Was that a Happy Father's Day or WHAT?

It was definitely the WHAT!

There we all were at that beautiful, tiny, easy, relaxing Sea Aire Golf Course in Torrance Sunday and what a sight it was to see.

On what everyone said was usually a very empty and lonely golf course; all of a sudden there was the BIG BANG and Knights, Knights, Knights were everywhere!

With the SpinDog Billings and Too Tall Yule leading the way, the event came off flawlessly.

Too Tall must've had about a billion golf balls and the SpinDog came up with clubs of all kinds from who knows where.

In short, everyone who showed up had a club and a ball and had a ball hitting the ball all over the doggone course.

FORE was the thing to say and ducking was the thing to do.

Of course the day HAD to start with Coach Mike Farman hitting a tree right off the first tee.

The tree was all right and Coach Mike got a lot better once he got the feel of the course.

Anyone see Kaptain Kool Kristen hit a golf ball straight down the fairway while falling on her rear parts?

The shot was great, her rear parts fine and her score very Kristen-like.

Which is to say, very good...and you all thought that all she could do was miss layups!

BREAKING NEWS, BREAKING NEWS, BREAKING NEWS!

The famed SpinDog; that Gigantor of Golf, that Tower of Power, that Monster of the Tee from USC, played like a Bruin Sunday...which is to say he came in SECOND place to the Deadly Duo and new Dukes of the Links, Too Tall Yule and John's Father's Day present, son, Eric.

All was not lost for the Billings family, though, as a new Billing was christened with a Knights Knickname AND a solemn promise was made that will change the Billings household forever.

First the promise.

Please repeat after me.

I, Coach and Papa SpinDog Billings,

Do solemnly promise, FOR MY FAMILY;

To now and forevermore, WILL QUIT SMOKING

As long as I breathe.

Witnessed this day, June 16, by all True Knights of the Realm and the billions of people who might see this on the world wide web and wonder who the heck the SpinDog is.

Secondly, with the beginning of a new era in the Knights Book of Lore with the new formation of a Knights Golf Club; I, the Big Dog, name Dino Billings, First Knights Captain of the Dimpled Power Ball and further christen him with the name with which he shall be known, now and forevermore in Knightsville:

THE STICKDOG.

REALLY BREAKING NEWS!

Did ANYONE see that Master of Disaster, Sir Philip de Souza, our Ambassador of Cabernet sink that looooong Tiger-ish putt from at least 100 yards out from the very outer limits of the fringe of the green?

Binoculars were needed to see Sir Philip when he stood over his ball.

If you were standing on a beach in Catalina, you were closer to the hole than he was to this hole in Torrance.

Was he intimidated?

Was he scared?

Was he SIR SWINGING STUDLEY?

You bet!

He sank his travelogue putt for a par, ran and shook hands with all on the golf course, kissed some mommas, burped some babies, and contentedly basted and basked in his own glory for a least 10 minutes.

Who said this game was hard?

Tell Tiger to move over...Sir Philip has arrived as a bonafide golfer and stud athlete!

Myself, I was strolling along the course with our very own Knights Golf/Actual US OPEN participant/player Pro/And All Around Nice Guy, Russ Fraser.

What a sweetie pie, nice guy!

A comment here, a suggestion there, an analogy here, and another there; and here was I, second to Philip in the basking department as I had three pars in four holes!

Gosh Russ, if you HALF the success with our club as you did with me Sunday; we will conquer the golf world in about 6 months!

Tell Tiger to definitely move over...Sir Philip of Basking and Bob, the Prince of Wails, have arrived.

FOOD, FOOD, AND MORE FOOD!

You should of seen how everyone STUFFED THEIR FACES with food.

There was Indian food, Hawaiian food, Mexican food, Asian food, Italian food, tons of delicious and tender chicken, cakes, cookies, chips, cokes, water...well, you get the picture.

Thanks, thanks, thanks, to all who made that portion of Father's Day a belly busting success.

All that, and it was Evan Baratti's birthday!

Happy Birthday big boy!

Mucho kudos to all the women who, bless their hearts, tried and DID golf.

Mucho kudos to all the kids who golfed FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.

Mucho kudos to all the dads who really had FUN on a golf course whose longest hole was 84 yds. (Except for the one Sir Philip found, of course)

Please check the website under the GOLF CLUB button in the next few days for all the info on the hows and the whats of our new Golf team.

WE GOTTA DO THAT AGAIN SOMETIME!

Speaking of Chicken and Evan and good time people...here are two plus two,

Paul and Linda Baratti and sibs, Evan and Krista.

Linda made the chicken (and plenty of it), Paul played golf (for the first time, risking major embarrassment) and Evan grew another year older, and Krista can always be seen supporting Momma and protecting Evan.

The Barattis are one of those families that are always hanging around in the background, just to help, just wanting to support the heck out of the Knights and doing all the little things that make everything we do turn out to be a success.

They were prominently behind the scenes and helping like the dickens at the 4JP Walk, though Paul did escape our great escapade to Bubba Gump's Shrimp House.

I still have to find out how he was able to disappear so quickly.

I could probably use that talent sometime.

I think, though, that Linda must be responsible for that trick too.

And, this past Sunday:

There was Linda sweeping floors, serving food, wiping down tables.

There was Paul, eating, eating, and eating...hey, he was making sure we didn't have to truck all that food out to the cars!

It is high time that these two finally got some recognition from me for all that they do for all that they encounter.

Does anyone know that they are always the last to leave practice?

That is because Linda always is looking to make sure that all the kids have gotten picked up.

Many is the time I see her with a Knight in tow behind her because that Knight's parents haven't come yet.

Many is the time that I see them come to games to support the other Knight's teams as far away as Lancaster when their own games have ended hours before.

Many is the time when I see them at ANY and EVERY crazy event the Knights have that I seem to think of and supporting the heck out of it to the best of their abilities.

I hope that everyone who reads this knews does appreciate their selfless efforts as much as I do.

Linda and Paul...thanks so much for all that you do.

This ones for you...and maybe the second one too!

Here is my thanks and appreciation to ALL OF YOU who do make this club such a joy to be a part of .

Lord knows the Knights and myself are not perfect.

I just thank the Lord that there are so many people who are here who are always willing to see the glass half full rather than half empty.

As McCartney/Lennon said:

"And in the end,

the love you take;

is equal to the love,

you make."

It is because of all of you that the Knights are REALLY the envy of all the other clubs who only wish they had HALF the CLUMPING attitude that we do.

I admire and treasure each and every one of you...and you know exactly who you are!

See you dudes and dudettes in Lancaster!