Friends of Jacques, Andy, Chip and Skip
​WELCOME!
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This is designed for the "Friends of Jacques, Andy, Chip and Skip"

Scott "Brownie" Brown (Pictured above front row center) is one of the founding members of the annual spring and fall golf trips which started back in the late 80's. The 3 days of golf consists of 2 teams facing off in a modified Ryder Cup format. Two man best ball, Scrambles and ending on Sunday with singles matches. This group has an interesting cast of characters: Brownie,Spanky,Winger,Kodiak,Buhner,Natch,McKechnie,JT,Mr Smoothy,Stewie and many others.
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Pat McKenzie
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The History:
It was the early spring of ’88 when Scott Eury walked into my office, sat down and said, “Hey, let’s go to Ocean City for a weekend to play golf.” It seemed like a good idea and it had been a month or so since our last ski trip (that’s a whole different story that involves Scott’s wife, Jean, choking our co-worker, Buena, and Buena’s new boyfriend, Joe, choking the plumbing in my Dad’s vacation home at Mt. Lake, but I digress). I had few plans for the spring, so I said “yes”, not knowing where it would all lead. We needed two more golfers (a very loose definition, back then) to make a foursome, so we went back up to the 4th floor and talked Dirk Cassard into going with us. A short phone call a few minutes later and we had Chip "Slammin' Sammie" Jones (who I think was the original instigator) as our fourth.
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A weekend or two later Scott, Dirk, Jonesie and I piled into my K5 Blazer and set off for Ocean City for 3 rounds of golf and two nights at the HoJo’s at 12th and the Boardwalk in OC. The whole trip was only $149 back then (including two Continental Breakfasts at HoJo’s) plus $50 to play 36 at Hog’s Neck in Easton on the way “downy ocean”. I don’t remember much more about that first trip other than the complaints we received from the guys we didn’t ask to go us when they heard our stories upon our return. When we went back to OC for a return visit that Fall, our little group had doubled in size to 8 with the addition of Scott’s brother, Andy; JT; Jimmy Brinkhoff and Buena’s boyfriend (remember him?). The highlight of that trip was my driving Andy to the Emergency Room in Salisbury at 4 AM after he bit a hole in his tongue at dinner on Saturday night. Sunday morning, Andy shot in the 70’s with several stiches in his tongue.
Soon, we were a group of 12 as we added the Colonel, Jeff Topley, Jack Benjoar and Spanky while we lost Joe. I’m not sure if we really “lost” Joe or Joe lost his 7 iron (which was the only club he would hit between 100 and 200 yards out), but he stopped driving up from Hampton Roads to join us. We also had a few cameos from folks like Jacques’ brother; Steve; Dirk’s brother, Vim; Tim St. Maxens; Jonesie’s buddy, Randy Lee and Ant’ney (who took a cab back to NYC after one day of golf) but we quickly became 16 regulars with the additions of Steve Donovan, Duke Hanson, Fred Hessick, John Hurd, Rob Medley and Pat McKenzie.
In the last thirty-plus years, our size has varied from 16 to 24, with various folks dropping in and out and missing trips for children's graduations, college reunions, weddings and spousal compliance and the additions of Natch, Stew, Jeremy, Rusty, Kyp, Jerry, Greg, Lil' Natch, Hunter and Brad. We’ve played as far south as Oak Island, NC, as far west as Wintergreen, VA and as far north as Penn National during our spring trips, but we always return to Carroll Valley, PA, each October, where we have developed a bit of a reputation among the staff (I wish I had a copy of the photo they took of our 100 empty Bloody Mary glasses from the rain delay in the Spring of ’03). CV has become our home away from home thanks to Timmy St. Maxens and JT, who first suggested we go there “for the fall colors”.
There have been plenty of laughs over the years including “Crazy Mr. Bag Head”, Marjorie! Marjorie!, and Andy standing in the pouring rain outside the Ocean Club at 3 AM trying to cram his way into a minivan that contained the rest of us and 7 female co-workers that were in OC to celebrate one of the girl’s 40th. We’ve also had a few tears along the way. We lost Jacques more than a decade ago now. Andy in early 2014. And now we have lost Sammie and the Colonel in the aftermath of COVID. Jack and Andy were two of the nicest human beings I have ever had the pleasure to call my friend and Sammie was the life of the party. There was never a dull moment with "Crazy Mr. Bag Head" around.
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Our most recent loss was retired Marine Lt. Col. Earl "Skip" Kruger - without a doubt the most outrageous soul I ever met. His multiple tours as an infantry officer in Vietnam made him one of the most decorated Marines of the conflict and fearless beyond belief. When you were with Skip, you knew that no harm could come your way... you just never knew what would come out of his mouth next.
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SKIP: Which course are we playing this afternoon?
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ME: The Inner Course at The Beach Club
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SKIP: I LOVE INTERCOURSE! (at the very top of his lungs).
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That was the first time I saw over 200 people, scattered over two golf courses, practice area and clubhouse all turn at once and stare our way.
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Our trips are not the same without them. We carry on and still have our fair share of laughs, but we all miss them terribly. Our little group and our trips are dedicated to their memories and to the joy they all brought us.
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Scott Brown
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