Can a 47-year-old underachieving mid-handicapper find long-sought golfing glory by turning things around and learning to play left-handed? The world is about to find out.

Crossing the Finish Line

Well, the official "learning to play left-handed golf" part of the project came to an end last weekend, with the 2011 "White Lake Classic." This venerable event began 25 years ago when a group of friends were invited to a family cottage on White Lake in Michigan to perform manual labor in exchange for free lodging and golf. It has since evolved into the golf season's true "fifth major," with bragging rights and a true monstrosity of a traveling trophy on the line for the winner.
     This year, it was also the designated "finish line" for the Scratch in the Mirror book project, the official end of the one-year commitment.
     How does it all end? You'll have to buy the book to find out! Suffice it to say that a great time was had by all, as usual. I'll also go so far as to divulge that I did not win the trophy (for what would have been a record-extending seventh time!). No, the coveted title this year went to Dr. Tom Scaggs, who overcame severe injuries incurred in a recent ATV accident (lesson: friends don't let friends videotape and drive) to win rather handily. Congratulations, L.T.! ("Little Tommy")
     Pictured here are the six surviving participants on the first tee at the White Lake Golf Club (a.k.a. "The Burial Place of Old Man Gloom"): Mike "Zim" Zimmerman, Rob "The Glacier" Twardock, Mike "Scruffy" Neuses, Tom "Scagg-bagger" Scaggs, Tom "Serbo" Lessaris, and Keith "Keith" Staggs.