The Rapture 2026 - Recap

The Rapture experience this year ran the entire spectrum, much like its participants. A handful of people told me this was one of the best mixes of courses we've played — all well conditioned and excellent value. The only real complaint was the greens at Verandah being a little sandy/grainy, and even those were much better than anything we play in Tampa.

But while the venue selection was top-notch, the housing left a lot to be desired. Due to an "incident with a prior guest," the Blue House was moved much farther from the Gray House. The Gray House was already too far from civilization, and Lehigh Acres predictably has nothing going on.

Lots going on with the Blue Team.

The physical location of the courses created a dilemma: super long drives to golf, or super long drives to activities. We split the baby and ended up with medium-long drives to both, which seemed to leave the social guys and the growing number of homebodies unsatisfied.

Not to mention that more driving just increases the chances of mishaps.

This is not to say the weekend wasn't fun. Any time we can get out of town is nice. Some of you haven't participated in a while, so it was great catching up. Beers with the boys always produce good laughs. The steaks at Conners were a surprising find — somewhere I'd go again. And discovering places and courses we would never see otherwise is part of the charm.

It sounds like John wanted us to stay at the Luminary in Ft. Myers (or some equivalent), which would have increased the total cost of the trip from $449 to $1,002 per person. If that's the direction people want to go, make a comment. Or perhaps next time John earns $100k in a single month he can subsidize the extra cost for us, instead of purchasing randos food that contributes to their kids' diabetes.

The Gray Team has their A1C under control.

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But now we must discuss the other elephant in the room:

The Gray team was cheated.

Not so much by the Blue Team — although slow play on Sunday (which is cheating) contributed — but by God.

We were initially very lucky, with what could have been a complete weekend washout turning into great weather Friday, and violent storms that barely missed us on Saturday. But we only completed 14+ holes of golf before the monsoon hit Sunday.

At that time, Blue was projected to win 7-5 with:

• Faz and Moostie tied, three holes to play, no strokes given
• Melberg down 2 to Gary, four holes to play, Gary only stroking on 18
• Buchert down 2 to John, three holes to play, no strokes given

John — the unanimous MVP on and off the course — was not going to lose to Buchert. But Faz and Melberg (Gray's top two picks!) could have easily flipped their matches for an outright win or an overall tie — resulting in Sudden Death between Moostie and Chandler.

However, the course made the decision to officially close.

There was obviously a ton of discussion between all parties at lunch... and then even more in the car rides home. I came up with multiple fair and defensible solutions that actually produced a Gray Team victory! And, of course, we had plenty of ideas from those more concerned with their individual records than the team result.

But it's silly to pretend golf holes weren't completed Sunday. We can't erase history like the NCAA does when they "vacate wins" from a program. Baseball games are official after 5 innings. The NFL makes games resume on a different date.

Are we going to get Faz, Moostie, Gary, and Melberg back down to Webbs Reserve to finish the match? Are we going to to stay an extra night in Ft. Myers to finish Monday?

No, we aren't. We need a unique solution that fits our constraints and resources.

It seems the precedent we should set is this: After nine holes are played, a match is official. The match can only be stopped before completion if the course kicks us off. Remaining holes are recorded as a push.

Matches that don't make it nine holes are recorded as ties. If the entire Rapture ends in a shortened tie (or if the course won't let us have the tie-breaker), then the Captains can figure out another weekend to go settle things at an agreed upon location.

 

And thus the 7-5 Blue Team victory holds up. A very unsatisfying end to our league's Super Bowl.

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What sucks is many of those unfinished matches could have been completed, or at least have had a different result at the time of stoppage. 

But Group 2 was 3+ full holes behind Group 1. Had they kept up pace, they would have hit rain on 17 green, leaving only one hole which might not have mattered.

Group 3 would have been on 17 tee or fairway, with only Gary/Melberg still in the mix.

And it's not like Group 1 was flying through the course. They waited on every hole, playing behind an elderly foursome that included someone's grandmother. Five of the holes in the Brendan/Geoff match were won or pushed with double bogey or worse!

"Ah, but Dear Leader! Dave and Chandler were also in that group! Arguably the best and sexiest golfers in the Club! They took many fewer strokes so the overall group was much faster."

False. Through 15 holes, gross strokes recorded:

• Group 1 - 297
• Group 2 - 291 

The fact is, Group 1 played collectively worse on Sunday than Group 2.

The only way Group 2 could have been 3+ holes behind Group 1 is if they were fucking around, not ready to hit when it was their turn, hunting for balls longer than 3 minutes, displaying poor cart etiquette, taking a million practice swings, rolling around on the ground, and reading putts at the speed of a mongoloid child.

Which is strange, because I've never associated those things with anyone in Group 2. Except maybe John. So I'm forced to believe he slowed everyone else down with his antics. As punishment, John is now stripped of his MVP title. Hopefully this will be a lesson and he'll play faster in 2027.

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The Rapture Committee is pleased to award Gary and Brendan — two of the final three "selections" — co-MVPs of the 2026 Rapture!

Brendan won his 2nd ever Rapture Singles match (increasing his record to 2-11-0), was the highest points earner for Team Gray (tied with Troy), and made some excellent breakfast sandwiches for his house. Future Captains should feel damn lucky if he's ever placed on their roster!

Gary was in great form all weekend, and the only non-slow player to go undefeated (2-0-1)! His excellent play didn't come out of nowhere. He was given some great swing tips from Ho in the weeks leading up to the event.

Unfortunately, Ho earns this year's LVP award for going winless (0-2-1) for the 3rd time in his past four Rapture appearances, while suffering the worst loss of the entire event: a 4&3 beat down by Troy. Meow-ch.

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Congrats to the Blue Team! Tall Mike is now the first ever back-to-back winning Rapture Captain. Chandler becomes the 2nd ever back-to-back losing Rapture Captain (Tall Mike did it in 2020-2021). And I'm really hoping two different people step up and become Captains next year!

Play better, fools. Enjoy your off-season. 

Blue Team. Now with more Moses.

The Rapture 2026 - Tee Times

The best event of the year is upon us. Be sure to bring rain gear, especially for Friday. 

 

Team houses check-in is noon on Thursday, October 8th. I'll text each team the address to their house.

 

 

Friday, October 9th - Verandah (Whispering Oak) - 1:12pm

They wouldn't give me a rate. Nobody cares about groups of 12 players. Geoff and Faz made too many people quit. I reckon it'll be around $80.

  

With the late tee time, we should brunch/lunch here and be ready to go earlier if the tee sheet clears up. 

 

Rain will be an issue all day. 

 

 

Saturday, October 10th - Ibis Landing - 9:06am

Rate is $69+ tax.

 

I'm making custom scorecards for this round. 

They have swapped holes 1 and 10, so if you want GameBook to be correct you need to pay attention. 

 

 

Sunday, October 11th - Webbs Reserve - 10:00am 

Rack rate is $85+

 

 

See you this weekend.

2026 Rapture Draft Details

We're a little less organized this year — but that's what makes it "fun"! Right?

 

As previously mentioned, we are only booked (allegedly) at one course right now. The good news is there's a ton of options down there so we should be able to pivot if needed.

 

But for the sake of the draft, here are the three scorecards I expect us to play. Please note (someone tell Moostie since he doesn't read the blog)...

 

1) Gary and Troy will be playing forward this year.

 

2) There's a chance Troy might bail due to his injured back. If that happens, he'll be replaced with whomever we can find. I wouldn't count on ANY of our Alternates stepping up, but if needed it'll be a first-to-commit situation.

 

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Verandah - Whispering Oaks - Chapman

We're booked here Friday at either 1pm or 2pm. Not sure... they haven't confirmed yet. Anyway, we played here twice in the 2024 Rapture. Since your memories are shit — that's the one where Geoff beat Brendan in a sudden death playoff.

 

We are playing the No. 3 tees - with Gary/Troy on the 3/4 Combo tees.

 

Scorecard

Handicaps:

 

Player	Low Man	High Man
Ho	1.864
Dave	2.259	1.506
Melberg	2.325	1.550
Chandler	4.892	3.262
Faz	6.143	4.069
Troy	6.756	4.504
Moostie	6.999	4.666
Gary	8.197	5.464
Buchert	8.579	5.720
Geoff	8.843	5.895
John	9.896	6.598
Brendan		6.685

 

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Ibis Landing - Four-Ball 

I've never heard of this course... obviously never played it. Looks hard. Ho convinced me we should all move up since it's a par 71. 

 

It has good reviews online. Hopefully they'll put us on the tee sheet.

 

We're on the III tees.

 

Scorecard

Handicaps:

 

Player	PHCP
Ho	3
Dave	4
Melberg	4
Chandler	7
Faz	9
Moostie	10
Troy	12
Buchert	12
Geoff	13
Gary	14
John	14
Brendan	14

 

 

 

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Webbs Reserve - Singles

 

We'll find out in a couple of weeks if we can get on here. They didn't think it would be a problem. Brand new course inside the Babcock Ranch development. Greens should be quite firm.

 

Playing the III tees - with Gary/Troy on the III/IV combo tees.

Scorecard

 

Handicaps:

 

Player	PHCP
Ho	3
Dave	3
Melberg	3
Chandler	7
Faz	9
Troy	9
Moostie	10
Gary	11
Buchert	12
Geoff	12
John	14
Brendan	14

 

2026 Rapture Draft - Details

Draft will be Friday, September 4th. We're going to do it up in Westchase at Shindig... the previous generic Irish pub.

I'll be up there before 7pm. Whenever Tall Mike is a captain we're at the mercy of his availability, selection and pairings speed. So expect us to finish around the time the bar closes.

 

See some of you then! 

2026 Rapture Qualification and Registration

Here's the official qualification list for the 2026 Rapture. You have a week to decide if you're IN, which requires you to send $254

 

This amount includes the $50 buy-in. 

 

As for golf, I imagine $80 per round to be on the high-end side of the spectrum. So call it $450 overall.

 

October 8th - October 11th 

 

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(locked indexes shown) 

 

Tall Mike  (13.0)

Chandler  (9.8)

Dave  (5.8)

Gary  (17.2)

Troy  (14.9)

Faz  (11.7)

John  (17.4)

Geoff  (15.8)

Ho  (5.2)

Brendan  (17.6) 

Melberg  (5.9)

Buchert  (15.4) 

 

Alternates (in order) 

Marcus  (15.1) 

Billy  (16.3)

Gorecki (banned)  (27.3)

Danny  (27.5)

Adam  (8.2)

Crum   (18.3)

 

Officially Out

Topor  (20.8) 

Reid  (16.4)

Dan  (6.8) 

2025 - Rapture Recap

We had a great Rapture last weekend at Sebring — a location that has become a fan favorite due to value. It's definitely the best set-up, and the hotel does genuinely look out for us. There are some other courses down there I need to scout, so hopefully next time we return we'll see some new things. Be sure to comment your opinions!

 

As for the golf, Moostie (0-3 as a Captain) vs. Chandler (2-0 as a Captain) battled it out as White vs. Red.

 

Chandler had his team dialed in, with practice rounds and a new Club logo on team shirts.

 

Available in the merch store.

Fry. Day. Red.

Tall Mike had his team... which was the extent of his involvement post-draft.

 

Exciting whites.

Day 1 - Four-Ball

 

 Match 1 - Troy/Moostie vs. Chandler/John

 

This was a classic Tall Mike performance that will be remembered for generations. A 6pm Thursday Westchase HOA Board Meeting kept Moostie in Tampa, so he raced to make a 9am tee time Friday morning with basically no communication. At about 8:30am he gave us an ETA of 8:50am — a time none of us believed. Unfortunately for the White Team, Tall Mike had put himself into the first group. And Commissioner Chandler was not about to make any alterations to the schedule to accommodate. Team Red was planning to play Troy 2v1 until Mike arrived.

 

Of course... he arrived exactly at 8:50am, rushed to the fist tee, rolled around on the cart-path for a minute, ripped a ball down the middle of the fairway, and made par on the first hole to go 1 Up.

 

Chandler knew it was over.

 

The match was a grind, with clutch putts made by Troy and Moostie throughout the round. John played great for a DFL draft pick, and was the reason Red took a lead through 10 holes. Chandler was unimpressive.

 

Pushing the 16th hole with double-bogeys pretty much sealed Red's fate. Moostie was able to get "up-over-and-down" from a bunker for a net-par on 17 to secure a point.

 

White wins 2&1. 

 

Match 2 - Casey/Gorecki vs. Reid/Geoff

 

A must-win for Team Red (on paper) that went the distance. Team White was up 2 early, but then fluctuated the lead back-and-forth until the 16th hole. With a 1 Up lead heading into the island par-3 18th (and the entire field watching), Casey made par to earn a point.

 

It sounded like Casey played great... Gorecki hit it terribly but scratched out enough net-pars to contribute... and Reid/Geoff each finished around the +7 (net) mark... which isn't good by any measure.

 

White wins 1 Up. 

Match 3 - Melberg/Billy vs. Ho/Brendan

 

Once again Team Red was flat, failing to make a par on holes 2 through 5. They clawed their way back to be all square through 13, but a double bogey on 16 ended their day.

 

Billy was apparently the star of the show, playing way better than the other three guys. We should expect no less from our current season Champ.

 

White wins 3 & 1. 

 

 

It's worth noting that sometime around the 11th hole, Red was projected to lead 2.5 - 0.5. The sudden swings are what make this format great!

 

At dinner, Team White carried on the tradition started by Faz in 2023, serving Chandler an "0-3" dessert. If you're going to kick someone, you might as well do it while they're down!

 

The 0-3 Spressi Tini

 

Day 2 - Chapman

 Match 4 - Troy/Moostie vs. Reid/Brendan

 

Tall Mike tried a repeat of his usual antics, nowhere to be found minutes before the first tee time. Once again, he was in the first group, and was on the verge of forfeiting holes. This was met with passionate objections by Melberg, who thought the "rule" should be an automatic half point (or something about an envelope). If anything, Melberg wanted us to shuffle the order of the groups to give Moostie more time. 

 

"No," said Chandler... a decision that was echoed by Casey and Troy (Mike's own playing partner) on the White Team.

 

Rules is rules.

 

We don't actually need more rules, we just need to enforce the ones we have. But if anyone wants more weight behind Chandler's decision, just take a peek at USGA rule 5.3a:

 

-------------------------------------------------

5.3a - You must start at your starting time.

Exception 1 – You Arrive at Starting Point, Ready to Play, No More Than Five Minutes Late: The general penalty (loss of hole in match play or two penalty strokes in stroke play) is applied to your first hole. 

-------------------------------------------------

 

Which means... 1 minute late equals loss of the first hole... 6 minutes late and you forfeit the match!

 

The new Board will codify our own version of this rule... but we have already addressed this nonsense (FBGC playing rule #17). My goal in 2026 is to be more heavy handed in enforcing our current rules, and to hopefully DQ a few people.

 

In any case, Moosite got to the first tee two minutes late, but the magic was gone. Both him and Troy played poorly, losing holes 3 through 6 without making a par.

 

Reid and Brendan made 8 pars and one birdie in a 15 hole rout.

 

Red wins 4 & 3.

 

Match 5 - Melberg/Casey vs. Ho/Chandler

 

Moostie probably didn't calculate his (re)tardiness could hurt his own team, but it clearly had an effect. After the lively debate about our established rules and precedent... Casey topped his tee shot 30 yards and Melberg shipped his into the driving range (OB). They found themselves 3 down through 4... which easily could have been 5 down through 6 if not for two 15+ foot putts made by Casey.

 

If not for that poor start (3 bogeys in the first 4 holes), Team White would have easily won!

 

After squaring the match with a net-birdie on 17, we headed to the always entertaining island green par-3 finishing hole.

 

Casey hit his tee shot directly over the pin to about 20 feet... and Melbeg shanked a wedge into the lake! It was truly one of the worst shots I've ever seen out of Iceberg!

 

The Red shirts tee balls were good enough to result in tap-in pars.

 

Melberg studied their only ball in play, which was slightly downhill along a ridge... and left it 8 feet short! Casey's putt to tie the match rode the lip of the cup on the low-side and spun out. It was the only putt of consequence he missed the entire round.

 

Red wins 1 Up. 

 

Match 6 - Billy/Gorecki vs. Geoff/John

 

There's no gentle way to say this... but Gorecki — especially in his current state — is a Chapman team killer. Team Red was up 3 through 13, which probably should have been a lot more.

 

Geoff/John proceeded to fill their pants to find themselves All Square on 17... a hole where Team White stroked.

 

Unfortunately for the White boys, Gorecki couldn't navigate the lake in the middle of the hole. And his tee shot wasn't long/good enough for Billy to do so either. Their stroke advantage was worthless, leading to a net-double bogey.

 

With Red 1 Up on the final hole (island green par-3), Geoff reverted to his factory settings and chunked his ball into the water. John — Mr. Irrelevant in the draft — stuffed it to 12 feet behind the hole.

 

Gorecki predictably hit his tee shot into the lake as well, while Billy found the right fringe a mile away. However, it seems lag putting is the one thing Gorecki is good at, and he secured a par on their only ball to put the pressure back on Geoff.

 

Geoff nestled his putt to the hole and John made a nervy 1 footer to win the match. 

Red wins 1 Up. 

 

 

Day 3 - Singles 

 

Casey shot an estimated 77 to beat Ho 4&3. Ho played well on the front, but beating a guy who goes -5 (net) is near impossible.

 

Brendan got spanked by Troy 5&4. Troy was only +8 (gross) when the match ended on 14.

 

Chandler and Billy had a pillow fight until Billy's wayward drives finally caught up to him. The Red Captain held on to win 4&2.

 

Geoff sent Gorecki to end-of-life care, setting a Rapture Singles record of 7&5.

 

Reid doubled the first three holes (and had 7 doubles on the day) while Melberg shot a 73 (gross) with one bogey and 17 pars. It's amazing it wasn't worse than 6&4.

 

John vs. Moostie was the only close match, with John up 1 through 12 and looking to send the Rapture to a "3-hole aggregate playoff" between Moostie & Chandler. Thankfully for Chandler's nerves... Tall Mike went par, birdie, par, par to close out the event and win 2&1.

Team White wins the 2025 Rapture 7 - 5

 

 

The Rapture is by far the best competition we have. The variety of pairings, over-analysis of matches, and historical records that guys are way to proud (or ashamed) of are the essence of sport.

 

Thanks to all that attended this year!

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

We also spent some time making AI videos for each attendee. We can't use actual images... so these are likenesses based on asinine inside jokes. Most were produced by Geoff, so give all critiques to him.

 

I'll present them in order of my official 2025 Player Power Rankings:

 

1 - Melberg (2-1) - Only a couple of bad swings kept him from 3-0. And I can't overstate how impressive it is to make 17 pars on Sunday. Melberg was the correct #1 overall pick.

 

 

2 - Casey (2-1) - He was clutch when he needed to be, and was beating Ho straight-up when his Singles match ended. Casey should have been drafted higher.

 

 

3 - Troy (2-1) - Troy overcame limited playing time prior to the event, a nagging back injury, and having to be paired with Moostie the first two rounds.

 

 

4 - Chandler (2-1) - Was pretty "meh" but got the points needed to keep it close. If only he selected different teammates.

 

 

5 - Ho (1-2) - Earned his first point since 2021!

 

 

6 - Geoff (2-1) - When the Rapture Gods give you Gorecki in three matches... you better go undefeated.

 

 

7 - Tall Mike (2-1) - He won two points, which was the total margin of victory. But he also cost his team at least two points on Saturday with his delayed arrival.

 

 

8 - Billy (1-2) - Flashes of brilliance, until his driver got audited.

 

 

9 - Reid (1-2) - I guess he really can't play in unethically sourced Nike shirts.

 

 

10 - Brendan (1-2) - Still searching for a 2nd Singles victory.

 

 

11 - John (1-2) - Always an MVP of the social scene... but he played like a top 9 pick.

 

 

12 - Gorecki (1-2) - The only hope on the horizon for Mike is a 35+ Handicap Index.

 

 

13 - Dave - Left behind as the next alternate.

 

2025 Rapture - Draft Results

Jack Willie's turned out to be a decent spot. It's a dump, for sure, but the food was good and we had plenty of space to operate. Not that we needed much, as only 5 players attended the draft.

 

Those who did were first tasked with picking their roommates at the Sebring hotel. Since it's double-occupancy, roommates don't need to be team specific. If you don't like your roommate... you should have attended the draft:

 

Chandler / Melberg

Moostie / John

Gorecki / Geoff

Troy / Casey

Billy / Ho

Brendan / Reid

 

These names have been given to the hotel. You pay for your room and golf-package when we arrive. And you pay for your bar tabs only if the soy-boy Asian bartender can catch you.

 

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This year's draft felt like a real crap-shoot. Without Dave and Faz — two Rapture stalwarts — choices of actual "good" golfers were lacking. Moostie predictably went with Melberg, a sensible and reliable option who was at the top of both Captain's list.

Chandler was quick to select Reid - who has never been picked as a team's first overall choice. Reid was down in the golfing dumps for awhile, but has drastically turned things around after Geoff correctly pointed out Reid was the "worst" golfer on the Southern Pines trip in May.

Next was Chandler's most difficult selection. His pre-draft rankings had Brendan listed #3. If you take away the +35 (net) disaster at Crescent Oaks, Brendan actually averages a ton of net pars and birdies. His handicap is also near a 52-week high... so there could be some upside in a match-play format as extreme blow-ups don't ruin your round. But looking into Moostie's beady little eyes, Dear Leader could sense that the Crescent Oaks stench still lingered on BD, and might make him available in later rounds. Chandler reached deep into his list to select Geoff, who partners well with most golfers.

Now Moostie was up with two selections, and milked the clock well beyond our unofficial arbitrary time limits. Ultimately, he drafted Casey and Troy with confidence. Both are solid options with lots of ways to plug them into a line-up. But there are some concerns. Casey only played two events last season, and is starting to look like someone who lives in a remote Montana shack, hiding from the impending alien invasion. Troy has some nagging back issues, but will hopefully be fully rested by the event.

Chandler's gamble paid off, and he was able to snatch Brendan with the 6th pick. He then scanned the far reaches of "The Spectrum" to find Ho sitting there... talking to himself about the differences in ball compression between the Chrome Tour Triple Diamond and the Bridgestone e6. Ho hasn't won a Rapture point since 2021 (6 matches)... and the Red Team will need to invest in Ho-Cancelling Headphones... but it was impossible to pass on his overall skill.

Moostie went back on the clock, and once again took an extraordinary amount of time. When pressed on why selecting two of the three remaining golfers was an issue... he said Billy was obviously in the 8th spot. It might seem like a slight to our reigning Champ, but Billy's Index has dropped 4.6 points in just two months. The math is the math, but obviously there could be some concern with keeping up that level of excellence. It's also his first ever Rapture so there's no tape on if he can handle the constant stupidity of his peers.

There was still much internal debate in Moostie's head, as the entire world waited with baited breath on the next selection. John is the better golfer, but has played terribly lately with the exception of the very easy Roost course at Cabot Citrus. Gorecki's game makes Old Tom Morris spin in his grave, but he comes with a shit-ton of strokes. The final decision was eerily similar to the first ever Rapture — also at Sebring — when Faz selected Gorecki over Tall Mike in 2014. In similar fashion, Tall Mike took Gorecki and the strokes.

Chandler then selected John.

1 - Melberg
2 - Reid
3 - Geoff
4 - Casey
5 - Troy
6 - Brendan
7 - Ho
8 - Billy
9 - Gorecki
10 - John

Chandler's team will sport the Sun Day Red for the first time since that inaugural Rapture. Meanwhile, Moostie still hasn't made an official decision on their colors.

Tall Mike and Gorecki rocking the "Dutch Skins" look.

Here are the pairings and handicaps for each day:

 

Round 1 - Sun N Lake (Deer Run) - Four-Ball

1 - Moostie (6) / Troy (5) vs. Chandler / John (8) 

2 - Casey / Gorecki (13) vs. Reid (2) / Geoff (2)
3 - Melberg (2) / Billy (10) vs. Ho / Brendan (9)

 

Round 2 - Sun N Lake (Deer Run) - Chapman (Alt-Shot)
1 - Moosite / Troy vs. Brendan / Reid
2 - Casey / Melberg (2) vs. Ho / Chandler

3 - Billy / Gorecki (6) vs. Geoff / John

Round 3 - Sun N Lake (Turtle Run) - Singles
1 - Casey (6) vs. Ho
2 - Troy vs. Brendan (1)
3 - Billy (6) vs. Chandler
4 - Gorecki (11) vs. Geoff
5 - Moosite vs. John (2)
6 - Melberg vs. Reid (6)

Practice rounds have been scheduled. More to come as the event gets closer!

2024 - Rapture Recap

Despite multiple hurricanes attempting to derail the 2024 Rapture, we finally made it to Verandah. The entire event was pretty smooth — aside from the usual AirBnB nonsense that plagues vacation rentals these days. But for the most part, everyone was in great spirits, and this year's contest was an instant classic.

The Destination

Our list of basic requirements has slowly grown over the years: heated pools, enough beds for everyone, houses relatively close together, and the ability to flush toilet paper. With few rental options in the North Fort Myers area, we resorted to renting two spots in Cape Coral.

 

The Cape is an older town with a somewhat worn past, and has been rebuilding steadily since Hurricane Ian's devastation in 2022. To my surprise, the area now boasts an abundance of bars and restaurants, all just a quick five-minute drive from our rentals. The bar scene also felt younger than we expected — though that might have more to do with us now being "the olds."

 

The one drawback of our location was the 45-minute commute to and from Verandah.

 

Still, Cape Coral offered plenty of entertainment for anyone looking to soak their cork, making it a fun and lively home base overall. The Gray Team took advantage of this, while The Blue Team was "lame" and went home early Friday and Saturday.

 

Early to the bar, and early to bed. Like adults!

 

 

The Courses

Verandah was top-notch, and caters to semi-rich retired Northerners, with a clear emphasis on active lifestyles. It has two excellent golf courses and an expansive practice facility.

The course conditions were superb — but definitely a step below what we experienced at Talis Park (2021 Rapture in Naples). Still, given the heavy rains they endured over the past month, the grounds were in remarkable shape.

 

Whispering Oak (Jack Nicklaus 2007) was hands down the standout course. Its fairways were generous off the tee, and the greens were intriguing without crossing into "unfair" territory. It was pretty obvious which way balls would break, but gauging the amount of movement and speed was a true test. The greens were also notably faster than what we typically play, yet still surprisingly receptive.

 

I'll go ahead and say it... this is the best Jack Nicklaus course I've played to date. It offered more "fun" elements than Avila, Reunion, or Concession, making it a more enjoyable experience.

 

Old Orange (Bob Kupp 2003) was also good, but flawed. There were some standout holes, especially the par-3 17th. However, the par-5 9th and 13th were terrible, both asking the same question: can you hit a dead-straight ball 200+ yards multiple times?

 

And by "dead-straight," I mean you had about 20 yards of landing area — miss that, and your ball was gone. It felt a lot like the notorious 9th at Moccasin Wallow.

 

The greens at Old Orange were easier to read, with some interesting features that kept things engaging. The short par-4s were fun, especially the 18th, though none of our matches made it that far.

Bottom line: for those who didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't attend this year's Rapture, you missed out on some fantastic golf courses. Unfortunately, we’ll likely never return, as Verandah is fully private — and judging by the death stares I received from members who ended their rounds early on Sunday (passing us due to Group 1’s slow pace), I’m pretty sure some complaints were filed.

The Rapture

Pre-competition published picks:

• Gary picked Gray (7 - 5)
• Geoff picked Blue (8.5 - 3.5) 
• Chandlerdamus picked a tie (6 - 6) with Geoff choking away the first playoff hole.

All three days were marked by intense winds, with sustained gusts of 15-17 mph during the first two rounds, and slightly calmer conditions on Sunday. Despite the wind, it may have been the most comfortable weather we've ever had in Rapture history.

 

Day 1

Match 1 - Chapman

 

Chandler/Faz faced one of the most impressive Chapman performances in history, as Brendan/Reid finished even-par (net) through 15 holes of competition. While other teams may have posted better scores, Breid (Reidan?) perfectly complemented each other.

They were so in sync, that they inexplicably attempted to play a scramble after just two shots on the first hole — something Gary/Buchert and Darren/Reid did back in 2016. 

 

How could that possibly happen... again? It's one of the longest running jokes in Club history, and is mentioned all the time, as a quick search shows:

 

August 2016 - Recap of the Initial Incident

March 2017 - World Golf Rankings Update

June 2017 - Rapture Update

July 2017 - Rapture Mock Draft

July 2017 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2017 - Actual Diagrams of How to Play Chapman (re-posted many times since)

July 2018 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2018 - Rapture Details

July 2019 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2019 - Rapture Details

August 2019 - Rapture Predictions

July 2020 - Rapture Details

I'm starting to think, after all these years, Gary was unfairly blamed!

 

Anyway, the match was never close, as Brendan's clutch chips, pitches, and putts turned their opponents a darker shade of blue. Reid had just as many amazing shots, though we’ve come to expect that from him in the Rapture. Reid now sits tied for first* in total point percentage all-time (*more than one Rapture attended).

Interestingly, Brendan has now solidified his status as the greatest current Chapman player of all time, with a record of 7-3-1. You'd think he'd know how the format was played! Or did he obtain all those wins playing the wrong format? We may never know.

Chandler/Faz played like complete booty cheeks.  

 

Gray wins 4 & 3.

Match 2 - Chapman

 

Team Blue was always very high on Casey/Troy, pairing them together for the first two rounds and even having the old men share a room in the Chicken House. This strategy appeared to be a stroke of genius on Friday, as the Navy Vets smoked their foreign challengers with ease, like a pack of Virginia Slims.

 

Dave/Moostie managed to win only two holes during the round, finishing an unofficial +6 through 15. Historically, they have struggled in the Chapman format, with Dave holding a record of 3-7-1 and Moostie at 2-8-1. This is something future Captains should definitely keep in mind.

Blue wins 4 & 3.

Match 3 - Chapman

 

The day’s biggest “upset” came when Melberg/Gary defeated Ho/Geoff. The pregame analysis broke down like this:

• Melberg = good
• Gary = Mr. Magoo
  
• Ho = road to scratch
• Geoff = defending champ

Instead we got:

• Melberg = good
• Gary = from 2002
  
• Ho = cold dead snatch
• Geoff = pretending chump

Other reports indicated that Gary had significantly improved since the handicap lock, while Geoff’s putting wasn’t up to his usual standards. And, as always, nothing is ever Ho's fault.

Gray wins 3 & 1.

Day 2

Match 4 - Four-Ball

 

This felt like the dagger to the Blue Team, as the sacrificial lamb duo of Moostie/Gary sent Troy/Casey out to sea.

 

The Grays never trailed, expertly slow-playing their opponents with atrocious cart management, steadfastly refusing to drop each other off at their respective balls, while hopelessly falling behind the group ahead.

According to the app, the Grays birdied (net eagle) the par-5 9th hole... so someone will need to explain how that was even possible. Knowing this group, the score is likely incorrect, and this match actually ended in a tie.

Gray wins 2 & 1.

Match 5 - Four-Ball

 

Dave/Reid delivered the biggest beatdown of the weekend, disposing of Ho/Faz with indifference.

 

Reid struggled through the first few holes but quickly found his rhythm, racking up two birdies (both net-eagles) along with two additional net-birdies.

Faz, on the other hand, had difficulty maintaining consistency throughout his bag, leading to some epic club tosses. I’m starting to think Dave has a knack for bringing out the on-course tantrums of our Members, as it always tends to happen in his group.

Ho pompously guaranteed victory that morning, citing his flamboyant outfit and ability to drive the ball farther than Dave. We were all shocked when the Irishman seemingly didn't give a shit about Ho's asinine antics, and proceeded to shoot a 74 (gross), with 14 greens-in-regulation.

In fact, if Dave had played solo against Ho/Faz, he would have been 3UP with 4 holes to play.

Gray wins 6 & 4.

Match 6 - Four-Ball

 

Brendan came crashing back to Earth after his stellar play the previous day, struggling to find consistency off the tee. Unfortunately, Melberg was unable to be the "egg" to Brendan's "ham," as he too faced difficulties on many of the same holes.

 

The Grays managed only one net-birdie all day — an actual birdie by Melberg that extended the match for one more hole.

Chandler/Geoff were slightly more consistent, opting to place all the pressure on Geoff's 10 strokes, and letting Chandler fill in where needed.

Honestly, looking back at the scorecard, everyone in this match played like crap. Let's move on.

Blue wins 4 & 2.

At this point Gray was leading 4 - 2 headed into Singles, needing 2.5 points to win the Moses.

 

A team confidently in control!

 

 

Day 3

Singles

Troy edged out Brendan 1UP in a thrilling back-and-forth match, taking the lead with a clutch par on the 17th hole.

 

Geoff maintained control throughout his match against Moostie, winning 3&1 and avoiding a back-nine collapse by stealing holes 15 and 17 with bogeys! Woof!

Chandler outlasted Dave 2&1 in a dogfight that featured 13 pars each and, notably, zero birdies. This was Blue's biggest upset of the day.

Faz woke up grumpy and took it out on Gary, winning 3&2 and posting an unofficial gross score of 78.

 

Reid carded an unofficial 81, waxing Ho 3&2 while never trailing in the round.

And finally...

 

Melberg failed to win a hole against Casey until the 10th, but birdies on 11 and 13 helped him square the match as they approached the final hole. With everyone watching on the short par-5, Melberg knew he had to win the full point to halt the Blue Wave and force a playoff:

• Both players hit solid tee shots down the middle, with Melberg positioned about 20 yards closer to the green.
• Casey made a wise decision to lay up, assuming that a par would secure the Rapture.
• Melberg, needing a birdie, opted to go for the green but came up just short, leaving his ball a few yards off of the putting surface on an up-slope.
• Casey took a wedge for his approach — but completely laid sod over the ball, sending it a mere 30 yards.
• In the end, it didn't matter as Melberg got up-and-down for birdie to clinch the match 1UP.
  

The Playoff

In the sudden death singles match between Geoff and Brendan, they began on hole 1, a par-5. Geoff received a stroke on the 2nd hole, which meant Brendan faced added pressure to secure a win right from the start.

Long hitters are forced to lay-back on the first, so Brendan chose an iron to find the fairway. Geoff took driver, yet their balls came to rest almost side by side, with Brendan just slightly away.

Both players laid up to nearly identical spots, but once again, Brendan was marginally farther back.

Brendan was first to approach, striking what looked like a perfect shot toward the front pin. But it drifted right at the last moment, catching the edge of a bunker and leaving him short-sided. Seeing this, Geoff curiously adjusted, choosing a shorter club and deliberately punching his ball 10 yards short of the green, safely avoiding trouble.

Geoff’s ensuing chip stopped on the fringe, leaving him a challenging 25-foot putt for his fourth shot.

At this point we were getting a lot of 2017 Rapture vibes, where Katie beat Gary on the first playoff with a double bogey.

 

Brendan, laying three in the bunker, opened the clubface, took a confident swing, and... *click*... the ball sails 30 yards over the green, drawing gasps (and groans) from the crowd.

His next chip, a heavy mishit, barely traveled 10 yards. But Brendan quickly regained composure, executing a delicate follow-up chip to within 4 feet, now laying six.

Geoff finally putts from the fringe, leaving his ball about two feet short (laying 5).

 

Brendan, faced with a daunting left-to-right slider, makes his putt for a soul-crushing double bogey 7.

 

Though Geoff's 2-foot putt was straight uphill, his reputation as a nervy player left a ton of doubt amongst the spectators.

Nevertheless, Geoff drains the putt, turns to the crowd, and shouts: "Reid, shut the fuck up!"

A celebration as bold as it was iconic, immortalized in the memory of all who witnessed it.

Blue wins the Rapture in a playoff.

Geoff - The Winning Captain

I’ll likely have additional Rapture content later this week, as I still have more to say about you people. And I know how much you enjoy skimming through posts to find your name while ignoring everything else!