About The Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open

The whole idea of the "Ugly Shorts" Open all started at a Jimmy Buffett concert in 1998. As any faithful 'Parrothead' would tell you, the tradition of wearing the most god-awful Hawaiian shirt to the concert is the norm. So, each year, the big thing was trying to find the shirt that would take the award for ugliest shirt. As the competition grew fierce, some participants took it upon themselves to stretch the boundaries on their outfits to include shorts (one clown even wore a full body shark outfit) in the hopes of winning the coveted honor. Because some of these shorts were in a class of their own, something had to be done to acknowledge them.

Within this group of concertgoers were a large number of avid golfers. It was from this group that a discussion of 'all getting together for a golf outing' was suggested. And in keeping with the competition, a theme would be associated with this outing. The overwhelming consensus would have the competition be for the ugliest shorts - the golf course would be the runway to display the ugly apparel. It was from this that we coined the name "Ugly Shorts" Open. With a few telephone calls, the "Ugly Shorts" Open went from an idea to a reality.

In conclusion - the "Ugly Shorts" Open is quite simply an excuse to get a large group of friends together to golf, wear ugly shorts, drink some beers and have a good time.

1st Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Caradam Golf Course
July 17th, 1999

The inaugural event saw a total of 30 players taking part in a 3-man scramble format. The winning team was Shane McMasters, Mike Manstch and Greg Skultety.

2nd Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Mannitto Golf Course
July 29th, 2000

With a total of 56 participants in year two, not only did the format change, so did the course. A 4-man scramble/pink ball format was held at Mannitto Golf Course on July 28th, 2000. We can't remember for sure who the winners of the scramble were. But we do know that the team of Mark Hatcher, Bill Hatcher, Jeff Hatcher and Mark's Uncle had the lowest score in the pink ball match ... and only lost the scrmable match by a stroke or two.

3rd Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Mannitto Golf Course
July 14th, 2001

What can we say about year three - other than it was a complete debacle! Because the jackass staff at Mannitto was incompetent in scheduling multiple events in one day, the 3rd Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open did not take place. This didn't keep the 'die hards' from the 50+ participants from seeking refuge at other courses. From that day forward, we have boycotted Mannitto and any course that is run by the owners of Mannitto. Then again, the pile of empty beer cans on the 1st tee box, doubling parked vehicles in the lot, commandeering the ranger's cart and countless insults to the staff more than likely landed me on their 'black list'. So that the day was not a complete waste, we all gathered at my place for a cookout and beer bash. To this day, the after golf party at my place is part of the tradition.

4th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
August 17th, 2002

With the debacle of the 3rd Annual "Ugly Shorts" and our boycott steadfast, we were in need of a course that appreciated the business and could run an outing without major problems. So, we turned to Oak Lake Golf course in New Kensington. The event went off without a hitch, and much like the previous years, the number of participants increased. With 60 players taking part, we continued the tradition of the 4-man teams playing a scramble and a pink ball match. Due to the growing numbers, we were able to introduce various skill prizes on each of the 18 holes. The team of Stori Snider, Brian Begg, two other guys took home the award for lowest scramble score. I also think they won the pink ball match. In my drunken stupor, I threw away the results when cleaning up after the last of the 'savages' left my house - sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

5th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 19th, 2003

2003 Results and Pictures

6th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 17th, 2004

7th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 16th, 2005

Scramble Winners: Team Lipesky (-13)
Total Amount Raised for The Lupus Foundation (Pgh Chapter) = $3,750

8th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 15th, 2006

Scramble Winners: Team Woj (-13)
Total Amount Raised for The American Diabetes = $4,250
Total Amount Raised for The Austin D. Kelly Fund = $1,000 (austindkellyfund.com)

9th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 14th, 2007

Scramble Winners: Team Stori Snider (-16)
Total Amount Raised for Cerebral Palsy = $6,000
Total Amount Raised for The Austin D. Kelly Fund = $1,000 (austindkellyfund.com)

10th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Oak Lake Golf Course
July 12th, 2007

Scramble Winners: Andy Yohe, Matt Yohe, Ralph Zatazelo and Brian Kelly (-11)
Total Amount Raised for Autism Speaks = $4,000

11th Annual "Ugly Shorts" Open
Date and Location TBA

Charity selected for 2009 is The Children's Institute (www.amazingkids.org)