Our La Crosse County Amateur Golf Championships lost a longtime family member last week.
Margaret “Squib” Olsen went to eternal heaven on Wednesday, April 29, after a long battle with cancer.
Squib was our head rules official for the Men's, Women's, Seniors and Juniors County Amateurs from 1991 through 2013. She also was the first-ever woman to become County Am chairman in 1996 and was a longtime board member.
Yet, Squib was so much more than that. She was a friend to everyone she met. Always smiling and upbeat even in the most difficult times, Squib could always find a ray of sunshine peeking through dark clouds from above.
That was just her way.
Oh sure, Squib was a fierce competitor, but she had to be growing up as the youngest of six children to Earling and Mildred (Rosenow) Olsen. She was born July 23, 1950. The Olsens lived in tiny Galesville, WI.
She was given the nickname “Squib” as a youngster, by her oldest brother, Jerry. There was a character in a book that reminded him of her, a little spit-fire tomboy. Squib enjoyed all sports, especially when she was called up to fill in on the Galesville boys baseball team, and showed them how well a girl could hit and pitch. It was a time when there were no organized sports for girls. That didn't prevent Squib from tucking her braided red hair under her over-sized baseball cap. Squib ran, hit, threw, pitched and made all sorts of defensive plays from the infield that left boys and men asking, "Who is this kid anyway?"
Squib was not only an all-star in baseball, she was an even better golfer.  
Graduating from Gale-Ettrick High School in 1968, Squib became a household name in Coulee Region golf circles. She captured the Western Wisconsin Women's Amateur in ‘69 and ‘70, playing her first tournament round barefoot because neither she nor her parents could afford golf shoes.
In the mid 1970’s, Squib's budding golf journey took her to California where she won four tournaments on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour from 1976-79. One great thrill in California was breaking LPGA Hall of Famer Mickey Wright’s course record with a 5-under-par 68, while winning the Visalia Open in Visalia, CA. In 1978, Squib won three WPGT tournaments and cashed $7,000.
When Squib wasn't golfing on the WPGT and trying to reach her lifetime dream of qualifying for the LPGA Tour, she was teaching the game to young and old alike while living and working in Palm Desert, Ca. It was a different lifestyle Squib wasn't familiar with, especially playing a round with PGA golf legend Arnold Palmer once. Yet, Squib missed her roots in the Coulee Region, especially hometown Galesville, hailed as the Garden of Eden.
Squib returned to Wisconsin in 1990 to become assistant pro at Cedar Creek Country Club in Onalaska. From there she went to Drugan's Castle Mound Golf Course in Holmen as head pro for seven more years before becoming executive director of the Three Rivers Golf Association for 14 years.
All the while, Squib lived in her childhood home, helping take care of her mother, tending to her gardens and visiting with lifelong neighbors. Squib's sister, Ruth, cared for her the last 6½ years during her battle with cancer.
Squib was preceded in death by her parents and brother Jerry. She is survived by sisters Carol, Dee and Ruth and brother LDO, along with many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and four great, great nephews.
Squib's obituary stated,"She is also survived by YOU, her amazing friends and golfing family. She was tremendously grateful for all the kindness and compassion from all of you through her tournament of life."
Jackie and Bruce Kaiser, associate directors for the County Amateur since Squib was forced to leave when diagnosed with cancer, echoed what many people feel.
"She was an amazing person who grew the game of golf in the area, mainly through her work with juniors," said Jackie. "She was someone the young golfers loved. Our son, Jeff, respected her so much and learned a lot from her about how to handle yourself on and off the course."
Bruce added, "Her way of advising County Am golfers about rules concerns was something to see. She was kind and understanding, but firm about the integrity of the game. Coulee Region golf sure will miss her."
As executive director of the County Amateurs since 1991, I will always remember Squib as the "straw that stirred the drink."
Here's an everlasting toast to my friend, one of the Coulee Region's greatest gifts to golf.

Without being political, I'm still scratching my head as to why Wisconsin's governor closed down state golf courses?
I understand he may not believe a golf course is an "essential business," although I firmly believe all courses - public and private - should be open for several reasons.
Golf course operators have gone to great lengths to make sure social distance is paramount. They raised golf cups so there is no need to reach into cups to retrieve balls and no need to touch flagsticks. Rakes have been removed from bunkers. No power carts are allowed. No cash is exchanged. Payments are made through credit or debit cards only. Clubhouses are closed. No food or beverage is available.
Come on. What else?
Case in point.
The governor issued his COVID-19 Emergency Order No. 12 on March 24, with the "Safer At Home" order from 8 a.m., March 25, to 8 a.m., April 24, shutting down non-essential businesses, including golf courses. Nonetheless, Trempealeau Mountain Golf Club decided to open last Friday after receiving approval from the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Dept., and Trempealeau County Health Dept. I drove up to Trempealeau Mountain that afternoon. The course was busy with more than 120 players on the tee sheet. I observed golfers in FULL COMPLIANCE with the strict guidelines approved by the Trempealeau Sheriffs Dept., and Trempealeau Health Dept. Golfers were simply delighted to kick off another season.
Later that day, I was notified the course was forced to shut down. What a shame.
Trempealeau Mountain isn't the only local course anxious to open or re-open this spring. Operators at Forest Hills Golf Course in La Crosse, The Golf Club at Cedar Creek in Onalaska and Drugan's Castle Mound Country Club in Holmen are among many throughout the state anxious to hear their cash registers ring.
I haven't found a good reason why they can't hear that sound... sooner rather than later.

WEST SALEM, WI - Chuck Deery's glass is always half-full, never half-empty.
In the 33 years I've known the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway manager, he is ever so positive, no matter what is thrown his way.
Managing a race track is a tough business because it depends on the weather, which hasn't been kind to the Coulee Region for the last few years. Chuck (pictured) is forced to change gears at any time, any day. Racing, nationwide, has also taken a huge hit in the past decade or more. Yet, Chuck, the eternal optimist, comes up with something new and unique to keep the turnstiles churning.
Now, it's the worldwide coronavirus pandemic causing an abrupt interruption to our normal living. That includes Deery, who announced late Friday that the 2020 season opener has been pushed back to Saturday afternoon May 30.
With Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ extending the “stay at home” mandate until May 26, it forced the speedway to miss the May 16 originally scheduled oval track opener.
“We are treating this as though we lost the first two events to the weather and will pick up our schedule from there,” Chuck said. “There is no point to dwell on the disappointing news from Gov. Evers. Instead, we think this extra time will allow the teams to get better prepared for an exciting and competitive season, and when the first green flag waves, we'll be ready and so will the teams.”
Typical Chuck Deery, always looking at the bright side, always finding a ray of sun among the dark clouds.
The May 30 event will see the Kwik Trip Late Models and Lawnkeepers Sportsmen competing on the 5/8-mile oval. The quarter-mile action track will see the Auto Value Hobby Stocks, A.N.T.S. Pest Control Hornets and the Mountain Dew Mini Vans battle it out for those valuable track points.
Plus, it is the annual early season “Buck Night”. Buck Night (or “Buck Day” in this case) is when all concession items are just $1 and cold beer is $2. The event is being presented by Old Dutch Foods.
Gates will open at 12:30 and the first race will be at 2 p.m. Adults are $13.50, Students (12-17) $7, kids (6-11) $4. Children 5 and under are free.
For more information, schedule of events and other interesting fun facts, visit the Speedway’s website at www.lacrossespeedway.com. or call us at 608-786-1525.
Good luck, Chuck!
See you there.

Grandma Lamb - God rest her soul - often told me when I was growing up that I should always try to find something good in something bad.
I found nothing good about COVID-19 until late last week when I stumbled across an old fisherman off the southern tip of French Island.
Sitting in the warmth of my Jeep with the outside temperature only 33 degrees and an unwelcome damp breeze, I watched the old-timer unload a 5-gallon bucket, two fishing poles, a small tackle box and live bait from his SUV. He pulled on a heavy wool coat and trudged down to one of the boat docks at Veterans Point Marina.
The gate to the dock was open and unlocked. The senior angler baited up his poles and began fishing.
I watched a few minutes, then stepped outside and walked toward shore. I snapped a few photos and then shouted out the standard fisherman's greeting.
"How they bitin'?" I blurted out.
"Just got here," he shouted back.
I watched him a few more minutes, took a couple more photos and then shouted, "Would you like to do a video with me?"
Pulling his hoodie down a little, the old-timer shouted back, "Sure, I guess so."
I returned to my Jeep, got my video recorder and walked down the gangplank to meet the old guy.
"My name is Bob Lamb and I would like to do a video interview with you for my website - boblamboutdoors," I said.
"Oh, you're Bob Lamb. I always enjoyed your outdoors stories in the newspaper. Well, I am certainly happy to meet you after all these years, Bob," he replied as we bumped elbows, while mentioning the COVID-19 safety guidelines.
We visited several minutes. I learned the old-timer is pushing 80, is a lifelong La Crosse resident, loves to fish as well as talk about fishing.
We hashed over the good old days of bullhead fishing, reeling in sunfish, crappies and perch, as well as pursuing larger fish like catfish, northern pike, bass and walleye.
OK, let's try a video," I suggested.
"OK, Bob," he replied.
Once you see the video on our homepage - albeit more than 8 minutes long - you will easily see I found something good in something as bad as COVID-19.
Thanks, Duane Johnson (pictured)!