Judy Wolthausen

Our league, which plays weekly in the Billiards Room in the Oakwood Country Club building, is over 20 years old and, to my knowledge, has always played on Tuesday mornings.

Unfortunately, that has always prevented the golfers and pickleball players from also playing in our league. Well, we have now decided to switch to Mondays for our weekly team play. We arrive at 9 a.m. and practice until play starts at 9:30 a.m. until noon. During our deliberations, we also discovered that many of our players came to practice another time during the week, so we have also reserved the room for Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. for team practice. Those who want to come on both days can come both days. Others choose to play only on Mondays. Some others come only occasionally on Tuesdays to practice in addition to Monday. It’s up to you.

So, if you’ve played before, no matter how rusty you feel, and you’d like to check us out, just drop by on any Monday (except holidays) at 9 a.m. We’ve found that everyone’s pool skills come back quickly, just like they do when you get back on a bicycle. Or if you’d feel more comfortable talking and asking a few questions, you can call me at 630-728-5937. We have members at all levels of skill and value all levels of knowledge. Most of us try to learn new things from each other to get a little better, but we really just want to have some fun. The ladies are wonderful, and in a short time you’ll have a whole new group of friends. We like to go to lunch after play at least once a month on the first Monday. We like to try new restaurants and make sure we visit the ones with outdoor seating when the weather is perfect and the views are spectacular.

We used to have a whole list of rules left over from decades ago that didn’t make a lot of sense in today’s world. Besides your living in Cottonwood, Phase 1, Palo Verde, Ironwood, or Oakwood, our only rule is that on Mondays a player shouldn’t have an every-week need to leave early to get to something else. That leaves your partner forced to be a team of one. However, we all miss playing on occasion for doctor appointments, workmen at the house, pet visits, etc. Life must go on. And if you are a snowbird or travel away a few times in the year, it’s not a problem. Just let us know so we don’t worry about you!

So, if you are looking to add a fun activity to your Monday morning calendar and you’ve played before, come and check us out. Play with us for a while and then decide if you’d like to join. We have fun, we laugh, we support each other through life’s challenges, and we become fast friends. We do things together, suggest good vendors that we like, recommend doctors who have helped us, etc. When I moved here five years ago, I learned about this group, joined, and I’m so very glad I did. What have you got to lose? Nothing, really, just lots to gain. Hope to see you soon.