The Cragin - Tee Off

Tee Off

A long time ago on a cow pasture far, far away, young boys started playing a game in which they ran around an open field chasing little balls with sticks. Eventually those boys grew older and kept hitting and chasing their balls around and called this pastime golf. Golf grew to what we know and love today, complete with its own history, its great players, and its ardent fans. Golf also became a way of life for a bunch of guys who grew up in Chicago in a neighborhood called Cragin. This is their story and their tournament.

Some names may have been omitted, some misspelled, but that's because the writer is Polish and old and forgetful. No names have been changed to protect the innocent. We're all long past the age of being innocent of anything. We're all guilty.

This is the story of a tournament no pro will ever play, nor any ranking amateur for that matter. It's just a bunch of Polacks and others who once a year get together to play a game they love with people they love. It doesn't matter who wins or loses, how well they shoot, how much weight they've put on over the years, or how much hair they've lost, or pulled out after dumping several balls in the water.

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