Golfers with 36 handicaps might dream of hoisting cups or sliding on jackets, but the reality is more about hooking and slicing than hoisting or sliding. [Sunny King Charity Classic Tee Times]

That's why guys like Kevin Thompson have simple goals for this weekend's Sunny King Charity Classic.

"I just want to look good," he said, tongue in cheek. "I've been told I have a pretty swing. I just don't know where it's going to go."

The focus of this weekend's tournament will rightly center on leaders in the clubhouse, but the Sunny King's focus is charity. That's why the tourney also draws teeterers of the clubface.

Businesses try to sponsor as many teams as possible, which draws regular and not-so-regular golfers.

So, tee up a team like Orvas Crow (34 handicap) and Darryl Reaves (36). Swing away, Thompson (36) and Rusty Simmons (30).

Thompson has played in six Sunny Kings, but his clubs stay bagged the rest of the year. It has something to do with having a wife, three kids and a job.

"It's the only excuse my wife will take," he said.

Playing so little means Thompson must keep a sense of humor, and he has one about playing on last year's last-place team.

"I haven't been dead last every year, just last year," he said. "I had a different partner last year. I could blame it on him, huh?

"Now, my partner — which I have the same one this year — he takes it more serious. He's the one that says, 'We're going to be in the money this year.'

"Well, I don't believe it."

Simmons certainly knows good golf when he sees it.

At age 14, he carried an 8 handicap while playing at Anniston Country Club. He played in junior tournaments throughout the Southeastern.

Then came injuries during and right after high school. He said he's undergone two back surgeries, two knee surgeries and a shoulder surgery. He all but stopped playing golf.

"When you're an 8 handicap, and you then you go out and try to hit the ball like you used to and you're barely breaking a hundred, you know, golf is discouraging to begin with," he said. "When you go to hitting the ball not as good as you used to, you just kind of get discouraged."

Simmons played in the past five Sunny Kings. Other than that, he plays two or three rounds of golf a year.

"I can still hit my driver about 300 yards," he said. "My approach shots and my chipping and putting is where my high handicap comes in."

Simmons and Thompson will have high-handicap company this weekend. Reaves and Crow will play in their first Sunny King.

Reaves knocked the little white ball around until about 15 years ago. He picked golf up again this past August, thanks to a salesman who spent time at his work and re-energized co-workers about the game.

"They got back in it, so they got me hooked," Reaves said.

He used to play the par-3 course at Oxford Lake Park. When he started playing again, he took aim at longer courses.

Reaves said he knew playing the longer courses would be hard, but knowing didn't help much when he first tried Pine Hill.

"Trust me, I donated a lot of balls to them ponds over there," he said. "I'm pretty much a hacker. I hate to say it, but I'll have a good round, and then I'll get out there some days, and it's just like I can't even remember how to hit the ball."

Crow had never played golf before their co-workers caught the bug last year. First time out, he played better than his handicap would predict.

But it opened his eyes to how hard the game can be.

"You would think it would be easy to hit a little white ball," he said. "It's amazing. You swing, and the ball only goes five or 10 yards in front of you sometimes. Sometimes you swing, and it's 250 or 300 yards.

"It's never the same for us people who don't play much."

He has played 26 rounds since and says he's gotten better, especially at driving.

"The problem is after that," he said.

Crow and Reaves say charity is the big picture in the Sunny King, and they're realistic about what to expect on the course.

"We're going to be serious, but this being our first one, we're just going out there to have fun," Reaves said. "It's for charity, and our boss was nice enough to get us in it, because he knew how bad we got hooked."



2009 Sunny King Charity Classic Tee Times -