‘preferred tee times.’ Oh well, four of us decided to take the gamble, roll the dice and see what happened. How could we pass over an opportunity to play three Legends’ golf courses in Myrtle Beach, Heritage Plantation in Pawley’s Island and Oyster Bay just across the N.C. border for one entry fee? Unlimited golf at our finger tips all summer long; sounded like a sham but we took the bait. 

To our surprise, all of the courses were extremely accommodating. We’d call and almost every time be granted the tee time we asked. Show up a the designated course and present our summer pass card and we were done; no additional money passed hands except for the one dollar tip for the gents loading our bags on the carts. Long summer days ensured we could easily play after 4 PM weekdays, Legends Resort just minutes from our workplace, eastbound Myrtle Beach on 501. Good fortune would have negative results on my play. After months of our house being for sale, wouldn’t you know it; we had an offer and accepted. While happy with the sale of our house, the pending move/packing and actual move, all but took me out of the two to three days of planned golfing for the next six weeks or so.  I slipped in about one time a week when I could. I only got back in the weekly rotation after we moved in and unpacked, got our house in some semblance of livable condition. Two of my playing partners managed to play about thirty times to my less than half that many rounds.

Still, I should manage to get in between twenty and twenty five rounds by the 22^nd of September. That should equate to approximately $650 in savings for the summer, so I’d say without a doubt, the $139 investment paid off. It will be tough over the fall and winter months pulling out the old credit card to supplement my rounds. Flashing that summer special card at the pro shop will be sadly missed. We sort of received VIP treatment, celebrities for the summer. An average round of golf for me for the past three months was $5.56 if one wants to look at it that way. Two of my cohorts averaged less than $4. Heck, you can’t play a round of miniature golf here at the beach for that. For me, it averages out to about 30 cents per hole to play with cart included. Living large on the grand strand, at least for the summer, while those poor tourists were caring the load, many of them paying almost a much for one round as we paid for our entire summer, ain’t life grand on the strand.  

I'm backkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Actually I've had a sick 'puter' lately. It wouldn't connect to the net but we all better now.

I read this article posted on Fox news today and had fond memories of those spook houses we used to built in Halloween. Innovation thought, never envisioned this twist. I might just have to dust off the ole spook house building skills and open myself up one these puppies for the trick and the treaters. Read this and let me know if you agree. Here's my plug for Shocktoberfest.com

The phrase, “that scared my pants off,” will take on a new meaning this Friday in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.
An attraction at Pennsylvania's "premier haunted scream park," Shocktoberfest, will be offering nude tours of its haunted house.
Labeled the “Naked and Scared Challenge,” the unique brand of Halloween experience asks visitors to strip down to nothing and enter one of their haunted houses completely nude.
According to Patrick Konopelski, president and owner of Shocktoberfest, the inspiration came from Discovery Channel’s show “Naked and Afraid,” in which two castaways must survive in the wild without any outer wear.
Konopelski came up with idea after watching an episode of the show at home with his four teenage children.
“I’m watching these two people running around naked in the woods and they were genuinely scared,” Konopelski told FoxNews.com. “If you know you have no protection, you become very vulnerable and I thought ‘Wow! That would be amazing in a haunted house.’”
Now Shocktoberfest will invite its guest to experience the same kind of fear. Participants will walk through the haunted house called “The Unknown,” themed to a former industrial park filled with zombies.
The patrons are offered two options: nude or prude. They can go through the haunted house completely nude or wearing only their underwear. 
For those who do decide to go with the Full Monty, they won’t have to worry about many onlookers, as the Naked and Scared Challenge takes place at midnight after all other customers have left. The attraction will also only be offered to guests 18 years of age or older.
For guests afraid of being caught in the nude, a fully clothed option is available during normal business hours as well.
According to the Shocktoberfest website, the attraction will have plenty of security on staff during the naked hours to ensure there is no inappropriate behavior.
A disclaimer on the site reads:
Shocktoberfest has created this experience so their customers can explore a new level of fear. This is about fear and pushing oneself out of their comfort zone. This is not about sex. No sexual misconduct, inappropriate or disrespectful behavior will be tolerated.
*Please note there is an additional cleaning charge if we scare the p*ss out of you!
Konopelski admits that there has been some criticism of the new clothing-free addition to Shocktoberfest, citing some very heated debates that have occurred on the event’s Facebook page.

“I have been involved in the haunted house business for 27 years,” writes one user. “This is the worst idea I have ever heard of. I wonder if they have informed their city officials of this idea? If not, the first complaint to the mayor and this will be shut down.”
“Its [sic] mostly going to be a bunch of fat old creepy men in there lol,” writes another.
Konopelski says he did initially have trouble convincing everyone -- from city officials to his wife -- that the idea was a good one, but now he says the response has mostly been positive.
“A lot of people have preconceived notions about what it may become,” Konopelski told FoxNews.com. “It’s just consenting adults given the opportunity to be as vulnerable as possible in a haunted house…The beautiful part about living in America is that if you’re a consenting adult and you want to experience something you should have the right to do it.”
The Naked and Scared Challenge begins at midnight on Sept. 27, 2013. Tickets can be bought online for $20. The attraction will be closed on Sundays. Tickets and more information can be found at Shocktoberfest.com.

Chant Rant

 

 

We attended the Coastal Carolina Chanticleer football home opener this afternoon verses Furman. I still suffer from Coach David Bennett withdrawals after they fired him at the end of 2011 and allowed the millionaire, Joe Moglia to buy them off and pay for a coaching job. I watched him on the sidelines during the 2012 season, very detached displaying un-coach like antics. The millionaire bought the team three new buses, need I say more. I despise someone who buys his way rather than earn it.

 

That brings me to tonight's Chant Rant. We seat ourselves on the home team side of the field, 50 yard line in the teal seats. The two teams, Coastal and Furman storm onto the field but something is bass-akwards. Furman in their purple set up shop on our sideline. The Furman band spill into our stands and the Furman cheerleaders begin leading cheers on our side of the field. What is this, a Twilight Zone episode or Candid Camera?

I'm then informed that Joe, the millionaire has decided to change side of the field, because he doesn't like the sun to be in his eyes. Never in the history of football at any level has this ever happened. Because the sun is in his eyes...the sun is in our eyes, as it is for the entire bleacher full of Chant fans. Are we supposed to march over to the other side and demand seats with the sun to our backs?

Recap, we the fans come to the stadium expecting to see the CCU football team on the home side of stadium. That's what fans do. Instead we're looking at the backs of players wearing purple uniforms, cheer leaders in purple and flag waving band members in purple, not to mention a large fan base of Furman folks.

Foot ball tradition tossed out the window because Joe doesn't like looking into the sun. Now the Chants will play all away games, whether they are home or not. The football team is across the field during the game instead of on the side lines in front of us. I was confused. Just who was I supposed to be pulling for, the ones in purple or those on the opposite sidelines wearing teal. I am beyond flustered and fed up with Joe the millionaire and it being all about him and he what he wants, bought and paid for. Does the university have not an ounce of pride left? Joe has the funds to buy anything he wants, sad, sad, sad.

In two weeks is the next home game. I'll have to research my new team colors for that game and purchase a new wardrobe. I'll have to do that every home game now because the opposing team will be on our side of the field. This is so terribly wrong; say it ain't so, Joe that you think you are more important than tradition, the fans, football. It makes me want to puke.

Joe you have ruined it for all of us. Some of us can't be bought. You are disgusting and those running CCU are just a bad for allowing you to buy them off.  It's a sad day for college football. ESPN should run a story on this, the end of football as we know it at CCU.

Sometimes one is just blogged out. Breaking but will be back with more whomping the ball tales, bullying short stories or those trips down memory lane in the day before video games - stay tuned.

Visit http://www.mkhorror.com/category/books/ while I have the pause button pressed and catch up with my book reviews, those I've read, not written.