‘The Big Group’ is a staple at Clear Creek

There’s a special camaraderie that a group of men can have when they participate in an activity together for a long period of time.

A group of 10 men come out to Clear Creek Golf Course in Bovina every Saturday and Sunday and play 18 holes, possibly more depending on how they’re feeling after the first 18.

They call themselves “The Big Group”.

“Man, I’ll tell you this. Those guys are a bunch of characters,” Clear Creek course pro Kent Smith said. “Some of those guys have known each other since the course first opened and they’re here like clockwork.”

Clear Creek opened in 1979 and some of the golfers have played in the same group there ever since. Their ages range between 30 and 60 years old, and their competitiveness has no limits.

“We all consider ourselves very good at golf and we’re all even as far as skill level,” Phillip Young said. “We like to chirp at each other and trash talk a little bit, but it’s all good fun.”

There’s not much that can make this group of men stop playing golf on the weekends. The Big Group comes here year-round and has played every weekend of the year, except for one.

“I remember one weekend during the recent winter where it was below 30 degrees and we decided not to play,” Young said. “That’s our motto now. If it’s above 30 degrees, we’re out here playing.”

Not even the oppresive summer heat, which approached triple digits this weekend, has slowed The Big Group down.

“That’s the least of our worries,” Young said about the heat. “Right now, I’m just worried if I can get the ball on the green.”

Every Saturday and Sunday, The Big Group comes to Clear Creek around 8 a.m. and sometimes doesn’t leave until 5 p.m. depending on how many holes they play.

Young has played golf his whole life and has come to Clear Creek since 1990. He expressed his thankfulness for the relationships he has made over the past 25 years on the course.

“It’s the competition and the camaraderie that drives us,” Young said. “I often consider these guys my best friends and it’s something that keeps us active and helps us shed a couple of pounds.”

Once the Saturdays and Sundays are over, these guys go back to working their regular jobs during the week. Then, once the weekends come around, it’s game on once again.

“It’s something we all look forward to every weekend,” Mark White said. “It’s a special game and it’s a lot of fun for us.”