Golf Bookie

Golf Bookie is an interesting idea. It’s a free website that helps you to track your individual, team, skins and nines bets. Nothing for a Nassau or Calcuttas, though, which are the most common I’ve seen.

Press release follows:

It all started in Hollywood. In the mid 1980’s an old friend of mine, an art critic for the LA Weekly, invited me to play in a poker game at his friend’s house, an actor I’ll call “Big E.” (More about the name later.) We played at his kitchen table in his dinky Hollywood apartment. Those present: three actors, the art critic, a downtown LA artist (me,) and two writers; one writer had his best years behind him, and another was soon to receive an Academy Award for his first screenplay.

We played a few games at Big E’s house, but the objections of various neighbors and E’s occasional girlfriends forced us to find an alternative location for the now regular Monday night game. I guess some people object to loud cursing, farting, and cigar smoke.

One of the writers had a connection at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The historic hotel had just gone through a major renovation, and business was slow. So, for fifty bucks, we got a room for four hours every Monday night. I think the hotel later regretted that.

One game night, Big E mentioned that he was playing golf the next day. Three of us said that we played golf, and all agreed to meet for a game the next day at Griffith Park Golf Course. Keep in mind, none of us had real jobs.

That first day at Griffith Park was the day Big E got his name. He and another actor decided that we should have nicknames. They gave themselves appropriately alpha-male monikers: Big E and “The Captain.” This was the first of my many flashbacks to high school days while in the group.

As more friends joined the group, The Captain and Big E bestowed nicknames upon each of them. Thus, we soon had the artists: Cosmo (me,) Bhogwon, Thunder, Dutchman, Stickman, and Peetey. We had the actor/writers: Speedy, The Virginian, Beagle, Julie, Fireball, Irwin Sherwin, Two-Steaks, Donde, Buddy Love, and Mr. Chips.

Around 1990 a Canadian contingent developed; Gumby, JoJo the Cart Dog Boy (don’t ask,) and Luxor, all actor/writers. Bones, chiropractor-to-the-stars, also came in. Never underestimate the value of a chiropractor in a golf group.

We moved the game from Griffith Park to Brookside Golf Course, next to the Rose Bowl, and settled in to a regular Tuesday morning game, usually with a couple of foursomes showing up. Betting all the way.

For 25 years, we have played golf together at Brookside Golf Course. Over those years, we have been placing bets on medal, skins, and match play. On a given day, a player will have as many as 6-8 different bets going against other players, either individually or as a group.

We often speculated who was winning or losing all the money. In 1999, I had the idea of keeping track of our betting online. I created a database program and put it on the web so we could all access it, record bets, and keep a yearly money list.

Now there is a public version of the program, called Golfbookie.com.

With Golfbookie, any group of golfers can keep track of all of their bets, see where they stand against any other player (Mano-a-Mano stats,) and keep an annual money list for their group.

-Jon (Cosmo) Peterson
Pasadena, CA, Dec 2009

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