30 Years of Militi-Raulli Open

For just about thirty years I’ve participated in the Militi-Raulli golf weekend.

I wore the baseball cap that I got on year one as we played on Friday afternoon.

Tony D., who is now 80 years old, golfed an 83, hitting lasers all around the course.

Joe, who is my nemesis, and once drilled me with a rock from 100 yards, started my day by stealing Chippy out of my bag and costing me at least 3 strokes on the first two holes.

Rob and Paulie set everything up so that all we had to do was show up and be ready to laugh.

I won my bet against Tom again this year - a running bet that we have for most everything we do - I have a dinner coming.

And we laughed about the trip we made to Yankee Stadium.

Tom eating a bowl of gravy that he thought was soup.

Linguine and clams at the Italian restaurant and a second round when all our backs were sore on Saturday morning.

I wore that hat because back when Joe Militi was alive I showed up wearing a Yankees cap.

Joe said two things to me that fine day:

1). “Do you wear the Militi-Raulli cap when you go to Yankee Stadium?”

I said, “No.”

He said: “Then why do you wear a Yankees cap at the golf tourney?”

Then he said:

2). “Don’t start with your shit today.”

Joe was an Italian a man as you’d ever meet, and we all miss him being with us, but he’d be proud to know that we are still at it.

The ball doesn’t always go as far.

The putts don’t always drop.

But man, the laughs were just as loud as ever.

And I got Chippy back and played pretty well.

Came home good and tired.