🏌️‍♂️ NUCA Indoor Golf Simulator Tournament Recap

Proof that construction pros can swing something other than a hammer

The inaugural NUCA Southern Idaho Indoor Golf Simulator Tournament is officially in the books — and if you thought this would be a calm, gentlemanly affair filled with hushed putting and polite applause… you clearly haven’t met our members!  Held safely indoors (where weather, daylight, and actual golf skills can’t interfere), teams battled it out on the legendary front nine at Pebble Beach, while the back nine of the Coeur d’Alene Resort Course served as the unofficial “victory lap / redemption round / networking session with beverages.”

🥇 First Place — Decided by… Ro-Sham-Bo

In what statisticians are calling “highly unlikely but extremely on-brand,” the top two teams -Hydro Drilling and the “Big Putts” from Post Insurance - finished in a dead tie.  With no sudden-death playoff programmed into the simulator — and nobody volunteering to play actual extra golf — officials turned to the sport’s purest tie-breaking method:  Rock. Paper. Scissors.(Or, as it was passionately shouted across the room: “ROE SHAM BOE!”)  After a dramatic best-of-three showdown featuring mind games, fake-outs, and at least one delayed throw due to laughter, a champion was crowned and Hydro Drilling Co took the 1^st Place trophies.  Second place was awarded to the equally deserving team Post Insurance that chose paper at exactly the wrong moment.

🥉 Third Place — A Three-Way Logjam (With a Buzzer-Beater Finish)

Not to be outdone, three teams tied for third place – Western States, Marsh McLennan and ICCU, proving that mediocrity is best enjoyed collectively.  Officials briefly considered a putting contest, scorecard review, or feats of strength. Instead, the tie-breaker came down to the score on Hole 9 — because nothing says “fair competition” like a last-hole showdown against the clock.  In a dramatic finish worthy of prime-time sports coverage, Marsh McLennan posted their Hole 9 score just moments before X-Golf politely (and repeatedly) reminded us that closing time was not a suggestion.  That clutch final hole performance nudged Marsh McLennan ahead, leaving the remaining teams tied for the most honorable version of “almost.”

💣 Men’s Longest Drive

The Men’s Longest Drive award went to the competitor who absolutely launched one into the digital stratosphere — Taylor Price from Post Insurance.  He had a swing so powerful the simulator briefly considered filing a workers’ comp claim.  Witnesses reported a backswing that required zoning approval, ball speed normally associated with small meteorites and immediate requests for swing tips from everyone else

👧💥 Women’s Longest Drive

Stealing the show — and possibly a few egos — was young Avalina Sowell from IGT, who uncorked a drive that proved power is not strictly correlated with age, size, or years in the industry.  Her shot sailed down the virtual fairway with authority, leaving a room full of seasoned professionals doing quick mental math and quietly reconsidering their life choices.  Rumor has it several attendees immediately began researching junior golf lessons.

🎯 Closest to the Pin

The Closest-to-the-Pin winners demonstrated surgical precision, landing shots so tight that several players accused the simulator of favoritism, calibration errors, or possible witchcraft.

Men’s KP went to Jake Stacy from USI Insurance and Women’s to Kristin Stone from Post Insurance.

🤝 Final Thoughts

By all measures, the first annual NUCA Indoor Golf Simulator Tournament was a massive success filled with competitive golf (sort of), questionable athletic technique, elite-level networking, zero lost balls in the woods and minor bruising to egos!  Most importantly, it delivered exactly what NUCA events always do — great camaraderie, plenty of laughs, and a reminder that even in a room full of industry professionals, someone will always yell “ROE SHAM BOE” at championship volume.

We’re already looking forward to next year… when the stakes will be higher, the swings will be bigger, and the tie-breaking procedures may require legal counsel — or at least a venue that doesn’t lock the doors at a specific time.  Until then: keep your head down, your grip loose, and your rock-paper-scissors strategy sharp.