June 25, 2022

Summer arrived in full force and the timing couldn’t have been better. We were registered for a golf tournament and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. 

I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to golf in the tourney until the last moment. We’d signed up for the Gonzo Okanagan tournament scheduled for September 2021. At that time we’d hoped the pandemic which had paralyzed the world was over and we were headed back to normal. 

We were wrong. 

But there we were at the first T box and we were getting ready to play a round of golf. My wife and I were just happy to be there, even though we were disappointed that we would be golfing by ourselves. Thankfully that would change.

Just before the initial blast of the horn indicating we could T-Off we were told we could join another two-some on the eighteenth hole. Our new playing partners were a mother-son combo from Lake Country and thankfully he was an awesome golfer.

Shotgun starts can be entertaining and this tournament would be the best one I’d ever been to. We would go on to post a respectable three under par for the round. The only way I could ever score that well at golf is in a best ball texas scramble format. 

To add to the entertainment every hole had something fun and unique to make the day even more special. There was live music echoing across the greens and free food and drinks at every turn. 

Brad Krauza from Gonzo Okanagan, an arts and entertainment organization in Kelowna put on the event at Sunset Ranch and he did a fantastic job. There were over fifteen bands and so many wonderful people enjoyed the sunshine that it filled our souls with joy.

The weather warmed our bodies as well.

The round of golf played out better than expected with very few delays in the game. When there was a delay it was filled with entertainment by the hosts of the hole we were at. The wonderful musicians played their hearts out and it went by in a fairly short six hours of fun.

From Jell-O shots to free beer with samples of everything in between, we felt no pain when we got back to the clubhouse. 

It was indeed the best tournament I’ve ever played.

It was such a release after all the restrictions we had lived under for the last two years and everyone’s spirits soared.

And there was a concert right after.

What a great way to spend a Saturday in the Okanagan. 

Thanks to Brad and all the other wonderful people who made it all possible. Gonzo Okanagan did a great job and the bands played into the night.

The musicians were all local-born talent, the sounds of music filled the evening air. It was a sound that brought joy to my heart.

The headliners’ Washboard Union lit the stage with their presence and we could feel a connection with the music, and with everyone around us.

People danced and swayed, hugged, and laughed. It felt so good, it felt like the world was back to the way it should be.