The Battle of the Battered Ball is a golf tournament played between two teams made up of brothers and in-laws and their most recent game was played here in Olds at the end of last month.
Since 1980, the lefties (Ed Wilkins and Jack Beswetherick) and righties (Don and Dennis Wilkins) have split up into different teams to win a homemade trophy for an 18-hole tournament.
On top is a destroyed old elastic filled golf ball and the bottom of a golf club. Plaques denote who won in what year.
Dennis Wilkins and Jack Beswetherick reside in Olds while Don and Ed Wilkins reside in Kelowna.
They鈥檝e played all over the country from Kelowna B.C. to Strathmore and of course here in Olds.
In the history of the Battered Ball tournament, the righties have won 10 times, the lefties nine and there has been one tie.
When asked what inspired them to make the trophy, the eldest brother, Dennis Wilkins, simply laughed and said, 鈥渙h, a couple of beers.鈥�
鈥淲e were meeting with Don (one of the brothers). He was in Winnipeg at the time and we were meeting in Waterton, that was the plan.
鈥淗e came in a day or so early and that evening we had a few drinks and whatnot. Then my son found this old ball. We decided that we鈥檙e just going to have something to play for. That鈥檚 how it all started,鈥� Dennis Wilkins said.
Usually, the game is played between the four of them but there has been a time where someone else has had to take up a spot on one of the teams.
鈥淭here was one occasion where Ed couldn鈥檛 make it and my son, who鈥檚 left-handed, came. That was only a one-time substitute,鈥� Dennis said.
鈥淭hrough the years it鈥檚 become another catalyst that kept the family and families all together, at least every once in a while so our children got to know their children and our grandchildren and so on,鈥� said Don Wilkins.
Beswetherick recalled a time that they played while their respective spouses visited with family. They were confronted upon their return.
鈥淲e went out and played golf and the girls are at an aunt's house, and we came back and the girls scowled at us to say 鈥榳here the hell have you guys been?' We said 鈥榳e were golfing,'" said Beswetherick, 鈥淭hey started chewing at us pretty good, so we left and played another 18 holes.鈥�
