I once read, or maybe was told, not to start an essay or an article with a question, so that’s why I am starting with a statement. Now, on to the question: Who was a better NFL quarterback, Dan Marino or Trent Dilfer?

The answer to that is obvious. Marino was miles and miles better at playing quarterback than Dilfer. Marino never won a Super Bowl, however, and Dilfer did. So, that proves Super Bowls don’t matter when determining who is better at football,

How about another question? Who was a better golfer, Greg Norman or Larry Mize? Safe to say everyone who ever followed golf would say Norman was better, yet he lost to Mize in a playoff in the 1987 Masters due to one of the most famous chip-ins ever. So, that proves winning doesn’t matter when determining who is better at golf.

Let’s go for another question or two: What was the final score in the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl victory? What was Tiger Woods’ final round score in the 2008 U.S. Open? If you know, then you are a trivia buff and in an extreme minority. Most people would have no clue as to the answers to those questions, proving once again that score doesn’t matter.

The one question everyone can answer about sports is whether a player or team was great or not. Was Marino great? Was Tiger great? Was Dilfer great? Was Mize great? Were the 1985 Bears great? We all know the answers to those questions immediately. This proves that we are programmed to categorize golfers or other athletes into one of two categories. We do it locally, too,

Here in Alaska, I’ve heard golfers talk of others in our community behind their back and they nod their head yes or shake their head no, when asked if that player is a good player.

The odd thing is, the score is the only way to place a tangible measuring stick to someone’s ability, or the only way to determine who wins a match. In the grand scheme, however, score doesn’t mean a thing,

With all that said, here are some interesting scores to think about that will give you a chance to measure Alaskan golfers against the rest of the world.

The Creek Course at Moose Run has long been considered one of Alaska’s toughest golf courses. Scratch golfers in Alaska often struggle to break 80. A few years back, a Korn Ferry Tour player came to visit one of his Alaskan friends and he played the Creek sight unseen. He finished with a 65. I looked him up on the internet and he hadn’t made a single cut in eight tries on the Korn Ferry.

Many, many years ago in a time known as the 60’s, a young Butch Harmon (yes, that Butch Harmon) was stationed in Alaska with the Army. He won the Alaska State Am by a landslide, shooting multiple rounds in the 60s, while no one else broke 70 for a single round.

Repeatedly, though I won’t name names, Alaskan golfers shoot around par in Alaska to win some qualifier or another that grants them access to playing in a bigger event in the Lower 48. Repeatedly, our best players finish either last or close to last with scores well into the 80s.

We can debate reasons for some of these facts, but will save that argument for later. I only bring this up to help set the stage for our 2024 golf season in Alaska, which will get here eventually. I’m going to do my best to document it from a personal viewpoint. I am writing as though my readers are from outside Alaska and I want to give them some context. I also want them to understand we do have great golfers in Alaska, despite what some of the meaningless scores might say.