Golf, Goodland & Good Neighbors: Sweet Swinger Stories with Rollie and Friends
- Kristina Hemel
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
The Friday morning(June 13th) edition of the Good Neighbor Hour on KLOE 730 AM and RockIt 102.5 was a special kind of reunion — one filled with laughter, stories, and a whole lot of golf memories.
As the sun rose on June 13, host Rollie Halligan welcomed in a lively foursome of longtime friends and golfing buddies just ahead of the annual Sweet Swinger Golf Tournament at Sugar Hills. What followed was an hour full of hometown roots, sand green nostalgia, and the kind of stories only decades of friendship can produce.
“By golly, look who’s showing up!” Rollie exclaimed as Mike Rice, Lee Sherman, and Mike Elliott gathered around the mic — later joined by Rollie’s brother Ron — all in town for the tournament and reminiscing about their deep ties to Goodland and the beloved Sugar Hills Golf Course.
From Kanorado to Tulsa and Back Again
Mike Rice, who grew up north of Kanorado and attended Goodland High School, shared stories of country schools and early days of walking uphill (barefoot, naturally) both ways. Lee Sherman, originally from Blackwell, Oklahoma, recalled being lured to Goodland by his dad’s new job with the Co-op — and learning the hard way that not every golf course has grass greens.
“I’d never even heard of sand greens,” Lee laughed. “They showed me how to rake the greens, and I thought I’d be the best player on the team. I barely made fourth man.”
Mike Elliott, a hometown staple, chimed in with tales of National Guard service, coaching, and planting hundreds of trees at Sugar Hills. He’s been part of the course’s story — and its scenery — for decades.
Sand Greens, Station Wagons, and State Tournaments
From missing a regional tournament by showing up a day late to accidentally jackknifing the principal’s station wagon, the tales from the Goodland High School golf team of the 1960s were priceless. Former coach and driver’s ed instructor Coach Osborne became a legendary character of the hour, known more for staying out of the way than knowing how to swing a club.
“We’d ask what to do, and he’d just say, ‘You know what to do — go play,’” Lee recalled.
Sugar Hills: A Course Built on Community
The discussion turned to the humble beginnings of Sugar Hills, built thanks to the vision of local barber Leo Schissler and a group of determined residents. The course’s first location near the fairgrounds featured sand greens and oil-packed tee boxes framed by railroad ties. Today’s well-manicured fairways and greens are a far cry from those early days — a testament to years of work by volunteers, supporters, and golfers who loved the game.
From planting trees with a spade to transitioning from sand to grass greens, the men celebrated the hard work that shaped Sugar Hills. Names like Doc Driver, Doc Austin, and Kenny Yoke came up again and again — unsung heroes who mowed grass, built greens, and helped create something lasting.
Trophies, Tall Tales, and Tee Time Traditions
The Sweet Swinger tournament has grown into more than just a golf outing. With players coming in from Denver, Tulsa, and even St. Louis, it's a yearly reunion disguised as a competition. The group reminisced about the unique trophies — everything from pewter platters to kitchen canisters — and the pressure of putting for the win.
One highlight? Lee Sherman’s garage-embedded golf ball, now immortalized with a hand-painted bullseye after a stray shot from the first tee. “It’s still there,” he laughed. “You live on the course — you take your chances.”
Final Thoughts (and a Few Last Laughs)
Whether it was pulling old carts as caddies, whiffing shots on sand greens, or accidentally borrowing an ice tray for two years, the conversation was a celebration of camaraderie, history, and home.
“This golf course is part of why my daughter and son-in-law moved back,” Mike Elliott shared. “He made more friends here in a few visits than he had in Tulsa.”
As the show wrapped up, Rollie thanked the crew — Mike Elliott, Mike Rice, Lee Sherman, and Ron Halligan — for joining the Good Neighbor Hour, calling it “one of the most fun mornings we’ve had in a long time.”
And with that, the clubs were loaded up and the Sweet Swinger was underway — another year, another round, and another set of stories in the making.
📻 Catch the Good Neighbor Hour weekday mornings from 6–7 a.m. on 730 KLOE and RockIt 102.5.
🏌️♂️ Learn more about the Sweet Swinger Tournament and Sugar Hills Golf Course by visiting sugarhillsgolfclub.com— just don’t forget your tree spade or your bullseye paint.
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