A golf outing, which began 43 years ago involving several Central Michigan University buddies, led by the late Max Kreger of Sandusky, held its annual event in late May of this year at Woodland Hills Golf Club. The group, which still has a few of the original members, had its largest turnout ever. (Photo by Dale Ball)

Most of all, though, an outing started by Max Kreger and friends has lived on through 43 years with the heart of the matter more than the game of golf -- it's more about the friendships, family and tradition.

When 31 men gathered at Sandusky's Woodland Hills Golf Club a few weeks ago, it marked the 43rd consecutive year for the event, which began when a group of Central Michigan University grads, and ex-GIs, worked up a guys-only reunion.

Max Kreger, a Sandusky native, enlisted in the U. S. Army after graduating from high school in the early 1953. He met some eventual longtime friends as a serviceman and talked some into attending CMU, on the GI Bill, after their duty was up. After college, Kreger moved to back to Sandusky where he became a prominent businessman in the community. He was a butcher at Marty Gessert's meat shop and then eventually bought the business. Kreger then sold his meat shop and became an insurance agent for many years. While living in Sandusky, he went on to be president of the school board, a president of his church council, and a president of the Jaycees.

It was in the small college community of Mt. Pleasant where friendships cemented. Kreger, who passed away in 1999, and over a dozen other fellow Chippewas intertwined and plenty of good times followed.

Stu Hill, now of Clarkston, was one of the original members of the CMU gang.

"Most of us met during the fall of 1957 or so," recalled Hill. "We were all ex-GIs and we had our own fraternity. But, one-by-one, we got married. Some lived in married housing, but we would all still get together."

Another original in the band of buddies, Don Beck, had earlier ties to Kreger. He explained, "I met Max in France while in the army. Our post...was south of Paris. We played hardball on the post team and traveled all around France. We went to Paris and all the way down to the border of Spain. We weren't very good, but we had a lot of fun.

"Max was the one that told me about CMU," continued Beck, who now lives in Sterling Heights. "We got out of the army in October of 1955 and were in school by January. I lived with Max for three years, along with Tom Oberliesen (who is now from Ohio)."

Mel Pospiech, who currently resides in Grand Rapids, is the only one of the original group of friends to attend all 43 golf outings.

""I met Max in college. We lived in the same dorm. We became good friends and did a lot with each other and he rest of guys," said Pospiech. Then, when after most had graduated in 1960 or 1961, it was at a reunion picnic with their wives a couple years later that a golf outing originated. It was decided that it would be a great way for the guys to reunite every year.

Pospiech said the picnic was fine, but the guys really wanted time together to share memories and create more.

"We decided to have a golf outing, and, you know," he smiled, "it's just not the same having the wives there.

"We didn't know how long it would last," noted Pospiech. "We started out with, let's say 14-16 guys, just grads from Central. Some have passed away and some couldn't play any more (for different reasons)"

He added that the foundation of the annual get-together, though, is as strong as ever, as evidenced by 31 (the largest turnout ever) that showed up for this year's outing. "It's just a great crew. It's down to about four us and the rest are sons and friends. And, they'll see that the tradition keeps going. They just love it."

Max Kreger's three sons - Tom (Sandusky), John (Midland) and Pat (Union City, MI) - have gladly done their part to keep the golf and the bonding going well. All three have had 18 or more years of being apart of the gathering. Max's friends - like Don McBride and Dan Long, both still from Sandusky, have taken part for most of the 43 years.

Tom Kreger said that the group usually gets together the first weekend after Memorial Day.

"It's always a two-day outing - starting on Friday...then on Saturday. We have a full get-together on Saturday night for a cookout," explained Tom, who has participated the last 22 years. Everyone gathers at Tom and Kris Kreger's home, which they had purchased from his dad and mom. When Max and his wife, Marg, who now resides in northern Michigan, owned the home, Marg had to leave for the weekend so the guys could have their space. Now, Tom's wife and the kids have to vacate for the weekend.

"We have the cookout, give out awards, and we do a lot socializing," confided Tom. "It's been here (at the house) for the last 15-20 years."

Pospiech said that Max Kreger deserves the credit for the annual event, which had originated at Huron Shores Golf Club, near Port Sanilac, as the main venue.

"It was Max who really kept this thing going," Pospiech remarked. All the outings have been up in the Thumb Area, including the first 40 years at Huron Shores.

"It was hard to get golf courses that let you play two days and, basically, take over the course. They were always very nice to us at Huron Shores," added Pospiech.

Three years ago, there was a change in management in the popular Port Sanilac course. Another outing was booked on the weekend that the Kreger outing always had. So, Woodland Hills came to the rescue.

"The courses have been great to us -- both Huron Shores and Woodland Hills," added Tom Kreger.

For guys like Pospiech, Beck and Hill, the memories live on.

"We use to have fish --perch and walleye --every Friday night at the Bellaire in Port Sanilac, with the Greek lady (Mrs. Douros)," said Pospiech about their much younger days. "That was our regular tradition - every Friday night, and the fish was great. Then, later, on Saturday's we'd have steak fries at Max's house.

"But, we'd stay at the Bellaire, upstairs there. We'd raise a little hell, and (Mrs. Douros) would come up there with her broom and she'd say "you boys got to be a little more quiet", Pospiech grinned.

There were many other years that much of the crew stayed at other friends' cabins on Lake Huron

Hill added, "There's so many memories over 40 years. It's tough to single any out. It was just always nice to get together and relate military stories and whatever else."

Hill did say the group, now, usually plays a 'scramble' format with some fairly evenly matched competition. Even the younger guys are giving the elder members a break.

"We finally got the young guys --the 'flatbellies' we call 'em -- to make a concession to us. They let us hit off the red tees. That let's us still be involved in the play the whole time. Some of the younger guys can hit the ball out of sight off the tee, and, before, we'd say 'why bother' to hit."

Beck recalled playing in the same group with Max on more than one occasion. "One comment Max always had on the course was when you hit the ball in the rough and spent more than a minute trying to find it was "Was that a wedding present?". Which meant leave it and let's go."

The group, just as life goes, had its share of tragedies. One of the original members -- John Green -- passed away in his 40s from cancer. Another friend was killed in a car accident on his way to the annual outing. Then, in 1999 Max Kreger passed away.

Tom Kreger, obviously, and all others will never forget that year.

"He passed away in early May, and we almost cancelled it that year, but we didn't," said Tom. "It was a pretty somber year. It was pretty tough. Everybody had just gone to his funeral a couple of weeks before."

But, the golf outing went on. "My dad would have wanted it that way," Tom said.

Earlier, when Green had died, the original group of guys would call the outing the ' Johnny Green Open'. An award was given out in Green's honor. Then, after Max Kreger passed away, the Max Kreger Award was created and is presented each year to the person who best represents the spirit of the tournament. This year, the award went to Kevin Shephard, Pat Kreger's friend from Coldwater. Pat is the youngest of the three brothers. Other awards are also given on the Saturday night cookouts -- one is a jacket that goes to the Most Improved Golfer, and there many more with humorous connotations, such as the 'LOFT' Award, which will not be explained in this story.

There is more than the awards, more than some raucous fun and, perhaps, some hangovers, more than golf, and more than guys just being guys.

Pospiech and his son Mark always play, and now his grandson Robert, is the first third-generation golfer in the outing. Beck (who has only missed the event once in 43 years) has a son, Tom, that's been playing in it for 11 years. Hill, John Green and Max Kreger have all their sons involved. Their sons have friends that play. Friends like McBride and Long have friends that play.

John Kreger, the second of Max's sons, explained what the outing means to him.

"For me, and probably my brothers, too, it keeps dad's name alive," said John. "His friends were very important to him, and this was his favorite time of the year - when he was able to reconnect with all of them. This now makes us feel like he's still here, and, it's just a lot of fun."

Hill also added, "It's just a lot of camaraderie. It's something you plan year-to-year. Something that is just etched in your mind."

In nearly a year from now, all those that are able will be back again. There will probably be a couple more new faces that will discover the tradition and join with the cast of regulars that all keep the spirit of the event in the right perspective.

"We have people now that bring a friend, and they all say they want to come back," remarked John Kreger. "Everybody's a good guy, everybody gets along. And, for me, that's a thing I like to take away from this. Everybody tells us, in that way, it is such a unique event."