Dust off your clubs and get ready to hit the links at Aston Oaks Golf Course. The teacher-student golf outing is right around the corner and it will be here in no time. Last year it was at Deer Run but that course was shut down last November. The previous year it was at Hillview Golf Course but after 45 years being open it closed as well.

Golf is a dying sport and every year it seems like a golf course is closing around the Westside. Some people say that golf is a rich man’s sport and this is very true. It is extremely expensive to play golf every weekend. But golf is always a fun time to get out every now and then and whack the ball around.

The faculty-student golf outing is one last time to have some good times with your favorite teachers and have a great last day of school. The outing is set for Friday, May 22.  Hopefully it is a beautiful sunny day on the links.

The outing will consist of a foursome of golfers one being a teacher or staff member and three students. You get to play Aston Oaks, get a cart, and get lunch supplied by the dads’ club all for just one low price of $25 which is a pretty sweet deal. There is also a $5,000 prize for one lucky Panther who hits a hole in one.

I will be playing with an Elder baseball coach Rob Thompson and with fellow baseball players Shane Smith and Kyle Orloff. We are not the best at golf but we are going to try and win this outing and maybe hit a hole in one for that $5,000.

Mr. Acito started this tradition in 1996 and it has been going strong for 19 years. It started at Hillview Golf Course and once that closed they moved it to Deer Run Golf Course which is owned by Elder alumni, the Macke family.

The Mackes  have had to close and sell both Hillview and Deer Run due to rising expenses and lower amounts of rounds being played at their courses. This year we are lucky to have had our outing moved to Aston Oaks; another Macke facility. Aston is a very nice course but it will also be tough for some students who are not very experienced at golf.

With the end of the school year nearing I hope that all the seniors take the time to really appreciate the last days at Elder high and attend the Golf Outing if they can. We don’t have much time left here at Elder so let’s live it up.