The third weekend in January is definitely not the ideal time for most people around here (Ohio) to play golf. It is, however, my favorite weekend of golf in the whole year. For the past 15 years, this weekend has held The Chilly Willy Open, on a roughly created par 3 hole cut into the woods behind my house outside of Creston, where I grew up. It is the pet project of my step-dad Joe “Willy” Butler and over the past 15 years has really turned into an extraordinarily well run event and, more importantly, always has been a great time for all involved. Joe Willy, as his close friends have called him for years referring back to famous NY Jets QB Joe Willy Namath, deserves so much recognition for this yearly event. He puts in so much time, effort, and money to organize it every year. I mean he goes out half way through the week and tarps off the green to keep it in prime condition. Thanks Joe, from everyone that has ever participated, you deserve it.

2013 Chilly Willy Open Participants

The Butler Cabin

The tournament started in 1999. I was nine years old the first year. I don’t really remember what the thought process was for coming up with the idea, but once the ball got rolling (pun intended) it was on from there. I remember we used extension cords to circle in the green and 3-point area. I guess this would be a good time to explain how the tournament works before we go any further. As it is today, the hole cut into the woods is approximately 100-110 yards from the furthest hitting position. Because it has regular lawn grass and no real green the tournament is not played like traditional golf. There are three mats, hitting positions, what have you, three different places where you hit from. The closest is about 30 yards, the second at 60-70, and the third is around 100-110. Each golfer gets three balls from each mat. The front of the green is marked by a line of spray paint and a small lattice fence around the back. If you make it on the green from any mat, you get one point. There is a smaller area marked circling the pin within the green, worth three points. Finally, a hole in one, if you make the shot in the cup you get six points and your signed ball goes on the wall in the Butler Cabin (our little shed where the score is kept and the event is ran from). The number of rounds and cuts depends on the number of people there and time, but the running joke is that if you tie with Willy at least in the first round, you are definitely making it through because Joe isn’t going to eliminate himself if he doesn’t have to.

Along with the hole-in-one signed balls, plenty of Ohio State memorabilia and miscellaneous tools; a picture of Joe and each of the past 14 winners adorn the walls of the Butler Cabin, playing on the name of the famous cabin where the winner of The Masters (one of the most prestigious golf tournaments of the year held at Augusta National in Augusta, GA) is awarded the Green Jacket. For the Chilly Willy, we have the Scarlett Jacket that the winner wears in their picture with Joe. It was an old beige sport coat that I still remember dying red (the only time it was dyed) in a bucket the first year. From 1999 until this year you can see the progression of fading of the jacket throughout the pictures. A group of the guys’ wives come every year and do nothing but register everyone for the tournament and keep score. There is also a group of people that come and are down by the green for the tournament, radioing the scores into the ladies in the cabin as they come, and taking measurements for closest to the pin. We even have a small fire pit down by the green that really only gets used during the tournament. It is all pretty impressive when you step back and think about it.

First Mat

Joe Willy hitting from the second mat

Taking a measurement for Closest to the Pin

I started by working the tournament when I was younger, too young to play. I can’t remember what year I first started playing but I would bet it was early high school. I wasn’t into golf as much as everyone else in the family. My step-brother and sister both played in high school, as did my younger brother. Joe, Ryan, and Adam play in so many different leagues and tournaments each year. Just about all of the guys that come are good friends of my step-dad and/or have played golf with or against one of the three of them at some point. It’s a real big group of golfers, friends, and HUGE Buckeyes fans; something I can only hope to have with my friends many years down the road.

On top of all of this, my Mom makes a ridiculous amount of chili. People all come with different food, pizza, dip, cheese plate etc. We get the garage heated up as a relief from the cold weather. When you’re not golfing (read: eliminated early because the golf skills of yours truly are lacking a bit) chances are you’ll be in the garage eating some chili, maybe playing some cards with the others that are out of the tournament already.

From L: Duddy, J-Wall, Cub, Jake, and Ben

This year I managed to get a few friends to come up with me. Dustin was the smartest of all of us and just came for the food and drink (read: beer) and saved his entry money, unlike Jake, J-Wall, and I who didn’t get much for our payment. Ben managed to make it a few rounds which was definitely fun to watch, especially cause these guys had no idea what they were in for. This year we had a great turnout. As my roommate Jake pointed out, who was also out in the first round like me, we came all this way to hit 9 shots (which with the $18 entry fee works out to paying $2 per shot). He was kidding though, we all had a blast. The weather was definitely warmer than usual which depending on how you look at it is good or bad. There’s been plenty of years with snow on the ground.

Joe Willy presenting his son Ryan with the purse and the Scarlett Jacket

This year reminded me how much I love the Chilly Willy. Looking back over the past fifteen years it’s the cause of so many great memories. I was extremely happy to see my buddy Ben and both my step-brother Ryan and brother Adam all advance pretty far, as well as the rest of my friends having a good time. Ryan, who has finished second in the tournament too many times to count finally got off the schnide and pulled out a victory this year and my brother Adam took a tie for third. I couldn’t be happier for them, except well maybe if I would have taken away the money instead of donating. Either way, I can’t wait for next year and I know I’m not the only one.