FORT HOOD, Texas - Dark clouds hung ominously over Fort Hood as scattered thunderstorms moved throughout Central Texas May 7, threatening the possible cancellation of the Black Jack Golf Scramble slated for later that afternoon. However, as tee time approached, rays of sunlight began to break through the clouds auguring what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for a round of golf.
"We were worried about the weather, but it came through for us and it turned out to be a great day," Command Sgt. Maj. James Lee, the top noncommissioned officer for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division said after the event.
The driving force behind the golf scramble was Lee, who said the event would allow the brigade's new leadership and staff an opportunity to get to know one another better as they begin building their new team, which will find themselves back in Iraq in less than a year's time.
"We need to start building that camaraderie throughout the brigade now," he said.
The Black Jack Golf Scramble was an 18-hole event, featuring 21, four-man teams, and played under the "best ball" format. Under the rules of best ball, all four team members play from the same spot, which is determined by whichever team member hits the best shot, and the team score is the score of the team member with the fewest strokes. This keeps the game moving faster and allows for weaker golfers to play with more experienced ones.
'There were a vast variety of golfers out here today," Sgt. Maj. Christopher Frediani of Pflugerville, Texas said. "Some were novices and some were really good. The two people I played with had never played before, and they both did really good."
One of Frediani's teammates was 2nd Lt. Memorina Barnes, who said she could count the number of times on one hand that she had stepped on a golf course.
"I did okay," she said. "Actually, much better than I thought I'd do since I haven't played in probably a decade."
Most importantly though, Barnes, who just arrived to the brigade last month, said the golf scramble gave her the chance to get to know the people that she will be working so closely with over the next couple of years better.
Frediani mentioned that he expects the brigade to host more scrambles before the end of the year.
"(The brigade commander) said that he'd like to do this again - at least a couple times before we deploy," he said. "The event was very easy to put together and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves so hopefully we'll do it again soon."
Social Sharing