It was a beautiful evening which, not surprisingly, led to a pretty good mob showing up for Men's Night - 65 was the final count.  I think the new format that promotes participation and having the scores on the TV is working rather well.  The lounge was rocking and I heard Harvey say that he had never seen so many guys hanging around afterwards.  Very nice indeed. 

     Team # 7 continued their unbeaten streak sitting at 3 - 0 where Team # 9, as one observer accurately pointed out, ran into a bit of bad luck when they ended up playing the low team this week, are still looking for their first win.  It's no surprise that the teams at the top of the standings are getting really strong participation while the teams at the bottom need to get more players out each week.  In this format (which I wholeheartedly endorse) success is based on performance and participation so if you hope to compete you simply have to get the boys out in big numbers.  

     My game this week was the usual "much ado about nothing" though I did rather enjoy the company.  I had the pleasure of playing once again with our General Manager, Mr. Mike Ellis.  Mike, as I'm sure you know, is a really good guy, a fellow member of my Team # 9 and, if his scores so far are any indication, a tad, shall we say, inconsistent.  I know when you work in the golf business it usually means you don't play much golf but, from what I could see, it's the putter that's been letting Mike down and, believe me, this is one area where I know of what I speak.  

     We got to chatting as we were standing beside the 5th green and In one of the most dramatic examples of irony I have ever witnessed, Mike actually turned to me and asked me if I noticed anything odd about his putting stroke.  Truth be told I think he was just making conversation but I never like to pass up the chance to offer my opinion so I thought about it for a moment and then quietly explained that, "although I am no expert, it appears to me you are experiencing a focal dystonia meaning the pathways that govern the inhibition of competing motor programs break down resulting in the overriding of the original motor program.  Two motor programs are operating simultaneously, leading to miss-hit putts, which by the way, is not unlike when Mr. George Costanza voiced his concern that a 'George divided against itself could not stand'.   I continued, "In my opinion, the neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia and concomitant neurophysiology are the primary areas of concern.  It seems clear to me that stress is causing the release of the activating neurotransmitter glutamate, which in turn causes a release of dopamine in the basal ganglia pathways that may result in the disinhibition of competing motor programs".  (I want to stress the word may because as I wrote earlier, I don’t consider myself an expert).  This, I told him, could be the reason he hasn't been putting well.  Surprisingly, that was the last he spoke to me all day.  

Play well and play often,

A Committee Member